Route Metrics

Calculates along-trail metrics

between Start and Finish locations

Metrics = distance, net & cumulative elevation gain/loss
Trail condition = metrics background color

Use
Shortest Route
[Start/Finish from Map or Menu]
OR
Via Points
[select points for complex routes]

To
Display Route on Map
Display Route Metrics
Create Route GPX File
Create Printable PDF Map

Optional
Create Route Link
[for later re‑display or sharing]
Input Route Link
[for re‑creation of GPX file or PDF map]

Mar.22: Webpage much modified with addition of via points, please report problems on forum or to AddressImage

If this message remains, the interactive map could not be displayed, either because your browser does not have Javascript enabled or because the javascript has a bug

Shortest Route

"Shortest Route" Method

1 SET: Start and Finish locations
using Interactive Map OR using Menu Input

2 SET: Route Options
in ROUTE CREATION box

3 CLICK: Display Route on Map OR  Display Route Metrics
OR  Create Route GPX File OR  Create Printable PDF Map
       in   ROUTE CREATION   box

Default route is shortest distance for selected options, excluding Closures/Roads/Usetrails unless selected

If needed: Route Alteration to change default shortest route,
see Interactive Map box

using Interactive Map

Start/Finish Location

Right-click/long-press on a marker and select "Start" or "Finish" from popup menu
[also changes Start/Finish menu, sets Start/Finish location = Green/Red marker]

Route Alteration

To obtain a route which is not the shortest route:

   (1)  Click/tap "Display Route on Map" to display default shortest route for the "Start" and "Finish" locations and selected Route Options.
   (2)  At the yellow/green marker after which the route is first incorrect, i.e. where you want the route change to begin, right-click/long-press that marker and select "Alter Route" - this changes the route beyond that marker and draws a new Start-Finish route (the shortest route which avoids the trail section you just "blocked").
   (3)  If needed, make additional alterations by repeating the previous step to produce the desired route - this may require clicking on same marker more than once!
   (4)  To undo/redo last route alteration, use any marker's right-click/long-press menu or keyboard's "Tab"/"Shift-Tab" key.

using 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)

Via Points

"Via Points" Method

Select points along route

Selected points connected by shortest
path, road/usetrail/camp points enabled

   (1)  On interactive map, right-click/long-press marker at starting location and select "Via Points - add location".
   (2)  Repeat this process for points along route - display will be updated to show shortest path between selected points.
   (3)  If needed, undo/redo last via point by using any marker's right-click/long-press menu's "Un-do/Re-do Route Alteration" or keyboard's "Tab"/"Shift-Tab" key.
   (4)  Use marker menu or 'Route Creation' button to 'Display Route Metrics' or 'Create Route GPX File' or 'Create Printable PDF Map'.

Note:
• Clicking marker's "Shortest Route" item, e.g. 'Start a new route here', switchs to "Shortest Route" method, deleting all via points
• Via points are used only by this metrics program. For later use of route (i.e. display of route & elevation profile or route metrics) must use link created by 'Create Route Link'
• To make all intersections available, four 'Include' checkboxs are automatically checked - may need to uncheck afterwards if using normal "Shortest Route" method

Interactive Map

Start=Green Intersection=Yellow Finish=Red
Click on marker or trail/road/camp displays name+info

ROUTE CREATION

Route Options:

Include Hiking Closures in routes
       (else "Closed to Hikers" Trails/Roads excluded)
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)

'

Route Resets

Create Route Link

CREATE ROUTE LINK

Saved for later re-display

Saved routes should be created using "Include hiking closures" option,
else can change/fail when closures occur
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
or to create printable map or gpx/kml file using Input Route Link below
[kept for 10 years after last use]

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

Link URL:

Use right-click/long-press to copy URL

(to save as bookmark, open in new window)

Usage:
When opened in browser, URL will display a route map with link to display route metrics.
Alternatively, URL can be used to generate a printable route map PDF or GPX/KML file using this webpage.

Input Route Link

INPUT ROUTE LINK

Re-create display/metrics/GPX/PDF

Route Link URL:

Usage:
Enter previously saved Route Link URL, then click button and use Display Route on Map
OR   Display Route Metrics
OR   Create Route GPX File
OR   Create Printable PDF Map

Note: Uses 'via points' mode, so to make all intersections available four 'Include' checkboxs are automatically checked - may need to uncheck afterwards for new "Shortest Route" creation.

Tips:

• If unfamiliar with a trail's intersections, use a trailhead (i.e. North/South/East/West end) for the Start or Finish.

• For loops or complex routes, e.g. travel in two directions along same segment ala lollipop routes, use the alternative "Manual creation of route 'via points'" method.

• After using 'Via Points' method, may need to uncheck 'Route Options' boxes before using 'Shortest Route' method

• 'Shortest Route' and 'Via Points' methods very different, cannot be combined. Clicking on a marker 'Shortest Distance' item, e.g. 'Start a new route here', will switch to 'Shortest Route' method. Clicking on a marker 'Via Points - add location' will switch to 'Via Points' method. Clicking on a marker 'Un-do/Re-do last Route Alteration' works for both 'Shortest Route' and 'Via Points' methods.

• Downloaded PDF map prints on 8½×11" sheet

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.