GPX files for the Kootenays

[Sparkle]

Hi Gang:
My idea is to have athread to accumulate Kootenays gpx files under one topic. If you have a gpx track you'd like to share, post a reply here. A description would be nice too,and maybewe could have a separate"topic" for any comments or feedback or trip reports on the tracks and that way they won't get fragmented too much.

To kick it off here's a few gps tracks I've accumulated. Most are just tracks sometimes with one or two waypoints. They were originally Magellan tracks but I've converted them to gpx. You can open them in Google Earth or your mapping program and add waypoints, or integrate them with other tracks to get you to the trailhead. OR...just save 'em into your GPS. There is no time or elevation data, but you can easily recover elevation in Google Earth. Some of the tracklogs have been "reduced" to fit on my primitive gps, and not precise, but close enough so you won't get lost.

Sparkle

 

[Sparkle]

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1. Grey Creek pass. From St. Marys lake junction to Grey Creek, the long way, and the shorter, harder way. This route is no secret but if you're not a local and you're coming this way you might want it saved in your GPS track file.

This is a good road after July 1st. It's about 1 1/2 hours give-or-take, and big bikes and even motorhomes will have no trouble on the easy route although the shorter power-line route is steep and sometimes wet, but more fun. It's shown as a little cut-off to the North, and you can spot it approaching from the East by the old faded "4 wheel drive only" sign to the right. It makes the trip between Kootenay Lake and Cranbrook or Kimberley a 'mini-adventure'.

http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=200

 

[Sparkle]

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2. Hall Mountain. This is a side-trip from the Grey-Creek pass route to the Hall Mountain micro-wave site. Merge both files to see how they interact. Nice views and ridgewalk to the south. The normal route is from the WEST (Camp 13) at the outlet of Baker Creek which means if you come from Kimberley you have to double back a ways on the opposite side of the valley following the power-line. In the late summer and fall you can sometimes ford Redding Creek (since the friendly FS burned the bridge) at Camp 5 from the EAST which shortens the ride considerably if you come from Kimberley or Cranbrook. It all depends on how shallow the creek bed is left after the spring run-off. It's less than a kilometer off the main road to check. Make sure you have lots of gas if you go the long way.

Edit: Talking with a guy that makes the trip regularly I found out that fordingRedding Creek at camp 5is probably not an option...still might be worth a check in the late fall though...

Sparkle

http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=201

 

[Sparkle]

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3. Kookanusa Loop. This is a high speed gravel road loop that's a nice day trip. I usually stop at the Marina at the lake for a burger. The loop is almost exactly 100 KM. without the spur to the lake with about 15KM on pavement. The surface is mostly pea-gravel and it's graded frequently so sometimes it's deep and loose. Pretend you're riding your wave-runner and keep your eye open for trucks, they go fast too. Moyie Mountain Lookout is marked...nice view.

http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=232

 

[Sparkle]

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Sparkle

 

[Sparkle]

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[Sparkle]

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6. Lakit Mountain. My wife and I first rode this trail in 1973 on Kawasaki 120 "RoadRunners", great bikes for this kind of riding...This is the route to the famous Lakit Mountain lookout and there's lots of waypoints here because I used it as a GPS 'Route' before I discovered the simplicity of computer made "track-logs". It's usually wet and slippery with the odd patch of off-camber wet shale and lots of little stream crossings that are trenched deep. Lately I've done it on a big bike (DR650) two times and dropped it both times, once with a group, and once by myself....the second time was a very long day. That doesn't mean YOU can't do it on a big boat-anchor, it just means that waypoint 29 is a bad place for ME.

4x4 trucks park much lower down at a small wide spot. The end of the road has an abandoned mine on the mountain face and it's a temptation to scramble from the mine up to the ridge on the scree-slope, but my advice is don't........ there's tons of big loose slabs ready to slide. The GPS track shown branching to the south, however, is an easy safe walk from a small wide spot to the lookout...about 30 minutes if you're in shape. I always have miniature binoculars along.

http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=229

 

[Sparkle]

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7. Mount Baker. Not much to this one..a nice afternoon to a beautiful view. Big bikes have to be carefull on the tight switchbacks and ruts. They say you can see 2 provinces and 3 states from this location and I always take my spotting scope, and Ripple says a fly-swatter is handy too.

http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=227

 

[Sparkle]

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8. Sawmill Creek. Also called the Perry Creek VOR site, and sometimes Pudding Burn. This is a nice easy afternoon ride with some nice views. There's a ton of new roads, but if you just stick to the old road you'll be okay. You can carry on South from the VOR site down to Hell Roaring creek and St. Mary's making a loop. I've never done this and don't have the track, but Ripple and getoutside did it last summer and reported a good ride, but then they're both a little haywire...





http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=234

 

[Sparkle]

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9. About 40 years ago the Estella mine was an active producer of lead and zinc. The mine has been gone for years but the road is still there, and it's a nice scenic ride. The best views are from lower down where the road curls around the west face. Some people ski in the bowl above the mine until mid-summer....as if there wasn't enough winter...


http://bike.stu.ph/rides/ride.php?ride=230

 

[koots_roots]

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i like the idea sparkle, thanks for all this!

maybe we should request a seperate subforum topic under the "Kootenay DSBC Riders Section" dedicated to GPS / GPX files? that way each individual GPS / GPX trips, etc. and associated commentary can be in it's own dedicated thread there. i think that will make things a bit easier in the long run or else i envision a long thread here. just a thought.

i also second ppl using the GPX format to post trip data as it is the most universally used GPS format and packages all associated data in one file :tup:

 

[Sparkle]

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Thanks k-r:

I agree,it would be nice to havea seperatesection for trip data only...A while back otg made a request to the administrators fora similarthing. Now that I think about it the topic will bump to the front any time someone makes a comment or submits a track, and it might disrupt the flow ofregularposting.

Maybe someone will create a special section for GPS trip data?

Sparkle

 

[bubba zanetti]

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Awesome info Sparkle ... agree too on the separate thread.

I ride with a Garmin 60CS and till now have not downloaded GPX files to the actual GPS. I view them with my software but have a million questions about how to best use the downloads. So .... was also thinking it would be great to post a bit of tutorial for us GPS newbies as to how to use the files. For example ... Is there an easy way to combine the files onto one map or do I have to load them all seperately as distinct maps ?? ... told ya I was a beginner ! :ted:

I bought my GPS off of ebay and it came with no manual etc so I have had to navigate through it myself.

:tup:

 

[250ccforme]

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Selkirk College has a couple of short GPS courses in the spring continuing ed calendar.

The missing manual is available on the Garmin website as a .PDF file. Free!

My Garmin gps only takestracks as .gdb . You'd have to save a .gpx you open in Mapsource as .gdb or use GPSBabel to convert.

A bit of copy and paste will get all your tracks into one map.

:hb:

 

[bubba zanetti]

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Happily buy you a beer or offer my tire changer in exchange for a hands on tutorial 250cc ...

If you are headed this way let me know ... I just tried the gpd and failed ... so ... I am doing something wrong ...

I just realized I am hijacking this thread ... sorry Sparkle ... :shoot:


I will see what Selkirk is offering and if it fits ... thanks.

 

[koots_roots]

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sector, are you out there? since you are our honorary forum moderator, could you pull the strings to to make the dedicated "GPS Data" request a reality? i think we are all in agreeance here that it would be best located as it's own subtopic alongside "Kootenay DSBC Riders Section".

i happen to be the instructor of the upcoming "GPS Unleashed" continuing ed course scheduled at Selkirk. i would be happy to help you out sometime with the GPS bubba. any good with wiring? i have a few things to tackle on that front (headlight, etc) that are probably leave me scratching my head. im sure ill figure it out eventually though.

fyi, in the latest Garmin Mapsource program you can open and save GPX files. if you don't have the latest version of Mapsource, you can upgrade by clicking "check for updates" under the help menu.

GPX files save waypoint, routes and track formats all in one file. the base map data (ie. topo canada) are another file format that gets loaded to the GPS (even though you can upload both GPX/GDB along with maps). hope that helps.

 

[Ripple]

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Lol. I now pack a collapsible mesh bug hat in my bag because of places like Baker. I also learned to take a bio break before such places.
Use some thought and caution when putting up tracks. I will add some links to what I found when I posted my tracks for planning 2009 re: results of not carefully considering what you are revealing. Note that my tracks contain routes that are not classified as public roads and were only freely available for about a week and maybe 10 downloads. People that are interested have contacted me and I email them. Sparkles tracks seem to be stuff that you can pick up with backroad mapbooks so no harm done. You might also consider that waypoint we all use....home....may be contained in your file. Add the home waypoint to your profile and you may give some rotten scoundrel an inventory of your cool toys with an easy way to locate them!

 

[Sparkle]

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Hi y'all:

Bubba myintent was to generate some discussion on sharing GPX files, and GPS use so your comments certainly aren't out of place. I'm a beginner at his stuff too, and I know there are lots of real experts that can help us, and any input is welcome.

I generate gpx files using the GPS, my map program, GPS visualizer, and save them as GPX. My little Garmin Geko (same as an etrex I think) accepts them without any translation from my mapping program (GPS Trackmaker), directly to the GPS. I just assumed that all Garmin's could read a GPX file by default.

Everyone seems to like the idea of a separate topic for discussion, so I started one this-morning called "Kootenays GPX Discusion"

http://www.dualsportbc.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=7706&forum_id=56

If the adminstrators would like to move or re-organize these files they are most welcome.

Sparkle

 

[bubba zanetti]

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koots_roots wrote:

sector, are you out there? since you are our honorary forum moderator, could you pull the strings to to make the dedicated "GPS Data" request a reality? i think we are all in agreeance here that it would be best located as it's own subtopic alongside "Kootenay DSBC Riders Section".

i happen to be the instructor of the upcoming "GPS Unleashed" continuing ed course scheduled at Selkirk. i would be happy to help you out sometime with the GPS bubba. any good with wiring? i have a few things to tackle on that front (headlight, etc) that are probably leave me scratching my head. im sure ill figure it out eventually though.

fyi, in the latest Garmin Mapsource program you can open and save GPX files. if you don't have the latest version of Mapsource, you can upgrade by clicking "check for updates" under the help menu.

GPX files save waypoint, routes and track formats all in one file. the base map data (ie. topo canada) are another file format that gets loaded to the GPS (even though you can upload both GPX/GDB along with maps). hope that helps.

Thanks Chris ... I will look into the GPS course you are going to teach when I get back from Moab. Wiring is not my strongsuit but hey ... how hard can it be ?? Famous last words. Back from Utah Week of the 23 rd Woo HOO it is going to be 74F in Moab next week and on a day like today -12 here, that will be heaven.

 

[koots_roots]

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bubba, must be basking in the moab climes right about now.....im sooo overdue for a vacation like that.

dont bother with the "intro to gps" course if you already have the basics down. over our weeknight rides i can give you some tips to take your gps use to the next level. that is if i survive the electrical work. :shoot: