[Moose]

Does anyone know how to draw freehand routes in the Gaia GPS app? I recently started using it for routefinding in the backcountry but am having trouble plotting my routes when they're not on official trails. Thanks in advance! Moose

[Schroder]

Create A Planned Route You can also do it from a computer: https://www.gaiagps.com/map

[trailbehind]

If you want absolutely no snap-to-trail in the route, you should choose the straight line mode (the bird icon). Though I'll also note that both the iOS app and gaiagps.com as of last week will do "hybrid" routes, where it will make straight lines when no trail is available to snap to. p.s. Snap to trail will also be live on Android next week, if not today!

[Moose]

Thanks Schroder and trailbehind. I figured out how to map straight line off trail routing, but that has its limits when trying to plot a scramble or bushwhack that doesn't follow either a developed trail or straight line. I suppose the way around this is to plot a ton of tiny straight lines to simulate a curve?

[trailbehind]

Lots of tiny straight lines seems right to me... not sure what else could be done? Maybe we could do some sort of smart algorithm to find the smoothest elevation path between two points, but that would probably be pretty hairy and wouldn't take into account terrain, brush, etc.

[mike]

tiny straight lines are what make up a gps track

[iron]

leave gps. bring map.