Day 216 Letterfrack, Ireland - what im upto today

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cool map

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Today ill post my journal on here.. i'll try to keep it more concise.
(as my regular journal is quite long) ..
and i'm still going through it ..

Before I forget
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/frejwilk

I was looking at this guys route across canada.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/categories/?o=rzyi&category_id=200&doctype=journal&page=1
There's 35 journals list in the coast to coast category.. some are east/west some are west/east.
and go diffrent ways.

So to put it in English for those who arent a active GPS user, and like mapping and stuff.

Here it is:
I'm collecting the routes that people take when they cycle across canada. .. and getting as much detail as possable.

As im creating a map (now finally i now how) and can (real soon) set it up as a Zip file that people can download. .. and put it onto their GPS Device and it should work.
It shows a whole bunch of lines across Canada... and shows the different types of trails.
Highway/ Road / Gravel trails.
I dont know yet but i think i can include the dirt trail too.
But perhaps its fine to include the Dirt/Gravel trail.

So, it's neet that google maps is getting better and better.
What i like is this collaberating. .. so then i can email the people who cycled the route themselves, and ask them to edit it if they want.

How i figure it's OK todo is simple.
The people who post their route online do so for I simple reason:
They want to help out those who are planning to take on the challenge the next year.
..
So they post their journey online (and do so with the best of their ability)
So i see all kinds of ways people track their journey.

Some people just send out emails to everyone (on their list) and that's it.
Others post blogs... as other people can find it, and follow along each day, as new posts get done.

And others post onto CrazyGuyOnAbike.com as there too, is tonnes of visitors to the site.

It has the map making option where i can list my basic route. So thats great.

Other people just have it in the written form.. and arnt really concentrating on posting EVERY campsite and location and address and website and photo of the place, and recommendations... and my own photos, and my actual journal... which talks about what happened that day.
So then its a way that others can follow along.

What i found when i was going across was how many other cyclists where going across, and were using a route which they got from someone else.. and coping from them.

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My problem was that it was SOO hard to navigate around.. and decide on which route to take. .. as there is no Cycling map which shows the complete country.. and lists all the Campgrounds and Bike Shops and the trails that other people did across the country.
So there isn't much togo by.
As with each info center i get a new leaflet and it shows the local map of what's here.
... But if im only going to be in the town for a minuite, i just want to see where the recommended cycling routes are. ... How to get THROUGH and pass the town. .. and if the town has a nice river trail.. would be nice to take that. trail. .. Or, if time is running out, and im sticking closer to a plan... I'd like to know the distance to the next campground. ..

SO having all the campgrounds listed.. So then the user just needs to click on the Campground icon that they see close.. and it shows the details. .. What it's called.. what the phone number is. .. and what street it's on. and (depending on the device there using) they can see a photo of what the place looks like.


F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(2070673411, 'http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2130/2070673411_5a6d4fc72d_t.jpg', '3.1444');
View Sam Vekemans' map
Taken in (See more photos here)


click here to add a description " form_content="Connamera National Park, Letterfrack, Ireland" hash_id="2070673411">Connamera National Park, Letterfrack, Ireland


Humm. copying from Flickr doesnt work like it does when i copy the photo onto google maps.

...
So anyway.

This morning i found another route across canada. on google maps
So i made it to a map file that i can see it on my GPS.

What im doing is simply copying the route as it's shown.. and posting it onto the map.

For those routes which dont have a map. .. what im doing is making a google map which has links back to where the information was copied from.
As sometimes the infromation shows where the people stayed and other places of interets.
So what i do in the notes of the route is paste the weblink and the title of where i came from.

So if anyone wanted to check it out, they can easily.

What i'll do is have the KML file, and the KML streem of info. .. along with the GPX file (that people can use if they have Mapsource (which comes with the GPS unit when you buy it)

As the GPS doesnt come with maps, you need to eithor dont get a map... and just use the device as a way to record your own tracks. .. or just use the base map provided.
or you can buy TopoCanada and see the elevations.
YOu can also download a free version of the Topo maps for canada.. and those get updated often. ... (but it's really ownly map makers who need to keep up with the latest info... as there are website which have the updated points of interested (ie. . campgrounds across canada) others might have added to the file)

So anyway those files.. .the actual routes of each person going across the country. .. and where the places of interest are.

Oh ya,
I created a flickr group for 'Bike Across Canada'
hopefully those who cycled the country will find it.
I now have a link to it on this page somewhere.

I also added a donations button.
Once I get the word out more on this map. .. and more people start downloading it, and using it. .. that should create some momentum. .. as people would use the file.. and hopefully respond in kind, by sharing their routes.
(however detailed they know how to)
Or they could email it to me.

But it would be better if everone used Everytrail.com or Bikely.com .. and maybe even CrazyGuyOnABike.com (if the website admin lets you) post your full route GPX file onto there. so then if can be shared.

As this map will be updated more and more each time.
So for now, it's a listing of the different routes that people take when going across the country.
... so that will be a tonne of small lines.. clear across the country.
Then what i'll post is a heavier line, which shows the highway route across the counry.

then a different line for the recommended road route. .. then a line for the trail route.

So people can pick and choose what trail they want to follow.
Everyone is different. .. so there really is not just 1 route across the country .. but many routes which do connect with eachother at different points. ...

So the ones im showing as the recommended route is just from looking at those who cycled the country ... and the most popular route as that type.

...
And for the locations of things. ... Well, people just need to be putting those in there (mainly from the smaller trips) as on the big trips... it's too time consuming (but not for me :) ) to be placing a point for every type of thing along your route. .. so those who do enter in info (like types in Bridge) or 'washout' or 'info'.. or 'camp' these things help.
As when i load on peoples routes... i include all the waypoints which they put in also.
So this way. .. the map gets full of great info ...

Enought for now :)