When I was a kid, I was nurtured on TV westerns, so it’s not too surprising that I longed to explore a ghost town. Since my family lived in the shadow of Vermont’s Green Mountains, however, it didn’t seem very likely that I’d get the chance. But then I visited my Grandad’s Adirondack cabin for the first time, and I discovered a ghost town on the doorstep. It took me a while to recognize the signs, of course. (I was only 10 years old. I had a lot to learn.) The bronze bell on the roof of Grandad’s cabin was the first clue. The bell’s once-lustrous surface was hidden beneath layers of verdigris, hinting at great age. More evidence soon came to light. A river ran close by Grandad’s place, and while on the cliffs above the rapids, I found holes drilled deep into the solid rock. Some were empty. Others contained rusty iron rods. And back in the woods, away from the river’s edge, cables as big around as my arm lay half-concealed in the duff. Further along, down the winding jeep road that served as the local thoroughfare, weed-choked ruts veered off into stands of stunted spruce and hemlock before petering out in tangles of blackberry brambles. Following those old tracks was always exciting. The unknown waited around every corner….

The land holds many secrets about the past, both recent and ancient, and maps are the keys we need to unlock that history. Now maps are moving off the printed page and onto digital displays, prompting some thoughtful folks to wonder if our history isn’t in danger of vanishing before our eyes. But while there’s some reason for concern, there’s no need to despair. Yet. The digital age has opened dusty archives to the scrutiny of paddlers everywhere. Once upon a time these resources were the jealously guarded precincts of a handful of scholars. Now they’re available to all. So history hasn’t been lost. Not so long as we can read the clues, at any rate. It’s still on the map. You just need to know how to look for it. Are digitized maps extinguishing history? Read more about this timely topic here…