Maps - The Colorado Trail

imported
#1

Are maps really necessary. From what I’ve read, they are. But people also said maps were needed for the A.T. and they weren’t.
If so, what maps do you think are the best?

Max

#2

Hard for me to say because I haven’t gotten out on the trail yet, but I talked to Sweeper the other day in an email and he said The Colorado Trail guidebook maps were usually sufficient enough for him.

BUT I have TOPO! software that I just love to play with and Adventure paper to print it out on (waterproof/tear resistant) and you can print on both sides of the paper. SO I’m going to print topo maps of each section and mail home or throw away what I’ve already hiked. I suppose you could print on one side, and write your journal on the other with your camping spots marked, mileage marked, and mail them back to yourself.

My reasons are:

  1. I love topo maps.

  2. I may be going by myself, and I don’t feel like getting lost. :bawling

  3. There may be some burn areas from last season and I think the trail may be hard to navigate in those spots. Not sure about that though.

  4. It’s hard to find a couple of regular maps that cover the whole trail at a descent level of detail. The Pikes Peak map I bought covers the beginning part pretty well.

Farrell

#3

i printed out all the CT maps from their CD rom www.coloradotrail.org (or .com), and they worked well. I printed them 3x5 inches, and saved a buncha paper by putting 4 on a page. Then I clipped each section in a small butterfly clip and usually had them in my umbros back pocket. I forgot they were even there most of the time. Every once and a while, I’d pull them out and check my progress. I think it’s the way to go, because, you don’t have to stop to look at the map, and they weigh nothing. The print was small, however, and sometimes smudged a bit, but no big deal. It a bit of work and costs around 70 dollars to do, but if you do that, you’ll be happy with it on the trail unless you can’t see small writing. Have fun.

THA WOOKIE

#4

Do you have trouble with their navigation buttons on the left side of the page. The scroll button does not come up when the selections go down below the window. I had e-mail them about this but they haven’t fix it. Am I the only one having this problem?

Max

#5

I just recieved the CD and have no problems with it. I am actualy trying to find a way to download the waypoints to my Pam Pilot then I will load them to the Topo!/TrialsIllustrated/Nationalgeographic software. I have a Magellan GPS which attaches to my palm pilot. Also this neat little system, when I am finished with it will be rechared using small solar panels.

Additionally I have found that the little book of waypoints which comes with the CD is very good. I went out the other day and found the exact spot as listed in the book. Living in Breckenridge has made it easy for me to test the system. Combine the waypoint book with the trailside data book and it will be one slick little system. :wink: I am actually thinking of leaving the stack of Trials Illustrated Maps at home and printing out only the sections I need. :cheers

PackerFever