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View Full Version : Do you like to track your ski days?



TreeBandit
10-22-2009, 10:42 AM
I skied last year with a GPS. I used this to keep count of runs and distance as well and my location in the woods off trail...I have been watching this company for most of the year and they just released their GPS map for Sugarbush. Thought others might have an intest.

http://www.mountaindynamics.com/en/NA-Sugarbush.html

Lostone
10-22-2009, 11:12 AM
That is interesting. Have you seen this live? Is the resolution on the map linked, what you get? Seems quite small?

I do have a Magellan, and have skied with it. Problem is having way too much stuff with me. :roll: :lol:

I ski in the 30s on the trails, and about 2-3MPH, in the woods.

TreeBandit
10-22-2009, 11:35 AM
I have a Garmin 60xc, and I have not purchased the software yet as I have been waiting to see when they were going to do SB. What i liked was the fact the the trails and lifts was part of the maps. I could have used this last year when I took a bushwack short cut through the woods on one of the deep powder days. After 40 minutes of breaking trail since I lost the pitch and hit a dead end (open stream). I was not sure how far further I needed to go to come out on to a trail. I later found out that I was only 20 yards from a trail, but could not see it or people.

Based on what I read from the site I could have used it to identify the trail. But I was looking at this for more the history tracking and sharing of runs and history becuase it will allow you uplaod the GPS breadcrumb track to a website and view where you went, and see your GPS performance statistics such a vertical feet skied, average and maximum speeds, and miles covered.

teleo
10-22-2009, 12:19 PM
Interesting map. When I ski OB I always have my Garmin Rhino for radio & GPS and usually track so I can pick up not only where we are but how we got there. I leave reference tracks and pts stored so I know where they are. (Like slidebrook chair, the perimeter trails, some well-know OB junctions, etc). So you can track/point things yourself, or get this map and have it all laid out in color. But it doesn't have some of the more interesting OB pts that one might like. It's helped me figure out how far something is at times, and make sure we're going where we think we are, but I've never had to rely on it. (fortunately)
I have the topo's but have not had the time to upload them.
Lostone - with respect to size, it is a little challenging to use this stuff in the woods given the screen size of hand-help GPS devices. From my experience you really do have to use it in controlled situations to get good at it. Wish I had more time to get OB, set this stuff up and play.

ski_it
10-22-2009, 12:24 PM
If you download Google Earth, you should be able to transfer the trail map onto your GPS using the data in this file: sugarbush.kml (http://www.schley.net/kml/sugarbush.kml). this option has the advantage of being free. I have a Garmin Oregon device, and it works well with Google Earth.

Hawk
10-22-2009, 12:32 PM
I have the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. I bought the map software and extra memory to store the data. I do not ski with it until the season gets rolling so I do not have a season tally. I did ski with it a bunch the last two years and fould it interesting to see the stats at the end of the day. I hit 60 mph for the first time last year. :shock: That was a trip.

What I will say is that the color graphis and the contour maps make it a great tool in the back country. I spent last summer and this summer hiking the back country and maping routes and waypoints. In the winter I just pull up my track and bingo. It makes it almost impossible to get lost. Ah...unless I am skiing with 007. :wink: The contour maps are very accurate. I have field verified lots of natural landmarks and it is right on.

It is a fun tool to make your way around the lesser traveled areas.

HowieT2
10-22-2009, 12:39 PM
I haven't used it yet, but I downloaded the ITrailmap app for the Iphone. It has a trailmap and 3D terrain map of sugarbush and is supposed to track location, distance and vertical. We'll see how it goes.

Lostone
10-22-2009, 02:06 PM
teleo, by it being small, I'm talking about, having zoomed all the way, I can see the whole thing. On mine, I can zoom such that I can see a very small portion of Castlerock Connection. In the right mode, it moves as I do.

An to all, at least on mine the data it is based on is what was taken in the 70s. There are streams that are either new or weren't picked up, before. Also, the topo information doesn't catch things like gulleys and ridges which ... turn out to be a little more unpleasant than the steady downhill the map shows.

In fact, mine generally just stays in my pocket, while I'm skiing. I use it more to look at my tracks and speed data. Hawk, my recorded fastest speed was 57mph. That is really fast for a couple sticks. :shock:

vonski
10-22-2009, 02:14 PM
I have one a Garmin. I use it to track my adventures for the day, but half the time forget to turn it on. :roll: I do use it in Slidebrook when venturing primarily for elevation. I donot want to go to low and have to hike back up. But I don't mind going to the lowest point and having to traverse for half an hour or so to get back to the run out. It is also nice to have in case of an emergency as one could let patrol know exactly where you are. Heaven forbid.

007
10-22-2009, 05:08 PM
I haven't used it yet, but I downloaded the ITrailmap app for the Iphone. It has a trailmap and 3D terrain map of sugarbush and is supposed to track location, distance and vertical. We'll see how it goes.

Have you tried this:
http://sport.motionx.com/overview/

Works well for biking, but haven't yet tried it in my pocket on the mountain.
There is a free trial version for the iPhone.
Friend of mine's brother developed it.

HowieT2
10-22-2009, 05:28 PM
I haven't used it yet, but I downloaded the ITrailmap app for the Iphone. It has a trailmap and 3D terrain map of sugarbush and is supposed to track location, distance and vertical. We'll see how it goes.

Have you tried this:
http://sport.motionx.com/overview/

Works well for biking, but haven't yet tried it in my pocket on the mountain.
There is a free trial version for the iPhone.
Friend of mine's brother developed it.

already have that and use it for biking. It's great although it sucks the battery. But it doesn't have the 3d terrain maps that itrail map has.