Thanks to Rich Owings, I now know how to make my own custom maps, both for printing and for downloading to my GPSr.  Rich has a great book called GPS Mapping: Make Your Own Maps, which is truly a wealth of information.  It includes rundowns on a number of mapping packages for the PC, as well as information on making your own maps for a GPSr.  I spent Saturday morning running through the instructions on downloading free data from the USGS and turning it into a downloadable map of Hillsboro for my Garmin GPSMAP 60C.  Rich’s instructions are very easy to follow, and make a very complex process pretty understandable.  In retrospect I’d have to say that I’m glad I know how to make my own downloadable maps, but I can see that it’s something you’d really have to want.  It’s a very long and cumbersome process involving about 6 different PC applications and a great deal of data manipulation.  For most applications, the data that comes with Garmin’s MapSource Topo product is enough for me, but I’m glad that I understand how to create more detailed maps.  I may cook up a few for areas I visit frequently. 

If you are interested in GPS and/or mapping, also check out Rich’s personal blog gpstracklog.