Huge BMT Elevation Profile

[Tipi Walter]

TW, you can click on the graph and pull it right or left to see the whole trail. I don't know if you saw that.

Yeah, I noticed that. I just mistook the mileage increments as being more detailed. I'd like to see the thing increased in detail about four times with a mile span covering about 4 times the graph space. This would really show the individual dips and rises so common on this trail.

[Mr. Parkay]

Excellent. It would be nice if you could do them with each Jonathan Ley map. Do you have those?

http://www.phlumf.com/travels/cdt/cdtmaps.shtml

PS If you'd like I can send you a CD with all the maps.

Well, I created some interesting CDT profiles... but they are too big to use with the scribd web site. Anyway, I'll put them online when I find a way host the pdf files.

[SGT Rock]

Outstanding work.

[Mr. Parkay]

hello,

I have updated the BMT profiles to include a bunch more labels... plus I've created a set of printer friendly profiles. Here's a link to those:


1 of 5: click here
2 of 5: click here
3 of 5: click here
4 of 5: click here
5 of 5: click here

This is pretty close to the final version... but there's still a couple of things that I might change. Let me know if you can think of any labels that need to be added.

--Mr. Parkay

[Gray Blazer]

Cool beans!!

[Tipi Walter]

Very nifty and fun to study. One trivial note: In between Chestnut Knob and Rockstack is Glenn Gap and between Rockstack and Big Fodderstack is Harrison Gap. I like the huge drop from the Fodderstack down to the Slickrock. I've backpacked this several times going from Slickrock to Crowders and it's a haul.

[EMAN]

This is just too cool.

[vibedog]

i was on the big crrek to mt sterling trail on friday, wow, what an elevation gain. the view was worth the pain.

[Mr. Parkay]

Very nifty and fun to study. One trivial note: In between Chestnut Knob and Rockstack is Glenn Gap and between Rockstack and Big Fodderstack is Harrison Gap. I like the huge drop from the Fodderstack down to the Slickrock. I've backpacked this several times going from Slickrock to Crowders and it's a haul.

Yeah... I remember the climb up rockstack when I was on the trail... I thought big fodderstack was the only climb... so when I got up rockstack I was thinking "where the heck did this mountain come from?" Anyhow I'll add labels for the things above later on tonight or tomorrow.

[Tipi Walter]

I'm gearing up for a trip onto section 3 of your profile map, the area between mileage 140-150 from the Bridge over Tellico River south to Sled Runner Gap. Your profile makes it look like a roller coaster but that's okay, I've done this route before.

[ki0eh]

If you don't mind my asking, how DO you make profiles like that?

[Mr. Parkay]

If you don't mind my asking, how DO you make profiles like that?

Hey Ki0eh,

the process for creating the profiles is pretty complicated, since it requires the use of several different applications, plus a fair amount of python code. So it would be tough for someone to repeat the process unless they are willing to learn some python programming. However, once the "system" setup the profiles are easy to make, since it's all computer generated.

Here's an outline of the process... however the gritty details are probably beyond the scope of this forum. (note: all of the programs used are freeware or shareware)

1. get a gps track for a trail (almost any format will do)
2. use "gpsbabel" to convert the gps track to .gpx format
3. use "Wissenbach Map" to add elevation data to the .gpx track
4. use "gpsbabel" to convert the gps track to compte gps format (.trk)
5. use python code from "pytrackprofiler-1.0" to calculate the distance between each point in the .trk file. These will be the coordinates for the x-axis.
6. use python code in conjuction with "MatPlotLib" to create the actual profiles, using data from "pytrackprofiler-1.0" for the x-axis, and elevation data from the .trk file for the y-axis.
7. Modify the python code to add labels to the profiles, and to save the files in pdf format.

I just figured out the process last week, so I haven't created very many profiles yet, but over time, my plan it to create printable profiles, like the ones above, for the AT, PCT and CDT (plus the Pinhoti and Bartram Trail). The only problem is the labels, since it take about 20 times longer to add the labels than it does to generate the profiles.

Should be interesting!

note: if anyone wants to give it a try... just send me an email and I can give a more detailed set of instructions.

[EMAN]

Vibedog-
What was the water supppy like up that way? Still gotta go back downhill to the source? There was a pipe sticking out of the ground that was running pretty good last time I was up that way. Even though there were notices that here was no water at CS38/Sterling

[vibedog]

i was carrying water in that day. we are gearing up for an AT hike thru the GSMNP next month. that hike was one of several shakedown hikes planned. i did not walk down to the water source near the top of the mountain. coming up the Baxter Creek Trail, their was plenty of creek water til about the half way mark. after that i saw no water until the sign saying water source near the top of the mountain, i hope this helps.