[pct-l] The PCT GPS Mapping Project

[jmertes@gte.net (John Mertes)]

Tom and All,

    I live up in Crescent City near the Oregon border. Last Sunday I
took a short hike in Stout Grove, part of Jediah Smith Redwoods State
Park. I took my Garmin GPS12XL, circa 1997, along to see if I could a
GPS tract of the simple Stout Grove Trail. Didn't work. At the trailhead
parking lot and along the trail I tried at every junction to get a
reading. Never could get a fix; would maybe get a hint of 3 satellites
but only one satellite could be received well enough to be accepted and
thus no position. Only place I got a reading was down by the river's
edge with wide open sky for about half the sky. These redwoods aren't
that tall -- I estimate around 100 feet.
    I also remember last fall hiking in the Marble Mountain Wilderness
near the PCT that I had trouble getting adequate satellite reception
when under the trees. When I reached a clearing or meadow I was OK. So
one may have trouble doing the GPS'ing when under trees, etc.

My 2¢ worth.

John