Most Remote Location in California

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limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2016 - 08:46am PT
Here's the abstract for the map I posted on the first page, taken from
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20053011

The USGS Geographic Analysis and Monitoring (GAM) program has developed a national, high resolution dataset that gives the distance to the nearest road every 30 meters across the conterminous 48 states. This work provides the first unified national picture of roadless space, vehicular accessibility, and intensity of road construction.

The new dataset is the first member of the National Overview Road Metrics (NORM) family of road related indicators. This indicator measures straight-line or Euclidean distance (ED) to the nearest road, and is given the compound name NORM ED. NORM ED data can be viewed and downloaded from the transportation section of the web viewer for The National Map, http://nationalmap.usgs.gov. The full-resolution dataset for the conterminous states is made of 8.7 billion values.

And here's the full extent, not zoomed in on CA,

Despite what it says I haven't been able to figure out how to view and download the NORM ED data from their website, just the road layer data.
rick d

climber
ol pueblo, az
Jan 26, 2016 - 08:50am PT
looking at map, wyoming and frank church in idaho have much more area to wander in.
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2016 - 08:56am PT
Finally read all the way through your thread, Banquo. So if Tunemah Peak is the most remote then I guess I wasn't that far off.

I don't count the ferry on Florence Reservoir as a road though

And it looks like you found the original data source, I'll have to play with that tonight. I used to be quite familiar with GIS but it's been a while.
this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
Jan 26, 2016 - 09:24am PT
The most remote place I've personally been to is Rockbound Lake.

I don't equate remoteness to proximity of roads, rather to proximity of people and I'd say the Mojave somewhere.
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Jan 26, 2016 - 09:48am PT
I would like to see "remote" interpreted from a few perspectives:
1. Time on foot to nearest cell phone reception or land line.
2. Time by motorized vehicle (4wd/off-road motorcycle mandatory) to nearest cell phone reception or land line
3. Time by motorized vehicle (standard 2wd low clearance passenger vehicle) to nearest cell phone reception or land line.
5. Time by boat from island to nearest cell phone or coast guard reception.


With these criteria, we can build up interesting to-do lists within our individual means :)
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Jan 26, 2016 - 09:50am PT
I'm going to spend most of my vacations collecting data and I will provide periodic updates in the form of trip reports!
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:03am PT
The following three maps all have red boxes that show areas that are at least 20.5km from the nearest road. Measurements are done using Euclidean distance, or as the crow flies. The second map has the single furthest pixel, so it is probably the most remote place in the Sierra by this method. This analysis was done using TIGER roads.



This map has the red box shown at 20km. This is a close fourth place runner up.
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:23am PT
Here you go for the single furthest point by my calculations. 21071m from the nearest road. Convienently it looks like a rad place to set up a tent!!! Someone go there now! Coordinates are in NAD83

Here's a shot of what it would look like on your spring Trans-Sierra. Probably the recommended way to go.
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:26am PT
I've been over Colby Pass, but I didn't go into the Milestone Bowl. Damn it. Guess I have to go back. It is a really awesome area, and it does feel really remote.
Banquo

climber
Amerricka
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:33am PT
The source for the original files seems to be gone in the link I provided in the earlier thread. I have them on my computer but can't open them. File extension is .gri and I am not familiar with it.

Franky,
Looking at the Stubblefield Canyon map, I get just under 20 km from the Harden Lake trailhead out of White Wolf.
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:42am PT
I used to spend a lot of time looking at Bob's trip reports for inspiration. Thanks for posting that.

I went back there on a Lodgepole to Crescent Meadow fastpacking mission, Via Sugarloaf Valley, Cloud Canyon, Colby Pass, Kaweah Basin, Chagoopa, Big Arroyo, and Kaweah Gap. Probably still the best mountain hiking trip of my life.

I was working down by Three Rivers and was feeling pretty fit from running out to Pear Lake once a week for most of the summer. I carried two pre-made sandwiches from Sierra Subs in Three Rivers. I ate them at my low points. They tasted so incredible that I'm pretty sure I cried when I ate them.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:44am PT
#remote
#nature
#getawayfromitall
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 10:50am PT
Franky,
Looking at the Stubblefield Canyon map, I get just under 20 km from the Harden Lake trailhead out of White Wolf.

Yeah. I used an off-the-shelf road data layer to do the calculation. here is a photo of where it showed that road ending (Red Line). From the end of that red line, to the south side of the red box, I get 20.5.

There is certainly some uncertainty in these measurements.

franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 11:06am PT
By the way, by a quick visual inspection, nothing in the Mohave comes close. So I'll go ahead and say the previous analysis holds true for the entire state of California.

EDIT!!!
Shit! The Census had the trail up to Bishop Pass labeled as a road! Revised analysis pending. Simpson Meadow might get a big boast from this.

Well... The Tunemah zone turns out to be furthest from a road by a hair after correcting the data.

zBrown

Ice climber
Jan 26, 2016 - 11:57am PT
Watch out on those desert roads, wherever they are.



SINCE 2007, MORE MARINES FROM THE TWENTYNINE PALMS MARINE BASE HAVE DIED BACK HOME THAN IN THE WAR-TORN MIDDLE EAST

http://palm.mydesert.com/2014marines/
Flip Flop

climber
Earth Planet, Universe
Jan 26, 2016 - 12:03pm PT
Skied through it on skinny tele skis at 20. Epic. Clueless is a fun place to be sometimes.
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2016 - 12:07pm PT
You're the man, Franky!

Awaiting the final verdict, I want to get a GPS waypoint and see if I can car to car day hike to the most remote spot in the state this summer.

Bonus points if you discover it's on a nice trail :)
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 12:14pm PT
The two points are so close that I wouldn't be comfortable saying which one is further from a road. Thus, to claim you've been there you have to go to both. Here are the coordinates for them in WGS84 which is what GPS devices default to.

Tunemah point (Approx 21124m from road): -118.70208 36.995476
Milestone Bowl point (21071m from road: -118.478895 36.61802
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2016 - 12:39pm PT
Hahaha! Crap!

I wish I had this info a long time ago since I have been close to both of those spots. Back when I spent time with GIS I did lots of pointless projects and never thought of this one. On a side note, the best calculated winter trans Sierra route out of Lodgepole using half a dozen parameters for avalanche danger and ease of travel is almost exactly the route people usually take. That was an entertaining little side project I almost published just for fun.

Thanks Franky! My feet are going to hate you though!
franky

Trad climber
Black Hills, SD
Jan 26, 2016 - 12:49pm PT
Sounds like a cool analysis on the trans sierra. You're feet might hate me, but your brain will be pleased.
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