YOUR APP

Make it easy for riders to enjoy your trails

with Mohawk Valley GIS

In this issue
What mapping reveals about us P.1

Make it easy
with Trail Apps

Rider requests shape app P.2

NYSnowmobileWebmap wins award P.2
Simple great ideas from VT and MA P.2

No reception needed
Branded for your state
Trails, Junctions, Parking,
Services, Events
Navigation, Tracking,
Waypoints

Embeddable mini-maps P.3

Interactive map grows P.3

Winter 2016

What mapping reveals about us

Albany, NY: Canadian employee, Catherine Light,
shares growing enthusiasm for snowmobiling through

Make it easy
with Interactive Maps

Build in route planning to

then share with a trail app
or GPS receiver
Add club events and fun
challenges
Add trail conditions and
grooming status

Make it easy with

Paper and GPS Maps

Club, county or state level

With or without advertising
Track files and waypoints
for any brand GPS or Garmin overlay maps on micro
SD cards

work with Mohawk Valley GIS

When 12 years old, my 8th grade class took a bus

trip from Sarnia, Ontario to Niagara Falls. I remember looking across the Niagara River and
thinking that I was seeing downtown New York City.
I was not particularly impressed. Little did I know
that I was destined to move from Canada to New
York, and would one day live in both in Manhattan
and Old Forge. Needless to say, my world view, and
knowledge of geography, has matured.
We recently purchased a little cabin in the Adirondack Park located directly on a snowmobile trail.
Within a year, I owned four sleds, a vintage
caboose, and a new job in the industry, and a new
found passion for snowmobiling. My prior work
with Supertrax International, and the opportunity to
attend the International Snowmobile Congress in
Niagara Falls, NY (!) has fostered my appreciation
for the diversity of riding experiences across North
America and abroad, as well as the unique needs of
both riders and the associations that seek to serve
those needs.

When visiting my son

in a western state
in January, I suggested we go snowmobiling. What I
discovered when doing an online search,
was that many times, a website does not
offer the ease of use that would welcome a newcomer to the sport. We did not have much time,
and opted to hold off until we had more time to
prepare. (We attended a reptile museum, instead.
Ugh.)
I write this intro having had the opportunity to
visit the websites of snowmobile associations
across North America. With each visit, I turn to
the trail maps, hoping to understand what they
reveal about the snowmobile experience in each
state or province, and imagine what the experience is like for someone new to that region, wanting to try snowmobiling for the first time.
Perhaps we each need to do the same. Lets talk,
as the window to our world in New York may help
you see your own world with fresh eyes. Visit
www.NYSnowmobileWebMap.com and lets continue to widen our world view.

Make it easy.
Mohawk Valley GIS 114 Genesee Street, Utica, NY 13502 (315) 624-9545 mohawkvalleygis.com

Reliable
We are only as good
as you say we are.

...the app is just awesome. I have been

riding trails since the late 90's and
have 30-40k miles under my
belt, having dash mounted turn by turn
navigation takes snowmobiling to a
new level.
Dustin B.

Phone Apps/GPS Map Overlays

I love the work you have done with

your apps and I definitely appreciate
your innovation in this area. - Jeff R.

Accuracy is job one: nothing is

more important than accurate
data. A unique partnership with
local clubs, who share and
verify over 700 miles of local
trails, as well as continued inseason updates, help build the
trust we inspire in our riders.

Thank you so much for that informative video. I was having issues with
getting the navigation to work on my
iPhone but your video answered all
my questions!! Thanks!! - Jeremy A.
Thanks for all of your work on behalf
of NY snowmobiling, especially as it
benefits commuters like me from NJ.
Al (Grateful for Life)
My first trip to Tug Hill and without
the app I would not have found my
way around. Works perfectly! I love
it. Tom C.
Have to tell you, the app saved me
several times thus far this year. The
trail signs are ever changing/missing.
Your app is a life saver. Telling all
my friends/ family to get it. Must have
for any snowmobiler in my opinion Thanks - Jason P

Rider Requests Shape App

Every March, we ask NY riders to vote on all suggestions submitted over the season for the web
map, trail apps and GPS maps.
The most requested new feature for the 2015/16 season was turn-by-turn navigation in the trail
app. Much like car navigation, riders specify a start and end destination on the trails, and the app
will get them there along the most direct route, both visually for dash mounts, and by voice for
earphone or Bluetooth enabled helmets. All without cellular reception!
By request, display of upcoming club events was also added in this past seasons app along with
the route and bridges for the inaugural Covered Bridge Challenge (more on back flap about this
fun challenge, or by visiting www.CoveredBridgeChallenge.com)

NYSnowmobileWebMap project wins inaugural year

NYS GIS Association GIS Application Award
November 2015 Albany NY: Our promotional interactive map was chosen for its broad impact,
ease of use and modern and pleasing appearance. Business owner Linda Rockwood and GIS
Analyst John Marino accept their award from Association President Susan Nixson. Meet the
whole team and learn more about Mohawk Valley GIS at www.MohawkValleyGIS.com.

Simple, great ideas

from our neighbors
in VT and Mass.
The V.A.S.T. web map
features a route mileage
tool. Just click from junction to junction, mileage
total displays along with
highlighted route.
Try it at www.vtvast.org.

The T custom pins in the

S.A.M. trail app indicate
where riders can get a trail
pass.

Professional
It took me a while to find
someone who could accomplish what I needed for our
website. I have to say it was
worth the wait. It was a pleasure working with Linda and
her team. Her hard work, patience, and professionalism
exceeded my expectations.
Any ideas I had she would
expand on them to make them
better, and her attitude was
always positive and upbeat. I
felt like my site was priority
number one.

Mohawk Valley GIS creates new Association website for St. Lawrence County featuring custom map.

Thanks for breathing life into

our website and bringing our
dreams to a reality!

Tourism bureaus, clubs and

local businesses em brace

creative use of em beddable
m ini -m aps!
In gratitude for the support of our many
business sponsors on our interactive
maps, MVGIS began offering custom designed embeddable mini-maps for
use on their websites. Much like a custom view of a Google map, it shows
their business pin, centrally located in a map view, surrounded by existing
snowmobile trails in their immediate neighborhood. When enlarged, the map
expands to the same view within the statewide map with all its data and tools.
Over 100 businesses, participating member clubs and tourism bureaus now use
these maps, helping to promote the sport and provide riders easy access to this
comprehensive online resource.

Point A to Point B Route Planning Feature A Hit!

One rider writes...
I've been bull headed sticking
with my Garmin and a map overlay for a year and a half now.
Last Thursday I decided to try
your app on my phone that I
purchased last year. I planned
my route and sat back and enjoyed my ride without a hitch.
Thank you!

Not only is it possible to create a route, but riders can

now save the route, and
email it to their smart
phones to be opened in their
trail app or transfer it to
their GPS receiver.

A rider is using the route planning feature to re-live his recent rides with friends. He recently shared with us the email
he sent to his friends, whom he
encouraged to spend time learning his new-found skills so that
they could each share rides together and plan group rides for
next season!
A local clubs fundraising committee called to ask how to post
an upcoming club event on the
map. She knew that once posted,
it would also show up in riders
statewide smart phone app.

Deb Christy, St. Lawrence County

Snowmobile Association President

And Fun!

Meet Balto, a valuable member

of our team. Balto is our guide
doghe entertains and he educates, answering commonly
asked questions and directing
riders to our how-to videos.

And now for something

totally new and different!
The Wisconsin team mugs for
the camera at ISC 2015 while
enjoying an afternoon GPS
scavenger hunt. Teams followed
clues and snapped photos at
each bar/restaurant in an app
donated by MVGIS. Great fun
was had by all.

The most popular use of the

route planning feature for
the 2015/16 season has been
the ability to display
PUBLIC ROUTES: These
routes can be viewed on the
map, printed, or uploaded to
ones trail app or GPS unit.

To explore our NY interactive web map, purchase a phone app or GPS map
overlay, or learn more about riding in NYS, visit http://NYSnowmobileWebMap.com

Photo by Jane Chaddock

www.CoveredBridgeChallenge.com

Annual Covered Bridge Challenge kicks off!

Enthusiastic riders from across New York gather in Old Forge for the
first of two Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies marking the opening of the first
annual Covered Bridge Challenge, launched by Mohawk Valley GIS.
Snowmobilers love a challenge. This season many embarked on New Yorks first statewide challenge to visit
ten locations, submitted by riders, found on trails spanning over 600 miles, coursing through 14 counties across
the state. It was not necessary to RIDE the entire route: instead, in order to encourage riders to explore new
places to ride, the rules were simplified. Get to each location any way you want: but you must submit photos
of yourself, your sled, and the bridge. As of this date, several riders are in the running for the Grand Prize, a
new trailer by Blizzard Manufacturing.

114 Genesee Street, 3rd floor

Utica, NY 13502