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Author

Corey Buhay

Corey Buhay

App UpdatesGaia GPSHow-ToHuntingiOSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Plan Your Winter Adventure with the Snowfall Forecast Overlay

by Corey Buhay November 30, 2018
written by Corey Buhay

Whether you’re chasing powder or just trying to avoid a day of postholing in two feet of fresh, the new 24-, 48-, and 72-hour Snowfall Forecast overlays make it easy to dial in your winter trip prep.

Available for both iOS users as well as on gaiagps.com, the Snowfall Forecast overlays use color-coded shading to show the expected snow accumulation. That makes it easy to plan ski trips, pick the right traction and flotation for winter hikes, and assess avalanche conditions. Just combine the Snowfall Forecast overlay with your base map of choice (and, if you’re doing avy analysis, the slope-angle shading overlay.)

https://blog.gaiagps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Snow-Overlay.mp4

Snowfall Predictions Updated Every 6 Hours

The Snowfall Forecast overlays draw data directly from the Winter Weather Desk of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Weather Prediction Center. The Winter Weather Desk uses a combination of predictive models to create its forecasts, which the National Weather Service then reviews and refines. The collaborating teams constantly refresh their models, providing updated reports every six hours.

The forecasts can accurately predict snow accumulation as far as three days (72 hours) in advance, and they cover all of the continental U.S. as well as parts of southern Canada.

How to Use the Snowfall Forecast Overlay

These overlays derive their predictions from NOAA’s probabilistic weather forecasts, which calculate the percent likelihood that a certain amount of snow will accumulate over a given time period. Gaia GPS uses NOAA’s 50th percentile forecasts. That means there’s a 50-percent chance that each shaded area will receive the indicated amount of snow accumulation during the forecast period. (This may seem low, but it gives the user the best estimate of land area likely to be affected by snow. For that reason, it’s the percentile most commonly shown on other popular forecasting sites.)

Add the Snowfall Forecast Overlay to Any Map in Gaia GPS

Available for gaiagps.com and iOS users with Premium Memberships, the Snowfall Forecast overlays can be viewed with an internet connection. Since the forecasts are always changing, they can’t be downloaded for offline use. However, when you look at the snowfall forecast in the app, your device will cache snapshots of the areas you viewed. The cached data will remain available on your device for 24 hours.

From the Map Sources menu, navigate to the Feature/Weather Overlays category. Pick the forecast overlay that suits your planning needs, and add it atop any base map. Set the transparency to between 30 and 40 percent for optimal visibility.

Check out this video for more tips on adding new map sources in the app:

A Note on Safety

Weather forecasts make great planning tools, but you should always research the terrain and alternate routes ahead of time, and cross-reference any forecast you use with several others for the most accurate predictions. And no matter what the reports say, plan for inclement weather, just in case.

November 30, 2018
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Gaia GPSHuntingNew Maps

Use the Roadless and Trailless Areas Overlays to Find Solitude at a Glance

by Corey Buhay November 19, 2018
written by Corey Buhay

Next time you need to get away from it all, really get away with Gaia GPS’s new Roadless Areas overlay. Or, go even deeper with the Roadless and Trailless Areas overlay.

Maybe you’re looking for a high mountain stream that hasn’t been fished out, a piece of the whitetail season opener you can call your own, or backcountry water ice begging for a first ascent. Or maybe you’re just after deep-woods quiet and down-valley views uncrossed by asphalt.

Whatever the reason, use these overlays to leave the crowds behind. Apply the Roadless Areas overlay to your favorite base map to chart an on-trail course far from roads of any kind, and use Roadless and Trailless Areas overlay to find land trafficked only by wildlife.

https://blog.gaiagps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Roadless_cut-1.mp4

How It Works

Based on trail and road data from the Gaia GPS Topo base map, the Roadless Areas Overlay uses gradient shading to indicate how far any given spot is from the nearest road, and the Roadless and Trailless Areas further bounds that data by limiting more darkly shaded areas to places that are far from footpaths as well.

How to Use It

Available for both iOS and Android users with Premium Memberships, and on gaiagps.com, both the Roadless Areas overlay and the Roadless and Trailless Areas overlay can be viewed while connected to the internet or while you’re off the grid and out of service.

From the Map Sources menu, navigate to the Feature/Weather Overlays category. Add either the Roadless Areas overlay or the Roadless and Trailless Areas overlay atop your basemap of choice.

The transparency is completely adjustable, but starting with 100% opacity makes it easiest to visualize distances. At that setting, opaque orange indicates that an area is two miles or more from the nearest road and/or trail. Lighter orange shading indicates areas that are at least 0.25 mile or more from those features.

Then, reduce transparency to around 50% (as shown above) for the best visibility while route planning.

A Note on Off-Trail Hiking 

Before you venture off-trail, make sure you’re exploring on public land where off-trail hiking is permitted. Pro tip: Add the Public Land layer (in the Premium Overlays category of the Map Manager) for quick reference, and double-check regulations with your local land manager.

A Note on Safety

Use these maps to seek out your next dose of true wilderness, but use the same caution you would in any backcountry situation. The farther you wander from roads and trails, the more difficult it is to reach help in case of an emergency. Brush up on your first-aid and wilderness self-sufficiency skills before you head out, and consider taking an emergency communication device if you’re wandering deep into unknown terrain. No matter how far you want to go, Gaia GPS provides the maps to get there. It’s up to you, however, to get yourself out.

November 19, 2018
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Company NewsGaia GPS

Gaia GPS Welcomes Three New Team Members

by Corey Buhay November 12, 2018
written by Corey Buhay

We’re excited to announce the addition of three new team members this fall: a software engineer, a customer support specialist, and a writer.

We like to think of hiring as rounding out the team from all angles rather than just filling empty posts. For a remotely operated company with team members scattered throughout the country, it’s important to find people with skills that mesh seamlessly with the rest of the crew, even at a distance. It’s also important for us to find folks who represent Gaia GPS with everything they do—both at the keyboard and in the mountains.

As such, serious trail cred is a critical qualification for any new Gaia GPS hire, and this batch of newcomers is no exception. Bringing on Matt, Erik, and Corey adds not just three employees but two climbers, three backpackers, and one world traveler to the team. All three are avid adventurers with over 5,000 trail miles accumulated among them. Pair that with equally impressive professional accomplishments, and you’ve got three hires with Gaia GPS written all over them.

Matt McGlincy – Senior Software Engineer

Proudest professional accomplishment: Designing and building an iOS dungeon crawler game from scratch, which was featured in “New & Noteworthy” on the App Store (Editor’s note: being a Staff Engineer at Google is pretty sick, too.)
Gnarliest outdoor adventure: Getting caught in an overnight blizzard during a winter backpacking trip in the Tahoe area. We had no map, no GPS (the Gaia GPS app didn’t exist yet), and, when we woke up, no trail home. Exciting times!
Favorite flavor of ice cream: Peppermint, preferably in large volumes

 

Corey Buhay – Lead Writer & Editor

Proudest professional accomplishment: Summiting an ice-covered volcano in New Zealand for part of a Backpacker magazine feature story
Gnarliest outdoor adventure: Climbing through a hailstorm at 11,000 feet in the Wind River Range, Wyoming
Favorite flavor of ice cream: Pistachio, topped with pretzels

 

Erik Baily – Customer Support Specialist


Proudest professional accomplishment: Orchestrating and curating the Solidarity art reception, a non-profit show featuring three artists (including me) that raised money for suicide prevention
Gnarliest outdoor adventure: Becoming one of the first 20 people to hike the 135 miles from the bottom of Death Valley to the top of Mt. Whitney
Favorite flavor of ice cream: I’ve yet to find it, but a vegan French vanilla ice cream would make me so happy

Navigate to the company page to read their full bios and learn more about the Gaia GPS staff.

Still Hiring, Apply Today

With more hands on deck at Gaia GPS, you can look forward to continuous improvement to the app and website, including more map sources, detailed hike information, and new features. Keep an eye on the blog for more announcements on that front in the coming months.

We’ll also be looking to take on a few more hires as we finish up this round of expansion.

Feel free to send your resume to jobs@gaiagps.com if you want to be considered for future positions. And check here for current and future openings.

November 12, 2018
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