Using A Gps For Trails

[+ziggy&fuzz]

I realize this isn't a geocache topic, but I'm hoping some of you have tried it. I have a Garmin 60cx and city select software. That means I can say take me to xxx address and the gps will lead me. I was wondering if there is trail software that will do the same kind of thing. For example. I know there is a way to start at the Pacaifc Crest Trail at Donner Pass, turn somewhere and end up at the Squaw Valley Lodge. Just wondering if there is trail software that works like road software and give me trail by trail directions.

 

Thanks.

 

If there is a better forum somewhere on the internet to post this, please let me know and I'll post it there.

[+JanniCash]

I realize this isn't a geocache topic, but I'm hoping some of you have tried it. I have a Garmin 60cx and city select software. That means I can say take me to xxx address and the gps will lead me. I was wondering if there is trail software that will do the same kind of thing. For example. I know there is a way to start at the Pacaifc Crest Trail at Donner Pass, turn somewhere and end up at the Squaw Valley Lodge. Just wondering if there is trail software that works like road software and give me trail by trail directions.

 

Thanks.

 

If there is a better forum somewhere on the internet to post this, please let me know and I'll post it there.

(Good) trail maps is very hard to come by, and even harder is it to get that stuff in digital format.

 

You may want to check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/map_authors/ for information on how to make/find topographic maps and the like.

 

Jan

[bgarland]

I have 76CSx and use it for lot a hiking. I have the Garmin Topo maps as well as some custome topo maps loaded for specific areas. To my knowledge there is no autorouting via trails on the topo map products. I usualy plan my trip on my home PC first and if I'm hiking in an area with a lot of trail intersentions or critical turns, I Just add waypoints to importatant intersections to alert me to thier locations.

 

Also if you use the National Geographic Topo software that has a lot more detail you can sometimes see trails that are not on the Garmin topo maps. In that case you can trace the route you want to follow on the NG topo program and then download the route to your GPSr.

Edited July 21, 2006 by bgarland

[+embra]

Delorme TopoUSA actually does some autorouting on the PC side with trails, but the best you can do with that is to tranfer a point-to-point route to your GPS. But as mentioned above, good complete trail data doesn't seem to be available at any one place.

 

Delorme appears to have more complete data than I have encountered elsewhere, but it's still what I would consider very incomplete. And, to be fair, trails can be so changeable as to make them difficult to keep current if anything close to complete.

[BHP1]

I have 76CSx and use it for lot a hiking. I have the Garmin Topo maps as well as some custome topo maps loaded for specific areas. To my knowledge there is no autorouting via trails on the topo map products.

 

Actually, the Garmin 24k National Park maps will autoroute, including trails.

 

I know there is a way to start at the Pacaifc Crest Trail at Donner Pass, turn somewhere and end up at the Squaw Valley Lodge. Just wondering if there is trail software that works like road software and give me trail by trail directions.

 

While the Garmin National Parks East map set has the entire Appalachian Trail included, the western Map set doesn't have the Pacific Crest Trail.

[+Indotguy]

In most cases, recreational trails (hiking and horse) must be re-routed fairly often due to maintenance issues, etc. This I presume would make it quite difficult to keep GPS trail software up to date.

[+BigLarry]

I use my Garmin eTrex Vista (on the bar) and GPSMAP 60CSx (for backup in the pack) for navigation when riding trails on a mountain bike.

 

No good automatic routing software exists for GPS. OK, make that NO software exists.

 

Nevertheless, a mapping GPS is quite useful. First, for trails you need a topo map for the display. Only Garmin's TOPO can be downloaded to Garmin GPS ($80). This topo only shows about 1/2 of the fire roads and 1/3 of the trails in the regions around northern CA. But that's OK. Here's what you do to find your way. It works great for me in many remote new areas.

 

Find a good topo map of the park somewhere on the web in PDF format and print it out on paper (which you should always carry with you for trail names and for backup). Best are the ones from the official park web site that have trail permissions (bike horse, hiking,..) and trail names, etc.. You can always find that. Sometimes you get lucky and find someone's gpx files with GPS tracks of the trails you can import directly. Either way, start at home on your computer. Use the tracks and/or paper map to match with the topo map. By comparing contour height, ridges, streams, peaks, etc.. I can usually mark a waypoint to within 100' of the actual turn or intersection. At my home computer I put waypoints at all relevant trail intersections, with names matching the trail. I then make up a route stringing together the waypoints.

 

On the ride, I follow the route to each waypiont. I have one of the four data fields on my odometer screen show the distance to the next waypoint so I can see it counting down. The compass will also point the way to the next waypoint, and the map page will show my actual path relative to the straight line route between wayponts. I go solo on very long and complex new rides and never get lost this way. I also leave a map of the planned route with my wife, and don't deviate.

 

I also have city maps and swap to them to find the trail head in the car trying to find the place, the most important way point to mark. Finding the trail head can be a real issue sometimes, especially in the Sierras where I ride. Having the POI to find food, money, or bike parts helps a lot too.

Edited July 22, 2006 by BigLarry

[Grasscatcher]

 

No good automatic routing software exists for GPS. OK, make that NO software exists.

 

 

NO ??? None??? Did I really find something that I can do that no one else in the world can do? I really doubt that!

 

Not actual "Autorouting" with "dummy" screen written instructions, but nearly.....

 

Use Expert GPS from Topografix....On your PC at home....On trails that you HAVENT traveled (or want to travel (PCT)), hand draw a track (not a Route), add any intersections or side trails or points of interest,etc. ......"simplify" the track to reduce the # of trackpoints if necessary, transfer the track to your GPSr, "Save"it, select the track on your GPSr and use the "trackback" function. Start at any point on the trail, with the track selected, and "tell the GPSr" any other point on the trail to "navigate to".....which is part of the trackback function. Can use either the compass page OR the Map page , with the track displayed to navigate. It actually even appears to anticipate an upcoming turn slightly before you get there.

 

Note: In Expert GPS a "hand drawn" track will not show the elevation profile, but after you have traveled the trail, a "saved track" as downloaded from your GPSr WILL.

 

I'm not associated with, and this is not a comercial for, Expert GPS. Just a response from an avid,(say rabid), regular user. IMHO, you can't beat it for flexibility and features and data mgmt. Has Aerial Photos too....your data on the topo map also shows on the AP. And the software developer is SUPER responsive with updates and changes and new features. Unbelieveably so.....

[+ziggy&fuzz]

Thanks for the suggestions. Since I'm familiar with EasyGPS, I'll try the ExpertGPS product and go from there. Again, thanks to all for the responses.

[ashleedawg]

 

No good automatic routing software exists for GPS. OK, make that NO software exists.

 

 

NO ??? None??? Did I really find something that I can do that no one else in the world can do? I really doubt that!

 

Not actual "Autorouting" with "dummy" screen written instructions, but nearly.....

 

Use Expert GPS from Topografix....On your PC at home....On trails that you HAVENT traveled (or want to travel (PCT)), hand draw a track (not a Route), add any intersections or side trails or points of interest,etc. ......"simplify" the track to reduce the # of trackpoints if necessary, transfer the track to your GPSr, "Save"it, select the track on your GPSr and use the "trackback" function. Start at any point on the trail, with the track selected, and "tell the GPSr" any other point on the trail to "navigate to".....which is part of the trackback function. Can use either the compass page OR the Map page , with the track displayed to navigate. It actually even appears to anticipate an upcoming turn slightly before you get there.

 

Note: In Expert GPS a "hand drawn" track will not show the elevation profile, but after you have traveled the trail, a "saved track" as downloaded from your GPSr WILL.

 

I'm not associated with, and this is not a comercial for, Expert GPS. Just a response from an avid,(say rabid), regular user. IMHO, you can't beat it for flexibility and features and data mgmt. Has Aerial Photos too....your data on the topo map also shows on the AP. And the software developer is SUPER responsive with updates and changes and new features. Unbelieveably so.....

 

I use expert gps in a similar manner also, so you're not the only one. lol. But I would like to point out to

Big larry, that with expert gps, you can load and calibrate any .jpeg as a scanned map. So if you have a paper trailmap of the area, all you need is a few known waypoint coordinates on the map and you can draw a track right on the trail map and upload the the route to your gps.

 

Now, what I have had issues finding, is a program that sort of mixes paint or photo editor with expert gps. That is, I want to be able to open a map, download my track onto it and draw it on the map as a permanent trail. This way, when I go off in the mountains, I could add the trail of where I went each time I go out in the same relative area. Expert GPS would be perfect for this if it just gave you the option of drawing on the jpeg like MS paint does. If anyone has a suggestion about another way do do this, please say so.

[Grasscatcher]

ashleydawg,

Have you checked out the Topografix Forum? There may already be something available to do what you want. Find the correct thread, or start one there and ask.

( http://forums.topografix.com/)

[+JFDavis (Orion 6)]

I realize this isn't a geocache topic, but I'm hoping some of you have tried it. I have a Garmin 60cx and city select software. That means I can say take me to xxx address and the gps will lead me. I was wondering if there is trail software that will do the same kind of thing. For example. I know there is a way to start at the Pacaifc Crest Trail at Donner Pass, turn somewhere and end up at the Squaw Valley Lodge. Just wondering if there is trail software that works like road software and give me trail by trail directions.

 

Thanks.

 

If there is a better forum somewhere on the internet to post this, please let me know and I'll post it there.

 

We have a large chunk of mountain nearby. In addition to large sources like National Geographic and the US Forest Service, there is a Friends of the 'XXXXX' group. They have monthly meetings, plan trips etc. In my case at least one of the group members has written a hiking guide to XXXXX; complete with waypoints both in the book and online. Try google with your area of interest in the search, along with 'friends of'; maybe...