Structure:

How they are sorted:
Hikes are sorted by location.  Priority is given to Shenandoah NP, Massanutten Mtns. and the Great North Mtn.  For instance, if a hike is in the Shenandoah NP, it will only be displayed there, and not in the Virginia section.  If one hike belongs to several sections, it will be placed in the section, where it covers most distance.  Classic example of this is Harper's Ferry, where the hike goes through 3 states, will be shown in the MD section if that's where the section of the trace is the longest.  Within each section the hikes are sorted in chronological order, starting from the oldest and heading to the newest.  The exception is when 2 hikes are almost or exactly identical - then I put them under one hike title.  The reason why I include both of them, is that no two hikes are 100% identical and different hikes include different waypoints (read different interesting places).  

What is included in the hike description:
There are up to 15 hikes in 1 page.  Each hike includes name, elevation profile (which gives the distance, total elevation gain and loss, and shape of the hike), club, date, parking, trails, trace files (for Topo! Mid Atlantic, Topo! Pennsylvania, etc. (*.tpo)).  Use at least free update 3.3 for the Topo! which combines *.tpo and *.tpg files under *.tpo.  It can be downloaded at the web site: www.topo.com.  Then click on the "Upgrades" link.  I would suggest upgrading Topo! to the "Topo! Streets and 3D View" for $20.  While the 3D part is mediocre at best, the overlay of the maps on all layers with the streets current as of year 2003 is very handy.  This update also supports USB interface which most modern GPS units use.  Have to warn you though, some overlays are incorrect.  Classical examples are the bridge over Rt. 340 when entering the Harpers Ferry which is off by some distance and the Appalachian Trail, which is way off most of the time.   The hike description also includes the GPS TrackMaker freeware trace and waypoint file (*.gtm) for some of the hikes.  Also, some hike include an MS Word document (*.doc), containing the description of a hike in general and waypoints in particular.  For some hikes a link to the picture page is available.  This will show the pictures taken on this hike. 

I realize that some people do not have Topo! Mid Atlantic, Topo! Pennsylvania, Topo! North Carolina, ...  and do not want to spend $100 for each of these products.  For these people I put a *.gif file with the USGS 7.5 minute map overlayed with the GPS trace of the hike.  Printing this map will allow the person to go on this hike with or without a GPS.  While this is not the best solution, because *.gif files cannot be manipulated the way *.tpo files can, it certainly is the least expensive - no need to purchase either a GPS or the Topo! software.  All you need is a printer - *.gif files can be read on any computer: PC, Mac, Unix, old and new.

Hike naming convention:
Files are named either after the hike's main feature (like Duncan Knob or Big Schloss), or after the two-three trails on this hike which are the farthest apart from each other.  The names than include the word GPS, (hikes which were drawn by hand don't have it), then goes the date of the hike and if somebody else made this file, his name.  Hike names are just the names of the main features and/or trails the farthest apart from each other.

Dimitri Tundra.

Last Update: 10/11/05