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Big Sur Trailmap Route Metrics

Calculates along-trail metrics
[distance, net & cumulative up/down elevation gain/loss]
between Start and Finish locations


                        USAGE                         

 (1)  Set:  Start + Finish Locations
using  "via Interactive Trailmap"  OR  "via Menu Input"  section

 (2)  Set:  "Route Options"
in  "ROUTE CREATION"  box

 (3)  Choose: "Display Route"  OR  "Display Metrics"  OR  "Create Route GPX"
in  "ROUTE CREATION" box

   If needed:  "Route Alteration" - see "via Interactive Trailmap" section
Default is shortest total distance for selected options,
avoiding closures, roads, and usetrails unless selected

   Optional:  "Route Link" - create link for later re-display or sharing


Mobile users:  note that all functionality except "Route Option" selection is available via a long-press on any marker


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Start+Finish Selection
via Menu Input

Start Location>  
Start Trail/Road/Camp/Summit/Locale/...

Start Trailhead/Intersection
(needed only if Start Location is a Trail/Road)

Finish Location  
Finish Trail/Road/Camp/Summit/Locale/...

Finish Trailhead/Intersection
(needed only if Finish Location is a Trail/Road)



ROUTE CREATION

Route Options:
 Include Hiking Closures in routes
       (else "Closed to Hikers" Trails/Roads omitted)
 Include Roads in routes
       (but: if Start/Finish Location includes a Road,
        that Road always included)
 Include Usetrails in routes
       (but: if Start/Finish Location includes a Usetrail,
        that Usetrail always included)
 Include Camps/Usecamps in metrics
       (else Camps/Usecamps excluded from metrics)
 For lowest total elevation gain
       (else route gives shortest total distance)

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Route Resets





CREATE ROUTE LINK
saved for later re-display

Route created above can be saved as link to be bookmarked or shared
for later re-display of route plot and/or re-calculation of metrics
[deleted if unused for 5 years]
Usage details
Note: saved routes should be created using "Include hiking closures" option, else can change/fail when closures occur  

Optional Title [60 character max]
[allowed chars: A-Za-z0-9,:+-=[]/@]


Use right-click/long-press to save/copy
(to save bookmark, open in new window)

   Tips:
• If unfamiliar with a trail's intersections, use a TRAILHEAD (i.e. North/South/East/West end) for the Start or Finish intersection. 
• For metrics for reverse of displayed route, simply reverse the elevation UP/DN gain/loss numbers. 
• For a loop round-trip, three useful ideas are:
[1]  Use metrics from a "not quite complete loop":  set Start and Finish locations very close together, but not identical, and use "Route Alteration" to eliminate the direct route between them while otherwise matching your desired loop, giving "almost complete" metrics - if you want "complete" metrics, add in the short "missing section" Start-to-Finish metrics.
[2]  Sum metrics from "out" and "return" routes:  first calculate metrics from the trailhead [Start] to the furthest intersection along your loop [Finish], using "Route Alteration" if needed to match the outbound portion of your loop.  - then obtain metrics for the return portion by (after clearing the previous result) keeping the same Start and Finish locations but now using "Route Alteration" to match the return route and mentally swapping the elevation gain/loss values - add these two results together to get the complete loop metrics. 
[3]  Create a loop route URL:   use the "complex route creation" method described below to create the desired route and obtain its metrics.
• Complex route creation: a plot and metrics of any route (e.g. loop with start=end, route with backtracking or crossings or duplicate sections, etc.) can obtained by creating a route URL (i.e. text which can be input into a browser) by those with a modicum of technical skills or geekiness using the method detailed on the creation of URL to display any route webpage. 

   Technical Notes:
• Calculations use digitized trail location and elevation information, primarily obtained by local GPS tracking.
• Mileages are slightly under-estimated, since the digitized data use straight-line segments which omit smaller wiggles.  They are in good agreement with measuring-wheel-obtained distances in the Sierra Club Trail Guide, but are typically 4-10% smaller than GPS "odometer" mileages (but the latter can include "spidering" around a point while stationary).
• Cumulative upward/downward elevation gain/loss ("ftUP" and "ftDN") calculations use smoothed elevation data for better accuracy and are reasonably consistent with barometric GPS data. 
• Historic ("lost") trails are not included in these calculations. 

Errors:
These calculations require many software pieces to interact properly.  If an error occurs, please provide the Start & Finish locations, any options checked, and (if necessary) why the computed route is incorrect to either Jack Glendening at AddressImage or post to the Trailmap Forum.