Re: [Paddlewise] Best GPS???

The map I mentioned in a previous post can now be seen at
http://www.thundercom.net/bearskinmap.jpg. Note that it is about 552KB even
at maximum JPEG compression, so it will take a while to download to your
screen. The map shows tracks recorded by a Garmin GPS12XL while I was
cross-country skiing in northern Minnesota. I uploaded the tracks to the
TOPO! mapping program and then exported the map from the program. 

The loop around Rudy Lake in the upper right was skied twice on two
successive days, so it consists of two superimposed sets of track points.
Note that the track points are farther apart where I skied a rather fast
downhill run. The loop in the lower left was skied once. The trail to the
loop was skied coming and going, so the tracks should overlap there. That
they don't I attribute mostly to an exhausted set of batteries that were
causing the GPS to beep constantly towards the end. The straighter track is
the more accurate one. 

Note that the tracks don't always fit exactly on top of the summer trails.
This could be because of inaccuracies in the topo map (remember, the map is
not the territory!), but Selective Availability could also play a part.
Comparing this map to the map of the ski trails given out by Bearskin Lodge,
I think the GPS map is the more accurate one, judging by what I can remember
of some of the trails.

BTW, Dan Cooke, who has been mentioned a couple of times on PW as a source
of tarps (http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/) told me a couple weekends ago
that he designed some of these trails, in particular the part of the Rudy
Lake loop south of the lake.  

Chuck Holst


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