In the Mountaineers, digital trip planning is kind of my niche. It’s what makes me the Alpine Geek.
This year I was honored to speak at the Mountaineers Leadership Conference about digital planning at the Mountaineers Program Center in Seattle, WA. After a last minute cancellation, my presentation went from a anticipated audience doubles to a packed room of about 80 leaders. The presentation served as an overview of using GaiaGPS.com for on-trail trip planning, CalTopo.com for off-trail trip planning, and Windy.com for planning for the weather.
However, a live presentation isn’t the best teaching venue for these tools. I learned this the hard way when I delivered the first iteration of my Digital Navigation and Trip Planning course. Instead, I demoed what is possible using these tools and recorded these longer tutorials to serve as supplemental how-to material. I encourage anyone who wants to delve deeper to sign-up for the full course, which runs 8 hours total (1 hour a week over 8 weeks) and covers these and another half dozen other tools.
For other trip planning and outdoor related videos, check our our YouTube channel. Have a question? Don’t hesitate to contact me!
I use GaiaGPS for my in-field navigation, but the website is also a fantastic planning tool for on-trail trips like hikes, backpacks, and trail runs. In this half-hour tutorial, I walk through planning a multi-day backpacking trip along the PCT Section J in Washington.
I use CalTopo for its superior printed maps and planning my off-trail adventures. In this half-hour tutorial, I walk through planning an off-trail scramble up to a Washington peak called The Ark.
I use Windy.com to help anticipate where the best place recreate will be and what conditions I can expect. This is particularly important since, as a trip leader, I typically need to post my trips at least a week in advance to have sufficient sign-ups. In this half-hour tutorial, I walk through using Windy.com to decide (1) where to go and understand (2) what to expect and plan for when it comes to Mother Nature.
