Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mt Whitney from Google Maps

Google is progressing on their mapping. I just searched on Whitney Portal, CA, and they show the road, but not the trail.

But then if you use the Satellite option and drag the map, you can move it to the Mt Whitney summit. From there, it shows the JMT!

I was able to follow it by dragging the map all the way north to almost Florence Lake. Actually, they stop before Muir Trail Ranch.

It is SO cool! Some places, they get off route with their trace of the trail, though. You can see that near Trail Crest.

Here's a Link to the Whitney summit.

They have the trail from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows and over Donohue Pass, but it stops there, too. And the Yosemite section is not labeled.

And then if you use Google Earth, you can tip the terrain a little bit and get the 3D effect... makes the passes look as scary as they are. What fun!!

I agree, the 3D option is awesome. We use it all the time to look at trails & canyons.

Ron

I've got this posted next to my desk. Helps to keep my motivation up.



I know the pinpoints aren't exact, but I'm still learning this google earth thing.

I can't tell you how many hours of my life I've wasted scrolling around on Google Maps.. I spent an hour last night looking at possible kayaking trip locations down in Florida and Georgia. And it is really great when you go hiking and can get a .KMZ file from someone that will depict the route up the mountain for you. Here is a recent track that I used when I hiked the Barr Trail up Pikes Peak last month:



A similar KMZ route file would be useful for people looking at the route going up the Mountaineers Route. I haven't stumbled across one yet..

BeachAV8R

Google maps and Google Earth are sure fun.

But all of you are replying about how great Google Earth is, and I really do agree.

However, my original point was that Google Maps (not Google Earth) has improved in that it shows trails -- even where you cannot see them in the satellite pictures.

Google Earth does not show any trails, unless you can see it in the picture.

So for hike planning, especially for long backpacks, you can follow your planned route on your computer.

With Google Earth, somebody has to first supply a gps file to find the trail. I am sure they will eventually merge everything, but until then...

Wow!

Neat view of the trail.

It all looks so easy . . .

I see it now. They even have some of the little local trails, cool. Although google earth has marked trails if you activate them. You may need to update google earth, and activate the trails under the national parks tab. nice to know though, especially if a computer doesn't have google earth on it and you want to check something really fast.

Yes I view the trails in Google Earth quite often for National Parks, but not sure if they include National Forests and other trails. It'd be great if they added them though.

I have a GPS unit and have all my hikes from the past few years saved as .gpx files that I can view in Google Earth...much fun to fly around them in 3D!

Ooooh!!! I never pay attention to all those accessories in the software. So I learned something today: In the "Layers" area on the left of the Google Earth window, I checked the boxes for USDA Forest Service and US National Parks, so trails and boundaries show up for both. ...And Google Earth shows the trails, too. Thanks!

Google earth's JMT stops at the same point -- I think it is the Kings Canyon / Sierra NF boundary.

John C. Fremont should have had Google Earth so he wouldn't have gotten lost so many times!! And think what he could name.... everything would be XX fremontii. :/ Google Earth sure does eat up time- but what fun!!

Hi This has nothing to do with Fremont but if you have time read about Plke and Long in Colorado shows a pattern about mountain naming!!!

Yeah..I read something about that. Pike had designated a peak as the highest in the range..and Long got there and thought he saw the mountain Pike was talking about, but in fact it was the wrong mountain. OT..but if any of you get to Colorado..Longs Peak is an incredible hike via the Keyhole Route. It has a bit of everything..Ledges, a Trough full of scree, slabs... Awesome setting..

Marisa and I on Longs:



Chris

There is a clip of the whole trail from Whitney Portal to the summit using Google Earth on Youtube. Search on "Google Earth Mt. Whitney Hike" and you will fing it. I would give you a link, but my computer skills stink.

Now go here and pick up the John_Muir_Trail.kmz file.
With the trail highlighted as explained by Steve and the .kmz file you can do a virtual hike of the JMT hands free.

avid