TheWanderers.Guide - Anyone used it?

[Bill in Roswell]

TheWanderers.Guide appears to have loads of info on hiking, camping, ruins in Utah and surrounding areas with GPS info. Has any one tried his maps and info? He has a Facebook page, but I cannot find any user reviews. I'm considering getting the Southeast Utah info. I do have the WOW book as a source, but having GPS data tracks would be helpful I think. Thoughts?

 

[Bob]

TheWanderers.Guide appears to have loads of info on hiking, camping, ruins in Utah and surrounding areas with GPS info. Has any one tried his maps and info? He has a Facebook page, but I cannot find any user reviews. I'm considering getting the Southeast Utah info. I do have the WOW book as a source, but having GPS data tracks would be helpful I think. Thoughts?

Looks like a lot of info for a lot of well known stuff...

 

[Bill in Roswell]

Yes Bob. I'm already near info overload, But I'm a map guy via cartography and GIS. I will order one map of SE Utah and report on it. I think the guy doesn't know how to market. I will ground truth the map info

 

[Bob]

I have a lot of map, GPS route info. Would have to know more specifics what you are looking for or going

 

[Bill in Roswell]

I emailed the Wanderers Guide owner. He responded next day. Very affable chap. A retired guide, he put his GPS tracks to use by mapping trails with info, to ruins and rock art. Data is compatible with Gaia GPS and Caltopo. He provides KMZ files for Google Earth so you can get a good feel of the terrain in 3D mode. Known campsites are indicated, as are springs.

He said he wants to get everything in place, files, instructions, user download and a proper website. Then he plans to do the marketing. I find that refreshing. So many times maps are released with missing or incorrect data, using the customer as the guinea pig. Wanderers Guide is it doing the right way.

SE Utah data is broken down into group areas so you can just import what you need. For my upcoming trip in Oct, some CO friends and I will camp on Combs Ridge and explore many of the ruins and art sites. He gives trail distance, which is most helpful.

I'm a map a map fanatic, sitting for hours studying the like a person reads a book. I look forward to using this program to plan our day hikes in this trip. I will report back how it went .

 

[TrailScot]

I emailed the Wanderers Guide owner. He responded next day. Very affable chap. A retired guide, he put his GPS tracks to use by mapping trails with info, to ruins and rock art. Data is compatible with Gaia GPS and Caltopo. He provides KMZ files for Google Earth so you can get a good feel of the terrain in 3D mode. Known campsites are indicated, as are springs.

He said he wants to get everything in place, files, instructions, user download and a proper website. Then he plans to do the marketing. I find that refreshing. So many times maps are released with missing or incorrect data, using the customer as the guinea pig. Wanderers Guide is it doing the right way.

SE Utah data is broken down into group areas so you can just import what you need. For my upcoming trip in Oct, some CO friends and I will camp on Combs Ridge and explore many of the ruins and art sites. He gives trail distance, which is most helpful.

I'm a map a map fanatic, sitting for hours studying the like a person reads a book. I look forward to using this program to plan our day hikes in this trip. I will report back how it went .

This website looks interesting, and the guy has obviously put in some 'hard yards' to gather the information. However, I think it may prove to be quite controversial, given that it is effectively selling sensitive archaeological site details.

I notice the 'Utah Full Bundle' offers to provide the locations of 650 cliff dwellings and 520 rock-art panels, which may make some people (and agencies) feel a little uneasy. I realise that the genie is very much out of the bottle, with many site locations now readily available via some internet sleuthing, but to gather so much information in one place is a bit of a gamechanger.

I guess one could argue that the $150 price tag for this particular bundle means that only genuine enthusiasts will purchase it, but once the KMZ file is out there, it could then be widely distributed for free.

I'm all for sharing useful information with trusted friends (thanks to @Bob for his map !), but I doubt I'd want to buy these guides. I'll just stick to scratching my head, trying to figure out just which particular side-canyon Michael Kelsey is referring to on one of his infernal hand-drawn maps

 

[Bob]

I like Kelsey's hand drawn stuff.... Always made for a sense of adventure.!