canoebase.com - North/Black/Liard River Canoe Trip, GPS Waypoints

canoebase.com: Wilderness Canoe Tripping

to: Home --> NBL Intro -->Lists --> NBL Maps List <--this page

Yukon Territory - North/Black/Liard River Canoe Trip, GPS Waypoints

The contents of this page are:

The Introduction just below
UTM Waypoints -- (Link to Text.txt Version)
Degree/Minute/Second Waypoints -- (Link to Text.txt Version)
Degree Decimal Waypoints -- (Link to Text.txt Version)

Introduction

The GPS reciver we were using, John's Garmin 12 XL, allows 30 waypoints per route travelled. I'm supplying the 30 I think would be most useful, plus a couple more as a bonus. If your GPS unit does not allow that many, either delete some that you think might otherwise be easy to find (like lake inlets), or split the list into two or three routes, which would also allow you to add more waypoints as you travel, if your machine will accept that many. I think John's Garmin takes about 600 total.

Of course, the Military's built in Selective Availability (SA) error keeps us from pinpointing any waypoint position exactly, but all those below should be within a hundred meters or so. The UTM coords were specifically taken off the 50K topo map so as to be most accurately transferrable right back onto like maps by people without GPS units. Most of the degree/minute/second and decimal minute coords are directly out of John's Garmin receiver, so may not translate directly the exact UTM data given below. Also see GPS Accuracy in the 'How To' section of this Web site for some explanation as to why the differences. Those going on this trip can upload the list best suited to them.

Parts of this file (or better yet, one of the ASCII versions) can be downloaded and probably easily modified with a basic text editor for upload to your own GPS receiver. The versions of all three lists below are as they are read off the screen of John's Garmin 12XL GPS receiver and typed as a list onto paper.

The ASCII Text.txt versions of each of the below lists are probably slightly different looking than on the screen because they are as downloaded using Gardown ™ software for the PC. Gardown is a pretty simple and free DOS (not usable in Windows) package for Garmin GPS receivers only, that I'm forced to use because I only have one serial port in the computers I have easily available to me. Other, possibly better, and more versatile Windows (and Mac?) software packages are probably available. Here's the Gardown Page in the 'How To' section of this Web site that explains where you can get the Gardown software, and what you need to do to the coordinates for using them with it. There will differences in what the file will look like if you use different software to up and download the coordinate data.

The UTM coordinates are the quickest and easiest to use for me, mainly because the grid lines are drawn right on the maps I use. The degree/minute/second coords are probably the most commonly used, though it takes practice and some special equipment to use them accurately and effectively with most maps. It turns out that the decimal looking coords are either what Garmin uses as the default data system in their machine(s?), or what Gardown designates as default when downloading data, so I'm presenting that format here along with the other two more popular coordinate systems mentioned above.

What you see in the lists below

The first number in each line is the waypoint number. The set of letters after the number is the name or ID of the waypoint as John had them listed in his machine. Then comes the coordinate position itself, then a comment, usually what or where it is, an expansion of the ID or name. Your GPS screen might show some date and time info before the comment, if there is a comment at all. John's receiver doesn't seem to use (or allow?) the comments, but I thought I needed them to better explain what or where it is, so they're given below. You may need to delete them.

Some of the waypoints were entered at home as figured by hand from the map (in d/m/s) before we left for the trip. Others, like campsites, etc. were punched in on-site. Some pre-installed waypoints that were found to be off significantly when we got to that place were corrected while we were still there, on-site. Not all the waypoints given below (in any format) were punched in on-site.

Again, the UTM data has been refigured from the maps, ones with the grid lines printed on them. This allows those without GPS units to find the places as closely as possible on the maps. Points I used from an on-site punched location were off as much as 200 to 500 meters when I checked the UTM conversions from d/m/s info in John's receiver on a map. If you want the raw data, enter the decimal or d/m/s info below into your GPS receiver and have it convert it to UTM data for you. Selective availability, plus any printing error of the grid on the maps, will make a GPS receiver possibly show the UTM data as off a little from the point actually described on the map. Most, but not all, of the decimal and d/m/s data are as downloaded from the GPS unit, not conversions from the map-read UTM position data.

Here's a quickie explanation of all of the coordinate systems shown below: GPS Coordinate Explanation, again, in the 'How To' section of this Web site.

UTM Waypoints (ASCII Version)

1.  TOPLK  09 V 0417390 UTM 6810720 Upper North Lake (outlet)
2.  NOLKIN 09 V 0416450 UTM 6808550 Lower North Lake (inlet)
3.  CAMP1  09 V 0413200 UTM 6804800 Lower North Lake (outlet)
4.  CAMP2  09 V 0414200 UTM 6789230 Above Fire Lake
5.  FIREIN 09 V 0414600 UTM 6787960 Fire Lake (inlet)
6.  FIROUT 09 V 0418350 UTM 6784850 Fire Lake (outlet)
7.  RAPIDS 09 V 0419200 UTM 6784100 Start of first portage
8.  CAMP3  09 V 0420000 UTM 6782200 Below portage
9.  WATERC 09 V 0425200 UTM 6774340 Waters Creek confluence
10. FALLS  09 V 0424940 UTM 6773450 Waterfall
11. BRAIDS 09 V 0424870 UTM 6772410 Start of Braids
12. CAMP4  09 V 0425750 UTM 6768250 Above Black Confluence
13. NORBLK 09 V 0425570 UTM 6768300 North/Black Confluence
14. CAMP5  09 V 0429200 UTM 6764100 On Black Lake
15. BLKOUT 09 V 0429402 UTM 6762000 Black Lake (outlet)
16. CSITE1 09 V 0431900 UTM 6749550 Potential Campsite
17. CAMP6  09 V 0438600 UTM 6739800 On Black River
18. CSITE2 09 V 0438860 UTM 6737450 Potential Campsite
19. LIARDR 09 V 0437780 UTM 6733000 Black/Liard confl. (on map)
20. LIARD2 09 V 0439000 UTM 6732050 Actual Black River mouth
21. HASSEL 09 V 0448600 UTM 6721950 Hasselberg Creek confluence
22. CAMP7  09 V 0453100 UTM 6716700 Island on Liard
23. ALLANC 09 V 0459100 UTM 6707300 Allan Creek confluence
24. SAMBOC 09 V 0469700 UTM 6697700 Sambo Creek confluence
25. CAMP8  09 V 0474300 UTM 6687200 Meister River confluence
26. FRANCS 09 V 0489800 UTM 6681000 Frances River confluence
27. RANCH  09 V 0491900 UTM 6676000 Rancheria River confluence
28. TOMCR  09 V 0497900 UTM 6671350 Tom Creek confluence
29. CAMP9  09 V 0498900 UTM 6668300 Island on Liard
30. HWY1   09 V 0505400 UTM 6656900 Highway 1 Bridge
 
And just for the heck of it, Town of Watson Lake and Northern Lights Air:
    WALAKE 09 V 0515900 UTM 6658280 Campbell Hwy and AK Hwy 
    NLAFLY 09 V 0513050 UTM 6663680 NLA Float Plane Base

Degree/Minutes/Seconds Waypoints (ASCII Version)

1.  TOPLK  N61 25' 17.2" W130 32' 52.9" Upper North Lake (outlet)  
2.  NOLKIN N61 24' 06.4" W130 33' 52.8" Lower North Lake (inlet)
3.  CAMP1  N61 22' 14.0" W130 37' 05.0" Lower North Lake (outlet)  
4.  CAMP2  N61 13' 47.7" W130 35' 56.6" Above Fire Lake
5.  FIREIN N61 12' 59.7" W130 35' 23.7" Fire Lake (inlet)
6.  FIROUT N61 11' 22.1" W130 31' 07.6" Fire Lake (outlet)
7.  RAPIDS N61 11' 05.5" W130 30' 10.0" Start of first portage  
8.  CAMP3  N61 10' 05.3" W130 29' 14.8" Below portage  
9.  WATERC N61 06' 05.0" W130 22' 58.0" Waters Creek confluence
10. FALLS  N61 05' 18.5" W130 23' 30.3" Waterfall
11. BRAIDS N61 04' 44.9" W130 23' 33.4" Start of Braids 
12. CAMP4  N61 02' 40.1" W130 22' 30.9" Above Black Confluence 
13. NORBLK N61 02' 32.6" W130 22' 41.0" North/Black Confluence
14. CAMP5  N61 00' 26.8" W130 18' 42.0" On Black Lake  
15. BLKOUT N60 59' 15.7" W130 18' 17.5" Black Lake (outlet) 
16. CSITE1 N60 32' 36.6" W130 15' 25.2" Potential Campsite 
17. CAMP6  N60 47' 25.0" W130 07' 47.7" Camp 6 (on Black River) 
18. CSITE2 N60 46' 03.9" W130 07' 20.2" Potential Campsite 
19. LIARDR N60 43' 53.0" W130 08' 30.0" Black/Liard confluence (on map) 
20. LIARD2 N60 43' 11.5" W130 07' 11.7" Actual Black River mouth 
21. HASSEL N60 37' 55.0" W129 56' 20.0" Hasselberg Creek confluence 
22. CAMP7  N60 35' 01.2" W129 51' 29.0" Camp 7 (island on Liard) 
23. ALLANC N60 30' 00.0" W129 44' 50.0" Allan Creek confluence 
24. SAMBOC N60 25' 00.0" W129 33' 30.0" Sambo Creek confluence 
25. CAMP8  N60 19' 15.7" W129 28' 02.6" Camp 8 (Meister River) 
26. FRANCS N60 16' 00.0" W129 11' 10.0" Frances River confluence 
27. RANCH  N60 13' 24.2" W129 08' 43.1" Rancheria River confluence 
28. TOMCR  N60 10' 49.8" W129 02' 19.2" Tom Creek confluence 
29. CAMP9  N60 09' 09.4" W129 01' 21.l" Camp 9 (island on Liard) 
30. HWY1   N60 03' 03.0" W128 54' 10.0" Highway 1 Bridge 

And just for the heck of it, Town of Watson Lake and Northern Lights Air:
    WALAKE N60 03' 40.6" W128 42' 51.9" Campbell Hwy and AK Hwy
    NLAFLY N60 06' 35.6" W128 45' 54.9" NLA float plane base

Decimal Waypoints (ASCII Version)

1.  TOPLK  N61 25.2863 W130 32.8822 Upper North Lake (outlet)
2.  NOLKIN N61 24.1060 W130 33.8800 Lower North Lake (inlet)
3.  CAMP1  N61 22.2334 W130 37.0832 Lower North Lake (outlet)
4.  CAMP2  N61 13.7951 W130 35.9432 Above Fire Lake
5.  FIREIN N61 12.9952 W130 35.3950 Fire Lake (inlet)
6.  FIROUT N61 11.3689 W130 31.1271 Fire Lake (outlet)
7.  RAPIDS N61 11.0924 W130 30.1660 Start of first portage
8.  CAMP3  N61 10.0875 W130 29.2474 Below portage
9.  WATERC N61 06.0832 W130 22.9665 Waters Creek confluence
10. FALLS  N61 05.3088 W130 23.5044 Waterfall
11. BRAIDS N61 04.7481 W130 23.5575 Start of Braids
12. CAMP4  N61 02.6676 W130 22.5156 Above Black confluence
13. NORBLK N61 02.5427 W130 22.6830 North/Black confluence
14. CAMP5  N61 00.4467 W130 18.6999 On Black Lake
15. BLKOUT N60 59.2613 W130 18.2908 Black Lake (outlet)
16. CSITE1 N60 52.6099 W130 15.4201 Potential campsite
17. CAMP6  N60 47.4160 W130 07.7948 On Black River
18. CSITE2 N60 46.0648 W130 07.3368 Potential Campsite
19. LIARDR N60 43.8832 W130 08.5000 Black/Liard confluence (on map)
20. LIARD2 N60 43.1912 W130 07.1955 Actual Black River mouth
21. HASSEL N60 37.9168 W129 56.3332 Hasselberg Creek Confluence
22. CAMP7  N60 35.0197 W129 51.4836 Island on Liard 
23. ALLANC N60 29.9999 W129 44.8333 Allan Creek confluence
24. SAMBOC N60 25.0000 W129 33.5001 Sambo Creek confluence
25. CAMP8  N60 19.2624 W129 28.0425 Meister River confluence
26. FRANCS N60 16.0000 W129 11.1668 Frances River confluence
27. RANCH  N60 13.4026 W129 08.7190 Rancheria River confluence
28. TOMCR  N60 10.8293 W129 02.3197 Tom Creek confluence
29. CAMP9  N60 09.1562 W129 01.3493 Island on Liard
30. HWY1   N60 03.0501 W128 54.1665 Highway 1 Bridge

And just for the heck of it, Town of Watson Lake and Northern Lights Air:
    WALAKE N60 03.6774 W128 42.8646 Campbell Hwy and AK Hwy 
    NLAFLY N60 06.5925 W128 45.9155 NLA Float Plane Base

Back to previous page or North/Black Contents List