Maps

One of the most important things when going on a hike is having a general understanding of where you’re going and what to expect. It’s critical that you know what kind of terrain and elevation you are about to encounter, and even more importantly where the nearest water points are and where you’re going to bed down.

Therefore, the first reconnaissance you should do, is map recon. Not only that, but you should also have a map on you when you’re out on the trail and you should always try to know approximately where you are.

One of the most reliable maps I have used repeatedly are the National Geographic Maps. First, because they can be found in nearly any outdoor store and secondly because they are incredibly reliable. People will of course have different opinions, and for many these maps are not detailed or technical enough. However, these maps are good enough for any beginner who has limited to no experience, to pick it up and navigate with. Of course these maps are not meant for orienteering and furthermore, the maps have different levels of detail even though they’re of the same brand. Therefore, months, weeks, or at least days before your hike you should look at the map and identify key features, if nothing else understand water and terrain.

Terrain Features:

When you look at a map know how to identify the main terrain features. There are 5 Major Terrain Features, 3 Minor, and 2 supplementary terrain features.

Major

1. Hill Top – Perhaps one of the easiest to identify on a map, and they typically translate well to what you’re looking at in-person. If you’re making the climb and hiking to the hilltop you’ll probably also hate it. The Hill top is, as the name suggests the peak of the hill or mountain, it is the highest point on one mountain. When choosing a camping spot, the hilltop presents some of the nicest views, however, in the winter time typically also some of the harshest winds if it’s bare.
2. Ridge – The Ridgeline is a long string of hilltops, essentially its where you are walking along when you’re walking along the top of the mountain.
3. Valley – A Valley is a large dip, sometimes water can be found in a valley, but not always. A valley is nothing more than a depression however, it is longer than it is wide. When looking at it from the ground or on a map, it typically forms a U or a V.
4. Saddle – The Saddle is the area between two mountain tops on a ridge. It looks like two humps of a camel. If you’re in particularly steep elevation, understand that anytime you see a saddle on the map you know that there will be a lot of strenuous effort involved. If you are by a valley or canyon, it may also lead you closer to the bottom of those, and potentially closer to a water source.
5. Depression – A depression is a large dip in the ground, also circular on a map but is indicated by a sudden decrease in elevation. These can be shallow, or extremely deep. It is relative unlikely that you will find water in it unless it’s a pond or a lake in which case it is drawn differently on a map, typically blue; and more importantly they are often filled with thick brush. Typically it is easier to walk around them, than through them.

   

   Source: Leroy R. Grumman Cadet Squadron (This is a GIF be patient)

Minor

1. Cliff – If you’ve ever watched the road runner, you know what a cliff is. These are very important to identify on a map. For instance, if you are going a long trail that follows a ridgeline, and the trail is close to a cliff, and at the bottom of the cliff there is water, you may think, that you are close to a source of water and you can easily fetch water. However, a cliff implies a 90 degree elevation, and it will be nearly impossible for you to get to that water.
2. Spur is where the mountains protrude
3. Draw is the space between spurs. You never want to bust a draw unless you absolutely must. You’ll be walking on a slope through dense brush, it’s very uncomfortable. s

Supplementary

1. Cuts are man made features and most likely mean road, railroad, and civilization.
2. Fills are essentially the same thing, just that a low ground was levelled out. It indicated the same as a cut.

If you can identify these items on a map, when you’re walking a long a trail you’ll be able to identify where approximately you are on a map. If you ever get into a tough situation you’ll be able to find water, hopefully civilization or if nothing else, when calling 9-1-1 or the park Ranger you’ll be able to see where you are. If nothing else, it’s a fun thing to know.

USING YOUR SMARTPHONE

That being said, today we also have technology and most of us carry a smart phone. In the mountains you may not always have 4G LTE and therefore your GPS may not be quite accurate using your smartphone. However, there are some pretty cool apps out there. One of the most helpful apps I have used is Avenza Maps. (https://www.avenzamaps.com/) To find a guide on how Avenza maps works Click Here.

Avenza Maps is a great tool, similar to Google Maps. The difference is you are using digital copies of what could essentially be paper maps. The National Geographic maps can be used in the Avenza App. The best part is, when you are on trail etc. it follows along, and can therefore show you stuff in your surroundings that you may not be able to see, for whatever reason. That being said, you should always have a paper map. Batteries Die, GPS can be iffy, and more importantly you may want to save your phone battery for emergency calls etc, and it can also take away from your adventure to pull out your phone all the time.

USING A GPS

Chances are, if you are a beginner you don’t own a GPS, they are typically expensive and for the most part unnecessary. I personally have not used a GPS to get around however, there are plenty of great websites out there, that have great reviews on GPS’ and there many functions. They can come in extremely handy and are oftentimes more reliable than your phone and a lot more rugged and sturdy. When, I do use one I’ll be sure to review it in the gear section.