GARNA and AHRA are organizing a special GPS field event on Friday, August 14. The 3-4 mile loop hike/GPS training will take place along the Midland Railroad Grade near the Collegiate Peaks Overlook/picnic area east of Johnson Village on the way up Trout Creek Pass. Beautiful mountain and rugged shallow canyon scenery with sweeping views of the Upper Arkansas Valley are the backdrop for this trip.

This event will begin with short basic GPS field skills training and orientation for the utilization of the GPS and topographic map in the field to locate specific points specified by latitude and longitude locations. A short hike will be defined by three points and the start/finish location. Each field point is a latitude/longitude location, marked in the field by a survey flag. Each team of participants will find their points in a particular order that defines the loop hike (you will be given a team card with all the points in order on it and with some hints as aides). The loops and points are designed so that hiking will be done on the trails/roads and major washes in the area – with only one minor cross-country section for some (other than that, we ask that NO cross-country foot travel be done). A USGS 7.5 Minute Series topographic map of the specific hiking area will be provided for each team so that progress on the ground can be followed on the map.

The event will be led by Bob Hickey, AHRA volunteer naturalist. As an amateur geologist and GIS hobbyist, Bob is a true student of all-things geospatial and geological. He is continually building his knowledge of these fields to share with anyone interested. He has led many hikes to explore the rich and diverse geological phenomena of our area, and has led GPS field programs for Mueller State Park.

Special Conditions

• You do not need to have your own GPS unit although if you have one, please do bring it.
• Attendance is by reservation because we need to assign participants to small teams (approximately 4 to 6 people each), so please sign up as early as possible – a link for sign-up is below.
• No GPS experience; some beginner skill in use of a topographic map reading for hiking is all that is needed. GPS field skills possessed will help us define the teams
• Groups of participants, like couples, that sign up together can be assigned to the same team, as desired by the participants.
• To park at the Collegiate Peaks Overlook fee site, either a daily or annual Colorado State Parks pass is required for each vehicle to use them. If you do not already have an annual pass, daily passes are available for purchase at the Collegiate Peaks Overlook for a fee of $7.00.
• The event will begin promptly at the indicated start time. Since you will be assigned to teams with other participants, please be on-time as proper consideration for all other participants.
• Pets are allowed in this area and should be on a leach – some of the trails/roads are shared with bicycles and vehicles

You must register by 5:00 pm Wednesday, August 12. If you have questions, please email Dominique at dominique@garna.org.

The cost of the event is $5 for GARNA members and $7 for non members. Pre-registration is closed but call the office if you are interested in attending: 719-539-5106