[Jim_Kennedy]

A rather important 'trick', Senor Brauer. 

[Charlie Goerges]

Thanks Jeff, and to everyone. Let me know if more or less discussion is desired or if I'm going too slow or too fast. Also, feel free to post questions and observations as the point of this is to help folks who wish to learn how to read a topo to do so.

[Charlie Goerges]

I'm bumping this for folks who might be interested. I'll be continuing the "lesson" tonight.

[Charlie Goerges]

Okay, tonight's lesson will be short on exposition and long on the students' doing some drawing. Before we start, I'll lay out the rest of the syllabus. Tomorrow night we'll turn in our assignments so far for grading/critique. This is because the maps are probably starting to get pretty marked up, and after this assignment we'll be delving into the more complicated stuff.

The assignment for tonight is to trace the path water will flow down from the two cyan-colored dots I've drawn on the map below. Remember that water flows downhill which is perpendicular to the contour lines (this is also the direction a ball will roll). Don't worry about being too perfect with it, just try to get the general idea.









After tomorrow night the discussion will turn toward slope (steepness) and lines of sight. These should hopefully put us well on the way to understanding topographic maps.

[Charlie Goerges]

Now it's time to start turning in your assignments!

Here is my submission.

The red spots represent two spots that are at the same elevation. (you might have to scroll right)

The dark blue lines represent valleys and saddles

The purple lines represent ridges with the line tracing the spine

The light blue lines represent the path I thought the water would take flowing down from the dots I'd placed there last night.








If you've done the exercise please post it to the thread or email it to me if you need help. Also please feel free to "grade" me on how you think I've done. And finally, please ask any questions or make any comments you may have about the topic.

I promise we'll be getting to more complex matters soon, and beyond that we'll try to unpack some of the mysteries of routing.

[TEPaul]

You guys really want to learn how to read a topographic map? OK, it's simple; you just go see Lester!

I swear, if we want to quash the Taliban and win this damn Afgan war in about a week all the US Government and the Defense Dept and the US military needs to do is give Lester a really good topo map of Afganistan and he'll win the damn war for us in about eight days and I have no doubt he will catch that weasel Osama and throw him in for good measure.

What would Lester get out of this? Well, the old US of A will have to let him make a golf course outta Afganistan. Lester told me he thinks he spotted a really cool landform for a hole on the satellite but he can't decide if it should be a par 59 or par 60 hole. He says it looks like it has some really cool natural options though.

[Charlie Goerges]

TEP,

Let me say; and I truly believe this; even YOU can learn to read a topographic map! You just need to get your mind out of the gutter and onto important things, like golf.

[Lester George]

Charlie,

I will hopefully be seeing TEP soon and we will be beginning his topo lessons.  I have taught hundereds (if not thousands) of people military terrain reading and map and compass courses, I guarantee you he can (and will) learn it just to continue to hang around with me, Glenn and Nathan.

As a sidebar, once upon a time I was qualified as an expert with seven different weapon systems (ARMY).  I am certain I could dust off my skills a little and do all the stuff TEP said.  Only problem is I would have to get all new BDU's because my old ones don't fit anymore.  I would definitely have to get back in shape as manhunting does demand better physical conditioning than one might imagine. 

Given all that, if I had the opportunity, I think I could still take (and make) the shot.  If only we lived in TEP's world where I could get the chance.

Lester

[Charlie Goerges]

Just thought I'd bump this and see if anyone else wants to cover the materials up to this point.

Also, am I going too slow, too fast, too much information? I just want to make sure that this thread is useful for those who are interested.

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