Reading Topo maps

[Tulsa Reiner]

posted 2 more screen shots of another parking spot across he ridge.

@Mathews Diehard
the best benches are on the leeward side of a hill, usually near the top.
Leeward ? down the hill away from the wind.

You can think of a bench as a shelf on a hillside, ie, an elongated spot where the slope levels out, then starts dropping again.The hillside just below the center of the bench is commonly steeper than it is at either end. Elk love them.

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

Is this an example of a bench where red exclamation marker is ?

View attachment 337787

It would be if it were up on the hillside and not in the bottom of the draw (creek valley).
As Longcruise said, many good benches are not wide enough to detect on a 20' topo map

 

[milboltnut]

You can think of a bench as a shelf on a hillside, ie, an elongated spot where the slope levels out, then starts dropping again.The hillside just below the center of the bench is commonly steeper than it is at either end. Elk love them.

trying to get the right information is like pulling teeth... the one pic of the first poster only was a wide spot thats why I posted what I did of the red exclamation marker. Thanks Tulsa !

 

[milboltnut]

It would be if it were up on the hillside and not in the bottom of the draw (creek valley).
As Longcruise said, many good benches are not wide enough to detect on a 20' topo map ??

what do you mean ?

elongated spot where the slope levels out, then starts dropping again

If the drop is 20' or less it won't show up on the map ?

 

[RUFFIAN R - NY]

stopped reading TOPO's after two tours in Nam, then LORAN A & B now its GPS with all the pix- love my boat toys. Even works on land when boat out for winter, amazing ( know the lines and benchmarks ) now show on my display and in living color

 

[azarcher10x]

trying to get the right information is like pulling teeth... the one pic of the first poster only was a wide spot thats why I posted what I did of the red exclamation marker. Thanks Tulsa !

Follow the tops of the ridges. As you follow them, you come to a spot where the contour lines get a little bit wider, then get closer together. The wide spot is the bench.

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

what do you mean ?


If the drop is 20' or less it won't show up on the map ?

By my first post, I meant the wide spot is at the bottom of a drainage. There is very little elevation beneath it, then the ground slopes upward.
A 7.5 degree USGS map shows a contour line for every 20' of elevation change. Many benches don't have a 20' change from the top side to the bottom side. Make sense?

 

[milboltnut]

By my first post, I meant the wide spot is at the bottom of a drainage. There is very little elevation beneath it, then the ground slopes upward. GOT THAT
A 7.5 degree USGS map shows a contour line for every 20' of elevation change. Many benches don't have a 20' change from the top side to the bottom side. Make sense?

I just watched a Garmin gps vid... and yeah elevation changes, so 20' elevation change.
You mean from a 7.5 degree angle they don't show up ?

 

[milboltnut]

how this possible bench...right beneath the red marker

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

I just watched a Garmin gps vid... and yeah elevation changes, so 20' elevation change.
You mean from a 7.5 degree angle they don't show up ?

"7.5 Degree" is the name the USGS gave to the detailed set of maps they publish that have 20' contour lines, like you have snapshotted. I have no idea where the name came from.
Back in the 80's and 90's I bought dozens of them, so I could learn the lay of the land I was going to hunt. Smartphones have obsoleted the paper versions.

 

[extremesolo]

Mapping Trophy Bucks by Brad Herndon has to be good for 90 bucks ! On ebay

I just checked Amazon. There is a used copy for around $30. Trust me, it is worth that. It will really help explain all of the features you are asking about and how to find them and recognize them on a map.

 

[milboltnut]

I just checked Amazon. There is a used copy for around $30. Trust me, it is worth that. It will really help explain all of the features you are asking about and how to find them and recognize them on a map.

sounds like a plan ! Thank you !

 

[azarcher10x]

"7.5 Degree" is the name the USGS gave to the detailed set of maps they publish that have 20' contour lines, like you have snapshotted. I have no idea where the name came from.
Back in the 80's and 90's I bought dozens of them, so I could learn the lay of the land I was going to hunt. Smartphones have obsoleted the paper versions.

Having used and taught map and compass for years, I still carry both with me when I hunt. Ya never know when you're going have a dead battery or accidentally drop the thing! LOL

 

[azarcher10x]