Bivouac Backcountry Series: Recreational Map Products
Each map in our topo map series, the Bivouac Backcountry Series, consists of a full-colour topographic map and a supporting information guide for both hikers and skiers. Here's a list of features from our Garibaldi Park map that make this backcountry topo map series unique.
Topographic Map Features
Beautiful shaded topographic relief. The Map Products use soft shadows and highlights to accentuate the subtle changes in the slope of the terrain, somewhat as if you were viewing the topography from an airplane or satellite. With the addition of shaded topo relief, the maps look spectacular and are very instructive; if you study a part of the backcountry that you thought you knew intimately, you'll see all sorts of things you hadn't noticed before. You'll also notice that the sunlight originates from the northwest (upper left section of the map). This is to counter the effect of 'relief inversion'; an optical illusion that makes peaks and valleys appear to be inverted when the sunlight is from the southeast (in the northern hemisphere).
Updated glacier extents. The glaciers in Garibaldi Park appear to be shrinking. However, if you were using Map Products based on TRIM data (from the B.C. government) or NTS data (from the federal government), you'd never know it — they are shown to be the same extents as when the maps were published (quite a while ago). Our maps will have the most recent extents shown because we base the data on current satellite data. This is something that is often overlooked on maps.
25 metre contour interval. While comparably scaled NTS Map Products have a contour interval that is about 33 metres, we densified the contours in the Bivouac Backcountry Series Map Products to assist you with interpreting the subtle topographic changes.
GPS-ready and compass friendly. Our Map Products display both a 1000 metre UTM grid and latitude/longitude coordinate pairs to assist GPS users locate themselves accurately. We have also included a 'rose' compass with the current declination and its relative annual change for those of you using a trusty "analog" compass.
Routes are clearly marked with distances. The most popular hikes and ski traverses are clearly marked on the topo map. The summer routes are marked in green and the winter routes in blue (i.e. you can only cross a lake on foot when it is frozen — it gets a blue trail). The start / finish of each section of the ski traverse is clearly marked by a little triangular indicator (see image above). We have found that including distance markers is very useful for trip planning because you now have something to use as a gauge. The topo map routes are based on GPS waypoint data.
Named peaks and summit elevations. All of the peaks names are based on official provincial and federal toponymy databases. Elevations are based on B.C.'s TRIM spot heights, so they are pretty accurate — most of the time. We've included as many peak names as were available at the time of publication. As for the spot elevations, we included as many as were needed for you to take a bearing when you are out there and need to know the elevation of an unnamed peak.
Clear access to all trailheads. Knowing how to get to the trailhead can sometimes be a confusing matter when you have to deal with logging and/or resource roads. We have clearly indicated all roads that provide access to the areas we map - not every road ever built, but the ones that are still in working condition (yes, we know that 'working condition' is a relative term depending on what type of vehicle you have).
Most popular routes to traverse the Garibaldi Névé. Unique to the Garibaldi Park topo map is the clearly marked set of Névé backcountry ski traverses. The locations of the Névé ski traverses are based on GPS waypoint data.
Info Guide Features (reverse side of topo map)
Beautiful landscape photos of Garibaldi's views and vistas. The reverse side of the topo map is adorned with stunning photos of the areas you can explore in the backcountry. The photos included in each info guide are sent to us from the very people who play in the backcountry. The authors of these beautiful photos graciously donate their art to our projects. For that we thank you. We always welcome new submissions, there's always a map on the way.
Detailed hike and traverse descriptions. The descriptions on the back of the map go hand in hand with the routes on the map itself and are based on information contained on the Bivouac.com website.
Stay current with access bulletins on Bivouac.com. Another great planning feature we offer on our maps is a result of a partnership with the good folks at Bivouac.com. What we have done is cross-referenced our access roads with Bivouac.com's so you can check out the latest road and trail conditions available on the Bivouac.com website.
Traverses with elevation profiles. As mapping geeks, we decided it would be useful to include some elevation profiles for the most popular hikes and ski traverses in the Garibaldi Park area. They are easy to read and include key elevations along the profile so you can locate yourself as you go.
Locations for shelters and huts. If there are huts or shelters in the area, we'll include them in the info guide. All shelters will have UTM coordinates (NAD83), their name and amenities, if any. This example shows the locations of the huts in Garibaldi Park.
