At Crawford Pathworks LLC, I provide the technical clarity and operational grit required to bridge the gap between human potential and the natural landscape. I am John Lacroix, a Cartographer, GIS Analyst, and GIS Storyteller dedicated to building balance between people and place.
I provide a "boots-first" perspective that is rare in the GIS industry. My consulting is not derived solely from software, but from decades spent navigating the intersection of terrain, policy, and human movement.
Physical Stewardship: Since 2015, I have been a USFS Trail Adopter for 11 miles in the South Park Ranger District. I have led over 40 trail workdays and managed nearly 3,400 volunteer hours. Personally, I have contributed over nearly 500 hours of physical "dirt work" to the trails I map.
Operational Grit: As the owner of the Human Potential Running Series (HPRS), I have built one of the largest trail and ultra series in the United States. In 2020, I successfully executed a full calendar of events with zero COVID-19 transmissions by developing a proprietary, data-driven safety strategy.
Legislative Influence: I help shape the future of outdoor access. I served on the executive committee for the Fix CRUS initiative and provided stakeholder input for the SOAR Act and EXPLORE Act.
My mission is rooted in the principles of the Transcendental Movement and Experiential Education. I believe a map should be a tool for self-actualization and stewardship.
By combining graduate-level GIS training from the University of Washington with a career spent in the backcountry, I provide my clients with the "Ground Truth," spatial data that is technically rigorous, operationally sound, and ethically grounded.
Effective planning requires the ability to see the connections between seemingly disparate data points. I leverage a neurodivergent-led perspective to excel at identifying complex spatial and systemic patterns that traditional analysis often overlooks. Whether it is detecting inconsistencies in land-use data or finding the "middle path" in a gridlock of competing priorities, this cognitive approach allows me to synthesize legislative architecture, environmental constraints, and social needs into a single, cohesive strategy.
The technical analysis provided by Crawford Pathworks is uniquely anchored in the "dirt-under-the-fingernails" reality of land management. Decades of operational experience, from managing complex multi-agency permitting to the physical labor of trail stewardship, ensures that the patterns I identify are practically implementable. We don’t just provide a vision for the land; we provide a high-fidelity roadmap for its enduring care.
Advanced terrain modeling, site constraint mapping, and spatial statistics.
Analysis is backed by University of Washington Graduate-level training and ESRI certifications in ArcGIS Pro and Data Management.
Expertise in sustainable trail design and inclusive accessibility mapping.
Certified in Foundations of Visitor Use Management by SORP/NPS and experienced in facilitating backcountry access for visually impaired individuals.
Navigation of NEPA compliance, habitat management, and land-use authorizations.
Informed by years of developing high-stakes operational manuals for elite guiding and event management organizations.