Winter hiking offers the ability to test out new skills, push your physical limits, and experience a landscape transformed by either snow or an open tree canopy. Plus, in many places, you will have the trails all to yourself, making winter one of the best times to seek solitude in nature. However, the same things… Read More »
Strong navigation skills are crucial to any successful backcountry outing. A watertight navigation strategy is at the core of backcountry safety—if you know where you are, you can find your way out of a number of unexpected situations. Plus, the very act of route-planning forces you to study the terrain, making you more likely to… Read More »
Find the areas with the most snow coverage or avoid snow altogether with new Snow Depth map overlays. Backcountry skiers and riders can scout for snow-covered lines through couloirs, ridge-lines and other areas tucked away in the backcountry while hikers can more easily decide on appropriate routes and footwear. Inspired by a thru-hiker looking to… Read More »
Search and save coordinates as waypoints on gaiagps.com. If you need to paste in coordinates from another website or type in coordinates from one of your paper maps, gaiagps.com now has you covered. This feature is useful for all sorts of Gaia GPS users, from casual hikers to search & rescue personnel. Now, if you… Read More »
Winter hiking might just be the fourth season’s best kept secret. Don’t let a chilly forecast keep you indoors. Learn the facts, and use them to master your gear, fueling, and layering systems. Do that, and you can have just as much fun winter hiking as you would in summer. Honest. Capitalize on the fourth… Read More »
Next time you need to get away from it all, really get away with Gaia GPS’s new Roadless Areas overlay. Or, go even deeper with the Roadless and Trailless Areas overlay. Maybe you’re looking for a high mountain stream that hasn’t been fished out, a piece of the whitetail season opener you can call your own,… Read More »
Get these maps and hundreds more on your phone with a Gaia GPS Membership. Click here to get 10-40% off. Start navigating trails near you this summer with the 9 most popular hiking maps in Gaia GPS. Every map contains unique characteristics that offer different tools for navigation. Some show distance grids or points of… Read More »
You’ve seen the photos of green lights dancing around the night sky and want to view the northern lights yourself. The forecast predicts clear skies and high visibility. You need to get out of the city’s light pollution but need to plan where to go. Photo by Matt Lamers What causes auroras? Space.com explains the… Read More »
Early summer is here. The days are long, warm, and gorgeous. But for those of us looking forward to backpacking season in the Pacific Northwest, summer won’t truly arrive for another two months. Snow still abounds in the Cascades and Olympics, covering some of the best backpacking routes in the state: Seven Lakes Basin in… Read More »
When it comes to layering for winter hiking, seemingly tiny decisions can make or break a trip. Sure, snowy landscapes and crisp mornings sound great in theory, but in cold weather, the stakes are higher, and wearing the wrong clothes can leave you either too cold or too damp from sweat—both of which can lead… Read More »
