Ridecamp: [RC] maping, marking and GPS

Charles" <cdy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:

>1) Are maps of the trails provided?  I tried orienteering
>years ago, and they provided a map for us to use.  Turns
>out the Orienteering group had cartographers and
>cartographers friends who would go out and make
>maps or update old maps

LOL!   I, too, am a map addict.  However, as a Ride
Manager one of the things you quickly discover
is that the ability to read a map is actually quite
rare.  Most people have no clue where they are,
and couldn't find their starting place on a map,
much less keep track of where they are during
a ride using a map.  It's actually been one of the
big challenges of recruiting trail markers.  Many
of the people who volunteer to mark trail can't
read and follow the map showing them where
to mark!

Again, one can't make the mistake of assuming that
one's riders have the same map-reading skills that
you do.  Odds are that they don't.

'Sides, in endurance, most people don't want to
stop to look at maps to figure out where they are.

2) Is there a standard marking system?

No.  Even just here in Massachusetts, there are *at
least* two flag-based marking systems in common use.  I
once came to an intersection of *four* marked trails
where, by the marking system I was familiar with,
any one of the four trails was a valid turn.  I
wasn't aware that this club used a slightly different
marking system and--under their system--the
four-way intersection was unambiguously marked.
Now I *always* ask before I go out.

Linda B. Merims
lbm@xxxxxxxxx
Massachusetts, USA






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=