multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

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mcds
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multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by mcds » September 12th, 2014, 1:08 pm

The Field Guide lists the wilderness boundary at mile 2.6 on trail 406, Herman Creek Trail. Wilderness.net has the current boundary at the junction with the Gorton Creek Trail, which would be mile 1.3 in the Field Guide. The USDA webpage map concurs, as does its text "Expansion of Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness in 2009 includes the Gorge Face and Larch Mountain additions. The Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness - Gorge Face includes the cliffs, canyons, and waterfalls from Oneonta Creek west to Viento Creek in Hood River County. The northern boundary of this addition is within one mile of the Columbia River." , as does the map referenced in the 2009 law.

http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org ... k_Hike/Log

Image

Similar errors for other trails, such as Gorton Creek Trail.

Perhaps this aspect of the Field Guide was not revised after the 2009 expansion of the Mark O Hatfield Wilderness Area.

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bobcat
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Re: multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by bobcat » September 12th, 2014, 3:10 pm

@mcds: I'm sure you're correct that the text of those pages hasn't been revised since the 2009 additions. I'm hoping that the editors who posted those pages will come forward and make updates.

Otherwise, I might find time to do it at some point, but I'll wait and see what the original authors can do . . .

mcds
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Re: multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by mcds » September 13th, 2014, 1:23 pm

The errors are, of course, 5 year old dating back to 2009. I would think that TKO would want the information on their website to be accurate, especially regarding regulations pertaining to trailwork. For example, TKO may be directly (or indirectly) responsible for this wilderness violation: http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... 25&t=17486

The most simple correction would be to simply delete the row, which ought to occur now. Insertion of row for the true mile marker could come later, if at all. The Field Guide is not consistent in this regard.

The webpages do not indicate an author (if there is an author; rendering off a database would seem more likely). In case my post was not clear about which pages have errors, here is a screenshot:

Image

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Grannyhiker
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Re: multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by Grannyhiker » September 13th, 2014, 6:19 pm

The problem with a wiki site such as the Field Guide is that it depends on the original volunteer authors to continue maintaining the pages. A number of those authors, including some of the most prolific, have moved on.

Not only were the wilderness boundaries changed in 2009, but it took a few years after that for reasonably accurate revised maps to appear. I understand that sine of the original mapping software is no longer around.

In other words, with those sections whose authors are no longer around, it's going to take observant users to notify the folks here and plenty of volunteers to step up and help with the maintenance, replacing those who have left.

I still find the Field Guide an excellent resource, but it will stay good only as long as there are plenty of willing volunteers to maintain it regularly.

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bobcat
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Re: multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by bobcat » September 13th, 2014, 6:41 pm

I've deleted the wilderness boundary milestones for the trail logs mentioned. You're right, they should have been done a few years ago and those editors were active then (and some still are now). We shouldn't just write up a hike and then forget about it.

Actually, I don't post trail logs for my own Field Guide entries because I would never use them myself since I have actual maps (and it is recommended that all people using the Field Guide bring their proper maps on a hike). They're very labor intensive and add an extra layer of revision should that be necessary.

mcds
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Re: multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by mcds » September 15th, 2014, 12:26 pm

Grannyhiker wrote: ... wilderness boundaries changed in 2009, but it took a few years after that for reasonably accurate revised maps to appear.
The map that I linked to in the OP has a creation date of July 2007.
Grannyhiker wrote: In other words, with those sections whose authors are no longer around, it's going to take observant users to notify the folks here ...
The USFS holds TKO responsible for what is on ph.org. That is absurd to me. But TKO is accepting it. So the onus in on TKO, not the users who contributed to TKO's cause by generating free content.

========================

To me the obvious solution is to delete all the references to wilderness boundaries, which would take about 30 minutes with script access to the content directories -- delete all occurrences of the phrase 'Wilderness Boundary' and variations. The row in my screenshot would remain, but the location entry would be empty. It's been 5+ years since 2009 boundaries took effect.

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retired jerry
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Re: multiple wilderness boundary errors in Field Guide

Post by retired jerry » September 24th, 2014, 6:43 am

I just noticed this. I wonder if Steve or I put that in there.

Another problem is that when someone goes on a trip for a week, I don't necesarily look at all posts that occurred while I was gone :)

I think the wilderness sign is still at mile 2.6. They haven't updated it either.

There are lots of other errors like that. I guess I'll have to give back my salary. It doesn't matter if something is 100% accurate at the time of writing, or the time someone leaves a trailhead - things can change at any time. At least there's a lot of useful information in the fieldguide and people have to be prepared for anything to be wrong.

One thing good about an on-line guide is it's easier to update than a printed book. Like the Timberline Trail crossing of Muddy Fork was closed for a while, reflected in the field guide, then fixed, and the fieldguide was then updated.

Thanks for fixing that Bobcat

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