Imagine having a reliable navigation app for your phone that also shows real-time information on route conditions.  The FarOut app does just that.  It will soon be available for biking the Oregon Timber Trail.  The FarOut library has a collection of over 200 hiking, mountain biking, and water trails worldwide. Included are the Arizona Trail, Colorado Trail, and the Western Wildlands mountain biking routes.  A one-time subscription for the Oregon Timber Trail mountain biking route will be about $25.

What distinguishes it from similar popular navigation apps such as Gaia is the ability to communicate route conditions and route alternatives in real time through the use of rider comments (https://faroutguides.com/features/).

Suppose you find that an important spring along the Fremont section of the OTT is dry when you pass by.  You can relay that information using FarOut and the next riders know to stock up at a better water source.  Or suppose you are one of the first of the summer to ride a section and find that numerous fallen logs have yet to be cut out of the trail.  You can add a note warning others that they might want to bypass that section.

Here’s how it works: The OTTA will submit route GPS files to FarOut, and we can refine the route as needed.  We’ll also be able to include alternatives to the main route, helping riders bypass sections that are too challenging for them, avoid fire closure areas, or combining an alternative route with the main route to create a loop ride.

Waypoints are plotted on the map and elevation profile, and each waypoint includes its own detail page with photos and descriptions. Water waypoints offer up-to-date water information, gathered from trusted sources and checked by other users.

You can suggest new waypoints to be added to the app or report conditions in the field by creating a custom waypoint, report any errors you notice on waypoints or comments, and flag inappropriate comments. You can also keep friends and family up to date by sharing a Check-in with your current location and a personalized message.

You can plan your day by letting the app calculate the distance to the next campsite, water source, or waypoint. You can also create your own custom routes using the route building tool.

The OTTA will donate 20 free FarOut subscriptions to riders traveling the route in early summer of 2024, who will commit to making detailed comments where navigation of the route is confusing or the GPS track is wrong.  This will tie in with our ongoing Signage project where we are adding trailhead signs and trail markers to improve rider confidence about the route location.  This is especially important for the southernmost 200 miles of the OTT where some trail sections have sparse use and the tread is faint.

FarOut release for the OTT will probably be late winter, 2024.  If you are interested in being a trail navigation ambassador this summer and get free use of the app as appreciation, or have questions about doing so, you can contact me at chip.andrus@oregontimbertrail.org.