RenaissanceBiker

What confuses you about topo maps? The topo lines are elevations. If you walk parallel to a topo line you are walking on the side of the hill. If you walk perpendicular to a topo line you are walking up or down the hill. The closer the lines are together, the steeper the hill is. With a little practice you can easily identify draws and saddle formations.

Try looking here: http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/usgsmaps/usgsmaps.html#Topographic%20Maps
or here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topographic_maps