Some MTB orienteering mapping

I spent some time today working on a mountain bike orienteering map.  I was inspired by the Swedish Orienteering Federation's step-by-step guide to converting an orienteering map to a MTB orienteering map (the PDF is worth a read if you can manage Swedish).

I began with the existing orienteering map. As I ran the trails this morning, I made notes about how to map them.  If I understand the MTB O' mapping standards correctly, you draw trails based on width (> 1.5 meters or < 1.5 meters) and riding difficulty/speed.  It seems straightforward.  Single track trails are < 1.5 meters and the occasional double track is > 1.5 meters wide.

Judging the speed is a bit difficult for me because I'm a lousy bike handler.  I tend to slow down more than a good mountain biker would.

The map I was working on today is the overlook area at Clinton Lake.  The trails are generally nice, with a few rough and rocky areas.  There are some hills.  There are some paved trails and roads.  I think it'll make a reasonable area for a local event.

My other MTB mapping project is the river trail area which is largely built on a trail network of one-way trails.  After I wrote about mapping those trails, I got an email with a new symbol that works pretty well.  Take a look below:

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