Big Sur Trailmap Route Metrics
Calculates along-trail metrics
[distance, net & cumulative elevation gain/loss]
between Start and Finish locations
Default route is shortest distance for selected options,
avoiding closures/roads/usetrails unless selected
(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 on Map" OR "Display Route Metrics"
OR "Create Route GPX File" OR "Create Printable PDF Map"
in "ROUTE CREATION" box
If needed: "Route Alteration" - To change default route, see "via Interactive Trailmap" section
Optional: "Route Link" - create link for later re‑display or sharing
Note: Downloaded PDF map prints on 8½×11" sheet
Mobile users: note that all functionality except "Route Option" selection is available via a long-press on any marker
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:
() 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.
() 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.
() Use "complex route creation": use the "complex route creation" method described below to create the desired route and obtain its metrics.
•
For complex route creation, two methods are: (i.e. with route crossings or duplicated sections)
(But note that for most cases, using the Route Alteration method is much quicker and easier!)
() combine route links:
create links for each route leg, e.g. for loop an outward bound leg and a return leg,
using the above "Create Route Links" section, then use the
combine multiple route links webpage.
The resulting link will display and provide metrics for the complete route.
() create route URL:
for those with a modicum of technical skills or geekiness, use the method detailed on the
creation of URL to display any route webpage,
which pieces together route nodes using trail names.
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.
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