[pct-l] maps

[Stephen Adams]

just be careful as some of the maps that have printed mileages on them are often simply just wrong as if they guessed.  I have one in particular of the Kings Canyon High country that is just laughable.  And I think it is a Harrison map.  I much prefer the 15 min series of old.  All maps seem to have some shortcomings, and usually a mistake or twelve.  I have another map of Kings/Sequoia that has Lamark Col in the wrong place which would lead one over into the wrong eastern drainage.  One of those people that was showing things to do on my map one day in the Sierra pointed that out to me and sure as heck it is wrong as I've been over the Col umpteen times since then.  Most of the larger maps covering big areas do a decent job showing the trail routes, but the scale is sop small that the dashed lines should be looked at as a general overview, but not taken literally.  Some may or may not show a trial crisscrossing a creek when in fact the opposite may be true.  Not so much with the JMT and PCT but very much so with the feeder trails.  Depends on what series map you have, the scale, who and when it was made etc...  I am not knocking the manufacturers or users in any way, just suggesting to use all maps as a reference but not stated fact.               
On Dec 2, 2009, at 10:01 PM, Marion Davison wrote:

> Maps, I love them.  I collect them rather obsessively.
> The guide book annoys me because I don't like wading through all the 
> text to get the info I need. I especially dislike that the text is 
> referring to a map on some other page (where is that map anyway?)I also 
> don't like not having any informatation about the area surrounding the 
> trail.  Where do all those connecting trails go.  The guidebook gives me 
> a feeling of tunnel vision.
>  I love Tom Harrison maps for many reasons--the shading makes the topo 
> features much easier to visualize.  I like the elevation at each point 
> and the mileage at each segment.  I like the High Country maps series 
> that covers the Sierras from Golden Trout to Emigrant, because it not 
> only shows the PCT but all the other connecting trails and bail out 
> points. I like to get the big picture of the landscape as I travel 
> through it.
> In 2009 I used the PCT atlas almost exclusively, and loved it as well.
> It was the best of all worlds for me.  I like to look at a map about 
> every 5 to 10 minutes and the atlas was the most efficient format I have 
> used. It does not overcome the "tunnel vision"effect, however.  I still 
> need some bigger maps to deal with that problem.  I have found the new 
> map series from the PCTA to be very useful for section hike access 
> planning.
> Marion
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