Creating a division

A division turns one route into a decision point with two conditional plans. The why is in the divisions essay; this is the how.

Turning a route into a division

In the itinerary the pill changes: it picks up the clay accent and reads Division · Cables permit drawn? with the two lanes below it.

Building the branches

Each branch holds its own ordered sequence of cairns, independent of the trunk. Add them with Add to branch, or drag existing cairns in. Branch cairns are full cairns — they can carry permits, weather, and all the usual details — but they draw with dashed borders everywhere, on the cards and on the map pins. Dashed means provisional: an idea, not yet a commitment.

A branch can also be marked open-ended — a lane for brainstorming rather than a finished alternate. Use it for “layover day ideas” and similar; the shared itinerary labels it as such so the group doesn't mistake a sketch for a plan.

When the decision lands

When the condition resolves — the lottery posts, the forecast firms up — drag the winning branch's cairns onto the trunk and delete the division, or keep it in place as a record of the call. Trips planned for clients usually keep them: the division is the documentation of why the trip goes the way it goes.