Feds are updating Alaska topos

[sardog1]

"Starting in 2013, the National Geospatial Program began creating US Topo maps in Alaska, providing a comprehensive update to the 15-minute 1:63,360-scale printed maps produced nearly 50 years ago. The new digital maps will be created at 1:25,000 map scale, and will show greatly increased topographic detail when compared to the older maps. The map scale and data specifications were selected based on significant outreach to various map user groups in Alaska.

Schedule
Over the next 6 to 8 years, over 11,000 US Topo maps will be created to cover all of Alaska at a 1:25,000 map scale. Approximately 400 maps will be created by October 2013, with an additional 700 maps expected by October 2014 (see graphic). Maps can only be created where satellite imagery and highly detailed elevation data exists."

US Topo Maps for Alaska

 

[Nessmuk]

Well it's about time. I tried looking at the existing USGS topo maps for paddling the Yukon River (for the Yukon 1000 mile canoe race that I have done twice, with more to come). Especially in hundreds of miles of the "flats", the topos are worse than useless, since the river has changed its course so much with many large oxbows and islands appearing or disappearing, with some differences amounting to many miles of course change. One could become very confused and lost trying to correlate actual position with a topo map.

For the canoe race, it is critical to choose the right passage around bends and islands and to avoid shallows of ever changing and semi-permanent shoals. I found using Google Earth to be very effective and accurate, even though parts of the river can change somewhat every year. Most GE imagery is only a couple of years old or less, and the registration with GPS coordinates when actually on the river is excellent.

 

[TJsName]

Already changing things: Denali is 83 feet shorter!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/12/us/mount-mckinley-shrinks/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[DougPaul]

Somehow, I would have expected that the summit altitude of Denali would have been measured with a survey grade GPS by now and any deviation from the traditional altitude would have been known before the current survey.

Doug

 

[peakbagger]

Wonder is they will do what they did in Maine and issue them as "provisional" and then never issue the final versions?

 

[sardog1]

Already changing things: Denali is 83 feet shorter!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/12/us/mount-mckinley-shrinks/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

So I guess the Seven Summits just got easier. Where'd I put those crampons?