AMC online WMG launches 8/23/07

[Waumbek]

The AMC is announcing the launch of its new online WMG tomorrow. I'm not sure how it works, but there is an annual subscription fee. Does anyone know how much?

From the announcement:
"Coming on Thursday, August 23: AMC's White Mountain Guide Online!
We’ve combined our expert descriptions of over 500 trails and detailed maps in an online format that is easy to use and continually updated as conditions change, all for one annual subscription fee."

 

[David Metsky]

I helped test this in Beta. I found it interesting, but during beta there were still some bugs being worked out. If everything is in working order I can easily see the appeal to some folks, especially for trip planning. They do have a place for trip reports and trail conditions, I don't know how heavily it will be used until they develop a community around their on line offerings.

-dave-

 

[poison ivy]

I was a Beta tester too. They had a survey at the end that asked how you felt about different subscription rates... all were less than $20 per year. I also had the impression that they were going to offer a free version as well with very limited functionality... basically only good for trip reports and trail conditions.

I thought it was a fun mapping out hiking routes but it's probably not something I would pay to use. Like Dave said there were a few bugs to work out. (One of things I really didn't like was that it calculated elevation CHANGE for hikes -- so it added up all elevataion gain and loss into one big number, which I thought was confusing. I assume most hikers are like me and just want to know the elevation gain for a particular hike.) I hope they changed that in the new version.

Part of the fun of hiking for me, is planning everything out with my maps and guidebooks spread out over the coffee table. Paying for what I already like doing at home myself doesn't make any sense for me.... but I can see why it would appeal to others, especially newer hikers.

 

[Waumbek]

subscription rates... all were less than $20 per year.... One of things I really didn't like was that it calculated elevation CHANGE for hikes -- so it added up all elevataion gain and loss into one big number, which I thought was confusing....Part of the fun of hiking for me, is planning everything out with my maps and guidebooks spread out over the coffee table. Paying for what I already like doing at home myself doesn't make any sense for me.... but I can see why it would appeal to others, especially newer hikers.

Thanks. I too would want elevation gain and loss differentiated to calculate aerobic vs. knee demands. And I too like the coffee table planning approach, which I would still do first, but might check it out against WMG advice later. And then of course we could all debate about the WMG advice, just like I do with my real-life hiking & planning buddies.....

 

[chipc]

I also beta tested it and also found the elevation gain business unhelpful (ok, confusing!) However, I did like the ability to get a custom map printout at the end. I could also see its usefulness for comparing variations of hikes that have lots of options possible. Would certainly be quicker than entering data in an spreadsheet as I have done in the past.

 

[Jason Berard]

Part of the fun of hiking for me, is planning everything out with my maps and guidebooks spread out over the coffee table. Paying for what I already like doing at home myself doesn't make any sense for me.... but I can see why it would appeal to others, especially newer hikers.

I too beta tested this, and agree 100%. I spend hours with my guides and maps planning trips and for me its part of the fun of the process. I wouldn't subscribe to this service, but it might be useful to people with less experience in the Whites.

 

[1HappyHiker]

Yup, I was a beta tester as well. Maybe by tomorrow we’ll all know what the subscription price will be, and whether there’ll be a FREE version available with limited features.

Everyone is different, but I found the software useful to quickly calculate mileages for various routes to a particular destination, and for loop hikes, etc. Guess I’m just lazy with doing the math myself, or entering data into a spreadsheet.

So, if there's a FREE version, I’m hoping it will have the mileage calculation piece! Really don’t care too much about elevation gain (and ESPECIALLY if the final version of the software hasn’t changed since the beta version!!).

 

[Waumbek]

Yup, I was a beta tester as well. Maybe by tomorrow we’ll all know what the subscription price will be, and whether there’ll be a FREE version available with limited features.

The options include free accounts with limited features and fuller feature paid accounts ($15 for non-members, $12 for members annually), plus a free 14 day trial subscription (minimum age 13) to the latter if you use promotion code WMGOT14.

 

[1HappyHiker]

The options include free accounts with limited features and fuller feature paid accounts ($15 for non-members, $12 for members annually), plus a free 14 day trial subscription (minimum age 13) to the latter if you use promotion code WMGOT14.

Thanks Waumbek! Looks like you were up after midnight!

I've taken the software for a "quick spin", and at first glance, it appears they've resolved the "elevation issue" that showed up during beta testing.

 

[Nutsosa]

Has anybody tried this with Firefox? The map doesn't seem to be loading for me. Not sure if it's a browser compatibility problem, or if the site is just hanging.

 

[dr_wu002]

All I see is a little clock ticking in the upper-left corner. This doesn't seem helpful to me at all.

-Dr. Wu

 

[poison ivy]

Has anybody tried this with Firefox? The map doesn't seem to be loading for me. Not sure if it's a browser compatibility problem, or if the site is just hanging.

I use Firefox and it worked fine for me.

- Ivy

 

[onestep]

"Ability to share trip reports and view/report on trail conditions"

I'm sticking with VFTT!

 

[DougPaul]

"Ability to share trip reports and view/report on trail conditions"

The AMC website has had this capability for quite some time. (free)
http://appalachia.outdoors.org/bbs/

Not nearly as active as VFTT.

Doug

 

[roadtripper]

The online guide is now out! I just got an email with a promo code for a free trial...gonna check it out now

 

[dr_wu002]

I still just see that clock ticking in the left hand corner, sneering and laugh at me, eroding the last minutes of my sanity in a mocking gesture of sick and twisted perversion. Should I feel cursed?

 

[Nutsosa]

I still just see that clock ticking in the left hand corner, sneering and laugh at me, eroding the last minutes of my sanity in a mocking gesture of sick and twisted perversion. Should I feel cursed?

I'm still seeing the clock too, at work and now at home.

 

[Nutsosa]

Fyi

I got the following response from Kevin at WMG online, regarding an email I sent about the map function not working:

We will get this issue resolved on Monday - users with free accounts are having difficulty with the maps. For now, you can sign up for a trial account and access all features (you will need to use a different email address than the free account) - you can find the promo code on www.wmgonline.org

Hope this helps. (thanks Kevin!)