How to Read a Topographic Map

Whenever you go hiking it’s important to bring a map with you.  Ideally, this will be a topographic map, which is the kind with the squiggly lines on it. Called contour lines, they can tell you whether you’ll be hiking uphill, downhill, or over flat land.

Learning how to read contour lines is an important skill to learn if you want to become a better day hiker or backpacker. For example, when planning a hike, you can trace the path you plan to take and see whether it has hills or cliffs which might be dangerous and too difficult for the people you’re hiking with climb.  You can do this before you even walk out the door and plan an alternative hike if you want to hike an easier trail.

Contour lines are also important for staying found, during your hike.  If you can match the landforms around you to their corresponding contours lines on a map, you can always keep track of where you are, even without a compass or GPS. While knowing how to use a compass and GPS are important skills, they build on knowing how to read the contour lines on a topographic map.

When reading a topographic map,there are a couple of things you should remember about the contour lines. (Watch the video – it’s quite good.)

1. Every point of the same contour line has the same elevation.
2. One side of a contour line is uphill and one is downhill.
3. Contour lines close to form a circle (or run off the side of the map). The area inside the circle is almost always higher than the contour line.
4. Contour lines are drawn close together on steep ground and farther apart on flat ground.
5. Contour lines form a V patterns when they cross a river or stream valley. The tip of the V always points uphill and the other direction that looks like a  “frown, points down.” I use that phrase to help me remember this.

Practice Makes Perfect

The next time you go for a hike, try to buy a topographic map for the region you’ll be hiking it. If you can’t find a map, try buying a Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer for the state you live in, if you’re in the United States. These books have topographic maps for every inch of a state, and are good for hiking as well as rural road navigation. I keep one for each state in New England in my car.

Locate the area that you’ll be hiking in on your map or Gazetteer and find the trail that you plan to follow. As you hike, take out the map every five or ten minutes and try to match the landforms around you to the contour intervals on the map (this will be easier to do if you hike in a hilly area or along a stream or river).

If you can get in the habit of checking your map every time the elevation or landforms around you change, it becomes very easy to keep track of your location on a hike, regardless of where you are.  Staying found like this and always knowing where you are can be done even if you don’t know how to use a compass yet, and it’s an important navigation skill to master for any hiker.

Topographic Map Reading

When I was learning how to read topographic maps, I developed a little memory heuristic to help remember the difference between contour lines that were going uphill versus those that were descending. I shared this with a hiker on one of my backpacking trips recently and it really helped them understand what the lines mean on a topographic map, so I thought I’d pass it along.

Let’s look at an example. This is a topographic representation of a hill. If you walk in the direction of the red arrow, you cross contour lines that are shaped like a frown, which frequently means you are going downhill.

Now, let’s look at a landscape and then a real map to demonstrate how to use this heuristic in practice.

This is Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire and here’s the topographic map for it from the National Geographic Topo DVD.

Descending Mt Lafayette

If you walk in the direction of the arrow, you will intersect contour lines that are shaped like a frown. While you’ll often be going downhill when this happens, you should still check the elevation markings (numbers) on the contour lines to see if they are descending or ascending, to be sure.

Ravines

This is a case where you can descend from higher ground and not encounter a frown shaped contour line on a map. If you are descending into the head of a ravine, the contour lines won’t look like a frown but will be v-shaped. Take a look at this example below. This area is called Eagle Ravine and it’s a very steep avalanche zone on the northwestern shoulder of Mount Lafayette.

Not a frown, but still going down

As you can see, the contour lines at the point of the V shape are very close together which indicates a steep elevation grade. If you trace the contour lines out from the point of the V you’ll see that they are frown shaped as they approach each other, although it’s a little harder to see their curve until you move father away from the point where they intersect.

This isn’t really a contradiction to the frown is down rule of thumb because there are downhill gradients (and frowns) on either side of the V, but it does highlight the care you need to take when interpreting contour lines that are flatter and less curved, when reading a topographic map.

Lakes and Valleys

If you’re standing at a low point in the landscape like a lake that is surrounded by hills, the frown is down heuristic doesn’t always work if you start walking uphill.  Let’s look at East Pond, which is located just west of Mt Osceola in the White Mountains, for an example of this.

East Pond

In this case, if you walk in the direction of the arrow, you will be crossing frowns but going uphill. You can determine this because the 3000 foot contour line is outside or beyond the 2800 foot contour, indicating an ascent if you walk in that direction.

East Pond

Here’s what East Pond looks like, to help you match the symbols on the map to the actual landscape. As you can see, the landscape forms a saddle between two high points. The best advice I have to give in situations like these is to be sure to check the contour elevations when reading your map, to double check your interpretation of the topographic map you’re using.

KISS Layering in Winter

Many winter hikers use a four layer clothing system:

1. A base layer, consisting of a synthetic wicking long sleeved shirt and long underwear.
2. A fleece sweater as an insulating midlayer.
3. A hard shell jacket and pants as a wind-proof/waterproof layer.
4. A puffy down or synthetic jacket and pants for even more warmth.

During the day when you are active, you’ll most likely be wearing layers 1-3, in addition to gloves and one or more hats, although during periods of high exertion you may take off layers 3 and 2 to vent as much extra heat as possible in order to avoid sweating. If you do sweat, the function of your base layer is to move the sweat away from your skin and into layers 2 and 3 where eventually evaporate without chilling you, because it’s in a higher layer.

Generally, you really only need the 4th insulation layer when you stop for a break, for hanging around camp, or for very cold summit conditions and high windchill.

KISS Layering

When you go to buy winter hiking layers, it’s tempting to buy a jacket that combines layers 2 and 3, the insulating layer with a wind proof shell in order to save money. There are also many coats available that are waterproof hard shells with a built-in fleece liner, snowsport jackets that have added down or synthetic insulation in them, or so-called 3-in-1 component jackets which only contain 2 components, an exterior waterproof/breathable shell and inner fleece/insulated jacket that can be zipped out. While these might be suitable for downhill skiing or riding the school bus, I wouldn’t recommend them for winter hiking, backpacking or mountaineering.

Instead, my advice is to implement each of your layers using a different best of breed garment. This gives you the most flexibility and let’s you select garments that are optimal for a specific function. It’s also far easier to control your heat level with individual garments versus garments that combine two layers into one, and the failure of a single piece of clothing (broken zipper, for instance) will only compromise one of your layers and not potentially two.

Keep it simple: a separate garment for each layer.

Essential camera gear for extreme winter weather

Protect your equipment and yourself when photographing in snow and freezing conditions.

Plastic bag

When your camera is exposed to the cold and is brought into a heated environment, the result is immediate condensation. Wrap your camera and lenses in Ziploc bags, trapping the colder air inside, then unwrap them once you’ve been inside for a few minutes. If you’re on a shoot that requires going in and out, exposing your gear to cold and warmth alternately, allow for a few minutes each time so your gear can adjust.

Extra batteries

In seriously freezing conditions, a cold battery might not function, even if fully charged. One option is to keep a spare battery in a pocket close to your body so that it stays warm, then inserting it when you’re ready to start shooting.

If you’re planning on spending a great deal of time shooting in extreme cold, the best option is to purchase lithium, nicad, or nickel metal hydride (NIMH) batteries, which are known to function well in the cold.

Paint brush

If you drop your camera or other gear in the snow or slush, it’s important to get it off immediately. Brushing it off with your hands, even if gloved, may warm the snow faster, and you run the risk of water seeping in. Keep a paint brush handy to brush the snow off; it works great for getting flakes out from in between little crevices.

Rubber lens hood

Go for a heavy duty model, preferably one that’s adjustable from wide angle to telephoto. If you’re shooting in a storm, place your camera in a plastic bag with a hole cut out for the lens and lens hood. Make sure your lens has a UV filter when shooting in these conditions.

Weatherproof bag

There are plenty of durable, insulated camera bag options out there. Look for those with foam padded insides, and consider accessibility; when you’re wearing six thick layers of clothes and bulky gloves, it’s important that your camera is as easy to get to as possible when the perfect shot presents itself.

Heavy tripod

Lightweight tripods aren’t ideal for extreme cold and winter conditions. Use one that’s either heavy and/or has grips. If a lightweight tripod is all you’ve got and you absolutely have to use it, minimize the risk of damaging your camera by keeping the legs as short as possible and not using the center post.

Photography gloves

You’ve got a few options when it comes to gloves that are designed to let you work touch LCD screens and buttons without exposing your fingers to potentially dangerous temperatures. What works for some people irritate others; experiment to find which type is best for you.

The first basic type are those with removable fingertips, so you can touch your camera without removing your gloves. Check outAquaTech Sensory Gloves or Flashpoint Finger Shooting Gloves. The other option is gloves made from special material that work on touch screens (also good for smartphone users), such as Isotoner Smartouch Gloves.

A cheaper option is to wear a pair of fingerless gloves under a pair of mittens.

Proper footgear

With your eyes constantly seeking out a great shot, it’s easy to not pay attention to where you’re stepping. Slipping in the snow or ice may hurt both you and your camera. Wear thick, layered socks and shoes or boots with good traction, and watch your step.

Tips

Hold your breath when you take the shot. Breath condensation can fog up your lens and viewfinder.

• Don’t carry the camera under layers of clothing, as this will surround it in warm, moist air and cause condensation when you whip it out to take a picture.
• Go minimal. If you have tons of lenses, filters, and other crazy gear, it’s best to choose just a few and leave the rest at home. Fumbling around in the snow with expensive gear increases the risk of damaging your equipment, not to mention missing potentially awesome shots.

Snowshoes

Snowshoes were the only reasonable means of travel over the windswept crust covering the ridges on our route, as skis would have had little edging ability and very little grip. In most conditions, the snowshoes worked fine, but were way too heavy to walk so far in ( Northern Lites would be better). When we got down to treeline, where the snow is deposited, we trudged for three miles as we post-holed three feet deep, while wearing the snowshoes.
What did I learn? There is not an all-around good method for going across and through snow. All means of snow travel have their drawbacks and one must have a variety of means to get through it all. Snowshoes were ok for the ridges, but skis would have been better (and faster!) in the deep snow. I think I might look into a more versatile ski system: boots I can walk long distances in and waxless skis with steel edges.

Winter Gear

Imagine hiking in sub-zero windchills for ten miles, then post-holing three feet deep in snowshoes for three miles through the woods, to arrive at a camp site at dark and temps dropping to -15. You're exhausted, in need of calories and your warmest clothes, almost out of water, and need to set-up camp and melt snow for cooking and hydration. So, you do all this and as you light the stove, you realize the fuel pump isn't pressurizing because it's too cold. Uh-oh. That means the stove will barely work. This is where I said, 'Well, you can fix anything by sleeping with it,' in reference to cold weather camping and how most problems are associated with the extreme temperatures. A simple warming up will often fix it. Overnight in a sleeping bag is the method.
What did I learn from this? Pressurize your fuel bottle at home, before you leave for the trip and before you can have it in your sleeping bag the first night. If it doesn't pressurize more when you use it, at least it has some residual pressure from earlier, which it shouldn't have lost.

My old school MSR G Expedition stove has been proven to dominate its prodigy, the XGK. It roared, even at -35, and coupled well with my one gallon pot. For melting snow, size is everything. Although the G (or XGK) is the most reliable multi-fuel expedition stove on the market and has been to the summit of more high elevation mountains in the world than all other stoves combined, I might still opt for my MSR Dragonfly, as it uses the same burner, has a better stove-to-pot contact surface and support, and fits inside the one gallon pot, which the G does not, as it has a rigid fuel line (which I might look into replacing it with a flexible one). [Post-trip update: I made a mylar-covered bubble wrap cover to insulate the top of the pot, to increase heating efficiency as much as possible at extreme temps.]

The homemade GSI Fairshare mug food cozy helped cook 1,000 calories of Ramen, peanut butter, and sesame oil at 30 below. I cut the handle off for a sleeker profile and insulated it with mylar-covered bubble wrap. Also, bring a plastic/lexan spoon instead of titanium or aluminum so it doesn't freeze to your lips and tongue!

I brought two methods of keeping water warm: a one liter Thermos and a Powerade bottle in a Sea-to-Summit neoprene skin inside an OR water bottle parka. The Thermos kept water warm far longer than the bottle parka combo, but the weight difference is huge (1 lb). If I wouldn't have had the Thermos, I would have had ice in a bottle by the time I got to drinking the second liter. Plus, when I did drink the water out of the Thermos, it was hot! That was quite a pick-me-up at -20, after hiking 12 miles.