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squirrel bait
01-30-2004, 11:50
Has anybody tried fooling around with TerraServer V5.0 to get satellite photos of the AT? I've tried locating it south of Damascus but having never hiked there I had no luck. Does anybody have coordinates available from their GPS system or the like? There are several ways to look up the area you want. It's a fun site and the pictures are remarkably good and clear, I believe the resolution is about 3 feet so it picks up cars and the such. :jump

Patco
01-30-2004, 12:43
I emailed you the list of AT shelters and their coordinates with a little more info.

:jump

deeddawg
01-30-2004, 12:43
Has anybody tried fooling around with TerraServer V5.0 to get satellite photos of the AT? I've tried locating it south of Damascus but having never hiked there I had no luck. Does anybody have coordinates available from their GPS system or the like? There are several ways to look up the area you want. It's a fun site and the pictures are remarkably good and clear, I believe the resolution is about 3 feet so it picks up cars and the such. :jump

Use www.topozone.com to find coords -- plug in the name of a feature, such as a particular gap or mountain and it'll list the matches.

Moon Monster
01-31-2004, 20:11
I think the 1 meter resolution is 1 pixel per meter. It's far too coarse to see detail like the trailway itself, though the trailway could be inferred at places like ridgelines and bridges. The ATC HQ in Harpers looks like a smudge, but mountains and ridgelines are visible. The Katahdin image (and Katahdin can be found w/o coords just by zooming around Maine--it's that impressive over the valley) currently in the system was taken on May 13, 1998 and the snow pack can bee seen outlining some of the ridgeline. I also found Fontana Dam, but the image is very grainy there.

Perhaps the balds of Tenn and NC are visible (maybe a darker line could be seen on them)? Maybe MT. Washington's open area? Bear Mtn. Bridge?

Here's a link to Damascus that's fun to play with: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2147&y=20272&z=17&w=1

Moon Monster
01-31-2004, 20:26
OK, I think I can see the AT on Big Bald. From the link below, switch to "Topo" in the navigation view option box, note where the trail crosses the summit and the access road, then switch back to the "aerial photo" view and you can see where the footpath is a different shade of grey from the rest of the open area. From the aerial view, you can zoom one more time but you will loose the topo option at that level.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=11&x=914&y=9959&z=17&w=1

Brushy Sage
01-31-2004, 21:01
I don't know where else to put this -- seems related. In 2002 Del Doc (retired physician from Delaware in his 70s) was on the AT doing global positioning sitings for ATC use, and intended to do a slow thru hike in that fashion. I heard that he had to leave the trail due to sickness or injury. Does anyone have information about him? How is he? Did he finish his survey?

Moon Monster
01-31-2004, 21:02
OK, one more and then I'll let someone else play with this.
Lakes of the Clouds Hut: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=1574&y=24515&z=19&w=1
(It's slightly above direct center of the frame--you can see it's shadow outlining the structure)
You can pan over to see the summit structures.

Peaks
02-02-2004, 10:07
In 2002 Del Doc (retired physician from Delaware in his 70s) was on the AT doing global positioning sitings for ATC use, and intended to do a slow thru hike in that fashion. I heard that he had to leave the trail due to sickness or injury. Does anyone have information about him? How is he? Did he finish his survey?

He's still at it. in 2003, he got to Gorham. He planned on finishing in the fall, but the White Mountains did him in for the year. I assume he will finish this summer.

squirrel bait
02-02-2004, 10:16
Patco I didn't receive your email. I might have accidently deleted it. Try again if you wish, thanks everyone, be safe.

Brushy Sage
02-02-2004, 15:52
He's still at it. in 2003, he got to Gorham. He planned on finishing in the fall, but the White Mountains did him in for the year. I assume he will finish this summer.

Thanks, Peaks. Del Doc and I met at the motel on the trail near Atkins, VA, and compared ages; he had me beat by five years or so. I know his wife meets him with the car at prearranged places, and I'm wondering how they plan to handle the "hundred mile wilderness." I think he is really dedicated to his global positioning mission.

Peaks
02-02-2004, 18:20
Thanks, Peaks. Del Doc and I met at the motel on the trail near Atkins, VA, and compared ages; he had me beat by five years or so. I know his wife meets him with the car at prearranged places, and I'm wondering how they plan to handle the "hundred mile wilderness." I think he is really dedicated to his global positioning mission.

Well, if you have hiked the 100 miles, then you know that's it's not really a wilderness. There is plenty of access points via the private logging roads.

I met Del Doc at the ATC bienneal meeting last July. I offered to help do Maine with him in the fall, but never heard from him, so I follow up.