Unfortunately, I am afraid that Google Earth is the only available source of data. If it agrees within reasonable limits with the data I have gathered myself (say +/- 100 feet) I will feel comfortable adding it into the mix.

The reason I am trying to gather these data is so that I can come up with a reasonable estimate of total cumulative elevation gain, distance traveled, and elapsed time before leading a group hike, so people can evaluate whether or not that particular hike is suitable to their abilities.

We have a fairly active hiking group, sometimes as many as 30-40 people show up and choose among the three hikes offered that day: Short, Medium, Long. The short hike usually runs about two hours with less than 1,000 feet elevation gain. The Medium hike about three and a half to five hours, less than 3,000 feet elevation gain. The Long hike... well, anything goes. We had one where we missed a trail turnoff, ended up with about 4,000 feet gain, eleven hours. And one memorable hike where a "shortcut" didn't work out so well and the hikers spent the night on the mountain. Only two hikers were on that one, we would never take a group out on an exploratory hike.

We hike in a group twice a week, and I go out solo on Sundays with Amber, my apricot colored standard poodle who positively lives for these outings in the mountains. The intriguing thing about the group is that the five fastest, strongest, best hikers in the whole group, the ones that nobody can stay with, are all women in their 60's and 70's. I am one of the strongest male hikers, and there is no way that I can stay with what I call the "Fearsome Five." Oh, it is so humiliating to be humbled by those "gurrls". I tease them unmercifully, and they just smile and walk away up the mountain, leaving me in the dust. I love it!

tanstaafl.