Author

Mary Cochenour

Mary Cochenour worked on the marketing team at Gaia GPS from 2020 to 2022. She enjoys backpacking, skiing, and mountain biking in the mountains near her home in Montana.

Grizzly bear Grizz 399 stands on two legs in a meadow, surrounded by her four cubs.
Gaia GPSOut and Back Podcast

Meet Grizzly Bear 399, the Most Famous Bears in the World

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

The Queen of the Tetons has emerged from hibernation—with a cub! At 27 years old, Grizzly Bear 399 now holds the record for oldest bear to reproduce, and she’s the oldest mother bear in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Every year, hundreds of fans stake out in Grand Teton National Park awaiting her return from her winter slumber. She had last been spotted in mid September. That left many of her fans worried. So when Griz 399 and her cub emerged on the evening of May 16, onlookers including Jill Hall cried, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports.

The cub in tow this week is Griz 399’s 18th, over the course of eight litters. For more than a decade, Griz 399 has been living her best bear life in the front country of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. Thousands of tourists, wildlife watchers, and photographers flock to the park’s Pilgrim Creek area to catch a glimpse of Griz 399 and her cubs feeding on an elk carcass, scrounging for berries, and taking naps in the sun, all before the public’s eye.

Griz 399’s fame exploded in 2020 when she crawled out of her winter den with four tiny cubs in tow. Wildlife watcher Maureen Matsen has been scouting wildlife in Grand Teton National Park for 40 years. Viewing animals in their natural habitat helps Matsen de-stress from her high-stakes job as an ICU nurse. She says the feeling when Griz 399 comes into view is palpable.

“The adrenaline is super high; the excitement is super high,” Matsen says on episode 16 of the Out and Back podcast

. “And the minute she appears or one of those cubs pokes up its head, you just hear the ‘click, click, click, click, click, click, click’ of all the cameras going off. It’s just such a funny thing. I almost thought I’d just start filming these photographers because of the joy on their faces.”

Grizz 399 and her four cubs walk down the side of the road away from the camera in Grand Teton National Park.
Griz 399 on high alert as she shepherds her four cubs down the side of the road in Grand Teton National Park. Photo credit: Maureen Matsen

For many, Griz 399 embodies resilience and hope. Matsen is among them.

“It’s just giving people a lot of hope during a year where we’ve all dealt with a lot of really hard things,” Matsen says. “I think it’s been just this uplifting good news that this bear exists and that you have a chance of seeing her if you go up there.”

Griz 399 and her four cubs making their way through the sagebrush. Photo credit: Tom Mangelsen

Wildlife photographer and conservationist Thomas Mangelsen has been documenting Griz 399’s life for almost 15 years. Tune into episode 16 of the Out and Back podcast, in which he sheds light on how this majestic and wild bear mastered navigating crowds of tourists who come to the park just to see her.

“She will outfox most of us,” Mangelsen says. “We’ll be looking down the road, but she’ll just go through the willows and say ‘I don’t want to go through the crowd. I’ll just take the kids across the road down by the creek.’ We just laugh at it, because she’s so damn smart.”

Tom Mangelsen looks towards the camera as he sits in a field with his long-lens camera set up on a tripod. Snowy Tetons loom into the cloudy sky in the distance.
Mangelsen waits for wildlife to appear in Grand Teton National Park. Photo credit: Tom Mangelsen

Mangelsen says Griz 399 is a special bear because she appeals to human emotion. He recalls Griz 399 mourning her cub after it was hit by a car and killed. Mangelsen saw the distraught Griz 399 “sobbing” on the roadside near the body of her cub, grieving much like a human mother would.

But as cuddly and adorable as Griz 399 and her cubs appear, they are not domesticated animals. Grand Teton and its neighboring Yellowstone National Park are not zoos by any stretch of the imagination. These parks are home to wild animals that can attack if provoked. Park officials remind wildlife watchers to keep a safe distance of 100 yards or more, watch animals from the safety of a vehicle, and use binoculars to view animals from far away. Never approach wildlife.

Grizzly bears can be dangerous if people get too close for comfort. That’s what happened in 2007, when Dennis Van Denbos unknowingly walked into Griz 399’s space during an early morning outing at the Jackson Lake Lodge. The bear charged at Van Denbos. He hit the deck and suffered several bites from 399 and her three yearling cubs before people intervened.

“They’re just going to eat me,” Van Denbos thought. “There’s nothing I could do. There’s no way I could fight off four grizzlies.”

In this episode of Out and Back, Van Denbos gives a blow-by-blow account of the encounter. Though his injuries took months to heal, he explains that he felt no animosity for the mother bear and was relieved that wildlife officials spared her life following the attack.

Montana based journalist Todd Wilkinson says this decision to let Griz 399 and her cubs live proved to be a pivotal moment in grizzly bear recovery in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Since then, Griz 399 has expanded her ever-growing family tree, producing multiple sets of healthy and vibrant cubs.

Todd Wilkinson smiles for the camera while sitting in a sunny field at the base of the Tetons.
Wilkinson enjoys a sunny day in the Tetons.

“She’s been this amazingly fertile bear, and the cub production comes from a mother that’s getting good nutrition,” Wilkinson told us in 2020. “The number that’s been used is seven litters, including three sets of triplets, plus one quadruplet.”

At 27 years old, Griz 399 has become a grandmother bear many times over. Everyone was surprised when she woke from hibernation in 2020 with four cubs — a highly unusual event in bear reproduction. Now that she’s long in the tooth, her fans are wondering how long she’ll live.

Don’t miss this episode as Wilkinson and Mangelsen discuss the many dangers grizzly bears face in the lower 48. They dive into Griz 399’s ability to adapt, crediting her intelligence for her long life and survival against the odds. Tune in to hear the details of why Griz 399 sticks so close to the road, what kind of mother she has become, and how you may or may not see this famous bruin if you visit the park.

Learn more about Griz 399 by visiting her Instagram page. Read her Wikipedia page and Mangelsen and Wilkinson’s glossy-paged book: Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek. See Mangelsen’s photography by visiting his gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, or follow him on Instagram. Read Wilkinson’s non-profit Mountain Journal to discover public interest issues facing the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and for a greater understanding of the inter-relationships between people and nature in the American West. Follow Maureen’s beautiful wildlife and landscape photography on Instagram.

Special thanks to Maureen Matsen, Dennis VanDenbos, Thomas Mangelsen and Todd Wilkinson for contributing to this show.

The cover of "Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek: An Intimate Portrait of 399" shoes Grizz with three of her cubs walking down a beach.
Cover of “Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek.” Photo credit: Tom Mangelsen

Episode Highlights

4:00: Wildlife watcher and amateur photographer Maureen Matsen grew up looking for wildlife when she was on long road to Grand Teton National Park. To keep them entertained, Maureen’s dad would pay her and her siblings cash if they spotted an animal.
5:15: Maureen seeks out wildlife as a way to download the stress of her job an an ICU nurse.
5:45: Maureen seeks out all kinds of wildlife in the park but bears, because they are not an every day sighting, are the piece de resistance.
6:10: Grizzly Bear 399 has very distinct markings: a heart-shaped face with blonde coloring down her snout.
7:05: Grizzly Bear 399 lives along the roadside in the Pilgrim Creek area of Grand Teton National Park.
7:20: Hundreds of people line the roads just to get a glimpse of 399. But on Maureen’s first outing this year, she missed the chance to see 399 and her cubs.
8:30: The pandemic has been heavy and these animals have brought so much hope and joy in such trying times.
9:20: Maureen went back a few weeks later and Grizzly Bear 399 popped out of the sagebrush trailing four little cubs behind her. And the crowd goes wild.
11:28: This bear is being stalked by hundreds of tourists and professional photographers just trying to get a glimpse of 399’s glory. The joy when she appears is palpable.
12:50: Professional Wildlife Photographer Tom Mangelsen describes the return of grizzly bears to Grand Teton National Park. A grizzly bear showed up on his back porch in 2006. That was his introduction to Grizzly Bear 399.
14:30: Tom recalls that last year, Grizzly Bear 399 was fatter than ever before. He speculated she would have triplets.
14:45: Griz 399 surprised everyone when she came out of hibernation with four tiny cubs.
16:50: Todd Wilkinson has written about Grizzly Bear 399 for National Geographic magazine and then collaborated with Tom Mangelsen to publish a book: Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek.
17:25: Grizzly Bear 399’s life has been more dramatic to watch as the years go on.
18:00: Bears are not fearsome creatures; they only want to protect her young.
18:50: 399 lives along the road because it’s safer for her babies, and she does all of her bear business with a grandstand of people around her.
20:20: The front country has turned out to be the perfect habitat for Griz 399, who has raised seven litters along the roadside over the years.
21:43: Griz 399 has exuded amazing tolerance for human beings; she can navigate cars and hundreds of people without “losing her cool.” Tom says Grizzly Bear 399 has become a master at navigating crowds.
23:45: But not so fast. Grizzly bears are dangerous and wildlife officials advise to keep your distance, stay in your car, and never feed a bear.
25:00: Dennis Van Denbos was at the wrong place at the wrong time in 2007. He was mauled by Grizzly Bear 399 and her then yearling triplets. He lived to tell us about it.
28:21: Griz 399 jumped out of the bushes about 20 feet away and charged at Dennis. Three “teddy bear shapes” stood in the background.
29:25: Dennis saw this striking image with the sun shining on her — a sight Dennis will never forget. Dennis started to back away but stumbled off the road.
31:10: Dennis is face-to-face, eye level with Griz 399. And she charges.
31:50: Dennis hits the deck and Griz 399 and her three cubs bite him in the back and backside.
32:50: “They’re just going to eat me.” Dennis contemplates the end of his life.
33:00: People intervened and Dennis survived. Dennis understood why she attacked, she was feeding on a carcass and was stressed. He would have been very disappointed if the park had decide to kill Griz 399 because of the attack.
37:30: The decision to let Grizzly Bear 399 live after the mauling of Dennis turns out to be a pivotal moment in Grizzly Bear recovery in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Griz 399 went on to have multiple sets of cubs.
38:40: Grizzly Bear 399 displays emotions humans can relate to.
40:00: After the death of her cub “Snowy,” Grizzly Bear 399 “balled” and grieved her baby’s death. Tom describes how distraught the bear was.
41:00: Grizzly Bear 399 is 24 years old, and that makes her a grandmother bear who isn’t expected to live much longer.
41:50: Todd explains how grizzly bears face many dangers in the world: human encounters and traffic.
42:00: We have this homegrown nature safari in the Yellowstone ecosystem.
42: 15: Todd describes how the story of Griz 399 brings us all together.

Next Episode: The Year of the Fastest Known Time with Buzz Burrell

The pandemic canceled nearly all the running races this year, but that only fueled the fire for pent-up athletes to take down the “fastest known times” on many classic and iconic routes around the world. Next time on the Out and Back podcast, Shanty and Mary catch up with Buzz Burrell, well-known “father of the fastest known time,” about everything FKT. Buzz takes us through the rise of the FKT objective, what makes a solid FKT route, and how his popular Website fastestknowntime.com documents new records. With a 30 percent increase over last year’s records, Buzz describes the allure of the solitary push for a fastest known time.

Buzz Burrell runs down a snowfield on Mt. Rainier in a white-out. He's carrying an ice axe and shouldering a cord of rope.
Buzz Burrell runs down Mount Rainier.

Buzz has championed many FKT’s of his own, including the first John Muir Trail and Colorado Trail speed records. He set records on Yosemite’s signature and scary Half Dome route, the 100km “O” Circuit in Chile’s Torres Del Paine National Park, and Zion’s Angel’s Landing. A trail running legend, Buzz was the visionary of some of the most sought after and iconic lines in Colorado, including the L.A. Freeway and Milner to Berthoud Pass, sometimes known as the “Pfiffner Traverse.“

In this episode, 68-year-old Buzz breaks down the realities of aging, reminding us that no one can stop the clock. Buzz implores us to keep moving even as the years creep up. You won’t want to miss this down-to-earth chat as Buzz delivers his tips to keep moving and gives us this year’s round-up of robust FKT activity. Plus, you’ll never guess what indoor activity Burrell has mastered.

Learn more about FKT at fastestknowntime.com. Listen every Friday to the Fastest Known Time podcast with host Buzz Burrell and featuring some of the fastest athletes on the planet.

Last Episode: Trails, Trials, and The Trek with Zach “Badger” Davis

In case you missed it, check out the last episode of Out and Back where Shanty and the Real Hiking Viking team up to interview Viking’s good friend and hiking legend Zach “Badger” Davis. Thru-hikers may know Badger as the founder of the popular backpacking resource, The Trek. Badger has also written Appalachian Trials and Pacific Crest Trials, psychological guides to tackling the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails.

In this episode, Badger reveals the path from thru-hiker to the creation of community on the Trek and his popular podcast Backpacker Radio. Shanty, Viking, and Badger rifle through the different skillsets needed to thru-hike the AT, PCT, and CDT. They discuss how thru-hiking has evolved over the past decade. And all three of them share how the trail serves as therapy, including the inexplicable catharsis of accomplishing the seemingly impossible. Listen through to the end to learn Badger’s favorite off-the-beaten-path backpacking trip. Seasoned and aspiring thru-hikers alike won’t want to miss this episode to learn how to find the light at the end of the dark, green tunnel.

Learn more about Badger on theTrek.co. Follow Badger’s adventures on Instagram, and tune into his podcast, Backpacker Radio. You can also hear more hilarity from Viking on his first Out and Back appearance from earlier this season.

Meet the Hosts

the host of the podcast Andrew Baldwin wearing an orange hat and blue jacket with a frosty beard, smiling

Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin

In 2019, host Andrew Baldwin completed a southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. After five months on the trail, Baldwin returned home to pursue a career in voice acting. A friend of the Gaia GPS company, Baldwin was a natural choice for hosting the Out and Back podcast.

In each Out and Back episode, Shanty strives to bring you conversations with people who spend an extraordinary amount of time outdoors. Listen in as Shanty taps into each backcountry expert’s superpower so that you can take their knowledge and experience with you on your next adventure.

Mary smiles while lying down and resting her head on a rock. She's wearing a purple jacket, gloves, and a black buff around her ears.

Mary Cochenour

Mary is the Out and Back podcast producer and a writer and editor at Gaia GPS. Before joining Gaia GPS, Mary worked as a lawyer, newspaper journalist, ski patroller, Grand Canyon river guide, and USFS wilderness ranger. Mary holds degrees in journalism and business as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Montana. Mary is licensed to practice law in Montana and Nevada.

When she is not in the office, Mary works as a guide for Andrew Skurka Adventures in wild places around the west, like Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite, and the Brooks Range in Alaska. Learn more about Mary on Instagram. Also, read her tips on how to plan your first solo backpacking trip.

1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
AdventuresBackcountry SkiingGaia GPSHow-ToNewsletter

How to Read Topographic Maps

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Knowing how to read a topographic map is the foundation of any backcountry adventure. Through the use of contour lines, topo maps bring a 3-dimensional element to a 2-dimensional paper map. Topo maps allow you to visualize the rise and fall of the land and “see” the depths of canyons, the location of boggy meadows, and the height and shape of mountains.

But, make no mistake about it, learning to read and understand topographic maps takes time and practice. Whether you’re new to topo maps or a seasoned wilderness navigator, this article will help explain the basic features found on topo maps, like lines, numbers, symbols, and colors, so that you can read them with ease and confidence.

This article covers:

Contour Lines

Contour lines are the primary and most important feature on a topo map. They show the shape of the terrain, including its hills, slopes, and depressions, by tracing a constant line of elevation on the map that corresponds with the landscape in the real world. Think of contour lines as imaginary horizontal planes sliced through the terrain surface.

Visualizing Contour Lines

It may be helpful to visualize contour lines as stacked “layers” of the landscape, similar to a layer cake. A large mountain appears as a dense group of lines with a small circle in the center that represents the peak—just picture looking down at a wedding cake from above. Areas with few contours appear relatively flat—more like a 2-tier birthday cake. A topo map provides a bird’s eye view of those concentric circles, allowing you to “see” both the height and shape of the mountain on the map.

Blog_Feature.png

From the USGS Topo on Gaia GPS, the summit of Pu’umakanaka, Hawaii is a near-perfect cone as indicated by the evenly spaced and round contour lines. Notice the tick marks on the contour lines in the center of the map. Those marks indicate a crater or depression at the summit.

Knuckle Mountain

Try this quick exercise at home to get a better understanding of contour lines:

  1. Make a fist with your hand, taking note of the “features” on your fist. There are four knobs (knuckles), a gentle slope (back of your hand), and four small ridges (fingers) separated by ravines (space between the fingers).
  2. With your other hand, mark an “x” on the knuckle that sticks up the highest to mark the “summit.“ Using a pen, drop down from the summit a quarter-inch and make a contour line around the peak of “knuckle mountain.” Follow the elevation around the mountain, without dropping or climbing, until you complete the contour line and close the circle. Drop down another quarter of an inch and repeat. Do that again and again, until you’ve mapped out your entire fist.
  3. Next, lay your hand flat with your palm on the table. Find the spread out contour lines on the back of your hand, indicating a gentle slope. Notice the “v” shaped topo lines where the ravines were between your fingers. The areas by your fingers have contour lines that are close together, indicating steepness. Find an hourglass-shaped topo line for the saddle between your knuckles.

Reading Slope Steepness on a Topo Map

Contour lines present in very predictable ways on the map. When the slope is gentle, the contour lines are spread far apart. Conversely, when the slope is steep the contour lines pack closely together. On a cliff, the contour lines are stacked on top of each other. A flat meadow is void of contour lines.

whitney.png

California’s Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, is steep on its east face as indicated by the closely spaced contour lines. Whitney’s west face is marked by low-angle slopes, as depicted by the wide-spaced contour lines.

Identifying Features with Contour Lines

Contour lines show more than just the steepness of a slope or the elevation of a peak. You can pick out major land features on the map by the way the contour lines are shaped.

  • Peak: A mountain or hill that is marked by concentric contour lines. The summit may be marked with a name, an “X”, or an elevation.
  • Valley: A landform with a depression in which water, if present, would flow down. Also know as gullies, drainages, ravines, and couloirs, valleys are indicated by “V“or ”U“ shaped contour lines that “point” uphill, toward higher elevation.
  • Ridge: A landform with an elevated crest that slopes down on the sides. Ridges are also shown by “V“ or ”U“ shaped contours, but these “point” downhill, toward lower elevations. Remember, water never runs along ridge tops.
  • Saddle: A low spot between two peaks marked by hourglass-shaped contour lines.
Basic topographic landforms (peak, saddle, ridge, drainage) and a comparison of relative steepness as seen on US Topo in gaiagps.com.
Basic landforms on Thompson Peak, Idaho.

Contour Intervals and Index Marker

The contour interval is the amount of elevation change between each contour line. Contour intervals vary from map to map. Intervals set at 40-feet are common on 1:24,000 scale maps. But many maps, especially small scale maps, have 50-foot or 100-foot intervals. Index contours are the more prominent, bold colored lines with the elevation marked on them.

Index contours on the NRCAN Canada Topo layer. Index contours are every 5th line, and there are 500 feet between index contours, so the contour interval is 100 feet.

Discover the contour interval in two ways:

  1. Find the contour interval on the map margin or legend, or
  2. Calculate the contour interval between index contours, which are are the more prominent, bold-colored lines with the elevation marked on them. First, subtract the lower number from the higher number and then divide the result by the number of contour lines. For example, if the index contours elevations are 8000 and 7500 feet as shown in the picture above, the difference is 500 feet. If every fifth line is bold, then divide by 5. The contour interval is 100 feet.

Topo Map Scales

Map scale is important because it tells you how detailed a topo will be. Map scale is defined as one single unit of measurement equal to a definitive number of the same number of units in the real world. You’ll find the map scale written as a ratio in the bottom margin of a topo map.

Map scales vary greatly across different topo maps, but the most common scale is 1:24,000 for topo maps created in the United States. On a 1:24,000 scale map, 1 inch on the map is representative of 24,000 inches, or 2000 feet, on the ground. The United States Geological Survey quadrangle maps are scaled to 1:24,000. These are large scale maps and bring a lot of detail into focus.

A map scale of 1:63,360 is common in Forest Service maps, and maps throughout Alaska. These are smaller-scale maps, with less intricate detail. Some National Geographic maps use a scale of 1:65,000, which allows a large area of land to be packed onto a single topo map.

What you need to know is that the bigger the number on the bottom of the ratio, the smaller the scale and the less detail:

  • 1:24,000= a large scale map that depicts a smaller region of land in intricate detail
  • 1:63,360= a small scale map that depicts a larger area of land in less detail
The map scale and contour intervals are usually found in the bottom margin or in the legend of the topo map.

Distance Scale

The distance scale in the margin identifies the distance on the ground in relation to a straight line on a map. For example, in a 1:63,360 map, one inch on the map equals one mile on land. On a larger scale 1:24,000 USGS quadrangle map, as referenced in the photo above, one inch on the map equals 2,000 feet on the ground. This is important when you’re out in the field because it places context to distances on the map’s representation of the landscape.

The bar scale doesn’t take into account distance added by switchbacks and twists and turns of a trail. But you can use the lanyard of your compass, a guy line from your tent, or the shoelace from your boot to trace the bends of the trail and then measure the lanyard against the linear bar scale. This will give you a more accurate assessment of distance than a straight-line measurement on the map’s surface.

Map Legend

A map legend explains what the map’s symbols, lines, and colors represent. Look for the legend in the margin or in the corner of a map. On gaiagps.com, click on the map’s thumbnail in the layers menu to access the legend.

Large scale USFS recreation maps often include a robust legend with keys for recreation symbols, like campgrounds and restrooms. There may be a listing of points of interest, such as prominent peaks and glaciers, and a legend defining roads, trails, and manmade features like gates and power lines.

Colors on the Map

Some legends define what different colors represent on the map:

  • Blue represents water in the form of creeks, rivers, and lakes.
  • White areas outlined by a thin blue line indicate a year-round snowfield.
  • Green areas are sections of land covered with vegetation, like trees.
  • White, or the color of the base map, represents land that lacks tall vegetation.

The absence of vegetation can mean many things, including a desert landscape, a meadow, a scree field, a gentle grassy slope high above treeline, or a burn area. Use the contour lines to take a guess at what the surface characteristics will be on the ground without vegetation. If the area is flat with no contour lines and a river flows through the non-vegetated area, then the white-shaded zone is likely a meadow. If the non-vegetated area is high above tree-line, steep, and below a rocky mountain, there is a good chance it’s a field of talus.

Declination

Topo maps are oriented to true north, while your compass needle is drawn to magnetic north. Declination is the angle of deviation between the magnetic north and true north. This angle is often depicted in the bottom margin of the map or on the map itself, as seen in the photos below.

Two ways declination is depicted on maps, in the margin or on the map face.

These diagrams show the declination for the area on the map. Map and compass navigators use the declination angle to adjust their compass to account for the difference between true north on the map and magnetic north, which lies some 400 kilometers south of true north.

Declination varies with location on the earth, and in one part of the United States may be several degrees different than in another part of the country. Also, declination changes over time as magnetic north responds to the earth’s ever-changing magnetic field, so it’s important to check the map’s publish date as older maps may not accurately reflect the current declination. You can also look up magnetic declination by using this nifty calculator.

Orient the Map

Topographic maps are oriented to true north. If you’re holding the map in front of you, and the letters and numbers are right-side up, then the direction of true north is located at the top of the map. This is important because when you are in the field, you’ll need to orient the map to true north to bring the map in line with the land features around you. Learn how to orient the map from backpacking guide Andrew Skurka.

When the map is oriented to true north in the field all the surrounding features will line up with the contour lines on the map. This is the time to practice picking out ridges and peaks on the skyline and matching them up with distinctive contour lines on the map.

Map Grids

Township and Range

Many maps have grid lines with the numbers 1-36 written in the middle of each box. These numbered boxes are called sections and originate from the township and range survey method that was used throughout the western United States, some midwestern states, and Alabama and Florida. Each square on the map represents one-square-mile on the ground, conveniently giving you the ability to assess distance without having to use the distance bar.

The map on the left shows a large-scale USGS quadrangle map showing township and range grid lines and section numbers. The map on the right is a USFS large-scale map displaying township, range, and section numbers. Each box represents one square mile.

UTM Coordinates

Some maps, like National Geographic Trails Illustrated, display the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system, which includes markings on the map for every 1,000 meters on the map’s north-south line and east-west line. The measurements on the north-south lines are “northings” and represent the number of meters that point on the map is from the equator. The numbers on the east-west lines are “eastings” and they depict the number of meters east or west of a particular reference line. You can find these measurements along the margins in the USGS quadrangle maps. Some maps display UTM grid lines, and others don’t, leaving you to eyeball the exact measurement or use a tool to help calculate the exact point.

Latitude and Longitude

Latitude and longitude coordinates are also listed in the margins of most topographical maps. They present in the form of degrees, as shown in the picture below.

image.png
Notice the lat/long coordinates on the upper left margin of this USGS quadrangle map and the UTM “easting” and northing“ measurements closer to the edge of the map.

Find Topo Maps

The USGS has been producing topographic maps since 1879 and has produced some 54,000 maps that cover the topography of the entire lower 48 states and Hawaii. These maps are referred to as the USGS quadrangle maps, with each map covering a 7.5-minute section of latitude and longitude on the globe. USGS quad maps, scaled at 1:24,000, are still considered the industry standard.

The U.S. Forest service also makes topo maps for its lands. The FSTopo is the same large-scale map as the USGS quadrangle map and is available in hard copy at some of the Forest Service offices. Its wilderness maps cover an entire wilderness area and come in a small scale to fit on a single page.

Private companies have delved into publishing topo maps too. National Geographic Trails Illustrated offers more than 250 titles for recreation areas in America. Some smaller companies make regional topo maps, such as Beartooth Publishing in Bozeman, Montana, and Tom Harrison Maps, based in San Rafael, California.

View the nine most popular hiking maps at Gaia GPS to get an idea of which topo maps people use most. With a premium membership, you can access and download the entire Gaia GPS map catalog, including the best backcountry maps and layers. Check out all the classics:

USGS Topo

Official topo maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This quilt of digitized 1:24,000 USGS quadrangles covers the entire contiguous United States. Each quad covers 7.5 minutes of longitude by 7.5 minutes of latitude. The date of the last update varies by region.

Gaia Topo

Gaia Topo is the main map source in Gaia GPS, available to all Gaia GPS users—with or without a paid membership. The new Gaia Topo is now available on iOS, the web, and in the latest beta test version of Gaia GPS for Android.

USFS 2016

Full, detailed topographic coverage of all 172 national forests and grasslands in the US. This is the most up-to-date rasterized map available from the US Forest Service. It includes labeled trails, roads, and vegetation shading to help you plan hiking, backpacking, camping, off-roading, hunting, or fishing trips.

You can also print and customize the maps from Gaia GPS and take them with you on the trail.

47 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Gaia GPSGaia GPS Offroad PodcastHow-ToOffroadingUser Profiles

Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

How to listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts |Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | iHeart Radio | Castbox

One of the best aspects of car camping is that you can bring any fancy kitchen contraption that fits in your vehicle. Filet mignon on the BBQ, sunset margaritas poured from the blender, and homemade chimichurri can be standard camp fare if you plan your menu in advance. If you’re Marco Hernandez, author of The Overland Cook and the face behind the popular offroading brand Ovrlndx, you toss an oven, yes an oven, in your kit and slow-bake a roast while you make your way towards camp.

“By the time we get to the camp, I just open that oven and dinner is ready,” Marco says of his new 12-volt oven. “I think this is going to be a game-changer.”

Marco admits that not everyone needs an elaborate kitchen set up to cook mouthwatering meals at camp. He explains on the Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast this week that some of the best meals can come from cooking burritos under the hood of your Jeep. You read that right. Marco has cooked burritos on his engine.

A Baja California native, Marco shares his famous south-of-the-border recipes. From his traditional birria taco recipe to his secret ingredient for delicious salsa, Marco dishes out his tips for serving up gourmet meals out on the trail. Plus, Marco breaks down all the gear and upgrades on his new brand new Jeep 392, dubbed by the manufacturer as “the quickest, most powerful Wrangler” ever made. Marco confirms that his new Jeep has power.

You can pick up a copy of Marco’s book The Overland Cook (available in English and Spanish) on his website ovrlndx.com and follow his YouTube channel to watch Marco in action.

Impress your friends on your next camping trip with Marco’s famous and easy-to-make chimichurri recipe, an Argentinian sauce that tastes great as a topping for meats or spooned over toasted sourdough bread as an appetizer.

Ovrlndx’s Marco Hernandez in front of his new Jeep 392

Get Marco’s Chimichurri Recipe

  • 3 bunches of parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 cups of olive oil
  • 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
  • 8 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper chili flakes
  • a pinch of salt

Step 1: Combine parsley, garlic, red chili pepper flakes, paprika, and oregano in a bowl. Mix until evenly distributed.

Step 2: Add salt, ground black, pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Step 3: Mix until all ingredients are completely incorporated.

Step 4: Pour into a glass jar and let sit for 24 hours.

Tip: Chimichurri sits better after letting it sit for at least 24 hours. The flavors will incorporate into the mix.

Meet Wade May, Host of the Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast

After a 43-year career of flying A-10 and F-16 fighter jets for the United States Air Force and Boeing 737s as a commercial airline captain, Gaia GPS Offroad podcast host Wade May has put his feet firmly on the ground. With over 20 years of offroading and overlanding experience, Wade constantly seeks out the serenity of remote backcountry adventures with his trusty 4-Runner, “Bullit.“ Between extended solo overland adventures, Wade shares the lessons learned from his broad experience in the sky and on the trail in overland workshops, classrooms, writings, and, of course, while hosting the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast.

0 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
SNOTEL map
Backcountry SkiingGaia GPSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow Stations (Daily) Map

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Find the freshest, lightest, and deepest snow for your next winter adventure with the Snow Stations (Daily) map. This map taps into hundreds of remote SNOTEL and Canadian weather sensors to show just how much snow fell over the last 24 hours in mountain zones around the west. The map also provides water density readings to give you a sense of whether the new snow stacks up light and dry like Montana’s famous cold smoke or wet and heavy like Sierra cement.

No more trial-and-error in driving up to the pass or trailhead to hunt down the best snow conditions. Backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers can simply check the Snow Stations (Daily) map before heading out the door to get a real-time look at conditions on peaks and passes in the Western US and British Columbia. View this map with a Premium Membership on the web and in the Gaia GPS app when connected to the internet or cell service. This map relies on constant updates and is not available for downloading.

Real-Time Snow Data

two cell phones showing the snow stations daily map with information on snow totals

The Snow Stations (Daily) map helps you find the freshest snow conditions by pulling data from almost a thousand United States Department of Agriculture SNOTEL sites and British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development weather stations. Updated once every hour, these weather stations send out real-time information on total snow depth, snow water content, 24-hour change in snow totals, and more.

the legend showing what each color-coded snowflake represents on the Snow Stations Daily map. Orange and red snowflakes represent loss of snow. Black is no change in snow. Green and Blue show snow gain.


Find the location of all the SNOTEL and Canadian weather stations near you by looking for color-coded snowflake icons on the map. Each snowflake represents a remote weather station and the color of the snowflake indicates how much snow has fallen or melted in the last 24-hour reporting period.

Click on the icons to get more information about the location of the site and the weather conditions in that area. A pop-up will show the name, elevation, and the date and time the weather station last sent an update. View snow depth totals, 24-hour change in snow, and snow water equivalent changes within the last 24 hours. The link within the information pop-up on the map takes you to the weather station’s page, where you can learn more specifics about the sensor’s exact location and the maximum, minimum, and average temperature readings at the site for the last seven days, month, or a customized time frame of your choosing.

Location of Snow Stations (Daily)

You’ll find stations located in the most remote areas of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and British Columbia, Canada. The weather stations were originally placed in these watersheds in the 1960s as a way to measure and forecast water availability for agricultural use. The SNOTEL sites quickly developed into a climate resource for backcountry enthusiasts. Skiers, snowboarders, mountaineers, and snowmobilers keep a close eye on conditions by referencing SNOTEL data. Hikers, bikepackers, and backpackers are equally interested in learning about spring, summer, and fall temperature readings and precipitation activity for backcountry areas they plan to visit.

How to Get the Snow Stations (Daily) Map

The Snow Stations (Daily) map is available in the app and online with a Premium Membership. Tap the layers icon from the Gaia GPS app on your phone or in your account on the web and select the “Add map layers” button. Scroll down and tap the “Feature /Weather Overlays” and select “Snow Stations Daily.” Tap the “+” icon to add it to your active map layers.

Layer this map on top of your favorite basemap, like Gaia Topo, USGS Topo, or even satellite imagery maps. Use the 24-, 48-, and 72- hour Precipitation layers to see what weather is predicted to come your way. Take a look at the Snow Depth layer to get a picture of how much snow is already on the ground. Always check in with the Avalanche Forecast map before heading out of cell service range.

4 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Joshua Tree National Park at sunset
AdventuresGaia GPSHikes

Discover the Ultimate Winter Getaway with These Ten National Parks

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Some of America’s national parks are best visited in the winter. The off-season brings the possibility of more solitude, dramatic snow-dusted scenery, and cooler, more comfortable temperatures in areas with extreme summer climates, like the Everglades and Death Valley. Whether you’re craving a warm, summer-like hike in the depths of winter or looking for a snowy adventure far away from the crowds, explore these 10 national parks for a variety of winter-season adventures.

Two sets of footprints cross a sand dune in Death Valley with blue skies overhead.

Desert Adventures

1. Death Valley National Park

Winter brings cooler temperatures and fewer visitors to Death Valley — the hottest place on earth. Located on the California and Nevada border, Death Valley commonly surpasses the 120-degree Fahrenheit mark during the months of July and August. This sweltering summer heat makes outside activities like hiking, biking, and even sightseeing uncomfortable and downright dangerous.

In winter months, you’ll find the less extreme side of Death Valley. From December through February, temperatures cool to the 60s to 70s F in the daytime, making it possible to get out of air-conditioned cars and explore the park’s sand dunes, colorful geological formations, and sunbaked playas, including Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the U.S. at 282 feet below sea level.

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Darwin Falls, 2 miles, 376 elevation gain 
  2. Zabriskie Point Loop 6.8 miles, 827 elevation gain
  3. Sidewinder Canyon, 1.8 miles, 505 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: Wildrose Peak (9,064 feet) and Telescope Peak (11,049 feet) may be covered in snow, so stick to the lower elevation trails.

2. Joshua Tree National Park

The most unique of all the desert landscapes, Joshua Tree National Park hosts the fuzzy Cholla cactus, interesting rock outcroppings, and the region’s trademark Joshua Tree — a spiky member of the Yucca family found in no other place in the world. The park’s diversity is owed to its varied elevation, ranging between 1,000 and 5,500 feet and spreading across two of California’s deserts, the Mojave and the Colorado.

Even though Joshua Tree sits above sea level, midsummer temperatures swelter around the 100-degree F mark. You can count on spring and fall bringing mild weather and a lot of visitors. Winter, with its chilly daytime highs in the 60s F, attracts fewer crowds but is still comfortable enough to enjoy hiking and rock climbing in this one-of-a-kind desert wilderness. 

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Skull Rock Loop, 1.8 miles, 121 feet elevation gain
  2. 49 Palms Oasis, 3 miles, 349 feet elevation gain
  3. The Maze Loop, 6.2 miles, 393 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: Expect wild temperature swings from day to night and don’t be surprised by the occasional snow storm in mid-winter season. 

A desert canyon, with steep rock walls and a calm river flowing through the bottom of the canyon.

3. Big Bend National Park 

With over 150 miles of trails, Big Bend National Park presents a winter hiking paradise with balmy daytime temperatures averaging in the 60s F and the chance of snow slim to none. Located in a remote area of southwest Texas along the border of Mexico, Big Bend’s enormous landscape offers a variety of desert terrain that stretches from the banks of the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande at 1,850 feet to the 7,832-foot Emory Peak in the Chisos Mountains. In between the summit and the river, explore desert slot canyons, dry washes, and barren landscapes. 

As a general rule, count on a 20-degree F temperature variance between the highest and lowest points in the park. This variety in temperature makes it easy to select a hike with a comfortable climate no matter what the forecast. Hike the trails near the river for warmer weather and head high into Chisos Mountains for cooler temperatures. Because of this varied elevation, Big Bend is home to a diverse ecosystem, with over 1,200 species of plants, 450 bird species, and 75 mammal species, including mule deer, black bears, and coyotes. 

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Saint Elena Canyon, 1.4 miles, 564 feet elevation gain
  2. Boquillas Canyon, 1.3 miles, 98 feet elevation gain
  3. Emory Peak, 4.6 miles, 2,402 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: Avoid Big Bend during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, one of the most popular times of the year to visit the park.

Snowy Mountain Adventures

Wide open snow field with steam rising from geothermal pools, under a blue sky.

4. Yellowstone National Park

With packs of wolves, herds of Bison, roiling geothermal pools, and steaming geysers, Yellowstone National Park offers one of the wildest experiences of any national park. But add a layer of winter into the mix and you’ve just upped the ante. In early November, four of the five roads leading into Yellowstone’s main attractions close to vehicle traffic, turning the park into a snowbound wilderness that is remote, untamed, and uncrowded — a feeling not easily achieved in the summer months when this popular park is crawling with tourists. 

To get to the park’s popular destinations, like the Old Faithful Geyser and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, book a ride on a snow coach, take a guided snowmobile tour, or use your own snowmobile to participate in the park’s non-commercial snowmobile program. Once within the park’s interior, you can explore by ski, snowshoe or snowmobile, visiting steaming hot geothermal pools and exploding geysers. Or you can spend the day watching wildlife — bison, wolves, deer, elk, antelope, and eagles — endure the brutal cold season. Don’t expect to see any Grizzly bears though; they are sleeping the winter away and set to stir sometime in late March.

Recommended Ski and Snowshoe Trails:

  1. Canyon Rim Ski Trail, 4.5 miles
  2. Lone Star Geyser Ski Trail, 9 miles
  3. Observation Point Snowshoe Trail, 2 miles

Winter Tips: If you missed out on reservations for a snow coach or snowmobile ride, take a drive through Lamar Valley, accessible from the park’s north entrance in Gardiner, Montana. This road is plowed and open all year long, but in the winter it dead ends in Cooke City, Montana, a backcountry skiing and snowmobiling destination. The two-lane road travels through Yellowstone National Park’s famed Lamar Valley, where bison and packs of wolves live. Check the park’s webpage here for a list of available winter services. 

Snowy Mount Rainier pokes above the clouds with a colorful, pastel sunset of orange and soft pink hues int he background.

5. Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park, just a two-hour drive from Seattle, averages more than 53 feet of snowfall per year, making it the perfect place to play in the snow for almost six month out of the year. Only the hardiest of mountaineers attempt to summit the 14,411-foot peak in the winter months, but the lower elevations around Paradise and Longmire, offer plenty of opportunities for backcountry and cross country skiing, snowshoeing, winter hiking, and sledding. Hone your winter camping skills in the Paradise area. Be sure to pick up a backcountry camping permit at the Longmire Museum or the Paradise Visitor Center on the day of your arrival.

Recommended Winter Activities:

  1. Longmire Winter Trails
  2. Paradise Winter Snowplay

Winter Tip: Most roads in the park close for the winter, but visitors can access the park from the Nisqually Entrance to Longmire, which is open year-round except in extreme winter weather conditions. Check with the park’s road status page for updates on winter road conditions. The road from Longmire to Paradise opens at 9 am and closes for the night at 5 pm depending on weather, so time your visit accordingly. Never walk, ski, or snowshoe on the road to Paradise because road crews are operating snow plows and heavy equipment even when the road is closed.  

Mountain scenery with blue skies and tall rock face in the background and snow dusted evergreen trees on a field of snow in the foreground.

6. Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park, just outside of Denver Colorado, offers all kinds of snow-filled fun, including winter hiking, cross country and backcountry skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, and ice climbing. Before you go, you’ll have to decide whether to visit the east or west side of the park because Trail Ridge Road, which climbs to 12,183 feet and connects the two sides, closes to traffic in the winter months.  

Besides Trail Ridge Road, most of the park’s roads are open to travel, providing access to trails that are popular for hiking in the summer. If there is fresh now, you’ll want some sort of floatation to keep you on top of the snow pack, like skis or snowshoes. Chances are good though, that in popular areas, the trail will already be packed in from other hikers and suitable for walking in boots. Bring traction devices and trekking poles if the trails seem slippery with ice. Rocky Mountain National Park is truly a wilderness adventure, especially in the winter, so be cautious of avalanche danger when traveling within the backcountry of the park. Learn more about winter safety here. Check the park’s trail conditions page here to get updates on conditions for winter hiking or snowshoeing.

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Ouzel Falls 5.5 miles, 905 feet elevation gain
  2. Dream Lake, 1.8 miles, 735 feet elevation gain
  3. Fern Lake, 3.7 miles, 1,391 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: The east side of the park attracts more visitors in winter months than the west side. The west side of the park gets more snow and offers more solitude.  

Snowy river rocks backdropped by snow covered El Capitan, Yosemite Valley's most prominent monolith.

7. Yosemite National Park

Yosemite’s 3,000-foot granite monoliths and giant pine trees dusted with snow make for a magical winter visit and well worth the 170-mile drive from San Francisco. What’s even more magical about Yosemite in winter is its lack of crowds. Anyone who has ever been to Yosemite in the peak seasons of late spring and summer will appreciate viewing the iconic rock faces of El Capitan and Half Dome in relative solitude. 

The elevation of Yosemite Valley is close to 4,000 feet. Snow can accumulate on the valley floor but usually not enough for snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Trails that ascend from the valley can be snow packed and icy. In addition to hiking, try ice skating at the Curry Village Ice Rink, snowshoeing to Dewey Point, or cross country skiing to Glacier Point. Yosemite also offers downhill skiing, snowboarding, and tubing at the Badger Pass Ski Area.

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Mirror Lake, 2.2 miles, 100 feet elevation gain
  2. Mist Trail, 1.5 miles, 1,217 feet elevation gain
  3. Dewey Point, 4.6 miles, 3,018 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: Yosemite’s Tioga Pass is closed in winter, making Tuolumne Meadows inaccessible to everyone but backcountry skiers who are interested in a long skin up into the park. A 10-bunk ski hut is available in Tuolumne Meadows on a first-come, first-served basis, firewood included. Wilderness permits are required for overnight visits to the backcountry. 

A frozen waterfall creates an ice column in the forest of Smoky Mountain National Park.

8. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Straddling the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the nation with more than 11 million visitors annually. Winter is your chance to ditch the crowds. But the price you pay for a lonely, offseason visit will be cool temperatures in the 50s F and the possibility of hiking on snow-covered trails.

The trails in Smoky Mountain National Park wind through old growth forest, along a creek bed, and sometimes lead to a waterfall. If you’re lucky enough to visit after a cold snap, you might get the chance to see interesting ice formations and frozen waterfalls. Expect high temperatures in the 50s and 60s F in the lower elevations of the park with near freezing temperatures at higher elevations.

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Laurel Falls, 1.3 miles, 366 feet elevation gain 
  2. Alum Cave, 2.3 miles, 1,260 feet elevation gain
  3. Andrews Bald, 1.8 miles, 584 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: Hike in the park’s lower elevations, where light snow falls just a handful of times each year.

Tropical Adventures

Black rocks along the ocean coast line view of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

9. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

With year-round temperatures in the 80s F, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is your best bet for summer-like hiking in the middle of winter. Better yet, the Big Island’s sunniest days occur in December and January when there is only a 40-percent chance of cloud cover on average. So get out your shorts and sunglasses, and check out the park’s Mauna Loa volcano, considered the largest volcano in the world by both mass and volume, and the Kilauea volcano, the Big Island’s youngest and most active volcano. 

In 2018, the Kilauea volcano erupted. Lava flows gushed into residential areas, destroying hundreds of homes and much of the park’s infrastructure. At the same time, the park experienced thousands of earthquakes that collapsed the Kilauea caldera. Kilauea’s active lava flows are no longer present, and according to the park’s website, there is no molten lava to be seen anywhere in or out of the park. Even so, the park offers an impressive volcanic landscape of old lava flows, steam vents, and craters. 

Recommended Hikes:

  1. Puʻu Loa Petroglyphs, 1.2 miles, 33 feet elevation gain
  2. Waldron Ledge Loop, 2.9 miles, 463 feet elevation gain
  3. Mauna Loa, 13 miles, 2,641 feet elevation gain

Winter Tip: Believe it or not, winter weather can pummel the summit of Mauna Loa volcano which rises 13,678 feet above sea level. Temperatures at the top of Hawai’i’s volcanoes are often 20 degrees F cooler than at the park entrance. If you’re planning to tag the summit, wear layers and check in with the Visitor Center about weather conditions before going up top.  

An aerial view of green coastal lowlands surrounded by water in Everglades National Park.

10. Everglades National Park

Moderate temperatures, low humidity, and a lack of mosquitoes, make December through March the perfect time to visit south Florida’s Everglades National Park. At 1.5 million acres, the park’s considerable size includes coastal lowlands, pine forests, and freshwater slough ecosystems. Considered the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S., Everglades is home to a wide variety of species, including an abundance of alligators, dolphins, manatees, panthers, and turtles. Wildlife viewing is at its best in the winter season. 

Pick your mode of travel: hike, bike, or kayak through the park. Pine Island and Flamingo trails, near the park’s main entrance in Homestead, Florida, offer a number of short, interpretive walks. Though it doesn’t sound inviting, Shark Valley offers the best bike trail along with an excellent chance to view alligators in the wild. Take a seven-day kayak or canoe trip on the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway, accessing some of Florida’s most remote coastline. 

Recommended Hike, Bike, and Kayak Trails:

  1. Shark Valley Loop, 14.7 miles, 24 feet elevation gain
  2. Pine Island and Flamingo Trails, interpretive trails
  3. Wilderness Waterway, canoe and kayak route 

Winter Tip: Winter is Florida’s dry season, making the park’s water holes the best chance to view wildlife. 

1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
two hikers walking on a mountain side
AdventuresGaia GPSHow-To

Natural Navigation Clues: How to Find Your Way Without a Compass

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Paper maps and compass have forever been the gold standard of backcountry navigation. Throw in a mapping app, like Gaia GPS, and your navigation kit is complete. But what keeps you from getting lost in the backcountry may not depend entirely on the tools in your backpack. Staying found starts with something you’re born with – the ability to pay attention to your surroundings.

Situational awareness, or paying attention to the natural world around you, is key to mastering backcountry navigation. After all, a compass bearing in the field only gives you direction. For direction to have any meaning, you’ll need to know how to expertly read topographic maps. And for topo maps to have context, you’ll need to be aware of landscape around you.

Learn these quick tips on how to use landscape awareness and natural navigation clues to find your way in the backcountry.  

Start with the Big Picture on the Map

Not getting lost in the backcountry starts with your trip planning at home. Before you get out in the wilderness, get to know a place by studying its features on a map. Small-scale maps that show a big area and less topographical detail can help you see how your planned route fits in the context of the broader landscape.  

You can do this for free on Gaia GPS. Start by pulling up the area you plan to visit on www.gaiagps.com/map. Use the planning tools on the left-hand side of the screen to create a route. If you don’t know how to create a route yet, you can learn by watching an 8-minute tutorial at the end of this article.

With your route drawn on the map, zoom way out to see how the route fits within the landscape of the broader region. Take note of prominent features on the map: large bodies of water, river valleys, the area’s tallest peaks, mountain crests or divides, land management details, trailheads, roads, towns, and ranger stations. This zoomed-out view of the map, doesn’t reveal much about the landscape. But consulting the map in broad scale is the beginning of the situational awareness that will help you navigate in the field.

In the map above, you’ll see a green-colored route through Desolation Wilderness, which sits at the southwestern edge of Lake Tahoe. The map shows that area is also wedged between two highways — one to the south and one to the east of the planned route. If the route starts at Lake Tahoe and heads south, the lake will generally be over and behind your left shoulder. Understanding where this big landmark sits in relation to your overall journey gives you a sense of general direction.

Zoom In on the Map to Identify Handrails

After you get the lay of the land, zoom in on the map to view your route in context of the land features within it. You can use a creek or a large mountain as a “handrail” to follow to make sure you stay on course. If your route follows a creek up to its headwaters, you can use the ribbon of water as a guide to its source. If your route takes you along a valley, you could rely on a prominent mountain at the end of the canyon as a beacon to keep in your site. The key to not getting lost is paying attention to the landscape as you move through it.  

Get a better look at the route in this area by clicking the interactive map above and zooming in on the details.

Let Water Be Your Guide in Backcountry Navigation

Rivers and creeks make predictable backcountry guides. No matter where you are in the world, you can always count on rivers to roll off the shoulders of mountains and rush toward a larger river, the sea, a lake, or a basin. Zoom in on the map to study the flow of the water in the area so that you have an understanding of where water leads if you decide to follow it.

Looking at the route in the map above, you can see a string of prominent peaks to the west: Dicks Peak, Jacks Peak, Mount Price, Agassiz Peak, and Pyramid Peak. Together, they make up a portion of the Sierra Crest, a 500-mile long ridgeline that runs in a general north-south direction along the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. 

Notice that most of the route stays on the east side of the Sierra Crest and that all the water along the way, with the exception of Lake Aloha, rolls toward Lake Tahoe. In an emergency, you could follow any water drainage on the east side of the Sierra Crest and wind up at Lake Tahoe so long as the route is passable on foot. Understanding where water flows can be a welcome bit of information if you’re looking to get your bearings in the landscape. Plus, if you’re standing next to a river, you have a good point of reference on the map to find your exact location.

two hikers walking on a mountain side
I took my kids, ages 10 and 13, on an off-trail route in the Sierra this summer. We followed a creek to its headwaters, went over a 13,000-foot col, and then dropped into the next drainage to the west. This chain of lakes served as our handrail on the way down the canyon.
Photo by Mary Cochenour

Use Treeline to Pinpoint Your Elevation 

Elevation is another predictable navigation marker. Knowing your coordinates on the map only places you in the two-dimensional world. Elevation can help you pinpoint your location, adding a 3D context to your location. But without an altimeter, how will you know the elevation? Look for the treeline.  

Treeline is the elevation at which the environmental conditions can no longer sustain tree growth. It’s important to note that treeline is different for every region depending on the weather and landscape conditions. In some northern landscapes, the weather is so harsh that trees are unable to grow above 5,000 feet. In more gentle climates, like the Sierra Nevada, treeline sits closer to 9,000 to 10,000 feet. 

You’ll have to study the maps to find the treeline for the area you plan to visit. This is easily done on Gaia GPS’s flagship map, Gaia Topo, which includes tree shading to show you where vegetation grows around the world. Most paper topo maps from government sources, like USGS quadrangle maps which are included in a Gaia GPS Premium Membership, also include tree shading. 

When in the field, you can use tree shading on the map to target your location. For example, if you are climbing up a slope that is clearly tree shaded on the map and all of the sudden you emerge from under the tree canopy into a slope with no vegetation. you should be able to see on the map where you’ve crossed the treeline. But be aware, treeline is not always correct on the map. It’s best to use this as an estimate.

Ribbons of river can be as reliable as following a trail.
Photo by Mary Cochenour

Navigate with the Sun for Direction of Travel 

Paying attention to the way the sun moves across the sky can help you determine general east-west directions. Everywhere in the world, with the exception of the Arctic, the sun rises on the eastern horizon and sets in the west. During the day it moves across the sky in an east to west pattern. If you pay attention to the sun’s movement, it’s easy to tell the general east and west directions in the morning and evening hours when the sun lies low on the horizon.

But what about high noon when the sun is up in the sky? In midday, the sun can clue you in to north-south directions. In the northern hemisphere, the sun will be directly to the south of your position when it reaches its highest point in the sky. Reverse that order for the southern hemisphere, where the sun sits directly north at its highest point in the sky. However, don’t expect the sun to guide you at the equator or near the earth’s poles, these locations are the exception to the sun’s north-south rules.

Use Shadows For Clues on Cloudy Days

On cloudy days, look for shadows for clues on direction. Shadows will cast in the opposite direction of the sun’s location. This means if you are traveling in the northern hemisphere, the sun at its highest point will be directly south but all shadows will cast to the north. Reverse that order for the southern hemisphere: look for shadows to be cast to the south.

Sometimes, the sun is completely obscured. When this happens, you have to rely on other navigation clues in the backcountry.  

Use the Stars to Navigate North and South

Constellations can tell us a lot about direction in the backcountry. In the northern hemisphere, Polaris is known for showing us the direction of true north, hence its nickname — the North Star. The North Star lines up with the earth’s rotational axis above the north pole. From the vantage point in the northern hemisphere, the North Star remains almost motionless in the night sky. All the other stars seemingly rotate around it. Polaris’s relatively static position in the northern night sky has guided navigators for more than a millennia across landmasses and oceans alike. It remains a guiding star in modern navigation as well. 

Photo by James Wheeler 

How to Find the North Star

Finding the North Star on a clear night is easy. It’s the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation, also known as the Little Dipper. If you can find the Little Dipper in the sky, follow its tail to the bright star at the end and you will be looking at Polaris — and consequently in a northern direction.  

If you are having trouble finding the Little Dipper, look for the famed Big Dipper, which appears as the outline of an upside-down cup or pan in the night sky. Angulate from the stars on on the end of Big Dipper’s cup to lead you to the North Star at the tail of the Little Dipper.  

In the Southern Hemisphere, Use the Southern Cross to Navigate

The Southern Hemisphere lacks a bright beacon star to mark the south celestial pole. However, you can rely on the unmistakable Southern Cross to show you the way south. First, find the four stars that make up Southern Cross. Line up the star at the head of the Southern Cross with the star at the base of the Southern Cross. Now draw an imaginary line that extends out about four lengths of the cross to the south and you will be looking at southern celestial pole.

Navigate with the Prevailing Wind

Knowing the direction of the prevailing wind will help you keep track of your directions. If storms always blow in from the west, you can use that knowledge to guide you in the right direction. Hold a western course by keeping the western prevailing wind in your face. Turn away from it to travel to the east, and keep it to your left shoulder to hold a northernly direction. Turn around and let the wind lap at your right cheek to travel south.  

Wind can be a great tool to give you a general sense of direction, especially in a whiteout when you can’t see landscape. But be cautious and don’t rely on the wind direction too heavily. Use it only as a navigation aid and not a decisive guide. 

Wind is shifty. As storms pass, so does the wind’s prevailing direction. Confirm that the wind is actually coming from the prevailing direction by matching it up with clues on the ground. Wind-battered trees will often be leaning away from the prevailing wind or they will be missing branches on the windward side.  

Find North and South with Moss

In a pinch, moss can offer consistent directional clues in the backcountry. Generally speaking, moss cannot survive in direct sunlight without water. Because of its sensitivity to sunlight, moss will typically grow on the shaded northern side of trees and rocks in northern hemisphere and on the shaded southern side of trees and rock in the southern hemisphere.  

Photo by Dave Hoefler 

This is a general observation, though. Moss growth can be affected by the amount of moisture or humidity in the area. The story moss tells provides only a clue as opposed to the sun’s definitive directional patterns.  

Pay Attention To Your Surroundings 

Back before I used a compass, I relied on all these techniques to navigate through the backcountry. I think I was so terrified of getting lost that I became hyper-aware of my surroundings. My mind cataloged every turn in the landscape, the directions rivers flowed, and stand-out rock formations. Paying attention to natural navigation clues remains a key component to how I navigate today. The only difference is I also rely on a paper map and a compass as well as Gaia GPS Premium for a complete picture of where I stand in the backcountry.  

Watch this 8-minute Tutorial to Learn How to Create a Route in Gaia GPS

6 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
A red Jeep with a camping trailer parked on the edge of the woods. The Jeep is set up for camping.
Gaia GPSGaia GPS Offroad PodcastHow-ToOffroadingUser Profiles

TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

How to listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts |Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | iHeart Radio | Castbox

The easiest way to get into overlanding is to simply just go. Don’t wait for the perfect rooftop tent. Forget those bluebird skies. Save the expensive tires for another day. Just get out there and do it now with whatever ride sits in your garage.

“You need a shelter, you need food and water, and you need some safety gear,” says Brad Kowitz, the creator of TrailRecon, a wildly popular YouTube channel dedicated to all things overlanding. “That’s my advice, just get the basics, get out there, and go have a good time.”

How TrailRecon Got Started

Before starting TrailRecon, Brad recalls taking his stock Jeep on the trail and camping with the hiking gear he had in the basement. Over time, he built up his rig to include more creature comforts: a full kitchen setup, a fridge, and a rooftop tent. While these expensive mods can make a trip more enjoyable, not having them shouldn’t prevent you from going out and making memories today, says Brad’s wife Regena.

“Whether you’re going out with the basics or you’re upping your game with glamping, just being outside is scientifically proven to be good for your mental health,” Regena says.

Helping folks get outside and experience the benefits of nature is the whole reason TrailRecon was born. It all started in 2015 with a video that Brad and Regena’s son Jordan made of their trip to the mud caves in California’s Anza Borrego State Park. The video gained an audience and soon the Kowitzes were posting about all their camping trips. The channel went viral. Now, with almost half a million subscribers, TrailRecon covers every aspect of overland adventure, from camp cooking to vehicle mods to detailed trail reports.

“It’s all part of a whole, right?” Regena says. “When you go overlanding or off-roading, you’ve got to have gear and equipment and you’ve got to eat. Ideally, you have friends who go along with you and those friends have their own vehicles, and a lot of people are interested in hearing about those vehicles.”

As retired Navy Corpsmen, Brad and Regena have been using their extra time to take the TrailRecon brand in new directions. They’ve added a classic Cherokee to their quiver of Jeeps. They’ve developed a new line of TrailRecon Adventure Coffee. Brad also started UnlimitedRecon, a new YouTube channel dedicated to documenting adventures beyond overlanding.

How to Join TrailRecon on an Overlanding Trip

Brad and Regena Kowitz

Even though Brad has reached next-level YouTube fame, getting on a trip with TrailRecon is not out of reach. Brad is the face of E3 Overland — a nationwide overland community that helps to educate, empower, and entertain folks on the trail. In addition to web-based learning, E3 focuses on in-person events that get members together all across the country. Brad says joining members on E3 events keeps him grounded and connected to people who love the outdoors.

“I spend a lot of time talking to a camera lens and I don’t spend a lot of time talking to people,” Brad explains. “So being able to have these events where I can talk to folks who are enjoying the videos and find out what their stories are and how I can maybe help them on the way is something that’s important to me.”

Tune in To Episode 13 of the Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast for all the TrailRecon Details

You can hear more about how to join TrailRecon on an overlanding trip in 2022 on episode 13 of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast. Plus, you won’t want to miss Brad’s take on overlanding with a full-size pickup, the benefits of traveling with an offroad trailer, and Regena’s sage advice for making a reluctant spouse fall in love with roughing it in the great outdoors.

Get Our Best Discount on Gaia GPS Premium

If you want to follow in the tread of TrailRecon and plan custom overland trips far away from the crowds, you’re going to need Gaia GPS Premium. With a Premium Membership, you’ll be able to create your own routes, download maps for offline use, and access the entire map catalog, including offroading favorites like MVUM, Mines and Minerals Resources, satellite imagery, USFS Roads and Trails, weather maps, and more.

1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Tim and Marisa Notier kiss infront of their motorcycle on a dirt mountain road.
AdventuresGaia GPSGaia GPS Offroad PodcastOffroading

How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

How to listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts |Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | iHeart Radio | Castbox

Outdoor adventures with your partner can be challenging to say the least. Stressful weather conditions can light up short fuses. A power struggle might rear its ugly head. The familiarity of the relationship pulls back the curtain on our worst behaviors. Don’t give up, because Tim and Marisa Notier are living proof that adventuring as a couple can be done — even when you share a seat on a motorcycle for five years.

The midwestern adventure riding couple has traveled together on the same bike for tens of thousands of miles and still manage to stay happily married. Bickering aside, the Notiers have banded together as teammates to overcome a trip-stopping pandemic, rush-hour traffic in Tijuana, and complicated border crossings in Africa. Five years on the winding road and they’re still going strong.

How do they do it without wringing each other’s neck?

Tim and Marisa ride their motorcycle on a crystal clear lake.

Well don’t let the those sunset Instagram photos fool you. The Notiers are the first to admit that navigating love in the great outdoors isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, their whole marriage started out with a spicy argument at one of the most beautiful places in the world: Artist’s Point in Yellowstone National Park.

“We were in Yellowstone and I wanted to propose to Marisa the very next day,” Tim said on the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast. “And we’re having a fight and we’re talking about if we’d ever marry each other and she says, ‘I don’t know’.”

Tim popped the question anyway and the two have been traveling together ever since.

Marisa walks from a motorcycle parked in the sand to a tent set up nearby.

From Illinois to the tip of Argentina, and up and down Africa, the Notiers have explored the natural world and their relationship’s limits. While many couples work tirelessly on opening up lines of communication, they say actually shutting down communication has been key to smoothing over the rough spots.

Marisa said when either party needs a little space, they “can hang up on each other” in their helmet intercom system that keeps their communications open while rolling down the road. Taking some time and letting the heated moment pass has worked wonders for them over the years.

“In the very beginning we used to be like, ‘Hey, don’t hang up on me!’,” Marisa added. “But now we’ve realized that’s not usually very productive and if one person is angry to the point where they hang up on the other person, we just let that go, give it a while, and time will help resolve everything.”

Tim and Marisa smile with their helmets on while riding their motorcycle.

Tune in to hear the complete story of how these high school sweethearts rekindled their relationship after an extended hiatus. In this hilarious and honest discussion, the Notiers pull back the curtain on how they got into adventure riding in the first place, why they chose to ride tandem around the world, and how they managed to quit their jobs to adventure all over the globe.

Learn more about the Notiers on their website. Read about their adventures in Tim’s books that chronicle the couple’s adventure riding journey. Follow them on Instagram to see what they are up to next.

3 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Satellite with Labels in 3D.
FeaturedGaia GPSHow-To

Discover the Top 10 Most Popular Maps on Gaia GPS

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

Whether you’re day-hiking to a waterfall, backpacking for hundreds of miles, or offroading across two states, Gaia GPS has loads of maps to help you plan and navigate on your next adventure. With so many maps at your fingertips, how do you choose one that is right for you?

To give you a start, we’ve compiled this list of the 10 most popular maps on Gaia GPS. Read on to learn why our community loves these maps, what each map has to offer, and how to access them on gaiagps.com and in the app.

1. Gaia Topo: Easy to Download, Worldwide Topo Map

Screenshot of Gaia Topo on desktop.

Beautifully styled and optimized for efficient downloads, Gaia GPS’s flagship map is the most visited and downloaded map in our extensive map catalog. Gaia Topo is the original worldwide topographic map, sourced from OpenStreetMap data and other trusted map creators like the US Forest Service. Get detailed info on public trails, roads, landmarks, recreation, and city amenities straight from the map. Updated constantly, a new version of Gaia Topo was released earlier this year to add 150,000+ miles of USFS roads and trails, plus point-to-point mileage markers. New relief shading makes features pop.

The map’s bedrock feature — downloading efficiency — is what makes this map so popular with the Gaia GPS community. Designed and curated in house, Gaia Topo has been optimized for quick and tiny downloads. You can download huge swaths of the map to your phone, including an entire national park or a designated wilderness area. Download your entire state’s topo map within a matter of minutes, and without taking up too much of your phone’s memory.

Gaia Topo is available to everyone. However, If you want to use the map offline in places without cell service, you’ll need a Premium Membership to download Gaia Topo.

2. Satellite with Labels: Get a Bird’s-eye View of the Landscape with Labeled Features

If you ever get lost looking at a satellite map, and you’re not sure if you’re looking at the right peak or trail, the Satellite with Labels map will solve the problem. This map gives you high-resolution global satellite imagery combined with roads and feature labels. Whether offroading across Death Valley or backpacking around Yosemite, Gaia GPS users love the Satellite with Labels map for its clear, aerial view of the terrain and its useful labels, so you’ll never lose your bearings or have to cross-reference landmarks on another map.

You can view the Satellite with Labels map for free on the web at www.gaiagps.com. Get a Premium Membership to access this layer in the app on your mobile device.

3. USGS Topo: The Classic and Trusted Topo Map for the U.S

The USGS Topo map displays all the United States Geological Survey’s quadrangle maps that highly experienced map users know and love. This quilt of digitized 1:24,000 USGS quadrangles covers the entire contiguous United States.

Gaia GPS’s backcountry users revere these large-scale maps and the high level of topographic detail they provide. These official USGS topo maps have been developed and used for over 130 years. For longtime map lovers, the familiarity of a USGS Topo map brings a sense of trust and comfort when scoping out new terrain and planning remote adventures.

You can view USGS Topo online at gaiagps.com. You’ll need a Premium Membership to access the maps in the app on your mobile device and to download for offline use.

4. National Geographic Trails Illustrated: Detailed Topo Maps for America’s Favorite Adventure Destinations

Phone screenshot of Nat Geo Trails Illustrated.

Whether overlanding through a new zone or backpacking in your favorite mountain range, National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps are hands-down one of the most cherished map sources in the Gaia GPS catalog. The Gaia GPS community has come to count on Nat Geo’s attention to detail, including clearly marked trails, campsites locations, water sources, and more. These maps are widely considered one of the most trusted and popular recreation maps available and cover the some of the most beautiful destination in the U.S., like Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Canyon, Desolation Wilderness, and Zion National Park

Gaia GPS includes hundreds of digitized National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps. You can view and download National Geographic maps on the web in the app with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership.

5. Public Land (US): Discover Public Property

The Public Land (US) map is designed to lay on top of any of your favorite basemaps, such as Gaia Topo, USGS Topo, or USFS 2016, to show you public land ownership. People are searching for new places to explore off the grid more than ever. The Public Lands map lets you know where you can go without worrying about trespassing so you can explore offgrid freely.

The Public Land (US) map covers all 50 states. Access the Public Land (US) map with a Premium Membership on both the web and in the app.

6. Private Land (US): Avoid Trespassing

Get a complete picture of land ownership with the Private Land (US) map. The Private Land layer shows private property boundaries for the entire United States. The Private Land map is interactive in iOS, just click on any parcel to get more information about the property owner, parcel size, and address.

Hunters, conservation land managers, and anyone trying to thread their way through a private/public checkerboard on the map appreciates the added knowledge this layer brings. Use it to ensure your campsites or off-trail routes are on legal ground, or to ask permission from land owners to establish new hunting territories on private property. Pair this map with the Public Land (US) map and your favorite base map to get an in-depth look at land ownership within the U.S.

The Private Land (US) map covers all 50 states. Access the Private Lands map with a Premium Membership on both the web and in the app.

7. Satellite: Get a High-Resolution Look at the Ground

When you want a good look at the ground from above, check out the Satellite map. This high-resolution global satellite imagery gives you a crisp, clear picture of the terrain at high zoom levels. The Gaia GPS community uses this high resolution satellite layer to scout out campsites, water sources, and alpine ascents from anywhere in the world. This map does not include labels or contour lines, making it different from the Satellite with Labels and Satellite Topo maps.

If you’re craving an even more realistic view of your route, try viewing the Satellite map in 3D. Available on the web only, 3D mode allows you to visualize every mile of your route in a realistic way, especially with Satellite maps. Scope out new terrain, plan perfect routes, or dream the day away discovering all the world’s natural wonders in 3D mode on any map in Gaia GPS.

The Satellite map is available with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership at gaiagps.com and in the app.

8. MVUM: Offroad Trail Data from the USFS

The Motor Vehicle Use Maps uses data from the US Forest Service to highlight off-pavement routes. This map remains a favorite with the 4×4, offroad, and overland communities thanks to valuable details on the road surface and use-cases. MVUM can also help hikers, bikers, and climbers plan routes, find access to public land, and discover new places to explore.

The MVUM map lays on top of your favorite base map to show roads off the beaten path. The map is styled to indicate seasonality and accessibility. In iOS the layer is interactive: tap a road for details on vehicle type restrictions and access dates.

Get the MVUM map with a Premium Membership.

9. USFS 2016: The Most Up-to-Date Forest Service Map

USFS 2016 is a favorite map for anyone headed out to a national forest. A favorite with the Gaia GPS offroad community, this map provides full, detailed topographic coverage of all 172 national forests and grasslands in the U.S. The most up-to-date map available from the US Forest Service, the USFS 2016 map includes labeled trails, roads, and vegetation shading to help you plan hiking, backpacking, camping, off-roading, hunting, or fishing trips.

Access the USFS 2016 map with a Premium Membership.

10. Satellite Topo – All the Best Features of a Topo Map and Satellite Map Combined

If you can’t decide between a satellite map and a topographical map, then the Satellite Topo map is for you. This versatile base map shows trails, roads, contour lines, and other features from Gaia Topo and puts them on top of high-resolution satellite imagery. This seamless marriage of satellite imagery and clear contour lines gives backcountry skiers an accurate picture of avalanche slide paths, and lets backpackers and overlanders view tree cover and slope steepness for easier campsite scouting. Contour lines and peak elevations are measured in feet.

Satellite Topo is available with a Premium Membership.

Honorable Mentions: the Maps that Almost Made the Top 10 List

USFS Roads and Trails: Find the Best Trails to Offroad, Bike, Hike, or Horseback Ride

USFS Roads and Trails is an overlay of maintained routes, 4×4 trails, backroads, and little-known paths across U.S. national forests and grasslands. This map contains many routes which are unavailable in any other map in Gaia GPS, including water routes, winter-only routes, and canoe trails. All roads are labeled to indicate their level of maintenance and accessibility by passenger vehicles.

USFS Roads and Trails is available with a Premium Membership

Slope Angle Shading: Identify Potential Avalanche Terrain

The Slope Angle Shading map provides colorful slope shading designed with backcountry skiers in mind. Use this map in conjunction with contour lines or the Shaded Relief overlay to help you get a more precise idea of slope steepness and to identify subtle changes in terrain.

Slope Angle Shading is available with a Premium Membership.

Gaia Winter: World’s Best Topo Map in Winter Mode

Gaia Winter map showing Aspen.

Ride the lifts, tour the backcountry, and explore nordic, fat bike, and snowshoe trails with confidence thanks to the Gaia Winter topographic map. Our in-house cartographers designed this new base map specifically for your favorite winter activities. A stronger emphasis on terrain, tree cover, and contours make it easy to navigate in an endless world of white.

Gaia Winter is available with a Premium Membership.

How to Change Map Sources on Gaia GPS

Switching out maps on Gaia GPS is a snap. You can change maps with a click of a button on the web and in the iOS and Android apps. Simply tap the layers icon on your screen. This will unfurl the layers menu. Select the “Add Maps” button. Browse the maps menu and select any maps you want to add. With a Premium Membership, you can add multiple maps at once and layer them to customize the information on your screen.

13 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
two skiers on top of a snow ridge with mountains in the background
AdventuresBackcountry SkiingGaia GPSHow-ToOut and Back Podcast

How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

by Mary Cochenour
written by Mary Cochenour

How to listen: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox

Avalanches killed 37 people in the U.S. last winter, making it the most deadly season in modern history. Why was 2020-2021 so dangerous and how can we avoid avalanches this winter? Get the answers to these burning questions in our new winter safety series, dropping on the Out and Back podcast today.

In this four-part series, avalanche forecasters expose the factors that played into last season’s tragic fatalities. Tune in to hear the details of one of the most chilling avalanche accidents in Utah’s history. Learn how seasoned ski mountaineers make the tough decision to turn around just shy of the summit. And get a crash course on how to read an avalanche forecast so you can be plan safer routes on your next tour.

Listen to all four binge-worthy episodes at once, or pick them up in a random order. However you listen — don’t delay. Each episode gives you real, actionable insights that you can put to use in your next winter adventure.

Get 40% Off Gaia GPS Premium

Episode 43: How Last Winter Became the Deadliest Avalanche Season of All Time

Last winter was nothing short of a perfect storm. A dangerously weak snowpack plagued the entire nation. At the same time, people were hungrier than ever for fresh air and fun. This deadly combination clouded people’s judgment and put them at greater risk, says Ethan Greene, Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

“Part of what we saw last year, I think, was that we were all living in a difficult environment,” Greene says. “And that made it hard going to the grocery store. It made it hard going to school. It made work hard. And when we had time away from those stresses and got to go into the mountains, it made making decisions in avalanche terrain difficult.”

Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center Ethan Greene, PhD.

The unusual circumstances also brought with it surprising demographics. Greene distills the statistics to tell us what age group, gender, and experience level was most at-risk for getting caught in an avalanche last year. Plus, Greene takes a look at they way conditions are stacking up for this season. Don’t get your hopes up. This season could be shaping up to be just as dangerous as the last.

Episode 44: Lessons from Utah’s Wilson Glade Avalanche

Last February, two separate backcountry ski parties headed out for what they thought was lower-angle, safer terrain in the Wilson Glade area of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. The avalanche risk was high that day, but the two parties were prepared. They studied the avalanche forecast, made conservative travel plans, and carried all the right safety gear into the mountains. But, precautions aside, the skiers were swept away in a colossal avalanche. Four of eight people died.

What went wrong?

Avalanche Forecaster Nikki Champion of the Utah Avalanche Center, investigated the accident. She gives her best insights on the lessons that can be gleaned from this tragic incident.

Avalanche Forecaster Nikki Champion of the Utah Avalanche Center

“I think this accident really hit home with a lot of backcountry users,” Champion says. “Because it was a lot of decisions that most of us could see ourselves making: being in lower-angle terrain, traveling one at a time, skiing the slope multiple times, and not seeing any obvious red flags in that area.”

Champion walks us through what we can learn from this tragic accident. Learn about how to spot and avoid connected terrain. She enlightens us on the dangers of uphill travel. Plus, hear how one survivor’s quick thinking and rescue skills saved the lives of others.

Slope angles in the area of the Wilson Glade avalanche range from 40 degrees to 23 degrees.

Episode 45: Avoiding Summit Fever with Ski Mountaineers Luke Smithwick and Iain Kuo

In the fall of 2021, ski mountaineers Luke Smithwick and Iain Kuo attempted an unsupported, first ski descent of the world’s seventh tallest peak — Mount Dhualagiri in Nepal. They spent weeks advancing to the mountain’s 26,705-foot summit, but high winds and increasing avalanche danger held them back from the top. After months of planning and training, Smithwick and Kuo were forced to retreat, leaving the ski record on the table for another day.

The decision to turn around didn’t come easy for Smithwick and Kuo. But sticking with an objective mindset helped them stave off summit fever. Their number one tip for making good decisions in the mountains? Erase any assumption of how things will play out.

“I have zero expectations going into the mountains,” Smithwick says. “I’m like, wow, the car started, we’re leaving town. Great. Let’s celebrate that. Okay guys, everyone celebrate.”

Ski mountaineer Luke Smithwick on the shoulder of Mt. Dhualagiri — the world’s 7th highest peak. Photo by: Iain Kuo

Smithwick and Kuo review their decision to turn around just shy of Dhualagiri’s unusually harsh and exposed summit. They check their decision-making process and their egos against the popular FACETS acronym that is widely taught in Avalanche 1 courses. Tune in to this conversation to learn where Smithwick and Kuo nailed the human factors, along with a few vulnerabilities that they have to constantly work to keep in check.

Episode 46: How to Read the Avalanche Forecast

Checking the avalanche forecast should be at the top of your safety checklist. It predicts the avalanche danger for your favorite zones and give you a heads up on worrisome problems within the snowpack. But how much stock can you really put into the daily avy forecast report?

US Forest Service Avalanche Expert Simon Trautman says avalanche forecasts should be your building block for planning a safe day in the backcountry. However, once your feet are on the snow, the forecast always takes a back seat to your observations in the field.

US Forest Service Avalanche Specialist Simon Trautman of avalanche.org

“The whole point behind the avalanche forecast is that they’re a starting point for your daily planning,” Trautman says. “But people need to understand that what they’re doing is providing an expert’s idea of a pattern that exists across the landscape.

“They’re great resources but it’s kind of like a weather forecast. If you get out there and it said no rain and it starts raining on you, you need to reassess and you need to figure out what that means for your plan that day. Do you just continue to have your picnic or do you change plans?”

Tune in as Trautman dissects the avalanche forecast into manageable sections. He teaches us the first things to look at and how to get the most out of the avalanche forecast when planning your next tour.

Episode 20: Avalanche Safety Tips with Bruce Tremper

If you need more ammo in your avalanche safety arsenal, go back and listen to Out and Back’s episode 20 with renown avalanche expert Bruce Tremper. Author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and Avalanche Essentials, Tremper draws on his 30-plus year career in snow science to give us his masterful tips for avoiding avalanches. His advice is pretty simple: stick to low-angle terrain.

“Whenever there is uncertainty in the snowpack, the terrain is always the answer,” Tremper says. “You can cut your risk in half from going from 39 degrees down to 34 degrees. And you can cut your risk in half once again by going from 34 degrees down to 30 degrees. The handiest tool that you can use in all the world of avalanches is slope steepness.”

Learn Tremper’s low risk safety ritual and get some advice on what to do if the unthinkable happens and you get caught in an avalanche.

Avalanche expert Bruce Tremper, author of the book “Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain” digs a snow pit in Utah’s remote backcountry.

Episode 21: Buried Alive — Bruce Tremper Tells His Story

It’s almost impossible to grasp the power and force of avalanches, unless of course you’ve actually been caught in one. Avalanche expert Bruce Tremper brings us a little closer to that experience with his story about how he triggered — and was buried in — an avalanche in Montana. He describes the feeling of having the “rug pulled out” from under his skis, being swept down the steep mountain, and what it felt like when the avalanche finally roared to a stop. Go back to episode 21 of the Out and Back podcast to get the blow-by-blow from Tremper on how he survived the avalanche that should have killed him.

Tap into these Avalanche Safety Resources

Visit avalanche.org for safety resources and avalanche forecasts in your area.
Sign up for avalanche awareness and rescue courses with American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.
Watch the Know Before You Go video to get pumped about avalanche safety.

Consider donating to your local avalanche center so they can keep those avalanche forecasts coming your way!

1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Load More Posts