[pct-l] PCT Elevation gain/loss Stats

[Sir Mixalot]

Here's how you can find and see the data, but this may leave you with more
questions.

Install Google Earth.  Go to http://www.pctmap.net/gps/ and download and
uncompress all the track files, but not the side trails unless you're
wanting that too.  Import the uncompressed track files into Google Earth
while having it add line strings and adjust to ground height.  Right click
on each track and have it general an elevation profile.  That will show you
the elevation gain/loss for each section.

All the results are limited by the frequency of track points.  Halfmile had
to reduce the number of track points to increase compatibility with gps
devices.  If there's a dip or rise between points, then it can be factored
into the elevation gain/loss.

The results are further limited by Google's topo data in Google Earth.

If you have Garmin's Basecamp software you can use that in the same way,
except is calculates elevation gain/loss from the data in the track file.

Sites like www.caltopo.com works too, but they smooth out the tracks, which
means they remove some of the data points, and thus some of the elevation
gain/loss data is lost as well.

Here's how the elevation gain/loss in feet compares for section A.
Garmin Basecamp: 15738/15650
Google Earth: 13119/12987
Caltopo: 10352/10221



As I said earlier, the number points affects the results.  If I use the
track files from http://www.pctmap.net/gps-url-loading/, which has all the
track points, here's my results of elevation gain/loss in feet for section
A.
Garmin Basecamp: 24271/24154
Google Earth: 13358/13227
Caltopo: 10727/10596

The results in Basecamp are incredibly different now, especially when
Halfmile's printable maps say the elevation gain/loss in feet is
16452/16335. I opened this track file in Excel to double check, and I also
came up with 24271/24154.

Since I can most directly see how the results in Basecamp are calculated, I
trust it the most. Using the full gps data for the entire trail in
Basecamp, the elevation gain/loss in feet is 649181/648156.

All the results above are limited by the gps devices that created the track
data, which was probably a consumer grade device.  Professional gps
hardware would be able to pin point the locations, including elevation, to
centimeters or less.  There was a trail angel a few years ago that had
planned to use a pair of professional gps devices to map out the trail, but
I don't know what happened to that.




On Sun, Feb 23, 2014 at 11:33 AM, b j <xthrow at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I'm looking for total PCT elevation gain / loss stats, ideally also broken
> down by state.  (How much did we really go up and down?)
>
>
> The only place I've found mention of it is on Mike & Sarah's blog -
> http://www.mspct.com/pct-facts/ and they don't reference where they got
> the info.  I'm hoping we can locate an official source of this info.
>
> -Porsche
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