I planned a 5 day loop in the North Cascades two ways, and the difference was huge.

I first mapped it using just a basic trail map, which gave me a 50 mile route with a brutal 4,000 foot climb on the last day. Then I used CalTopo to find a high pass that cut 8 miles and spread the elevation out. Has anyone else found a specific tool or trick that totally saved a route from being a suffer-fest?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_piper1mo ago

Yeah, that slope shading in CalTopo is so key. I just want to add a little to what king.eric said, because it's not just for off trail. I use it all the time for trail planning too. Sometimes the mapped trail goes straight up a slope that the shading shows is super steep, and it makes me look for a switchback route I missed. It helps you guess if a trail section is going to be a real grind versus a steady climb.

adams.uma1mo ago

And it makes you wonder how many times we miss the easy route in real life too. Like, we all just charge up the steep hill instead of looking for the gentler path around. You ever catch yourself doing that with anything else besides hiking?

king.eric1mo ago

CalTopo's slope angle shading is a game changer for off trail stuff. It lets you spot those sneaky steep sections before you commit to them. That feature alone has saved me from a few bad choices.