ChatGPT planned winter hikes in southern Utah down to the drive times
She asked ChatGPT for help planning winter hikes in southern Utah. It built a spreadsheet with each park and hike, the elevation gain, the highest point, notes and a link. It explained how likely winter closures were and who to call to check, and cut the hikes that wouldn't be doable in winter. Then it suggested towns to stay in, worked out the driving time to each hike from each town, and added the hikes to three Google Maps lists, one per town, but only when the drive was under two and a half hours. That last step is a nice touch: it turns the plan into something you can use on your phone on the day. Closures in winter change fast, so call the numbers it gives you before you go.
Copy this prompt
I'm planning winter hikes in [REGION] from [DATES]. Make a spreadsheet with: park, hike, distance, elevation gain, highest point, a note on winter conditions and a link to the official page. Tell me how likely each hike is to be closed or snowed in, and who to call to check. Drop hikes that aren't doable in winter. Suggest 2 or 3 towns to stay in, add the driving time from each town to each hike, and keep only hikes under [HOURS] of driving from at least one town.
Our own prompt, written from what the source describes. We haven't run it ourselves. Text in [BRACKETS] is what you replace.
Watch out for
- Call the park or ranger station before each hike. Winter road and trail closures change from day to day.
- Check elevation and distance on the official trail page. AI figures can be off.
- Driving times in winter can be much longer than the usual estimate.
Where this comes from
Original post by @senatorshoshana on X, Nov 1, 2026. We rewrote it in our own words. The result is what the poster reports.
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