also known as love of maps. when i wore a younger man's clothes, living in southern arizona, before hiking into a backcountry area, i would buy a topo (topographical) map and carefully highlight the elevation contour lines, using different colors to mark the ascending 500 ft. or 1000 ft. intervals. it was time-consuming, but when i was done, i was intimately familiar with the ridges and canyons of the terrain before ever setting foot there.
road maps, topo maps, satellite maps, they all have their own fascination. recently my old friend bill in chicago sent me a link to a great website, one that is devoted to trails and campsites in national parks and recreation areas across the country. when you click on the link, you can get your bearings by first clicking on the "map" tab, then on the "home map" tab. this will give you an overview of the continental u.s., with road, satellite, terrain or topo map options, as well as representative photos. you can explore from there.
because it's all about exploration, isn't it?
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