Mark C Rupert
Larch Mountain: Field Survey #1
On May 15, 2020, I devised a "Field Survey" with the intention of locating and mapping the remnants of 18th and 19th century logging operations on Larch Mountain, an extinct shield volcano marking the western edge of the Cascade Range near the town of Corbett, approximately 25 miles east of Portland, Oregon.
In order to complete the survey, I built a custom topographic map of the area using ArcGis to layer a Hillshade over a DEM and create elevation contour lines. Then I added a Graticule, and locally significant trails, roads, and water bodies to aid in navigation.
Once complete, I downloaded the field map to the Avenza Maps app on my phone so that I could follow my progress and mark locations of interest in real time on the map while out of cell service range.
I periodically used the printed map, an accurate compass, and set of pace counting beads to manually track my progress and location during the trek.
Once home, I uploaded the Avenza map with all the data I'd collected in the field into ArcGIS to complete the final map with the location markers for each site I recorded during the survey.
Please visit my "Larch Mountain Field Survey" ESRI Story Map link in the menu for more background and images of each site recorded during the field Survey.
