For those who need to know

This is ideal software for people who love to pore over maps, which for some just happen to be the most intriguing part of a backcountry expedition like the Whitney Trail. You can trace your route with a slightly shaky pen tool, then create a trail profile with a mouse click. It’s like sketching your trail on a topo map that automatically tells you how high and how far you’ll be going.

When I tried it out on the Whitney Trail, being very careful to get every switchback, the elevation gain was totally accurate, but the mileage was off -- it calculated only 8.5 miles instead of the actual 11. Still, it’s a great tool for a close-up look at the demands of the trail before you’re on it.

-- Leslie Carlson

Summitted Whitney in 1982