Data-Driven? I just want to play in the mountains!
As our adventures grew more ambitious (remote, long, creative, large groups), we realized that the trip-planning stage was critical. Our workflow has evolved into a thorough process of preparation… collecting beta, weather history, sharing and discussing route and bail-out options, identifying emergency contacts, etc. The computer time is frustrating, but having done the prep work frees us up to enjoy the mountains without extra stress or distractions. Simply put, our preparation process has allowed us to travel further, lighter, and properly prepared to address gear failure, accidents, and bad travel conditions.
The Workshop
Sign up for the workshop/waitlist. You can also sign up for information about potential online versions of the workshop.
The Anchorage workshop costs $100, and is limited to 10 people.
Sunday, January 22nd, 2017
9 AM – 5 PM
Anchorage, Alaska
You need to bring a laptop and smartphone. We will be using Gaia GPS, you should buy it ($20), but if you don’t want to buy it I can provide a demo code.
Is the workshop worth $100?
This workshop is a fundraiser for the Art/Sticker Conservation Campaign. Your $100 will be used to leverage support for conservation campaigns. This campaign has raised $2745 for conservation efforts so far.
The smartphone navigation (Gaia GPS) section is relevant to anyone that does anything outside. Phones are easier to work with (larger screen, better graphics, faster) than standalone GPS units. Gaia GPS offers multiple baselayer options (satellite, terrain, topo, etc.). The basics are straightforward, but we will go into some advanced functionality, such as:
- In a search and rescue scenario, individuals could record their search tracks, then share those tracks via Airdrop (iPhone only, no wifi/cell signal necessary) to identify zones that haven’t been searched.
- Importing Google Earth Imagery (a custom TileJSON import)
- Battery saving techniques
The Mapping and Weather Resources parts of the workshop are most relevant to people that want to plan trips to remote areas that lack documentation.
Rescue Coordination is relevant to everyone, including the in-town friends/partners that might be called upon to help in a search effort.
I’m keeping the workshop small (10 people) so that I can customize the content to match your personal objectives.
My credentials
I have two MS Degrees in the Earth Sciences (UC Santa Barbara and MIT). I worked as a teaching assistant through both programs, and taught environmental science at Alaska Pacific University. I currently work as an environmental data manager/scientist for Axiom Data Science. My work exposes me to online tools that contribute to the success of my trips.
I’ve co-organized successful wilderness trips throughout Alaska: 12 Wilderness Classics, a 55-mile day sprint pace in the Brooks Range, month-long human-powered traverses over Denali, Logan, and Orizaba, North America’s three tallest mountains. In addition to learning trip-planning tools from my adventure partners, most of whom are as dorky as me, I’ve relied heavily on the insights of Roman Dial, Joe Stock, and several Pararescue Jumpers.
Feel free to email me for more information.