Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
 Jolie's waypoint tattoo... |
Waypoints, Grid Squares, and Navigation |
A Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver tunes into the microwave signals broadcast by 24 satellites that each orbit the Earth every 12 hours. This "Constellation" of two dozen navigational satellites is controlled by the United States Department of Defense and operated by the U.S. Military (This is an unfortunate situation in that not only is the American military used for suspect purposes but they've also been known to intentionally shut the GPS system down over certain parts of the planet!!). There are six orbital planes (each with four satellites) spaced equally at 60 degrees apart and inclined at abut 55 degrees with respect to the equatorial plane. In plain English this means you can usually count on your receiver "seeing" about five to eight of these satellites at anyone time - depending on where you're located, of course...In August, 1998 I ended up with my first GPS - A Garmin GPS 12XL Personal Navigator. I won the device as a door prize at an amateur radio "swapfest" and it served me well until I lost it in Argentina in 2004... So, in July, 2004 I purchased a Garmin eTrex Vista Personal Navigator. I still don't rely on a GPS completely, for navigation, because I can drop and break it, the batteries run dry, I can (and have!) lose it, the military can turn it off (as mentioned above), and bad weather and canyon walls can block its signal reception. That being said, a GPS is still a fun little devices to play with so I usually don't leave home without one!
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Storing "Waypoints" is one of the features I use most on my GPS. The owner's manual for my GPX 12XL simply defined a waypont as "A specific location saved in the receiver's memory" (bottom of page 3 in the glossary). The waypoints I store are usually the location of a mountain top I've visited, a friend's home, a trailhead, or even the rooftop of the Dalai Lama's Potala Palace in Tibet! Anyway, I'll list my collection of waypoints on this and other pages as time permits. And, as a safety note, I ask that you do not rely on my waypoints for anything - I list 'em here for personal use and can not verify their accuracy! |
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In February, 2009 my friend Jeff was shopping around for a GPS receiver so we both looked into the matter a little more deeply. Again, I'm not an expert in navigation so I strongly recommend you take a class and study the matter before you rely on your GPS for survival.
Anyway, a decade ago I was using the term "bread crumb" track to describe the electronic memory of where my GPS had been tracking my travel. I think now, in the last part of this decade, they're starting to use the term, "tracklog" to describe the same thing. www.gpsinformation.net describes it this way on one of their web pages (they changed their domain name so I don't know if you'll be able to find this exact wording again or not): "Tracklogs are basically the equivalent of dropping bread crumbs so that you can retrace your steps. They provide a history of your travels." February 2009 - Golden, Colorado |
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Click Here for the Ten Essentials - Don't leave home without 'em! |
| Marangu Hotel | S 03° 17'48.8" | E 037° 31'27.9" | 4,500 feet | 1,372 metres |
| Barranco Hut | S 03° 05'43.3" | E 037° 19'49.3" | 12,950 feet | 3,947 metres |
| Barafu Hut | S 03° 05'56.4" | E 037° 22'41.0" | 15,100 feet | 4,600 metres |
| Uhuru Peak | S 03° 04'36.6" | E 037° 21'16.0" | 19,340 feet | 5,895 metres |
| Mweka Hut | S 03° 09'24.6" | E 037° 22'01.6" | 9,850 feet | 3,000 metres |
Kenya - January 2003
| Old Moses Camp | S 00° 02'56.1" | E 037° 17'13.5" | 11,175 feet | 3,400 metres |
| Shipton's Camp | S 00° 08'29.1" | E 037° 18'53.4" | 13,780 feet | 4,200 metres |
| Point Lenana | S 00° 09'18.2" | E 037° 19'05.2" | 16,355 feet | 4,985 metres |
| Mackinder's Camp | S 00° 10'03.1" | E 037° 17'36.2" | 13,645 feet | 4,159metres |
| Met Station | S 00° 10'14.1" | E 037° 12'49.6" | 9,850 feet | 3,002 metres |
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India:
November/December 2008 |
Amber Fort-Palace, Jaipur N 26° 59.187' E 075° 51.045' 1,558 feet 475 metres Bharat Mata (Mother of India) temple N 25° 19.040' E 082° 59.348' 220 feet 67 metres Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh N 25° 26.925' E 078° 34.145' 807 feet 246 metres Khajuraho (erotic temple art) N 24° 51.157' E 079° 55.375' 687 feet 209 metres Pink City, Jaipur N 26° 55.430' E 075° 49.624' 1,157 feet 353 metres Ranthambhore National Park (entrance) N 26° 01.433' E 076° 27.403' 1,209 feet 369 metres Sarnath Stupa where Buddha preached his first sermon to his disciples N 25° 22.843' E 083° 01.625' 150 feet 46 metres Varanasi on the River Ganges N 25° 18.416' E 083° 00.645' 141 feet 43 metres
 Me at Four Corners... |
Unusual Places: |
4 Corners (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah) N 36° 59.936' W 109° 02.714' 4,831 feet 1,472 metres Dachau (Germany) N 48° 16.111' E 011° 28.121' 1,545 feet 471 metres Darwin Hospital Australia S 12° 21.370' E 130° 52.988' 78 feet 24 metres Potala Palace, Tibet (from the roof!) N 29° 39'28.3" E 091° 07'00.2" 12,000+ feet 3,700+ metres
Europa:
Bregenz, Austria N 47° 30.197' E 009° 44.309' 6,668 feet 1,728 metres Dachau Camp (Germany) N 48° 16.111' E 011° 28.121' 1,545 feet 471 metres Hammersmith, London (intersection of Winslow Road and Fulham Palace Road) N 51° 29.275' W 000° 13.334' faulty reading (-350 feet) faulty reading (-107 metres) Kleine Scheidegg (Switzerland) N 46° 35.115' E 007° 57.677' 6,762 feet 2,061 metres Lechtenstein (one of the entrances) N 47° 13.106' E 009° 34.213' 1,434 feet 437 metres London Heathrow (Intermational Terminal 5) N 51° 31.258' W 000° 28.865' 282 feet 86 metres Mamer, Luxembourg N 49° 37.615' E 006° 01.998' 967 feet 295 metres München, Germany (Downtown) N 48° 08.235' E 011° 34.514' 1,699 feet 518 metres Munich Airport (Terminal 2) N 53° 05.265' E 011° 38.440' 1,346 feet 410 metres Pößnecker Klettersteig - Dolomites N 46° 30.893' E 011° 47.458' 9,667 feet 2,947 metres Wolkenstein, Italy (town centre) N 46° 33.282' E 011° 45.643' 5,206 feet 1,587 metres
American States:
Arizona
Biosphere 2 N 32° 34.745' W 110° 51.039' 3,876 feet 1,181 metres Biosphere 2 (top of stairs) N 32° 34.777' W 110° 51.008' 3,903 feet 1,190 metres Fort Apache N 33° 47.457' W 109° 59.463' 5,023 feet 1,531 metres Geranimo Pass N 33° 49.422' W 110° 08.662' 5,312 feet 1,619 metres Granite Rapids (GC) N 36° 05.882' W 112° 10.978' 2,393 feet 729 metres Hermits Rapids (GC) N 3° 05.987' W 112° 12.571' 2,387 feet 728 metres Hermits Rest (GC) N 3° 03.741' W 112° 12.623' 6,610 feet 2,015 metres Organ Pipe Cactus Mnmnt N 31° 57.286' W 112° 48.077' 1,792 feet 546 metres Tombstone (cross streets) N 31° 42.764' W 110° 04.029' 4,472 feet 1,363 metres
Fredonyer PassCalifronia
Bridgeport - Mono County Courthouse N 38° 15.354' W 119° 13.709' 6,433 feet 1,961 metres Canyondam - Post Office N 40° 10.325' W 121° 04.314' 4,627 feet 1,410 metres Devils Gate Pass N 38° 20.906' W 119° 21.798' 7,519 feet 2,292 metres Donner Pass N 39° 20.485' W 120° 20.394' 7,227 feet 2,202 metres Fredonyer Pass N 40° 21.550' W 120° 52.034' 5,748 feet 1,752 metres I-80 at the Nevada border (March '08) N 39° 28.108' W 120° 00.179' 4,864 feet 1,483 metres Jacumba (Mexican border) N 32° 37.056' W 116° 11.382' 2,795 feet 852 metres Lee Summit Pass N 39° 52.726' W 120° 45.660' 4,439 feet 1,353 metres Mono Lake N 37° 58.681' W 119° 07.721' 6,399 feet 1,951 metres Monterey Cannery Row N 36° 36.964' W 121° 54.024' 20 feet 6 metres Monterey Coast Guard Pier N 36° 36.530' W 121° 53.467' 10 feet 3 metres Monterey Coast Guard Station N 36° 36.546' W 121° 53.864' 50 feet 15 metres Pigeon Point Lighthouse N 37° 10.888' W 122° 23.665' 45 feet 14 metres Pine Ridge Trailhead - Ventana Wilderness N 36° 14.765' W 121° 46.796' 381 feet 116 metres Pt Reyes Lighthouse N 37° 59.743' W 123° 01.390' 270 feet 82 metres Salton Sea - Bombay Beach N 33° 20.854' W 115° 43.780' - 202 feet - 62 metres Sattley (March '08) N 39° 36.939' W 120° 25.573' 4,935 feet 1,504 metres Sierra City (March '08) N 39° 33.932' W 120° 38.153' 4,147 feet 1,264 metres Yuba Pass - Highway 49 (March '08) N 39° 37.043' W 120° 29.388' 6,701 feet 2,042 metres
Independence Pass - 3,686 metresColorado (I also have some waypoints for trailheads, on my hiking page and waypoints for various summits on my 13ers and 14ers pages...)
Alma (Center of town as of August '07) N 39° 17.027' W 106° 03.769' 10,427 feet 3,178 metres Blue Mesa Pass N 38° 23.165' W 107° 26.027' 8,715 feet 2,656 metres Boulder EcoCycle N 40° 01.072' W 105° 12.453' 5,251 feet 1,600 metres Buffalo Bill's Grave - Lookout Mountaiin N 39° 43.957' W 105° 14.297' 7,326 feet 2,233 metres Butler Gulch trailhead at the Henderson Mine N 39° 46.269' W 105° 51.288' 10,561 feet 3,219 metres Cerro Summit Pass N 38° 26.674' W 107° 38.392' 7,988 feet 2,435 metres Chama (Center of town as of August '07) N 37° 09.710' W 105° 22.786' 8,470 feet 2,582 metres Cherry Creek Reservoir (east entrance) N 39° 38.388' W 104° 49.901' 5,744 feet 1,751 metres Coal Bank Pass N 37° 41.941' W 107° 46.641' 10,640 feet 3,243 metres Crested Butte (Downtown) N 38° 52.238' W 106° 58.934' 8,802 feet 2,683 metres Denver International Airport N 39° 50.893' W 104° 40.352' 5,431 feet 1,655 metres Florence N 38° 23.267' W 105° 06.733' 5,263 feet 1,604 metres Four Way - Cielo Vista Ranch N 37° 08.537' W 105° 13.942' 11,078 feet 3,377 metres Grand Mesa - route 65 N 39° 01.631' W 108° 01.848' 10,839 feet 3,304 metres Grand Junction - 7th & Main historic district N 39° 04.040' W 108° 36.672' 4,620 feet 1,408 metres Grand Junction Regional Airport (Pedestrian entrance into the terminal) N 39° 07.333' W 108° 31.776' 4,858 feet 2,435 metres Green Mountain - Lakewood N 39° 42.059' W 105° 10.664' 6,853 feet 2,089 metres Hoosier Pass N 39° 21.708' W 106° 03.772' 11,539 feet 3,517 metres Independence Pass N 39° 06.497' W 106° 33.876' 12,095 feet 3,686 metres Kenosha Pass N 39° 24.772' W 105° 45.523' 10,000 feet 3,048 metres KGNU (4700 Walnut) N 40° 01.173' W 105° 14.571' 5,263 feet 1,604 metres Lake City N 38° 01.740' W 107° 18.899' 8,625 feet 2,629 metres La Veta Pass N 37° 36.864' W 105° 11.409' 9,413 feet 2,869 metres Leadville N 39° 15.027' W 106° 17.557' 10,152 feet 3,094 metres Lizard Head Pass N 37° 48.677' W 107° 54.509' 10,222 feet 3,116 metres Mesa Verde Park Headquarters N 37° 11.053' W 108° 29.317' 6,993 feet 2,131 metres Molas Pass N 37° 44.255' W 107° 41.871' 10,910 feet 3,325 metres Monarch Pass N 38° 29.804' W 106° 19.563' 11,312 feet 3,448 metres Montezuma Towne Centre N 39° 34.806' W 105° 52.058' 10,295 feet 3,109 metres Ouray (town centre) N 38° 01.437' W 107° 40.283' 7,775 feet 2,370 metres Pearl Pass N 39° 00.328' W 106° 50.290' 11,313 feet 3,448 metres Rampart Range (Flat Rock overlook) N 39° 19.570' W 105° 05.100' 8,230 feet 2,509 metres Ridgway Town Hall N 36° 09.157' W 107° 45.308' 7,000 feet 2,134 metres San Luis (Center of town as of August '07) N 37° 11.963' W 105° 25.558' 8,217 feet 2,505 metres Slumgullion Pass Summit - Highway 149 N 37° 59.380' W 107° 12.403' 11,530 feet 3,514 metres St Johns Mine N 39° 34.235' W 105° 52.896' 10,839 feet 3,304 metres Telluride - San Miguel County Seat N 37° 56.267' W 107° 48.775' 8,777 feet 2,675 metres Vail Pass N 39° 32.513' W 106° 13.047' 10,603 feet 3,232 metres Vallecito Dam (halfway across) N 37° 22.784' W 107° 34.515' 7,641 feet 2,329 metres Vicksburg Museum Parking N 38° 59.903' W 106° 22.555' 9,649 feet 2,941 metres Liberty Cap - Colorado National Monument N 39° 03.390' W 108° 40.064' 5,881 feet 1,792 metres Westcliffe N 38° 08.016' W 105° 27.829' 7,888 feet 2,404 metres Winfield N 39° 59.114' W 106° 26.469' 10,245 feet 3,123 metres Wolf Creek Pass N 37° 28.978' W 106° 48.134' 10,860 feet 3,310 metres
Click Here for the Longitude and Lattitude of Colorado's 14ers...
Hawaii (February 2007)
Diamond Head Summit - O'ahu N 21° 15.584' W 157° 48.706' 746 feet 227 metres Haleakalā Summit - Māui N 20° 42.588' W 156° 15.164' 10,023 feet 3,055 metres Kipahulu - Near Hana, Māui N 20° 39.723' W 156° 02.743' 403 feet 123 metres Lān'i City, Lān'i N 20° 49.066' W 156° 55.104' 1,580 feet 482 metres Manele Harbor, Lān'i N 20° 44.528' W 156° 53.293' 10 feet 3 metres Mauana Kea, Hawai'i Island N 19° 49.371' W 155° 28.152' 13,796 feet 4,205 metres Pipeline - Northshore O'ahu N 21° 39.976' W 158° 03.109' 56 feet 17 metres South Point Complex, Ka Lae, Hawai'i Island N 18° 54.642' W 155° 40.845' 0 feet 0 metres Note: South Point Complex, on Hawai'i Island, is the southern most point in the United States.
Tami and I marked this waypoint in February, 2007 while walking around the pounding surf on what
rocks were exposed at that time between waves. I suspect the actual point is where the Coast Guard
light beacon is positioned, just a dozen or two metres north of where we took our reading...
Maryland
USPS Bolger Center - Potomac N 39° 01.267' W 077° 11.245' 334 feet 102 metres
Bob Scott Summit - Highway 50 (Nov '07) N 39° 27.426' W 116° 59.780' 7,267 feet 2,215 metres I-80 at the California border (March '08) N 39° 28.108' W 120° 00.179' 4,864 feet 1,483 metres Sand Springs Pass - Highway 116 (March '08) N 39° 16.417' W 118° 21.068' 4,644 feet 1,415 metres Shurz - Highway 95 (Feb '08) N 38° 57.011' W 118° 48.623' 4,123 feet 1,257 metres Stillwater (March '08) N 39° 31.301' W 118° 32.796' 3,919 feet 1,195 metres
North Dakota (May 2009)
White Butte N 46° 23.223' W 103° 18.154' 3,506 feet 1,068 metres
Oklahoma (January 2007)
USPS NCED - Norman N 35° 11.451' W 097° 23.982' 1,226 feet 374 metres
South Dakota (May 2009)
Harney Peak N 43° 51.957' W 103° 31.869' 7,244 feet 2,208 metres
Texas (May 2006)
Mayan Ranch near Bandera N 29° 43.158' W 099° 05.375' 1,325 feet 404 metres
Utah (November 2007)
Landscape Arch - Arches NP N 38° 47.471' W 109° 36.417' 5,263 feet 1,604 metres
Washington State (June 29, 2008)
Mt. Baker N 48° 46.601' W 121° 48.875' 10,778 feet 3,285 metres
Links:
- 13ers
- 14ers
- Alpine Rescue Team - Evergreen, Colorado
- Amazonia and Ecuador
- AMSAT Grid Square Conversion
- ARRL City and State Grid Locator
- ARRL explains Maidenhead Grid Squares
- Australia Main Page
- Australia Two Page
- Colorado Avalanche Information Center (Your contributions help keep this vital service alive!)
- Backcountry Skiing
- Bear Safety
- China
- Climbing
- Colorado Grid Squares by Bob Witte (KØNR)
- CMC Colorado Mountain Club
- CORSAR - Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card
- Gear - Stuff for the Backcountry...
- Geocache - Group Locator
www.gpsinformation.net- Grand Canyon
- High altitude Medicine Guide
- Hiking
- India
- Leave No Trace - Center for Outdoor Ethics
- Lightning Safety
- MyTopo - Free USGS topos
- Skiing - in the backcountry!
- Survival in the backcountry
- Ten Essentials - Don't leave home without 'em!
- Tibet
- Travel
- Travel Two
- Walking Softly in the backcountry
Warning! Climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing are dangerous and can seriously injure or kill you. By further exploring this web site you acknowledge that the information presented here may be out of date or incorrect, and you agree not to hold the author responsible for any damages, injuries, or death arising from any use of this resource. Please thoroughly investigate any mountain before attempting to climb it, and do not substitute this web site for experience, training, and recognizing your limitations!
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