I have prepared a contour+some trails map.
We will try to split the fieldwork; we are not qualified mappers; the end result is a "race-able" map.
This is the process description:
- I will visit the area before hand and try to leave reference markers. Hopefully GPS coverage will be good.
- Thus I will have exact reference points on the map
- I will distribute the area by giving a proposed trajectory to those participating.
- I will print out the maps in twice the scale of the final version (e.g. 1:10000 will be printed as 1:5000)
- Information gathering protocol:
- GPS is always on
- I have means of putting GPS trace on the map very easily.
- When on field, follow route on map and add features to it
- Use 3 colors
- Use 2 usually, use third sometimes.
- more colors is messy and takes too much time
- Vegetation is encoded by the following number scheme:
- 0 - open forest (corresponds white map)
- 0-1 - open forest, bad undergrowth (white map, sparse green stripes)
- 0-2 - open forest, very bad undergrowth (white map close together green stripes)
- 1-, 2-, 3- correspond to different runnability of forest.
- 3 is reserved for blackberries and places you would never go yourself.
- 1- and 2- are somewhere in between
- 1- and 2- can be combined with the undergrowth symbol. 3 cannot
- In PNW forest 1- and 2- can happen with fallen trees or smaller trees.
- -1 and -2 describe the usual undergrowth in different forms of baddness.
- 2-0 is most likely to be used (and not 2-1). 2-2 is 3, 2-2 is not.
- 1-0, 2-0 is very unlikely either, there is always some undergrowth
- 2-1 and 2-2 is questionable.
- So the most common are:
- 0, 0-1, 0-2, 1-0, 1-1,1-2, 2, 3
- Please write them down as 0-2 or 0/2
- Pointwise features shall be kept as numbers that start with 10 and a list of the features on some side paper.
- Linear features:
- Distinct vegetation boundaries shall be kept with dotted line with first color
- Trails will be drawn as on map with first color
- Water features will be drawn with second color
- Contour line changes (hopefully not to be done), with third color.
- Area features:
- mark a region and add an explanation in the features list.
This is a document in making and I expect changes as we go along.