From what I've read, that (admitting there's a problem) is one of the truly critical things about survival. One has to acknowledge the situation for what it is. Failure to recognize the gravity of the situation can really compound the problem.

Sounds like, though, that he didn't make an error per se. He just couldn't find a particular trail. Having hiked in Northern Arizona before, I'd say that a lot of trails there are more dashes on a map than real trails. In other words, some of those trails up there don't get a lot of use and are pretty hard to find, hardly his fault. I'm not familiar with the particular trail in question.

HJ