For those of you interested, I have come across a helpful tool for routefinding and a neat way to look at how slope angle varies across an area. I have put up a 3d map of red lake peak constructed from a 10 meter DEM (digital elevation model) taken from http://seamless.usgs.gov, an awesome resource. Using GIS software, I have highlighted areas between 30 and 45 degrees in red. Areas steeper than this are in black, and lower angle terrain is white. Changing the slope range is easy enough, and if anyone wants me to do any peak in particular, I can post it up.

<img src="http://xs18.xs.to/pics/05093/rlake.jpg" border=0>

I USE GOOGLE EARTH
i use the ruler to get distance and elevation at botom of page
example 1000 ft with 300 ft elevation differance = 30 deg. slope.

300 feet elevation gain in 1000 feet distance is a 30% slope, but this is not the same as 30 degrees. A 100 percent slope is 45 degrees. To calculate the slope in degrees, the formula would be arctan(300/1000) = 17 degrees.