Shelter GPS Corrdinates

imported
#1

I read last year that someone was going to make a record of the GPS coordinates of all the shelters on the Appalachian Trail. Does anyone know if that information is available anywhere? Thanks Bulldog

Bulldog

#2

Maptech has them on the CDs set. + 3D Rotate for elevation and 360* view to look at stuff from all sides. Even an airplane view to fly alone the tree tops like a simulator. I believe the AT on CD with drivers was about $100 last year. Printable maps right off the screen.

Bushwhack

#3

The ATC has GPS coordinates to within plus or minus several feet for the entire ATC including the shelters. You might want to contact them.

Also I’ve seen a list of shelter on the www. Not sure if it has GPS coordinates or not.

See you out there. :cheers

Maintain

#4

http://www.rosecomputers.com/MapTech/Appalachian.htm

Here’s (a) link to it.

BW

#5

I bought the Maptech software to use with my GPS last winter (In fact today is my one year aniversery of starting) and it was off by quite a bit. A couple of times that I depended on it, it was over a half mile off. Not good, when your lost on Roan Mountain and the sun is going to set in 30 minutes… I would not suggest to anybody to rely on Maptechs points for the shelters. And yes, I compared my device to others, and it was functioning properly. Just my experience. I ended up getting a refund on the software when I explained to LLBean (Where I purchased the software from) what had happened.

Peace
Rocket

Rocket03

#6

What would those cooridinates be used for? I’ve used a GPS before, when updated the CT databook, but I can’t figure out what the shelter coordinates would be good for. Is this a GIS project, or just to play with some toys? I’m just wondering.:slight_smile:

Tha Wookie

#7

Leapyear carried a GPS this year, and I’m pretty sure that he got coords for a lot of the shelters, you might try asking him. One warning though, knowing how far you are from Springer (or I guess Katahdin) in a straight line can be a bit discouraging :wink:

-S-

Skittles

#8

ATC personnel and ATC guidebook for trail maintainers specifically state that the AT is blazed for three season hiking (Spring, Summer, and Fall). It is very difficult to follow the trail in winter as blazes in some sections of the AT are very sketchy and old at best.

The AT is not blazed for Winter hiking. Ask Rocket, who hiked it in part of the Winter. I’m sure that was the reason for his use of the GPS early on.

So I’d highly recommend GPS for winter hiking the AT. Also there is no tree canopy to deal with and also the sky has no dust/lots of moisture hanging in it-----so as a result GPS works pretty good in Winter out there on the AT. But in Summer it doesn’t work anywhere near as good.

See you out there (in all 4 seasons). :cheers

Maintain

#9

Thanks Maintain! You are exactly right. I plan a February start (NOBO). I can generally follow a snow covered trail if I am careful, but it is easy to miss a white blaze in all that snow, and this is a big place to get lost. I agree that a GPS isn’t really necessary in the summer. However,I understand the Whites can sometimes be very foggy. I have never used mine in heavy fog. Any experience using a GPS in fog?

Bulldog

#10

For the past two years, Del Doc has been doing a GPS survey of the entire trail. In 2002 he did the southern part. In 2003 he did up to Gorham. I assume that this next summer he will do Maine.

He is recording survey data on several features along the trail, not just shelters. And recording GPS data about the trail location itself. For the gear heads, he is using a Trimble dual frequency unit.

When finished, I hope that all the data will be used to produce better maps and profiles of the AT.

If anyone is interested, Larry Garland of the AMC has done the same type of survey for much of the White Mountains and other areas covered by AMC guidebooks. As a result, the map quality had increased yet another notch.

By the way, Bulldog, GPS does work in fog and cloud cover. It does not work well under leaf cover, and around tall buildings. It needs to see the heavens.

Peaks

#11

Lots of info at the atc on gis stuff:

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/protect/gis/GISdata.html

rc

#12

Do the people using them for winter try a compass before bringing a GPS? I understand it’s personal preference. I just find that map and compass really tune me in with the land, while a GPS is like, well… following a computer.

Tha Wookie

#13

What’s wrong with a good old map and compass? Tha Wookie, you da man! GPS will make you lazy. Don’t rely on technology (you know what I mean, aside from tent design, goretex and other manmade fabrics and hiking aids).

Anti GPS

#14

I use gps units for work but only to ‘mark’ my position for surveys. Otherwise, I use my compass and map. The only time I really use gps is going cross-country at night when the stars were obscured, but even then I did fine before I learned about gps units. Yep, it’s definitely a lost art.

rc

#15

I carried my GPS on my section hike last year. It ate a lot of batteries, and batteries are heavy. :slight_smile: I extrapolated the coordinates of the shelters, springs and mountain tops from one of the on-line topo map sites (either terra server, or ?) I had to enter the data manually into the GPS. On those that I input properly, it was accurate to within feet. Others, I must have done wrong; one shelter was 32 miles away. :smiley: Mileage travelled came through as flat map distances, and seemd to be 10% low (compared to guide book distances). I liked knowing the approximate distance yet to travel for the day, even though it was straight-line and flat-map. Due to battery consumption, I will not be bringing it along on my next section.

Harry Dolphin