Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
This actually happened to me. I was walking out of a national forest and came up to a stream that I had not crossed. I got my bearings confused and realized I was lost. I knew that if I went Northwest it would be about a 30 mile hike out in heavy woods, with obvious other streams to cross. In the Southeast direction, it would only be about 5 miles.
The sun was out but mostly overhead and no help with directions.
I couldn't wait until the sun went farther West to get my directions. It was a warm Winter day but I wasn't dressed to be there after dark when the temperature fell, even if I did go in the correct direction.
I stuck a stick in the ground and made a mark in the dirt at the end of it's shadow. I sat down for about 15 minutes, then made a new mark in the dirt at the end of the sticks shadow again. I drew a line in the dirt to connect the two marks. This line ran close to the East/West direction, the first mark being the West direction.
I made it out about 5 PM just as the sun was disappearing through the trees.
