Notice: I've taken a part-time job, and it's definitely affecting my blogging time. I'll continue to add content here as often as possible. Pertinent guest posts are always welcome.

-

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

New BRT Overview Condition Map

condition map for Border Route Trail
follow link for full size map


OutdoorBlips: vote it up!
if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from a posting in NCT Friends

John Garbe has created a map showing the condition of the BRT using Google maps and Ed Solstad's trail condition spreadsheet to serve as a replacement for the old trail conditions maps on the Border Route Trail website:

The color indicates condition of the trail: green = no deadfall and minimal brush, yellow = minimal deadfall and moderate brush, red = moderate deadfall and heavy brush, and grey = road or wide ski trail that isn't regular trail. If you put your mouse over a section of trail (the hand will turn into a pointed finger) and click on it you'll get more detailed information about that section. The usual google maps features (pan, zoom, satellite and terrain overlays) work.

The trail condition information comes from Ed's spreadsheet, which divides the trail into 56 short sections and records the condition of each section and when it was last cleared. Garbe wrote a little program to convert the data in the spreadsheet into a form that google maps can read and combined it with coordinates for each section. Any time somebody updates/edits the spreadsheet (updating trail conditions or adding/modifying trail segments) it just takes a couple minutes for John to update the map.

Garbe plans to add on spur and access trails and incorporate the map into the regular website layout. He welcomes any suggestions or comments.

See Border Route Trail


3 comments:

samh said...

This is beautiful. That makes me a bit of a nerd, but I don't care. Gorgeous stuff here.

Tman said...

Wow, what a wonderful tool for hikers. I wish there was something like this when I hiked the Border Route this past May.

Sharkbytes (TM) said...

Yes, this would have been very helpful. At least to give someone an idea of what to expect. Hopefully, there will be continued interest in hiking this section more and more. It's SO beautiful. And that will help keep it clear.