ROT Denali Rangers 2019

Remote Overland Travel: Route Planning and Navigation

Denali Rangers
March, 2019
Contact: Luc Mehl

These resources are described in some detail, including video tutorials, at thingstolucat.com.

A data-driven approach to remote overland travel allows you to identify best routes, bailouts, and best-guess at current conditions.

Remote Sensing

MODIS: 2x daily, low resolution, NASA Worldview
Landsat: Sentinel Hub
Sentinel 2 L2A: 4-5x /week, best resolution, EO Browser

Other imagery

Bing Aerial (ESRI Worldview)
Arctic DEM

Weather

Current conditions: AOOS Real-time Sensor Map
Forecast: windy.com
Historic: AOOS Historic Sensor Map

Route planning

Caltopo

  1. $20 annual subscription to access the superoverlay.kml (Free upgrade for SAR)
  2. Download the superoverlay.kml to view topo map, etc.
  3. printing maps

Gaiagps.com

Google Earth

  • different flavors
  • import topo (superoverlay.kml or Earth Point)
  • layers
  • historical imagery
  • elevation profile
  • slope % to degrees
  • create route
  • share route

Navigation

Gaia GPS app

  • app features
  • satellite layers: ESRI Worldview (premium) and custom import Google Earth basemap (zoom level preview, 63.1, -151), map source:
http://mt0.google.com/vt/lyrs=s&hl=en&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}&s=Ga
  • slope angle shading overlay
  • import route
  • hidden features: line of sight, distance and bearing
  • share/import/export/airdrop
  • manually enter point (choose 2 of these)
    • 63.065852°, -151.009386°
    • 67° 4’46.94″N, 158°56’32.86″W
    • 62° 6.858’N, 144° 39.006’W
    • 4 V, 551721.70 m E, 6305751.73 m N
  • import point/route from text or email
  • battery life