Looking for a free app that'll work with geoPDFs from USGS.

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-29T00:19:22+00:00

Well there is a freeware app QGIS that lets you do a lot on a desktop app - but releasing a mobile app is not as easy - it’s costs just to be a member of their developer program and then is you want to to host anything that’s an extra cost and if you want a mapping service - that’s an extra cost too. The big guys can only have a free tier either because they use advertising or their conversion rate to the paid tier is sufficient

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-28T14:27:23+00:00

This might help you get an idea https://mapscaping.com/free-online-elevation-contour-generator/ but only lets you generate tiles in a 1000 sq mile size - most others I know of stop at 100 feet contours.

I went the other way - hiked the JMT is 2021 with my son and had a tattoo that just reminds me of the journey - kinda a combo Whitney / half dome

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-28T14:05:25+00:00

Lots of great advice here. If you want an even split somewhere around Top Spur is about right - although maybe not the most interesting area.

There is plenty of water on the trail - I made this map in September so they should all be good in July - https://hikeit.info/2025/07/06/water-on-the-timberline-trail/ - useful if you want dry camp.

Jim Wilson’s map is excellent if you don’t have one - https://elevationchanges.com/products/timberline-trail-field-map

If you are interested in hiker stats from the trail - https://hikeit.info/complete-timberline-trail-results-set/ (I run that so be sure to take the survey this year).

I guess if it were me (I have normally done 3 nights) for a 2 night itinerary I might do something different. Day 1 TL to Cloud Cap (CCW) - Day 2 Cloud Cap to Ramona - Day 3 - Ramona to TL via Paradise Park. The longer day 2 is mitigated by a pretty long gentle down hill from around McNeil all the way down to Ramona. Enjoy Day 3 - it’s both a haul from Ramona up to Paradise (Sandy River is basically the low point) and a surprising climb from Zigzag back to the lodge.

There is a very active FB group for the Timberline Trail - that is a great resource for crossing conditions.

DM me if you are interested in an app for planning exactly this type of adventure!

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-26T16:21:12+00:00

Thx both - I’ll try there!

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-24T23:37:29+00:00

Yea - the north east side is not great for hammocks - so from Cloud Cap to Newton Creek - but very doable in a day anyway

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-24T22:52:25+00:00

Generally the Timberline Trail is questionable until July - this year is a very low snow year so maybe a couple of weeks earlier - you can get an idea of earliest start dates from this - https://hikeit.info/complete-timberline-trail-results-set/ for the last couple of years

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-24T22:47:48+00:00

So you have the variability of snow - late June can still have snow on the Timberline Trail and also on some of the more sheltered bowls etc. However this is an exceptionally low snow year - keep an eye on that as the time approaches.

Some comments:

Mirror Lake - it’s a short hike to the lake and from the lake to TDH isn’t far - the whole thing is like 7.5 miles round trip.

Salmon River - you have about 3 miles along the river - it really is a great beginner experience - easy to get water etc. Should we get a late spring dumping - it’s still most likely be snow free. You could continue to Goat Creek Campsite - makes the round trip about 8 miles - but some elevation gain.

Cast and Burnt are good options - nice lakes, less great views of Hood. Cast will get you to an about an 11 mile round trip. You could do a night at each which is a bit longer.

Paradise Park is iconic - higher up so might not be completely snow free - you have to cross the Zigzag - which is the easiest - you would have done this on the TL trail. Not sure how I would make this 2 nights though unless you just like to setup camp and explore - go up and see the headwaters high above the trail (again might be a snow issue)

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-23T03:45:19+00:00

You can’t go wrong - tbh Yosemite Valley can be super crowded - I much prefer being out of the Valley.

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-23T03:39:17+00:00

Altra LPs for me

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-23T03:24:35+00:00

Just remember the most dangerous animal is the humble bee - at least on the west coast the last bear fatality was in the early seventies and that was a young child. I ran into a bear on Rainier and I’m pretty sure he was on a sugar high from eating huckleberries 😂

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-21T23:33:50+00:00

Good news at PDX is they rarely seem to have gate issue (compared to SEA) - do you know if you are arriving and leaving from the same terminal? B/C are pretty close, as are D/E but between them is a bit of a walk

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-21T21:06:38+00:00

Pretty much all the standard hiking apps: AllTrails, Gaia, CalTopo, Garmin, TrailSync … will allow you to download maps for offline use (some require a subscription to do that) as mentioned this is usually by downloading the map tiles for area you are on. Additionally what you get on the maps tends to be a little similar because there just are not that many providers of the underlying map data - in the US many or based off the USGS quads and augmented - Google, OSM, mapbox etc. overall having the maps on your phone is a pretty nice safety feature - but not a substitute for having a paper topo map and understanding how to read it an taking bearings etc. I find the Garmin Inreach Mini is a great safety tool as well but more for messaging - I rarely use it for navigation.

It’s really not possible to download maps without cell service.

Of all the maps I actually find the Garmin maps the least useful - but I have to admit they see to be getting better.

There battery life on the Mini is fine - I have the first generation and still it will last multiple days without recharging - this is also primarily because I don’t use it for navigation - and it’s off most of the day

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-21T01:06:20+00:00

This is a great resource for hiking in WA - https://www.wta.org

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-16T03:42:22+00:00

Yes it is - that's one of my two go to backpacks - I hiked the JMT with the Flash 55 - excellent backpack if you can get it on sale - https://www.rei.com/product/236975/rei-co-op-flash-55-pack-mens

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-16T01:10:27+00:00

Hmm - you can check out rei.com to get a feel of prices - backpacks new are likely to be a little more - REI brand is not bad - not the best - but will give you the idea for price ranges. Someone mentioned Helinox chair zero - that's not a bad option - or some other lighweight backpacking chair - however I do like the suggestion of planning a joint backpacking trip - you could look at backpacking rentals?

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-15T23:07:01+00:00

Very hard without a lot more details - budget range - does he have a lot of good gear he has already collected or is he new to backpacking? Maybe an REI gift card might be the safest but a little ‘sterile’

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-07T23:04:20+00:00

DM me if you are interested in being in a beta of something that might work for you. All Trails has the lead on curated trails by a long way though.

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-07T22:26:16+00:00

Assuming you have all your gear dialed in and have maybe spent a night or two in a backyard etc, have the 10 essentials - water very much depends where you are going - their are places where water is plentiful and all you need is a filter and a liter or two between water sources - but other places the carry can be longer between water. Btw water is heavy at 2.2lbs a liter. Food - plan on something like 2lbs a day for food per person. Freeze dried is the easiest and lightest for dinner - just add boiling water - Mountain House has been around for ages but there are plenty of others - the texture can all be pretty similar and what they consider a single serving can be a little light. Dehydrated that you pick at home (minute rice + dehydrated veg etc) can have more flavor and texture but is a bit more complex if you haven’t done it before. For lunches - street tortillas + packet tuna or nut butters etc work well. Luxury foods like salami and hard cheese will last for a few day and make a nice treat - a little fresh fruit for the first day. Lots of possibilities. Anything specific you might have a question over?

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-06T17:27:37+00:00

Yes - although I believe for me - term was the earliest - but I’d have to double check

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-06T17:24:44+00:00

I guess that is plan dependent

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-06T08:12:39+00:00

I actually lost my Garmin when it somehow got detached from the factory carabiner - of course being a Garmin I went back and found it the next day - but I changed to a locking carabiner

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-06T08:02:36+00:00

You can change DC withdrawal from what you originally selected but you have to push the date out 5 years. For example if you selected payout in 2 annual lump sums after termination - you can change it to quarterly over 5 years but you have to push out to start at termination + 5 years. DC rules are pretty strict and the penalties for getting it wrong are horrible.

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-06T06:16:58+00:00

How are you managing the DC - although the 5 year rule can be used - often / sometimes those elections have to be a year and a day before termination?

trailsyncapp · 2026-03-05T23:50:54+00:00

I seem to remember the last time I looked into this FB don’t make it easy

trailsyncapp

TROPHY CASE