I needed to make a map showing the trees and shrubs on both sides of a trail at TreePeople. I had a couple problems with the map:

1. The trail pathway was indicated by a single line. It would be confusing to draw the trees, shrubs and various markers on either side of a line. It would be much better to indicate the pathway by a double set of lines (like a railroad track). But when I tried to draw a pathway freehand, it looked quite unprofessional.

What I did: I used the Quick Selection Tool (on Photoshop Elements) to trace the outline of the single trail. Then I copied and pasted that image alongside the original single trail. Voila! A curved railroad-track-like parallel pathway.

2. The path and surroundings were not drawn to scale.

What I did: I paced off the length of the trail. It was 228 paces long. On my trail map I made 57 equally spaced dots down the middle of the trail, from one end of the trail to the other. To make it easier to count the dots, I colored every tenth dot red. Using my Mac’s calculator, I figured that each dot represented four paces (4 x 57 = 228). I took out my paced-off measurements of the locations of markers, such as water fountains, staircases, buildings, benches, fences, tree stumps and light poles. Then I plotted those locations on the trail map.

In a note on the trail map, I suggested that the reader set his/her own paces to the same as mine. That is, make his/her paces from the beginning of the trail to the first marker (a stump) 28 paces – the same as I had made. In this way, the reader should be able to more easily locate the markers, the trees and the shrubs along the trail.

Now that I have my map with the markers in place, I will begin mapping the trees and shrubs once again. Yes, once again because I have mapped those trees and shrubs 7 or 8 times. This time, I think I have it right.

The first thing I will do is reset my own paces – 28 paces from the beginning of the trail to the first marker (the stump).

Hey, wouldn’t it be neat to be able to paint dots every few feet on the trail floor?

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com