Meet the Mapper
Feat. onX Trail Guide Cristin Whetten
The onX Offroad Featured Trails are built by adventure. Behind every blue trail is a dedicated Trail Guide who explored it, documented it, and submitted their guidebook-quality findings for our team to integrate into our maps. In our Meet the Mapper series, we spotlight one of these passionate folks to show you what we mean when we say our App is “built by off-roaders for off-roaders.” Because our Trail Guides aren’t just collecting data on their adventures; they’re also collecting epic stories worth sharing.
Author: Cristin Whetten + onX Offroad
The onX Offroad Featured Trails are built by adventure. Behind every blue trail is a dedicated Trail Guide who explored it, documented it, and submitted their guidebook-quality findings for our team to integrate into our maps. In our Meet the Mapper series, we spotlight one of these passionate folks to show you what we mean when we say our App is “built by off-roaders for off-roaders.” Because our Trail Guides aren’t just collecting data on their adventures; they’re also collecting epic stories worth sharing.
Author: Cristin Whetten + onX Offroad
Meet Cristin Whetten
Cristin is an adventure-seeking danger-lover to her core (sorry, Mom). She off-roads to get as far away as possible from…well, from just about everything. Now, Cristin calls her custom-built Tacoma and the open road home. While she’s always itching to go farther, Cristin loves exploring her epic home state of Utah from behind the wheel of her rig—all while adding to her library of trail tales along the way. Let’s hear from Cristin.
Tell us a bit about yourself and where it all began.
Let’s see…I am a solo lady adventurer who lives on the road full-time in my truck.
I jump out of airplanes, snowboard, dirt bike, and do all the dangerous things that my mom disapproves of. I’ll be honest, the real reason I off-road is to get as far away from people as I can. Mostly, I enjoy discovering new routes or backroads to places. The pavement route is already known, so why not find a cooler way to get somewhere?
How’d you get into off-roading, anyway?
I bought my Tacoma in 2014 with ZERO off-roading experience and just started showing up to local meet-ups, group rides, and Overland/ camping trips.
I had no idea how to put the truck in 4LO. I just knew that the Tacoma was my dream truck, that I had a love for the outdoors, and that I was eager to learn how to drive. I’d ask the “dumb questions” and make mistakes, but over time I learned. We all start from square one.
Tell us about that Tacoma of yours!
I drive a heavily modified 2015 Toyota Tacoma with a Vagabond camper on the back.
Not much is left stock with the truck, both badass and admittedly overkill. Building the truck has been a hobby, so the customization keeps coming. The camper on the back is built out as a living space and is my actual home on wheels. In addition to the truck, I have a Yamaha TTR dirt bike that I bring with me for assisting with mapping trails or goofing off with at camp… wheelies, anyone?
Say you have an unlimited budget but can only make one modification to your rig—what would it be?
I would pay to have my Vagabond Outdoors turned into a flatbed version.
The back end of my truck is one complicated mess, and I would love to redo the entire thing.
Joshua Tree Rd
Don’t be fooled by the name, this trail is located in South Utah and is Cristin’s favorite of the trails she’s mapped for onX Offroad.
Of all the trails you’ve mapped for onX, what’s your favorite?
One of my favorite experiences was getting to map a bunch of trails around where I grew up in Southern Utah.
I grew up staring at the surrounding mountains, hills, and terrain for years and years, and it wasn’t until over a decade later that I had a vehicle that could explore those areas. I discovered some incredibly beautiful trails and neat points of interest that I never knew existed. It was a ton of fun to see a whole new side to my hometown.
What’s your favorite onX Offroad Feature?
I use the Waypoints more than anything else, especially when I spent a month in Baja.
Everything from camp spots, checkpoints, water fill stations, laundry, fuel, and groceries — I used them for EVERYTHING. (My map is highly decorated!) Now when I go back to Baja, I’ll know where things are.
We couldn’t do it without Trail Guides like Cristin. The content they gather is one thing that makes onX Offroad the best tool for off-roaders. And we sure do love the wild and wacky stories we hear from them, too!
Follow Cristin’s dirt-road wanders on Instagram at @badassbrunette
Stay tuned to meet more of our mappers,
and follow the link below to learn about the onX Offroad Trail Guide program or apply to join.