Eagle Creek Map Error!

[Sore Feet]

This is probably the most egregious situation I can think of, but the USGS is by no means setting a precedent with this inaccuracy. I've come across TONS of mapping errors, ranging from mislabeled or incorrect place names to incorrect or inaccurate topography to streams marked in the wrong place to waterfalls marked too far up or downstream, etc. You'll notice on that map that they're also showing Tish Creek entering Eagle Creek in the pool below Punch Bowl Falls, where it actually enters just upstream. Look at the situation we uncovered regarding Wallalute Falls on Mount Hood, another fine example.

[Don Nelsen]

I contacted the USGS a few years ago about their error on the location of Sturgeon Rock on Silver Star and also the error on Pyramid Rock. It took two years to get it resolved and never did get the Pyramid Rock error resolved. It's just too time consuming and frustrating to deal with, IMO. I would like this to change, of course, but I think it would take a very major culture reset in our government.

dn

[Splintercat]

You'll notice on that map that they're also showing Tish Creek entering Eagle Creek in the pool below Punch Bowl Falls, where it actually enters just upstream

Thanks for mentioning that, Bryan -- I was wondering about that, but couldn't remember which side it came in on.

Tom

[Splintercat]

It's just too time consuming and frustrating to deal with, IMO. I would like this to change, of course, but I think it would take a very major culture reset in our government.

That's pretty much how I feel about the process for adding/correcting geographic names. It's quite absurd. But with the internet, we can simply allow majority rule to do the job, and thus the widely-accepted but "not official" names that are commonly used in our forum.

BTW, if you want to truly go insane, browse the largely geographically-illiterate image posts from Panaromio that show up in Google Earth. I simply leave that feature OFF as it bugs the heck out of me to see the utter carelessness (and/or ignorance) in how most of the images are posted. Ugh!

Tom

[Lurch]

There's a reason I've spent sooo much time collecting info and organizing it!

By in large their elevation profiles are fairly accurate, but names, small land features, and trails are terrible at times, and close guestimations at best.. But remember the info for a lot of these topos were pulled from the 50's, where they weren't using GPS to run trails and didn't have GIS systems and all the fancy stuff we have now.

There's a place out near Dufur where to the best I can tell, somehow, someone mirrored about 2 square miles... roads are *not* where they should be, and terrain does *not* match the map. That is by far the worst that I've seen

[CampinCarl]

By in large their elevation profiles are fairly accurate, but names, small land features, and trails are terrible at times, and close guestimations at best.. But remember the info for a lot of these topos were pulled from the 50's, where they weren't using GPS to run trails and didn't have GIS systems and all the fancy stuff we have now.

+1

[BigBear]

Okay, what do I win if I can name 12 trail-related errors on the PCT map (like junctions that do or do not exist where the map says they are)...and they are not due to the re-routing of the PCT off the Skyline Trail.

[JimSorensen]

Re: Tom's and potato's comments on the location of Sorenson Creek Falls on the map, I believe the location shown is correct, but refers to Upper Sorenson Falls which Brad and I bushwhacked to in 2016, rather than Lower Sorenson Falls which is on the creek side of the trail. That said, I agree re: the erroneous location of Metlako Falls, which dumps into the same pool as Lower Sorenson Falls.

[drm]

Has anybody ever gotten a correction made to a Green Trails map? I think they come out with updates more frequently, so maybe it would be more likely.

When they came out with new wilderness maps for Gifford Pinchot Mt Adams District a few years back, they updated administrative boundaries and some trails, but many things were just left as they were. Some things just change with time, especially glacier extent. My guess is that the things that were updated were already in map overlays, so easy to add or fix.

[Chip Down]

There are certain things that people just assume are authoritative. One example is "the dictionary" (whatever that means). And, of course, maps. Non-hikers (or casual hikers) reasonably assume maps are accurate. I find it particularly interesting that map accuracy hasn't improved in the digital/internet era. Some old paper maps are better than what we have today.

Some things just change with time, especially glacier extent.

This might sound like the rant of a "climate denier", but without any ideology or agenda behind it, I'd like to observe that some glacier terminii are remarkable stable. And there's a particular snowfield I've been watching on Adams that seems to be maintaining its shape decade after decade. I probably have about another 20 years left, maybe 30. Will be interesting to watch what happens.