Google Street View hits the slopes at ski resorts, Canadian Arctic

By Mike Flacy November 28, 2012

Detailed on Google’s official blog, the team behind Google Maps has been busy working with Canadian residents to map Cambridge Bay in Nunavut as well as mapping out ski slopes at popular ski resorts around the globe. After visiting the Canadian Arctic, the Google team utilized the Street View trike to ride around Cambridge Bay and take the 360-degree photos to show off the small Canadian town to the world. In addition, Google recruited the community in the region to help assign names to various buildings and landmarks around the Nunavut hamlet.

This was accomplished utilizing the Google Map Maker tool for communities. Google Map Maker allows anyone to add and edit places on maps around the world as well as add names of roads. Beyond roads, users of the Web software can also point out local hiking trails and waterways as well as mark roads that offer bike lanes or sidewalks to residents. After a change has been submitted, it has to be reviewed by other members of the community before being approved.

Regarding Google’s work at ski resorts, the Google Maps team has added Street View photos at popular ski destinations in Austria, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition, imagery has been added for resorts location in Utah and Michigan as well as Canadian locations in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. For instance, anyone interested in taking a ski vacation at the Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah can view a typical run down one of the slopes.

“For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping. To help prepare for the winter ahead, we’re adding more detail and imagery to the map for a variety of chilly destinations, making them more comprehensive and accurate than ever,” wrote Ulf Spitzer, Program Manager for Google Street View.

In addition, Google has included a couple runs along the slopes in order to see photos from different angles. It’s likely that Google outfitted the Street View trike with skis to capture the run. Otherwise, a Google Maps team member would have to be outfitted with a special camera harness to wear in order to capture the 360-degree photography during each run.

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