What's going on with the trail maps?

Why haven't I added a lot of new maps based on my explorations of the past couple of years?

Short answer: I've found a better way to make the trails visible to a world-wide audience on a more permanent basis.

Check out: OpenStreetMap.org

As you zoom in to the "Minuteman" area around Lexington, Bedford, and Concord, you'll see the trails which have been loaded into the map. You can print or save any area of interest. You can get apps for your iphone or other smart phone which will show you your current position on OSM, and you may be able to extract the OSM data to generate maps to load onto your GPS (depends on a lot of factors, but it works for me).

If you are a GPS user who is able to collect "tracks" of your movements, you can also add to OpenStreetMap.org (OSM) to help popularize your favorite trails. Tim Berners-Lee is a frequent trail-track contributor in the Minuteman area.

To allay one concern that I have heard, about having one's favorite trails overrun with new walkers or bike riders, keep in mind that (at least) in the Minuteman area, there are enough trails that there is little danger of your trail being overrun with new users simply because you have marked it in OSM.

By marking the trails in OSM, people may learn the safe and pleasant ways (literally "side-walks") which will allow them to travel to their favorite destinations without an automobile. I've found some wonderful paths which will lead me from Lexington to Walden Pond with very minimal riding on the roads. What a great way to get out there for an afternoon's swim... with "organic trails" along several parts of the path, and almost never encountering another walker or rider along the way, except along the Battle Road itself.

Anyone who can spell "XML" can probably figure out how to do it (add GPS-based trail information), but you can contact me if you have trouble after reading the OSM wiki and forums.

I expect to continue this blog with more of an emphasis on the "Organic Trails" approach, philosophy, and business model soon.