Caches along MY route?

[+murfster]

I have been using and enjoying the new "Caches along a route" with Google. BUT it picks the quick route. I want to pick my own route and then have it find the caches. i.e. Toronto to Kingston The route it selects is the 401. If I want to take the slower route on Hwy 2 ..can I get caches along that route? Any suggestions??

 

Thanks

 

Murfster

[+tangerineman]

After selecting the route you're interested in, ask for caches, say, 5 kms on either side of the 401, and up the number of caches to the maximum of 500.

 

You can play with the numbers - if there are more than 500 within 5 kms of the route, the pocket query will pick and choose which ones to include. Narrow-down the number of kms, and you'd be more certain of including all possible caches.

 

Happy trails!

[+swimmrguy]

I don't know if it is the best way, but the one way I did a similar thing was to break up the trip into segments. I wanted to go from Kingston to Kanata via Hwy 15, (instead of using the 400 series highways) and use "Caches along a route." To do that, I had to make a trip from Kingston to Smiths Falls, then another one from Smiths Falls to Kanata. I then had to make two separate PQs to get the caches.

 

I know that Google Maps allows you to add multiple destinations in their driving directions, but I don't know if you can do that with Google Earth.

[+Keith Watson]

You can try using the ARC Builder on the Golden Horseshoe Geocachers website.

[+PDOP's]

.... break up the trip into segments. I wanted to go from Kingston to Kanata via Hwy 15, (instead of using the 400 series highways) and use "Caches along a route." To do that, I had to make a trip from Kingston to Smiths Falls, then another one from Smiths Falls to Kanata. I then had to make two separate PQs to get the caches.

Once you have the the KML files for each you can use a text editor (like WordPad) to combine the files into one. When you view the files in WordPad the structure is fairly evident and you want to copy only the coordinates strings from the second file and insert them after the coordinates strings for the first file. You can do this for multiple files as long as the total length stays under 800km and you keep the coordinates strings in sequential order.

 

Then you only have to run one PQ

[+PDOP's]

I know that Google Maps allows you to add multiple destinations in their driving directions, but I don't know if you can do that with Google Earth.

 

There are instructions at Geocaching and Route Planning - Part 3

[+greywynd]

I often use mapsource to plot a route, then you can load the route into GSAK (search, filter, arc/poly, get file) and it will list the caches within whatever distance you want. I like it because I often find in rural areas the distance the GC search allows just isn't enough. A cache that may be 1-2 kms beyond the limit, but easy to get with a route change, is easy to miss, but using GSAK I rarely miss them.

 

I'll go even bigger sometimes, create a database on my palm in cachemate, then I have more to pick from if I end up changing my route. I may have to punch the co-ords into my GPS manually though depending on what I loaded into it for the trip. I can see a laptop for the vehicle in the future.

 

Greywynd

[+Keith Watson]

I have fixed the ARC builder so the google earth routes work correctly with geocaching.com

[+murfster]

THANKS everyone.. I'll work on this.

 

Murfster

[+swimmrguy]

I think I have come up with a way to do this using Google Maps and Google Earth. I took your example of plotting a route from Toronto to Kingston using Highway 2.

 

1. Go to Google Maps and select "My Maps." There you will see you have options to "Create a new map." You can give it a name, and then have the ability to save it.

 

2. You can then use the line tool to draw the route you want on the map. After some experimenting, I was able to draw the entire route with one line. To do this, you have to click on the arrow keys to scroll or move the map. If you select the hand tool to move the map, the line is then assumed to be done. Double click once you are finished drawing the line. I then renamed the line "Route to Kingston"

 

 

3. Click on the KML file to save it to your computer. You are not done yet! If you try to load this as a route to GC.com, it will be blank! You have to open this file in Google Earth first.

 

 

4. In Google Earth, expand Temporary Places until you can see the "Route to Kingston" line that was drawn in Google Maps. Right click on the line and select "Save As..." and save the KML file (don't save as a KMZ file).

 

 

5. You then upload this KML file to GC.com and then you can create a Pocket Query along this route.

 

Now if you are really interested in the route from Toronto to Kingston on Highway 2, I have the route here!

 

Hope that helps.

[+Shawn&Holly]

Going to have to try these as there are a few routes we use that google earth uses that we don't take, therefore I end up making more then 1 route trying to tie start and end points to go the route I want and not the route google earth wants me to take. I have a route for the 401, Windsor to Montreal done here

 

Windsor to Montreal

 

Will have to try your Kingston to Toronto Highway 2 route someday.

[+Landsharkz]

swimmrguy your instructions are straightforward, easy to follow and work!! I've been trying to do this route thingy for ages and couldn't get it to work. Now I can. Thank you!

[+swimmrguy]

I have fixed the ARC builder so the google earth routes work correctly with geocaching.com

 

I just looked at ARC builder, and it is very nice. The one big improvement ARC builder has over the method I described is that the resulting KML file you get when you click on "Google Earth File" works perfectly when uploaded to the GC website. You don't need to open it in Google Earth first.

 

My only complaint is that after placing a few markers, the connecting line stops showing up--so I am not too sure how accurate my line is staying along the roads. But it is easy to make a reasonable trace of the route.

 

Very useful tool Keith. I think I'll be using it a lot.

[+The Blue Quasar]

Personally I find the Groundspeak method quite confusing. Ever since Keith Watson made that Arc Filter program, that is all I use. I'll give credit where credit is due, it's so easy to use and does exactly what I want.

 

I've never tried using it to make KML files for the creation of Pocket Queries, as generally I don't drive all that far. But I'd rather use Keith's program as it has been perfect every time whereas the Groundspeak one has confused me repeatedly and often gives me things I don't want. Plus having to rely on using routes that other people have made makes me nervous.

 

The Blue Quasar

[+swimmrguy]

I too prefer to use GSAK to find caches along a route. However, I normally only keep my GSAK database up to date within a 100 K radius from home. When I travel further than that, I simply won't have those caches in my GSAK database. I guess I could widen the radius a little bigger though, but not by much since the PQ often returns 350+ caches...

[+Keith Watson]

I have fixed the ARC builder so the google earth routes work correctly with geocaching.com

 

I just looked at ARC builder, and it is very nice. The one big improvement ARC builder has over the method I described is that the resulting KML file you get when you click on "Google Earth File" works perfectly when uploaded to the GC website. You don't need to open it in Google Earth first.

 

My only complaint is that after placing a few markers, the connecting line stops showing up--so I am not too sure how accurate my line is staying along the roads. But it is easy to make a reasonable trace of the route.

 

Very useful tool Keith. I think I'll be using it a lot.

 

There appears to be a bug some where in the Google Maps code. If the line disappears, try zooming out one step. It came back for me when I tried it. Fire Fox does not seem to have the problem.

Edited May 2, 2007 by Keith Watson

[+murfster]

Well I finally had a chance to sit and try these. The ARC Builder is much easier to use to draw a route and make up a KML file than Google Earth.

 

Thanks VERY MUCH to all who responded..

 

Murfster