storytelling of the geolocated kind

i probably won't get around to writing the actual log for a good long time, but this week i went to the vista peak geocache, which, oddly, is at the top of what they're calling vista peak even though it isn't really a peak and doesn't have a view.

one of the great things about bolton valley is that once you get to the top of the lifts you are surrounded by both the bolton valley nordic trail network and the catamount trail.

and at the top of the vista chair the old tower looks like it'f falling out of repair but it is both sturdily built AND i notice that it is being maintained. it gets a lot of traffic in ski boots which are hard on the ladder rungs and even though the thing looks all fall-apart-y i've noticed that periodically rungs get replaced.

anyway, when i'm out i'm always taking pictures and stuff and i am always looking for an interesting way to tell the story or just to show where i was.

f'rinstance, a couple of years ago i made some annotated maps of two of the chairlifts at bolton just because i could.

and then a little while ago i wrote you that i had learned to use some little online doohickeys so i could map a couple of bike loops and show you.

it takes three doohickeys to make that: one is garmin basecamp, which i do not particularly recommend but i have to use it to turn my garmin data into data i can play with in other formats. i really, really like my garmin GPS receiver. i would have to, because i hate garmin's sucky customer "service" and garmin's  restrictive policies regarding maps you have already legally bought from them.

it turns out you have to buy the maps and then purchase the right to use the maps on the garmin devices that you also own. and if one of your garmin devices breaks or is lost, you cannot deauthorize one of your permitted uses and transfer it to another device. you have to buy a new license.

to use a map you already paid hundreds of dollars for.

WTF, garmin?

i think what i'm saying here is that if you like the devices in the delorme line at all, you should maybe look into buying one of those. they are very good units, have excellent maps, and good customer service. the only problem with starting out delorme is that they don't have much in the area of starter units and you have to go whole hog high end at the outset.

unless a lot of my devices break all at once i am too heavily invested in the garmin line to make the change easily.

uh, anyway.

once i get the .gpx files extracted there are a lot of ways i can play with them. for my cache trip, i took the .gpx file and loaded it into this cute little site that lets you do a LOT of fun things with the data, but it won't let you store or display the results, so i tossed it up onto a third site that not only lets you store the map data, but it lets you attatch pictures and video and i am not sure how i will end up using it, but it sure is fun.

vista peak geocache

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Vermont