Question about trails

[stebaldi]

So I downloaded the CA Topo maps from here.  I got them loaded in both basecamp and my oregon 450.  I found the trail I want to hike this weekend and it is listed as a trail on the CA topo maps (i.e. when I put the pin right on the trail it says trail).  I figured that I would be able to put a waypoint on the trailhead and then one at the end and it would route along the trail.  I have read posts where others have said that it will follow the trail as it's laid out in the topo maps.  My routing settings are:

Guidance Method: On Road for time (have tried Off Road too)
Calculate Routes for: Pedestrian
Lock On Road: Yes
Off Road Transitions: Auto
Avoidance Setup: U-Turns = Avoid, all others = Do Not Avoid

Does anyone have any thoughts as to why/if this won't route along the trail.  I could trace the trail in basecamp using the via point if I wanted, but that seems like much more work than just following the gps map once I get to the trail.  Although it would be nice if it just mapped it out for me so I can get an idea of the profile.

[maps4gps]

Most mapsets available on gpsfiledepot are not routable.

You need to purchase a Garmin product for 3D views and elevations along a route/track - so far how they code the elevation grid in their products has not been reverse engineered.

Open Street Map (OSM) maps are routable; your trail may been included.

[stebaldi]

That is kind of what I was thinking.  It isn't really a big deal, I just wanted to know whether it would work.

So if I have the CA Topo map and I was to draw a track and convert it to a route would the oregon 450 be able to pull the topo data off of the CA Topo map and build a profile that way?  If I need/want to have the profile is the garmin topo the only way to go?

[Seldom]

That is kind of what I was thinking.  It isn't really a big deal, I just wanted to know whether it would work.

So if I have the CA Topo map and I was to draw a track and convert it to a route would the oregon 450 be able to pull the topo data off of the CA Topo map and build a profile that way?  If I need/want to have the profile is the garmin topo the only way to go?

You OR won't be able to generate an elevation profile from any of the maps you download from this site.  You'll need a Garmin Topo that includes DEM elevation data.  Including DEM data into a map that Garmin GPSrs can read is only something Garmin knows how to do.

[jbensman]

Draw the track of the trail.

Save it as a gpx file

Go to http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/elevation and add elevation data to the gpx

Save the gpx on your GPS in Garmin\gpx\

Then you can view the elevation profile in track manager

When getting ready to hike the trail, whereto, tracks, then select the track

The 450 will use the elevation data to identify high points and low points and they will be aded to your route.  So you can tell how far it is to the sumit.  You can also add a waypoint along the route and the route will show how far to the waypoints too.

But to be clear, you are using a track, not a route on your GPS.  The 450's track manager is one of its best features.  So you will be navigating the track, not a "route"

[stebaldi]

Thanks.  After some further research this morning I also found that a track would be a better alternative.  This just confirms it.  I will give it a shot tonight after work.

Draw the track of the trail.

Save it as a gpx file

Go to http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/elevation and add elevation data to the gpx

Save the gpx on your GPS in Garmin\gpx\

Then you can view the elevation profile in track manager

When getting ready to hike the trail, whereto, tracks, then select the track

The 450 will use the elevation data to identify high points and low points and they will be aded to your route.  So you can tell how far it is to the sumit.  You can also add a waypoint along the route and the route will show how far to the waypoints too.

But to be clear, you are using a track, not a route on your GPS.  The 450's track manager is one of its best features.  So you will be navigating the track, not a "route"