Canyoneering KMZ files

[Iceaxe]

I'm thinking about adding the google earth KMZ files to all of the Climb-Utah.com canyoneering routes. What do you think? I have done a couple test items listed below so you can check them out and tell me what you think.

Zion - Mystery Canyon
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/mystery.htm

Zion - Keyhole Canyon
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/keyhole.htm

Zion - Pine Creek Canyon
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/pinecreek.htm

I'm open to suggestions, thoughts and opinions. I have a couple people who have offered to help with this huge endeavor, one of them being JMAN from Bogley who has already put a lot of work into this project.

Speak now or forever hold your peace.....

:popcorn:

[jman]

Thanks Shane.

The Mystery one looks weird. My copy doesn't look like that. I'll have to give you an updated one.

And speaking of which, I've noticed that the newer aerial maps kind of throw off my "paths". I don't know if its a perfect solution but I'm a huge proponent of this idea. :cool2: Perhaps just starting off with the trade routes??


My personal thoughts are that the "canyon paths" as I call them are a great way to go. Especially if you have multiple canyons for an area that you are wanting to descend. It allows you to easily see all of the approaches and exits for your canyons and makes planning much more simple. But for some, it might take away their planning fun.

At the very least, S.A.R. groups could especially benefit from something like this.

The rest is - as you know - preaching to the choir :P

[sonnylawrence]

You might look at ropewiki for ideas using Caltopo, gpx/kml/kmz etc. It is very useful, especially seeing the routes that are near each other.

[burnsdye]

I don't know if you've had a chance to look through my website, but for some of the routes, I've included an interactive map. For example, go to my Ashdown Gorge page (http://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=331) and click on the "Interactive Map" tab.

Other examples are:
Cassidy Arch Canyon (http://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=312)
Dianas Throne Canyon (http://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=292)
Spooky/Peek-a-Boo/Brimstone (http://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=206)
Hidden Canyon (http://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=284)
Kanarra Canyon (http://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=248)

If you're interested in something like this, I can give you the code. Let me know.

[hikster11]

I think a KMZ file would be really nice to have. It would save me a lot of time coping way points into basecamp

[Kuya]

YES! Please add a KMZ file. I think that will be a great value-add to the website!

[Kuya]

What about adding a list of GPS coords. that way it is easy to see the waypoints (super helpful). and it is nice to have interactive maps on the websites too....

[Iceaxe]

I want to choose one method and follow that path. I know everyone has their pet map software and wants to see that method adopted, but realistically we can do an excellent job with one format or a half-ass job with several formats. I believe over the long haul it's going to be difficult for anyone to out perform Google with their cubic dollars and their ability to throw massive knowledge and technology at a problem/project. This makes Google the 800 pound guerrilla in the room and forces all other mapping programs to recognize KMZ files or suffer a slow death.

CalTopo is nice for printing paper maps but I already have good paper maps that come with the beta. A printable USGS paper map will always be available on Climb-Utah.com as that is the gold standard when it comes to maps.

So anyhoo.... it looks like Google and KMZ is the way we are going, so is what I'm really looking for is comments on how we can make the best of incorporating that format.

And a big thanks to those who have already provided help with this project. And thanks to those who sent or offered to send me their extensive KMZ libraries, I'm sure we'll be making extensive use of these as the project progresses. I was mildly surprised by the large number of people who had already copied my waypoints into google earth.

[Udink]

KMZ is definitely the way to go. You can host the files directly on your website, and embed the KMZ files directly into other maps (Gmap4, for example) for display on the site as well. That way if you update the KMZ, the embedded map is also automatically updated.

[hikster11]

I'm sure most people already know that you can convert any format from one format to another for free. There are many websites online that will do this for anyone that did not know. I agree that Google is a great tool and having embedded maps on your site would be really awesome.

[Iceaxe]

Is what I really want is some feedback on the examples I posted above.

We are currently providing a KMZ file that contains waypoints and connecting them with what Google calls path's. If there is a better method I'd like to hear it before we get hundreds of hours invested in the project and someone suddenly says instead of paths you should have used this. To me the paths appears to be a great option of showing how the waypoints connect with each other. The KMZ files should allow an easy method of downloading waypoints to a GPS and save people a lot of time typing and eliminate typing errors.

You also need to look at this from my side. I have already provided a detail route description, I've really just trying to find a good method of getting the waypoints transferred to you, Google earth seems to provide that with the added benefit of also providing an awesome visual aid.

Anyhoo... thanks for the comments. You can also email at the address below.

shane(at)climb-utah(dot)com

[Kuya]

Is what I really want is some feedback on the examples I posted above.

We are currently providing a KMZ file that contains waypoints and connecting them with what Google calls path's. If there is a better method I'd like to hear it before we get hundreds of hours invested in the project and someone suddenly says instead of paths you should have used this. To me the paths appears to be a great option of showing how the waypoints connect with each other. The KMZ files should allow an easy method of downloading waypoints to a GPS and save people a lot of time typing and eliminate typing errors.

You also need to look at this from my side. I have already provided a detail route description, I've really just trying to find a good method of getting the waypoints transferred to you, Google earth seems to provide that with the added benefit of also providing an awesome visual aid.

Anyhoo... thanks for the comments. You can also email at the address below.

shane(at)climb-utah(dot)com

Your example links worked perfect for me and i would LOVE something like that from your website. KML files work great for me. I can upload them to Google Earth, Maps, and CalTopo just fine. I use those three resources extensively when planning trips. and when I need to export them to my GPS, it is easy to convert from KML to GPX.

If I may be frank, digging out the GPS points from your beta is the worst! Other websites, IMO, do a much better job at organizing the GPS coordinates. Don't get me wrong, I find your beta to be very good, but when it came to digging out GPS coords and putting them into my GPS, I HATED doing that from Climb-Utah beta. More than once I was in a canyon and had skipped inputting a coordinate, and that would cause me 15-30min of un nessissary wandering to fix it... (yeah... can be blamed on user error and not beta, but still... if it would have been organized differently problems like that could be eliminated.)

All in all, Providing a KML file will solve all the problems! Glad to see that you are moving this direction.

[Iceaxe]

Thanks Kuya, that's exactly what I needed to know. I understand copying waypoints from my website is a pain in the butt, which is the main reason for the additional feature being added.

It also really helps that Jman has offered to help with the project and is putting a lot of time into creating some really fine KMZ files. With a little luck this option will soon be available for all Climb-Utah.com canyon and hiking routes.