What does Jake tell Layla about his compass rose tattoo?

Jake tells Layla that his compass rose tattoo comes from a trip he took with his mother, hiking from Castle Lake to Heart Lake on unsigned trails. She gave him a map and a compass, and he used the compass to find their way. He says that “a compass doesn’t tell you where you are, and it doesn’t tell you where you have to go. It can only point in one direction. It’s up to you to always find your true north” (287).