Since I last wrote about digital maps, the S1 Mobile app has been shut down and the Forest Service released a new map app that looks pretty good. It might be time for a new post on maps. (Check the "equipment" tag for older editions.) USFS app in offline mode showing a section of the Pacific Crest Trail north of Marble Mountain Wilderness including intersecting roads, streams, and contours. As before, this will focus on legal, free ways to have maps stored on your handheld computer (AKA "phone") so you can have them anywhere and any time. While these are free, it does help insure that independent developers keep going next year if you send some money toward them. My criteria for a map app: Works offline. If you only have a map when online, you don't have a map. It is as simple as that. This is non-negotiable. Maps should include contours. I'm looking to hike with these maps after all. Shows location. User configurable storage opt...
Uncompahgre National Forest DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 The Colorado backpacking loop I found last year was stunning, so now I am out for another. This year I chose a loop mainly in the Uncompahgre Wilderness following different forks of the Cimarron River up and back down connecting over the ridges to the south. This gives me access to two 14ers with trails most the way up. All this depends on the snow, of course. It is a little early in the season and a late snowfall may mean I cannot get out of the canyon, much less climb a mountain that is 14,300 feet high. I have been casting my eyes toward the San Juan Range for the last few days, and they do look very snowy. It seems unlikely that I will get out of the canyon and I am a little resigned as I collect everything together. The day hikers who went up to the Silver Jack Mine do not offer much hope. The trailhead says "no camping" so I stu...
Caliente Field Office BLM ( map link ) I headed over to one of those maintained roads indicated on the trailhead sign at Sheep Pass Canyon. It is probably called Shingle Pass Road, but there's no sign. Nevada really isn't too worried about signs. You can see there's a two lane gravel road over there as you approach. There aren't any others for miles. You know it's the one you want. Right? I followed it to an old corral, which is generally a good bet for a dispersed campsite, to hike the high point of the Far South Egans Wilderness. I'm afraid I was lacking imagination for a hike in this wilderness and settled for what is rapidly becoming the usual route for bagging its high point. The good road over Shingle Pass. We do get a sign for the South Egan Range Wilderness (established 2006) on the left, but none for the Far South Egans Wilderness (established 2004) on the right. I almost flinched. I almost decided against doing this hike. The descriptions, p...
Central Coast BLM Click for map. It really looks like rain, but the automatic weather report assures me that's still on for tomorrow, not today. Today will just be mostly cloudy and I want to get out to something. Something will be the Griswold Hills high point. The area has a single day use area with bathrooms as the only official parking, although there seem to be a few turnouts too. There are no legal roads, but there is a single trail. I'm not sure where exactly it goes, but it is nice to see that it climbs the steepest bit of the hills along the route I was looking at to get to the high point. At least, there's a series of switchbacks carved into the hill, so I assume that's where it goes. There's no signs by the parking lot for it. There's a gate to exit the parking area and switchbacks on the hill side, so just connect those and I should be on trail. Cows grazing on the flats between Griswold Hills and Panoche Hills and Tumey Hills. Th...
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