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Navigating a Topo Map Do topographical maps seem confusing?

Do you view most maps as a mass of squiggles, color splotches and undecipherable gibberish, with terms like: datum, UTM, WGS84. A map and compass are vital land navigation tools, but you must first know how to read the map! Reviewing a topographic map is usually the starting point for the planning of any back country trip. A topographic map is your road map to the outdoors. It provides you detailed information at a scale that is meaningful and detailed. For years, the US Geologic Survey (USGS) has been the principal publisher of accurate maps. Within the last decade we have seen many innovations in mapping products that include new mapping companies and publishers, software, maps for the GPS, and Apps for the iPhone. Still, the USGS map remains the standard for back country navigation (visit the USGSs site at www.topomaps.usgs.gov.) Id also recommend looking at June Flemings Staying Found: The Complete Map and Compass Handbook or Bjorn Kjellstroms Be Expert with Map and Compass. Once you develop a map foundation you will easily shift to many of the other products on the market today.

Many publications, videos, and web sites will give you a complete rundown on the features, symbols and components to a map. This article will discuss a few of the key features that you should be aware of on a 7.5 minute map. Scale Consider scale as your view of the map; it is like your overhead zoom setting. To cut to the chase, a 7.5 minute map or quadrangle has a scale that is referred to as 1:24,000; where one inch is equal to 2000 feet. It is your best source of information of the back country. At this scale, the map has much more validity and provides more usable information for backcountry planning. You can view important landmarks, streams and geographic features. To complete the navigation picture I always refer a second map, such as a map of the national forest (e.g., the Deschutes National Forest.) Commonly, such a map will be zoomed way out and have a scale of 1:100,000 or 1:250,000. Imagine that such a map would be made up of many 7.5 minute quadrangles. North Features on a map such as trails, roads, mountain peaks and streams are all

laid out in relation to true North; the North Pole. The north-south borders of the map and the small declination diagram are your best references for true North. Other grid lines (such as the red Township, Section and Range lines) may not be aligned to true north at all. Be careful of these lines should you need to triangulate your position on a map. Declination This is the angular difference between true North and Magnetic North. The red needle on your magnetic compass points to Magnetic North. The accuracy of the information found in the Declination Diagram is dependent on the age of the map. To get the latest declination for any area visit www.magneticdeclination.com. Personally, I use a magnetic compass that can be adjusted for declination; it just makes navigation easier. When adjusted, my compass provides bearing information in degrees true north as does my map and my adjusted GPS. Coordinates Latitude and Longitude (Lat/Long) are the familiar coordinate system to most people. Coordinate data is found at the top and bottom corners of each map. Lat/Long coordinate increments are also found every 2 (minutes) and 30 (seconds) on the sides of the Map. A scaling device is necessary to pull complete coordinates off a map: (This is a pain!) In the 1940s a coordinate system know as Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) was developed. To keep a very long story short, your 7.5 minute map has a new grid laid over it, and the grid dimensions are 1000 meters by 1000 meters. For more complete information on UTM grid visit the USGSs web site UTM or Lathems GPS Made Easy (GPS Made Easy: Using Global Positioning Systems in the Outdoors). Simplicity is the essence of UTM. Scouts, hunters and hikers have joined Search and Rescue (SAR) teams around the country in using this system. Your GPS receiver can easily be switched to UTM from the set-up menu. Bar Scales Notice the bar scales at the bottom of the 7.5 minute map. The scales provide measuring data in miles, feet and meters. On the far left side of the meter scale, the scale is broken down into units of 100 meters, this applies directly to UTM. Notice on the scale bar (feet) that 1 inch equals 2000 feet. This topographic map scale of 1:24,000 is your best source of information of the back country. At this scale, the map has much more validity and provides more usable information for you

backcountry planning. Map Datum Information about map datum is found in the lower left corner of a 7.5 minute map. The simplest definition of datum from Garmin GPS: A math model which depicts a part of the surface of the earth. Latitude and longitude lines on a paper map are referenced to a specific map datum. The map datum selected on a GPS receiver needs to match the datum listed on the corresponding paper map in order for position readings to match. The bottom line: Most 7.5 minute maps are made to the North American datum of 1927 (NAD27 or NAD27 CONUS on your GPS). New GPS receivers are set to datum WGS84. The difference between the datum could be over 100 meters/yards. The solution: When pulling points off a map shift your GPSs datum to match the map. If precision is not an issue for your outing dont worry about datum. As you begin your trip planning dont forget the magnetic compass, the important partner to any topographic map. Arise ye workers from your slumber. Arise you prisoners of want For reason and revolt now thunders, And at last ends the age of cant. Away with all your superstitions. Servile masses arise, arise! Well change henceforth the red tradition, And spurn deaths dust to win the prize. So comrades come rally, And the protracted fight, let us face! We will destroy the parasites and their bosses, The Right unites the European race. We will vanquish the evil parasites By the only way it can be done No quarter is our standard And we fight beneath the blood Red Sun By J. Martin

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