GOOGLE EARTH - Snowmobile Trails Project

[Wade]

Anyone else give it a try?
Any comments?

Seems to work fine for me. Might try it on some mountains, so you can use the 3d aspect.

Park and Rec here in Idaho started some of this. http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/recreation/snowmobiling.aspx

You might pop them an email, and ask if their already doing this. They might be interested in the results, your working on.

I have ran across another website, that was putting google earth trail maps together. They had a huge collection of google maps, but they charged for access to them.

It would be great to pin mark some good riding areas. Lots of people go into a new area, and have no idea where the riding is. McCall would be a good place to start. Mark some of the more famous routes. Nothing too secret.

 

[christopher]

Thanks for the suggestions Wade.
http://www.visitidaho.org/winter/snowmobile/


This is their entry for MESA FALLS
But upon inspection there are NO TRAILS listed or shown!!
http://www.visitidaho.org/thingstodo/waterfall/mesa-falls.aspx


This is their entry of TWO TOPS
But upon inspection there are NO TRAILS listed or shown!!
http://www.visitidaho.org/winter/trail.aspx?id=31999


Both of these then kick you over here if you want to see any trails.
And this is the base map that I have been slowly converting over onto Google Earth!
This is by far and away the best digital map I have come across so far, but it still leaves SO MUCH to be desired, as there is NO topography or hint of terrain/elevations.
http://www.co.fremont.id.us/departm...c/winter_trail_map/winter_recreation_map.html

 

[Blk88GT]

I've got some waypoints I'd be willing to share if it'll help out!

As someone who only gets a week or two down there a year, this would be excellent to have loaded in my 60CSX!

 

[christopher]

Thanks.
I take it that means you saw some real value in it..

I am going to take another night and start maping out the northern portion of Island Park and add all those trails to my current group.

Just takes TIME and PATIENCE I suppose.

 

[donbrown]

anybody else try this?

 

[christopher]

Its been harder than pulling teeth to get anyone else involved.

 

[wheresthesnow]

I take all my tracks from everywhere I snowmobile and look at them on Google Earth, I havent seen how you can let every user look at them except thru a site called Motion Based, which just got bought by Garmin. Someone in the Idaho section has posted some of his tracks on there and its real good. Unfortunately I dont have any from Island Park.

 

[christopher]

Perhaps there is a way to do it right here on SnoWest?

 

[wheresthesnow]

I just tried to post an attachment file, I think its a kmz file from GE which lets you open it in that users current view, SnoWest said thats an invalid file.

 

[Rob1334]

KML file might work better.

KML or keyhole markup language is an XML file designed to display geographic annotation on web based earth browsers, AKA Google earth. It is a text file holding all the values of data such as LAT/LONG, tilt, headings, etc. associated witht he file. This is a plain text type document that GE loads into the program, and would be the best bet of something loading on SW, which it did not.

KMZ is a zip format of the same KML file, and without getting too detailed with it brings along different other data associated such as images and icons associated, which also might be an added benefit to those looking for data. I'm pretty sure the KML is the only file you can uplaod INTO your gps unit, but as far as sharing would be nice to give the added points such as a trail marker or sign along with the file that you would put on your GPS unit.

Is there a list of acceptable files that vbulletin allows to upload? can the list be modified or is there a mod to allow it?

Would be nice to have peeps form the local riding areas combine their data through snowest of trails, watchouts, POI, etc in a sub-forum that you could save the data from, so if I went to a new area I had the data available. Is that your goal here longterm?

 

[christopher]

I just tried to post an attachment file, I think its a kmz file from GE which lets you open it in that users current view, SnoWest said thats an invalid file.

One of the upgrades I am bringing to SnoWest is a whole NEW uploads system!!

We WILL finally have a high end file sharing system coming!

Its a few weeks off yet, but it IS COMING!!

 

[christopher]

Would be nice to have peeps form the local riding areas combine their data through snowest of trails, watchouts, POI, etc in a sub-forum that you could save the data from, so if I went to a new area I had the data available. Is that your goal here longterm?

That is EXACTLY what I am after here.

Lets say one of the guys on SnoWest says there is this SWEET little spot I found.

I want to be able to go and fire up Google Earth, Zoom into that location, and then see REAL tracks of where people have been able to take their sleds, so I will have some idea just what the heck I am getting myself into in advance!

 

[S2S_sledder]

This is a great idea and something I know is kicked around alot between many of my snowmobiling acquaintances... but as usual since everything is volunteer its hard to get any action on it. I think you are on the right track though, that if the server space is provided and the regional directories are set up that alot of folks would be willing to upload way points and tracks. I use google earth always before heading out into a new riding area to orient myself and scout potential hazardous areas.
I'd be happy to contribute tracks/waypoints from my local areas once our season gets rolling up in here in BC.

 

[wheresthesnow]

That is EXACTLY what I am after here.

Lets say one of the guys on SnoWest says there is this SWEET little spot I found.

I want to be able to go and fire up Google Earth, Zoom into that location, and then see REAL tracks of where people have been able to take their sleds, so I will have some idea just what the heck I am getting myself into in advance!

You would think that the magazine editors would be willing to help you with info as far as routes/trails/good spots. That aint gonna happen, except for the "uh yeah Chris, go up on the nw side of the east drainage on the Idaho corner of Sawtelle Peak near the shadow when the sun hits it at at 2:45 pm, yeah, mark that spot on Google Earth, lemme know if you need any more sweet spots for everybody"

 

[Wade]

Having a good place to upload google earth route overlays, would be sweet. If you set it up. I'll try to get some tracks around McCall Idaho. I'll just do the big loop. Nothing secret. Lots of people would just like to know how to get to famous places like Wong's Bowl, or Duck Lake, or Twin Lakes, or Granite Mountain Lookout.

It would also be good to have pin points, and pictures, I could pin down. Picasa has a pretty nice setup; that way.

 

[christopher]

This one might take me a little while to make happen, but I will keep it on my list.

When we install the new Uploads module, I think we will be able to do what we are talking about here!

 

[hilinerider]

google earth doesn't do me much good, when i look at my areas the images are from 2003

 

[christopher]

But thats the great thing about the mountans where we go sledding.

They don't tend to change much from year to year!

 

[numbskull]

i am wondering if we have any other intrepid Google Earth users that might be interested in assisting me with this project.

I could probably help ya out here. I have been mapping trails and routes in Island Park for a long, long time. What I've made available in the past was National Geographic TOPO files - which did not generate much interest because it costs $100 to use that software.

here's a quick screen shot of what I have...it's not cleaned up for GE but if you're interested, let's talk more.

 

[barkbuster]

I can create the "paths" that overlay the Satellite Images, and I can save individual paths and e-mail them to someone, but I am guessing there must be a way to cluster a whole group of them together and put it up on the web for other users to download???

I use a program called Ozi Explorer (registered shareware) to combine multiple tracks(up to 75) into one kml file. Each track can have its own color and thickness, and waypoints can also be included. The kml file can then be uploaded to GE with just a click. Ozi can also import kml files and the path can be converted to a gps track for upload to a gps, or up to 75 of these tracks could be combined into a new kml file.