Mapping/Planning Resources

[dan falvo]

In researching/seeking routes what resources do you use if maps are not available for a river/ series of lakes (similar to the ADK Paddlers Map or NFCT maps)? Nat Geo Top Maps, Google Earth etc… or other map resource. I am looking specifically NY thru Maine. We do not use GPS devices and while I am no expert I am practicing and gaining confidence w/ just a compass. Thank you in Advance

 

[dan falvo]

Found my answer a few posts below - If only I could see today.

 

[ppine]

I am old school and have a degree in geography. I like maps and river guide books best.

 

[Muskrat]

I use ArcGIS explorer. It's a free program that you can mark points and routes in, and it has several map overlays so you can view sat maps, topos, etc. It's not the best, but it works well enough for planning routes and finding obstacles.

 

[Guest]

In researching/seeking routes what resources do you use if maps are not available for a river/ series of lakes (similar to the ADK Paddlers Map or NFCT maps)? Nat Geo Top Maps, Google Earth etc… or other map resource.

I’m old school and still carry USGS topo maps. For my home State stuff I buy them directly from the Maryland Geological Survey office, which keeps the entire State in stock (and other cool State maps as well). Some of those have been cut-&-pasted into more convenient sections.

http://www.mgs.md.gov/

The topos are sometimes augmented by a river guide (or relevant photocopied pages), if there is a good one available.

Some of the printable mapping software is impressive. Late friend JSaults printed sets of river maps for several of my favorite paddling places (some I think from Natty Geo) and I was surprised at the detail.

One set was for the Pocomoke River, a cypress swamp river I have done hundreds of times. The problem with a long day on the Pocomoke, especially the lower tidal portion, is the lack of any solid ground on which to land for a leg stretcher or lunchtime muckleup.

Looking at the color maps Jim made we discovered a couple of unknown sandy beaches that appeared brightly on the maps, tucked out of sight beyond a thick front of old cypress. We had passed them for 30 years, never knowing they were there.

Back to topo maps – If you have a touch of Maphead, and a State Geological Survey office in your vicinity, it may be well worth a visit. The one in Maryland has gobs of interesting maps, including 5 color county maps, drainage maps, maps of geologic areas (Maryland is odd in that respect:

https://www.google.com/search?q=geo...9hEDDWFnM:&usg=__g-MZ8lH2HCcwWADLDVG7bsv4ovE=

Plus some long out of date stuff from early to mid last century that is fascinating for the changes.

Seriously, State Geologic Survey. If not completely satisfied I’ll pay your entry fee. (Free).

 

[yknpdlr]

I too am very old school with paper USGS maps. Accurate backcountry land navigation is my passion, and I teach land nav for law enforcement and SAR at the state level. I have several hundred USGS map paper copies, including all of the Adirondacks, much of the rest of NY State, and a few scattered in other states as well. It is easy to order traditional paper maps directly from USGS (usgs.gov) or you can download them for free from USGS. I make extensive use the NGtopo set of maps on my computer, especially for SAR, but unfortunately that program is no longer available. For the most part accuracy on most waters is excellent, though hiking trails often change or have errors. And of course, while man made features come and go, mountains hardly ever move no matter how old is the map.

One of the best online sources for topo maps is caltopo.com. For free it allows you to plot points and tracks, create entire routes, measure distances, and does a host of other functions as well. There are several others, both free (http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html for free) and for pay (MacGPS Pro as one of the pay examples).

For Canada there is http://www.jeffstopos.com/
or from National Resources Canada: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-science...tion/maps/9767

When I paddle in the Yukon River Quest and the Yukon 1000 mile races, I plot my most efficient route using Google Earth. It is far more up to date than the outdated official topographic maps from the Yukon Territory and Alaska of that frequently changing riverbed course. I find the registration on GE between plotted map points and GPS reality to be excellent. I have plotted 739 waypoints on the route for the 1000 mile race, which have been scrubbed and modified several times with turn point aiming improvements from my own experience and that of other place winning canoes.

 

[yin water dog]

Since no one else has mentioned it... check out caltopo.com (at least for the US). It's free, you can sign in through google or the like and save and print maps, draw on them, look at all sorts of different views and terrain breakdowns... it's a great resource.

 

[yknpdlr]

Since no one else has mentioned it... check out caltopo.com (at least for the US). It's free, you can sign in through google or the like and save and print maps, draw on them, look at all sorts of different views and terrain breakdowns... it's a great resource.

Huh? Post #6, immediately prior to yours, mentioned caltopo.com two months ago.

 

[yin water dog]

Huh? Post #6, immediately prior to yours, mentioned caltopo.com two months ago.

Whoops. Guess the coffee wasn't working right

Sorry about that.

 

[Robin]

Is it me? I just don't understand a thing you have said.

 

[Marten]

I like using the G4 mapping site. It allows me to switch between maps but best of all I can overlay my info after the trip for others to learn from. It came in very handy for a trip to Opasquia Provincial Park in Ontario a few years ago. Info was all pretty old but the maps showed me that bushwhacking would be feasible. We ended up being surprised at the number of open portages used by the local hunters and fishermen. Doing the overlays requires some tech work but provides info for others.