OpenStreetMap
Fixing up the area around High Mountain in West Virginia. I'm amazed how inaccurate some of the map data is. Most of the roads came from the TIGER import. All of us who own land on the mountain have always had a hard time accurately representing our roads. We all know where they are, but it's hard to send people a map or have someone follow their GPS on the mountain. Auto GPSs are comical, sometimes telling people to head off the road and into the trees. Fortunately, nobody pays attention.
I've found an equal mix of:
- Old logging grades that haven't been used in a long number of years marked as roads.
- Roads very simplified - like just a few lines - sort of abstract roads. It illustrates the concept but the locations are way off.
- Roads shown that don't exist and never did - hiked in to where TIGER showed some roads and found mature trees and no sign of any grade.
Been having lots of fun walking around the mountain with my GPS. Accurate mapping info will be a big plus!
Discussion
Comment from GeoDave5280 on 21 August 2010 at 03:50
Not just WV. Colorado mountains (or plains--anywhere away from the cities) has the TIGER problem. I've been trying to fix Keystone, CO, but the photos are of a small scale and, when they were taken, it looks like several feet of snow were on the ground--not an easy task.
I see you're near Seneca Rocks. When I was in college in Philadelphia, we'd head down that way for a weekend of caving. I thought (and still do) West Virginia to be awesome!
-Dave
Comment from jmanecke on 21 August 2010 at 13:33
Yeah, there's some great caving around Seneca Rocks. I haven't been in many years, but there are plenty out here. Wild and wonderful. I go skiing in Summit Country regularly and am familiar with Keystone. I'm sure you have the same problem with old mine roads and other mountain grades that I have here with logging roads and other forest access roads.
Sometimes I wonder how the initial TIGER data set got put together. I think someone sat down in a bar or church picnic with locals and just drew lines on a road map. Something like:
Local - "Yeah, my dad took me up there hunting a few years back. We drove up in our pickup."
(draws line on map)
Mapper - "OK, then I'll make that a road. It must connect to this one since it's nearby on my piece of paper."
(draws connection to another non-existent road)
John