Chuck Kitterman – Cartographer, Square One Map Company
Maps are a combination of art and science. One might think that once a map is put together and printed, its a done deal. Of course, there are many types of maps: road maps, topo maps, trail maps, recreation maps, etc. Evolving GPS technologies are making more kinds of specialized maps possible.
Maps are always changing and evolving, much like the Earth is always changing and evolving. New trails are built, even as old, unused trails become consumed by nature. The topography changes: rivers move, developers excavate, state and national parks grow or change boundaries. Some areas are simply unexplored or have never been surveyed.
Cartographer Chuck Kitterman utilizes a combination of state-of-the art GPS technology – and old fashioned surveying out in the field, often traversing for days in the remote wilderness areas of Washington State, Oregon, British Columbia and Northern California.