I often refer to adventure mapping or map building in my trip reports. So I thought it might make sense to explain the concept further and why I feel it is essential to develop personal maps of the areas I want to or have visited.
First, the best thing about the internet is the amount of information you can find regarding a subject like peak-bagging, hiking, or canyoneering.
Second, the worst thing about the internet is the amount of information you can find regarding the subjects of peak bagging, hiking, or canyoneering. By that, I mean the information is rarely sorted, cataloged, or identified as meaningful to you.
I'll give a quick example. Several years ago, I reached the summit of UNP9380. Part of the Pine Valley Mountain peaks, the hike was a grueling climb starting from the old ranger station near Browse, UT. A few weeks later, I read an article in the local newspaper regarding the only known Redwood tree in Utah, near the old ranger station at Browse, UT. I had hiked right by the tree without knowing it or even being aware of its existence. Had I known, I might have taken the time to enjoy the uniqueness of the Redwood so far from its native environment in California.
Most people have experienced something similar when discussing trips with others. People love to comment about their adventures in the same area, and how often do you wish you'd known about the hot springs, swimming hole, or cave as you walked right by it on the path?
When I refer to adventure mapping, here is how I try to develop my maps. First, if I see a picture, hear about a hike that someone enjoyed, or complete a search on the internet for something specific, like a mountain peak, I try to find the coordinates for the objective or trailhead.
Second, I use a peak bagging site like listsofjohn.com to determine what quadrangle, county, and state the adventure is located within. Third, I add the venture to my database for that area. Fourth, if I have already started a map of where the new item is found, I immediately add it to the existing map. I use CalTopo.com for this purpose.
The benefit is increased knowledge of an area over time. With dozens of maps, there is always something new coming to light about a place I've already been to and hope to return to, or I find somewhere I want to visit for the first time, and I desire to see as much as possible while I'm there.
A recent Trip report, "Waiting on the Rain," provides a good outline of how I use the maps. I had been developing a map of the Maple Ridge-UT quadrangle and surrounding area. I've downloaded all the mountain peak coordinates and listed them by color, indicating ranked (+300') or non-ranked. I've listed the known campgrounds, and when I drive along the roads, I turn on the GPS tracking tag on CalTopo to provide me with my daily movements. From those listed movements, I can make notes of various trails, signs I come across, trailheads, and road conditions.
National Forest websites provide trail descriptions, and although the reports are of insufficient quality, they at least contain coordinates. Other websites like AllTrails will provide hikes and some ATV trails, which allow the GPS tracks to upload into the Caltopo map. General internet searches, such as "hiking near Enterprise Resivour," can often yield results. However, nothing beats going to the area, seeing what you came to see, and making notes of all the other trails and backcountry roads you failed to consider on the first passing.
In the "Waiting on the Rain" report, I probably failed to mention that I had previously driven past the "Grassy Flat Trail" sign a half dozen times before finding it held a cave and deciding to make a day trip to see the cave and climb a peak along the way. The day turned out to be an unforgettable day of riding, hiking, drone flying, and waiting for the rain to subside before leaving the cave's confines. How incredible is that?
Written August 27, 2022