From: Signe Rogers (HikinMama@iglide.net)
Date: Thu Jul 18 2002 - 11:28:29 CDT
Since demonstrating ability to use a GPS is one of the Venturing Ranger
Award requirements, when I hiked with a crew of Venturers in 2001, we took
advantage of the opportunity to use the GPS at Philmont. As others have
observed, proper use of a GPS requires being aware of several factors,
including the fact that it does not *exactly* pinpoint locations. There
will always be some deviation and users must of course keep this in mind.
It is also my strong opinion, and probably the opinion of just about every
other GPS user out there, that one can not make it a substitute for map &
compass skills.
I entered waypoints before hitting the trail, and then I also marked
waypoints in my GPS as we went along the trek. The waypoints taken from the
locations themselves are in a spreadsheet that Selden has put on his web
site. http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/~seb/philmont-t19-gps.xls
The waypoints are limited to the trek we did last summer, and since it was
all North & Valle Vidal, it will have limited use for any treks this summer,
but you should know those are from-the-trail markings and not based off the
map grids. Also, Trek 19 that we did in '01 is a different itinerary than
the '02 Trek 19. The deviations of what my GPS recorded & where yours will
take you will still be there, but they should be much closer than the map
readings.
Signe Rogers
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