Satellites, duct tape used to map bike trails

The technology, called Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, is used for a variety of tasks, from documenting the location of an abandoned mine shaft to determining the precise area a wildfire burns.

Satellites thousands of miles above the Earth broadcast radio signals back to the surface, allowing GPS units to estimate their location to within a stone's throw of the actual latitude and longitude.

Then, by taking a reading every five seconds, a moving GPS can gather up reference points along an unmapped road or trail.

Once collected, the data is downloaded onto a computer and superimposed over existing computer maps that show known roads, property boundaries and the topography of the region.

"Then it's basically like connecting dots," explained Tara Montgomery, a geographic information systems specialists with Bureau of Land Management in Winnemucca.

"She pretty much set it up and all I had to do was hit go," said Chuck Austin, owner of the Bikes and More bike shop, who volunteered to GPS the Bloody Shins mountain bike trails in the nearby Sonoma Mountains. "And figure out a way to get it on the bike."

Not to mention ride more than 40 miles of trails. But Austin was more concerned about securing the unwieldy yellow unit and its battery and antennae to his bike.

Using duct tape and plastic ties, he attached the GPS unit to the handlebars of his mountain bike and mounted the antennae onto his helmet.

After four days of riding, he turned the unit over to Montgomery.

"She downloaded it, went whipping through, changing things - I don't know what she was doing, but I could tell she'd done it before," Austin said.

Montgomery superimposed the GPS data Austin gathered onto a computer data base of existing maps to develop a working map of the Bloody Shins trail system.

With Austin's input, the trails have been color coded to depict beginner, intermediate and advanced routes.

The mapping was a cooperative effort between the BLM, the Winnemucca Convention and Visitors Authority and Austin's store.

"Our main intent was to establish a well-marked course, one we can use to build into a national trail that people want to come here and utilize and ride," said Mike Holbert, acting manager of the Winnemucca BLM field office.

Austin said travelers often stop by his shop and ask about places to ride mountain bikes.

"Most of them see the mountains and want to know where to go," he said. "If we can send them there and they have a route to follow ... they can find it."

Mike Bilbo, BLM recreation planner, said marking and improving the trails will be a focus of this year's National Public Lands Day on Sept. 26.

"The whole idea is to get (the trails) designated as official and get them onto the national trail system," Bilbo said. "That will open them up for possible maintenance funds and allow us to look for people to adopt trail segments or whole trails."

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