RE: topo maps for dummies.
Topo maps take a little practice. The elevation contour lines are set at so many feet/meters in elevation. They will have the elevation on the darker lines so you have a starting point to the elevation you want to know. The closer the lines are together the steeper the grade. A circle on a topo map is a hilltop. A blue line is a stream or river. A dotted & dashed line is an intermittent stream (only flows with meltoff or heavy rains). Other than that, what do you want to know?