Join FTA in a GPS workshop and learn how to turn your Trail Toy into a Trail Tool.

A GPS unit can be a powerful trail building tool in knowledgeable hands.  It can help with trail alignment, layout, identifying RTE's and providing land managers and FTA with proposed and completed routes.  Additionally, a GPS unit  is incredibly handy for maintainance purposes such as communicating areas of major blowdowns, damaged bridges, or invasive species to FTA, other trail maintainers and land managers.  Then there is the whole aspect of creating your own custom maps for maintenance and hiking.

This workshop was designed specifically for GPS newbies but old hands can pick up a trick or two as well. Plus there will be lots of time for questions so that GPS users at every level can take advantage of the instructor's experience as well as that of other class members. The training will alternate classroom theory and demonstration with outdoor practice so everyone in the class has the opportunity to really learn how to use a GPS unit.

Some of the topics that will be covered:

• What is GPS and how does it work?
• How to setup a new GPS unit and what all those setup options really mean
• Recording Waypoints
• Creating and navigating routes
• Creating and navigating tracks
• Coordinate systems and why you need to know a little about them
• GPS model recommendations for field work and hiking
• How to handle the computer end of GPS
• Demos of commonly used GPS software
• Online mapping such as Google Earth