AMC survey

[onestep]

it's TOO BIG

I like the "shirt pocket" size hard cover editions of old. Combine that with waterproof maps and I'd say they'd have a winner!

Onestep

 

[chipc]

Another addition already? I just got the 27th edition this year.

The 27th edition is dated 2003 – it will be 2007 when the 28th edition comes out. Looking at recent copyrights, 4-5 years seems to be the interval between editions and they want to have a "100th anniversary" edition.

 

[arghman]

thx for the link to the survey. I hope they do put something online (I'd pay $10/yr w/o hesitation)

I do wish they had an open-ended comments on the maps & not just on the guide.

I've spoken to Larry Garland about this and part of the concern about this is related to the scale of the map. They would need to be larger for it "to work". Take a look at Rattlesnake Mtn (near Squam Lake) or the trails in Waterville Valley to see what he means. I hope that it does happen. It would make planning things much easier!

The commercial map companies (including the Map Adventures maps) have "inset" maps whenever the level of detail exceeds what can be managed in a small space. It can be done, it's just nontrivial in some cases. The mileage counts are what make the Map Adventures map the one I use. (that & the fact that I can carry 1 map instead of 3 AMC maps)

My Map Adventures map is wearing out in a few spots after 5 yrs of heavy use & I've got no hesitation in buying another copy. Now that I have the ATC maps for VT/NH/ME (which also have mileages/elev profiles), those are the ones I use in the field in the Whites.

I use AMC's maps only for the other areas, e.g. the Cardigan / Monadnock Tyvek map, and I also "inherited" (from someone who left NH for warmer climes) the Monadnock/Sunapee Greenway map which Larry did for MSG.

Besides the lack of mileage markers, I get a little tired of seeing the plain green&brown on white color scheme, and very tired of Helvetica fonts (just a personal quirk from having done typography / newspaper layout for a brief period -- method #43 for getting arghman annoyed is drive me through a town that's cheap enough to use street signs all done in Helvetica Narrow caps...). I wish they used a hybrid of the computer mapping & hand-lettering. I have framed one of the old AMC maps & several of the old USGS maps purely because of the artistic quality & a lot of that stems from the hand lettering.

I also like the color scheme of the Map Adventures map & that it shows the "above treeline" areas, it's a good way to learn which hikes have a good view. (never mind the fact that a bunch of it's not above the natural treeline, & that by 2400AD it may be covered w/ vegetation, I just want to know where the open summits are ca. 2005)

edit: of course I'd also like a natural communities map (like the one on http://appalachia.outdoors.org/mapping/ but including stuff below the alpine zone)

 

[Mike P.]

Since I only carry the maps, I'm okay with the size of it. I only use it as a reference at home & carry the 26th one in my overnight bag.
The 25th is currently in my car, defaced, in case anyone looking at getting a copy to sell on Ebay.

The idea of charging for online info seems a bit much. If I can't figure it out from the book or have a question, I get an answer here or on their boards. If they are going to charge people to get info, What is Dave M.'s cut. (He or RR over there answer most of the questions, maybe Sherpa K in his free time not rehabbing can get his post count back up over there, he used to be 3rd.)

 

[^MtnMike^]

Thanks for the link to the survey!

On the survey I added this under suggestions, might be asking a bit much (cost wise), but I'd definitely buy these in addition to the regular paper guide):

It would be nice if the WMG was also offered as a set of ring bound, waterproof sub-guides (each separate guide being a section of the full WMG book) containing only trail info (no history, no geology, etc.). This would make it easy to throw the appropriate sub-guide in a backpack and take it with you on the hike (the full paper guide is bulky, heavy, and gets ruined in a bag). The paper edition is great for at-home planning, but it would be nice to have a durable guide for the field. The ring binding would allow the guide to lay flat. It would also allows you to fold open the book to a specific page and then place it your bag for quick access (without ruining it).

^MtnMike^

 

[Raymond]

Regarding the mileage figures on the maps, that's why they invented mechanical pencils, isn't it? I just write ’em on there myself. Helps to reinforce the trail descriptions in my memory, too.

 

[jrichard]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I'd gladly pay for a service which pulls together all the info I currently pull from various websites, guidebooks, and maps. If it is only $20/year it would be worth it. Of course, the devil is in the details, and if the service wasn't at least as good as I am, I wouldn't use it for long. Personally, I think this would be a difficult user interface to build.

I also would like a lighter guide. Or perhaps some one sentence descriptions of major trails and areas on the back of the maps - like the Delorme hiking maps.

 

[chipc]

I also would like a lighter guide. Or perhaps some one sentence descriptions of major trails and areas on the back of the maps - like the Delorme hiking maps.

Good suggestion, especially having brief descriptions on the map. However, I think its important to continue to have the detailed trail descriptions and historical/geological info available in some form. While I do not carry the WMG with me on most hikes, I use it before and even after to "review". (Makes for scintillating conversation on the ride back!) I would hate to see the trail descriptions get reduced to the level found for some of the trials in the Maine Mountain Guide or the AMC Acadia guide. With the WMG I feel that I can read a description for trails I haven't been on and know what I am getting into; from my experience with the AMC Maine books many details that could help me assess the difficulty about a given trail (aside from distance and elevation) are sometimes missing.

 

[smitty77]

I would like to see the old style maps come back, with dashed lines for trails. Being a color-blind person, I have to be really careful reading the maps with the new color scheme. Roads, trails, everything looks the same! I bring the old ones with me because they are so much easier to read at a glance. What was wrong with the white background?

I tell ya, when I rule the world, everything is going to be grayscale and left-handed!

I'll also second arghman's idea for going back to a hand-lettered look.

 

[Stan]

I'm not color blind but am a bit farsighted and nearsighted at the same time and agree that the maps could be a little friendlier from the readability standpoint. Better contrast to make them more legible in dim light would be helpful.

Here are a few more tongue-in-cheek suggestions:

1. Post renegade trail enforcers at each trailhead to make sure no one goes in and alters trails. In their spare time these enforcers could do trail maintenance to help avoid washouts and relocations. That way we won't need a new Guide (at $25/pop) every few years. Funny, the differences in many trail descriptions between a 30 year old edition and current conditions are not that substantive.

2. Instead of a book, just hand out a link to VFTT. Any hiker can get more information here than they need.

3. In addition to the VFTT link, give David Metsky's home and cell phone numbers. David, get yourself some 900 numbers!

 

[Jasonst]

I wish they could put together an online map for the WMNF that was similar to Google Maps - where you could drag around, zoom in and out. It would have to be complete with trails, elevation contours etc. Of course, it would have to be downloadable to a PDA or GPS, and allow you to pinpoint your location... Asking too much? Did I mention that I want it all for free?

 

[David Metsky]

give David Metsky's home and cell phone numbers. David, get yourself some 900 numbers!

What makes you think I don't have a 900 number already?

-dave-

 

[Stan]

What makes you think I don't have a 900 number already? -dave-

... no, no, no ... I wasn't talking about the one you've got in the Phoenix, I mean one that pertains to hiking.

 

[SteveHiker]

how about this?

for the proposed CD-ROM version, how about a tool that would allow you to red-line the map and display it?

 

[jrichard]

maps

I guess I'm still in the minority. I kinda like the map details as they are. I feel they convey more information and are easier to read than the older AMC maps. For most hiking (not bushwacking!), I like the detail level better than quads. The denser detail level is better for moving (somewhat) quickly and looking distant mountains.

Perhaps there are other ways to help color bind people without messing too much with the colors, that could also help the fully sighted? Different fonts, widths?