[pct-l] PCT Atlas

[Bill Batchelor]

I am looking forward to the PCT Atlas.  I am looking forward to getting my
first copy to go and test it out.  I honestly thing along with my tiny wrist
mount GPS, it is all I would need.

I spent time flipping between sources most of the time to get a single
snipped of info from each.  All those snippets are in the Atlas.  I just
don't need the narrative portion and found it actually got in the way of
getting what I wanted.

For example, I have been on the trail for a half day and I am wondering how
much further to whatever my goal is (water, town, camp).  I open the guide
to the map page I am fairly sure I am on.  Then I read the narrative to try
to deduce which canyon I am traversing.  I have it down to three.  The
narrative says something like, "in the spring, the next section of trail is
strewn with babybell flowerers and meanders past pungent snickleweed."  Then
goes on like that for a paragraph or two.  I am not sure what those are,
what they look like, or if I may have past them.  Skipping ahead, "then you
cross a dry creek bed."  Okay, I crossed a dry creek bed - well a couple of
them - in the last four miles.  I bet they are talking about that big one.
Now, over to the map looking for where the dry bed might be.  Since the
datapoints are not identified on the map, I can make an educated guess which
one is mentioned. Through this process, I finally determine that since the
next narrative indicates a jeep road that the creek bed before the jeep road
on the map must be the one they are talking about. Since I have not hit the
road, I must be coming up on it.  Well, that puts me somewhere about here on
the map and about here on the narrative....   Hence, another 5 miles to the
objective.

I found it highly ineffective.

PCT Atlas however mentions a data point, gives it a number, puts the number
on the map AND puts the UTM on the grid.  I can get the same answer pronto.

Water sources - Atlas tells me the distance to the next (or between) and a
snippet about it (spigot, seasonal spring, etc.)  That is all I need to know
combined with a resent water report (Jefferies).  

Trail marked on the map in a much better contrasting color/font.

What is at the next stop - water, restaurants, market, etc.    As a long
distance hiker, I am much less concerned with a dissertation on how friendly
the help is.  What I want in my pocket really is just the knowledge that
something is there.

Elevation profile from point to point.

I am looking forward to getting my first copy to go and test it out.  I
honestly thing along with my tiny wrist mount GPS, it is all I would need.


 
On Thursday, February 07, 2008, at 12:09PM, "Postholer"
<public at postholer.com> wrote:

>>>SNIP


>The PCT Atlas has fewer data points because of the monumental chore of 
>collecting these points by one person. The author may say it's a 
>preference, but I suspect it's a justification in the absence of the 
>ability to collect that enormous amount of data by one person.

>>> END SNIP
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