Google street view hits the trail in the Grand Canyon

[blondebear]

AP story: Google cameras map popular Grand Canyon trails

As the sun rose Monday, Luc Vincent, Google engineering director, strapped on one of the 40-pound backpacks and set down the Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River — a nearly 10-mile hike that goes from 6,900 feet in elevation to 2,400 feet. He hiked back up from Phantom Ranch, which can be 30 degrees warmer than at the rim, through the South Kaibab Trail and also gathered data on other trails.

The so-called trekker captures images every 2.5 seconds with 15 cameras that are 5 megapixels each from the rest areas, the steep switchbacks, the change from juniper trees to scrub brush and the traffic that moves aside as a courtesy to mule riders.

I think this is pretty cool. I wonder if it will make more people want to hike down into the canyon, or will street-viewing be close enough to the real thing and cut down the number of casual hikers?

[Robot_Arm]

That dude went the hard way. There’s no water available on the South Kaibab; much easier to go down that way and up Bright Angel.

I wonder if I can find the place where I threw up.

[panache45]

@Robot_Arm

That dude went the hard way. There’s no water available on the South Kaibab; much easier to go down that way and up Bright Angel.

I wonder if I can find the place where I threw up.

I went half-way down the Kaibab until it crossed the Bright Angel, then took that back up. And I’m sure by now your vomit has mixed with all the mule shit.

[blondebear]

You know, that’s a tech job that I would really like to have. The article says the camera pack weighs forty pounds–I suspect he has a support team that hauls his water, food, and everything else for him. Not a bad way to earn a living.

[Colophon]

More Street View coolness that I stumbled on the other day (when wondering why there appeared to be a little blob of Street View in the middle of the Pacific)…

Albatross!
What flavour is it?