GPS and Coordinates Used

With the increase in use of handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) units over the past decade, the outdoors has finally been tamed. Well, not really, but GPS has made it much safer and more accessible than ever before.

Trail directions are no longer ambiguous. Gone are the directions like, “take a left at the strange looking boulder.” With a GPS unit, outdoor enthusiasts can plot exact locations of trails, points of interest and significant intersections. And then share these waypoints with others. This has opened up hundreds of previously difficult to find and navigate trail to anyone with a GPS.

Can you still get lost? Sure. But usually not for long. It can be difficult to document complex intersections and I’ve taken the wrong road for almost a mile before realizing my mistake. The great thing about GPS units is that you should always be able to get back to your starting point (given you input the waypoint into your GPS).

I have found my Magellan (Garmin’s are great too) to be probably the best $200 piece of equipment I’ve ever spent for exploring the outdoors. If you don’t have a GPS unit that has the ability to use topo maps, get one. Now. You’ll probably be kicking yourself that you didn’t do it sooner.

I use my GPS unit and computer topo software to preplan trips. I can take GPS coordinates from books or websites and enter them into my topo software. Then I plot my desired route. Then I look for other possible points of interest, roads, natural features that are near my route and input those waypoints. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found interesting places by doing this.

My GPS comes with my on all my new adventures where I follow the waypoints I’ve placed along the route. This way I don’t have to worry about taking wrong turns and ensure I’m going where I planned to go. If I want to find my way back to the starting point, all I have to do is follow the waypoints like breadcrumbs.

If I do find other interesting points that I haven’t already plotted, I create a waypoint on the fly. Examples of this have been awesome camping spots, waterfalls, caves, and ruins. When I get home, I document the trail and the new waypoints. That way, I can always find them again. And I can share these with others.

It is my intent to use WGS84 coordinates whenever possible. Some of the sources referenced do not specify units used. Therefore, there might be some mixing of coordinate systems within these blogs. That’s the bad news. The good news: For most 4WD, hiking and biking uses, you can mix WGS84 and NAD27 coordinate systems without any problems. What I’ve noticed is that these are off by a few hundred yards at most. You will still find you’re able to negotiate the turns and find points of interest shown without any difficulties.

Where a variation in coordinate systems can make a BIG difference is if you are Geocaching (trying to find a small cache of goodies) where errors of thirty feet can take you from success to failure. For most of our purposes, it doesn’t matter if you enter NAD27 coordinates while your GPS is set to WGS84.

Have fun and be safe!

Arizona Adventurer

TREAD Lightly

We believe that it is essential for all outdoor enthusiasts to have a good understanding of backcountry ethics and to always exercise proper etiquette when enjoying the outdoors. It is of utmost importance because of the many threats to continued open access to the Arizona backcountry. Private property issues have closed access to many areas. Lack of proper funding for trail maintenance and law enforcement may prompt regulatory agencies to close access to environmentally sensitive and heavily impacted areas. There are extreme environmental groups that seek to block vehicle access to many backcountry areas. Please keep this in mind when enjoying the Arizona backcountry.

Here are some general guidelines:

- Stay on the trail. Resist the urge to blaze new ones.
- Drive carefully through soft and wet trails.
- Obey gate closure signs.
- Preserve the integrity of historical ruins by not disturbing the area.
- Carry out all your trash and even that of others.
- Leave wild animals and livestock alone.

We invite you to take a few minutes to remind yourself of the Tread Lightly! principles before venturing into the backcountry: http://www.treadlightly.org/ .

State Trust Land Permits

To legally travel on state trust land (whether by motor vehicle, bike, horse or on foot), a State Trust Land Permit is required. Individuals visiting state trust lands without a valid permit may be fined. State Trust Land Permits can be obtained through the Arizona State Land Department website: http:/www.land.state.az.us/. Permits cost $50 for individuals and $75 for families and are valid for one year. Many of our favorite mountain biking trails are on state trust land. Access to numerous four-wheel-drive trails crosses state trust land en route to federal lands. Sometimes the boundary between state and federal lands is not well marked, so it is a good idea to have a State Trust Land Permit and to carry it at all times unless you are certain that you are not on state trust land.

Have fun and be safe!

Arizona Adventurer