Tell Your PC to Take a Hike

Here's a no-brainer: A hiking-addicted, cyberwise young Dartmouth couple gets engaged on Holt's Ledge at the Skiway. They marry, spend a few years at high-tech firms, and then while on a winter gambol in the White Mountainsdecide to launch their own company. So what kind of product would they come up with? The answer hiking software is so obvious that you wonder why some other Green aerobic hackers didn't think of it before.

These particular hackers, Sean Reese '87 and Elizabeth Miles Reese '88, joined with fellow techie entrepreneurs Brian and Mary Dennett to create Trail Master, an interactive program that lets you plan and record hikes. The first version, covering New England, came out in October; other regional editions should follow soon.

Using digitized guide books and trail maps from hiking clubs throughout New England, Trail Master lets you create your own customized maps showing only the features you want. You can also plan trips based on hiking ability, distance, and area. If you're a peakbagger an obsessive soul who, say, wishes to scale all 48 New Hampshire 4,000-footers the program lets you plan and keep track of summit conquests. The database includes more than 1,000 trails, 1,000 mountains, nearly 300 lodging facilities, and close to 600 lakes and ponds. The CD version throws in 100 photos of scenic views, cabins, and shelters.

The price—$89 for the floppy version, $99 for the CD (for Windows, alas, not Mac) may sound a bit steep for software, but as outdoor gear it's a bargain. This is why sales director Elizabeth Reese is aiming at outlets like Eastern Mountain sports and L.L. Bean rather than computer stores. And if their strategy succeeds? Watch for canoe and kayak guides in the future. "There's no end to what we could cover," says Sean Reese.

The Reese's make PCs trail-wise.