GPS and aerial photos

["Steph Teeter" <steph@endurance.net>]

Jim - I don't suppose you're in Idaho? Sounds like a ride manager's dream!
Playing with maps and trails is probably one of most fun things about
putting on rides. For anybody out there who is as fanatic/obsessive as I am,
you can download aerial photographs and topographic maps from
http://terraserver.microsoft.com - I've found the aerial photos most useful.
They show all the cowtrails, jeep roads, etc that aren't on topo maps but
are the best for riding. You can download various resolutions - from 64 to 2
meters per pixel. The ones in this area (sw Idaho) are from 1995. I've
printed out larger areas (25 mile radius) and am getting ready to print more
as prep for finding new trail for the 5-day ride. I can then go riding with
the GPS and get mileages and pencil them onto the printed aerial photos, and
voila! Most of the trails we'll also do with ATV or motorcyle and get
accurate total mileage. Sometimes the GPS mileages are a little short
(around 1/2 mile per 15 mile loop).

Still rough compared to what you can produce with GIS though! Bob Morris
gave me a beautiful map he produced (GIS) of this area with roads and
motorcycle trail layers over a 7.5 min quad topo map. (Bob - what software
are you using? on a PC?) ... now, if I could just add an aerial photo
layer...

Steph

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Beidle [mailto:beidlej@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2001 8:09 PM
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: GPS and GIS Mapping Part II


I've been reading with avid interest the continuing
thread on GPS. While reading my own, I realized I
hadn't really explained the use of Geographical
Information Systems (GIS) very well. That may have
inadvertantly helped contribute to some confusion.

....


=====
Jim Beidle


Please reply to beidlej@yahoo.com

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