There’s a lot of work that goes into getting a successful Milky Way image, not the least of which is planning. There are a number of factors to take into account when planning your shoot. As such, it can be a daunting task for those who are just starting out, so I figured I’d write a guide on how I go about planning these late-night shoots.

Today, I was talking to a friend, and it came to my attention that he was unaware of CalTopo. This individual in question is an avid off-trail explorer in The Red River Gorge. It blew my mind that he had never heard of what is probably one of the greatest mapping utilities ever made for the backcountry explorer! So, today we are going to right this atrocity and take a look at just what CalTopo is and how we can use it.