Order a CD Full of Topo Maps!

As you've probably noticed, the Detailed Hiking Maps for each hike are not that good. They don't quite have the resolution to show every nuance of the original maps. Plus, it is a pain to print a large map from an Internet browser (although look at How to Use this Site for advice here).

The author didn't do this on purpose. He tried his best to balance downloadability with utility, and this is what you get.

Real topographic maps are available in scanned form. They are called "DRG's": Digital Raster Graphics, and they are made by the U.S. Geological Survey. They probably are available for free downloading from somebody's Web site, but they are big files: ranging from 4 to 18 megabytes per map. This seems beyond the average Web user, although with the advent of DSL, things may change.

The author has assembled a CD-ROM with the following:

• some 80 DRG's, all the topo maps needed for this book
• a free ArcInfo product called ArcExplorer, which lets you do three things: 1) view and print the maps more flexibly than Web browsers allow; and 2) get coordinates from them, in case you have a GPS and want more waypoints
• this complete site of Hikeidaho.com, all 25 megabytes of it, to reduce your download times and allow laptop use in the field

He sells this CD for $30.00 + $1.50 sales tax. He thinks it's a good deal that will help pay for this Web site.

He knows it works on Windows 95, is pretty sure it works on Windows 98 and Windows NT, and doubts it would work smoothly on a Macintosh (although the DRG's are in a special TIF format, they may somehow be useable on the Mac). He's willing to back it up, though--if you order and you're really not satisfied, send the thing back and you'll get a refund.

Unfortunately, he is not yet a Fortune 500 company, and the only way to get one of these CD's is to order it by snail mail. Send a check to: Challenge Expedition Company, Box 1852, Boise ID 83701, and write on the outside "CD order". You'll get a fairly quick response.

When you get the CD, just make sure you read the darned "readme.txt" file!!!!!