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comment by WanderingEng
WanderingEng  ·  3137 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: August 26, 2015

I survived my weekend hike in the Adirondacks. According to my GPS I covered 16 miles and 4000 foot total ascent, though the guide books say it's 13 miles. I haven't figured out the discrepancy yet. This was my first time with an overnight bag in the mountains. I'll do it again but will leave the pack at a lower spot. Going up was tough. Going down with that weight was brutal.

I'll do a #tripreport later.





jleopold  ·  3137 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Trust your GPS. Guidebooks and signs probably like to lie to us. I was in Yosemite this summer, and went for a hike by the Hetch Hetchy dam. The guide book said I think a round trip of 3 miles, trailhead sign said 3.5 miles, and then the signs along the trail turned it into 4 miles. Didn't have a GPS, but that surely would have said something different. It has literal eyes in the sky though, so I'd go with that. Plus, it's more impressive.

Cedar  ·  3136 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I wonder if WanderingEng's GPS could have been tracking erroneous locations as it went in and out of satellite coverage (is that the right term here?), it's common on Smartphones where it will default location to a network tower though I assume this is an actual GPS unit that we're talking about here so maybe not.

Eng: You planning on doing anything with your data points?

WanderingEng  ·  3136 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yep, it's an actual GPS. It's a Garmin Oregon 650 designed for outdoors stuff.

I did pull the GPS tracks into Google Earth last night, and there Google calculated something like 13.5 miles compared to the Garmin calculation on the GPS unit itself of 16.0. My best guess is Garmin measured every distance between every point while Google smoothed them a bit. Two and a half miles of small, extra segments seems huge, but it's the only theory I have.

Cedar  ·  3136 days ago  ·  link  ·  

My own experience with GPS units has been limited to older models with no computer connection -- or maybe there was over serial... certainly my Grandad has never had a computer to try it!

That sounds like a really odd discrepancy, perhaps try importing the route into different software and see how it varies, does Garmin offer a desktop or web app that you could trail? My concern is that is actually pretty dangerous if it is reporting differently in the field, though I suppose the actual co-ordinates should be accurate... but then how would you know?

BrainBurner  ·  3137 days ago  ·  link  ·  

What hike did you do? I've hiked fairly extensively in the Adirondacks over the last ten years. I'm actually headed up there this weekend!

WanderingEng  ·  3137 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Oh cool! I hiked from the loj up Algonquin and over to Iroquois. That all went pretty well. Then I dropped down to Lake Colden, and that was insanely slow going with the pack. I need to download the GPS track, but I think it took me three hours to get to the bottom of the trail. I camped at a designated site near Avalanche Lake and hiked around (over, in parts) it the next day. That took me past Marcy Dam, of course, on my way back to the loj. I'd done Algonquin before, but Iroquois was my ninth High Peak.

Where are you headed?

BrainBurner  ·  3136 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Ah yes I'm very familiar with the loj, Heart Lake is a gorgeous sight. I actually stayed at the John Brooks Lodge last time I was up. Have you heard of it? The bedding and grub was surprisingly nice for being three and a half miles in the woods. They even have complimentary ear plugs in case your bunk mates are snorers. The staff is very nice, definite pot heads though. I think I would be too, if I was stuck out in the wilderness for weeks on end. We did Saddleback and Basin, I think it was 15 or 16 miles from jbl to the peaks and then back to the parking lot. Great views but very treacherous descents on Saddleback. My brother actually broke his ankle on the way down and had to hike out on it. Not our best trip!

I've done Wright and Algonquin before, but I don't think I've done Iroquois? I usually go with my family and assorted friends a few times a year, and I've missed hikes here and there. It's hard to keep track at this point. I'm not sure what peak we're doing this time. Something on the easier side I believe. Maybe Cascade or Noonmark? We usually like to stay in Placid and enjoy the restaurants and shopping. We're not what you would call "hardcore" hikers!