BS,
I run a 12c for my day job as well so I know what you are talking about as I had mental block when I first started with these things years ago. I learned on an early Magellan which was French compared to the 76S so I was hesitant about the whole deal. I went on a float trip 4 years ago in AK and borrowed a buddies Garmin GPSIII. It was a cake walk compared to my earlier experiences. That, along with feedback from the Boards is what lead me to the 76. You can switch it to the track feature and it will automatically save waypoints at set intervals which you can then backtrack on. Or, you can manually save them as you head out. I started messing with it without reading the directions (imagine that) and was able to figure out most all of it in minutes. Then I read the manual and learned a few shortcuts that were cool. I would wager you would do just fine.

PD