March Monadnock Madness! Stone Mountain + Arabia + Panola + Prizes!

IMPORTANT!  Since this event is likely to sell out, each AOC member who wishes to participate must go (ASAP) to the following NON-AOC linked webpage where you can formally register and pay your $15.00 fee (+ $1.52 online transaction fee) = $16.52 for the "11:00 AM March 1" event.  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1285590
No need to enter an additional "Donation" unless you so choose, and selecting "Will-Call" is fine in lieu of bringing a pre-printed "ticket" to the event.
Also please register with the AOC at the base of this article which will put you (for no additional charge) on our Club's email list to receive event updates (e.g. the "Free Parking Code") and give you "AOC Credit" for completing this 3-mountain "challenge."  Again, to participate you MUST ALSO formally register and pay via the above-linked NON-AOC "brownpapertickets.com" webpage. 

IN A NUTSHELL:  You AOCers who feel comfortable doing our "moderate-difficulty" Club dayhikes are sure to enjoy this "alternate form of March Madness" that has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with hiking & nature!  The fascinating event is offered annually by my friends, the ranger-naturalists of Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain and Panola Mountain.  We AOCers helped them prove on "Monadnock Madness #1 and #2" (in 2013 & 2014) that it's easy to have a good time climbing together up and down all three beautiful "monadnocks" on a single day.  Custom-designed commemorative "prize-souvenirs" are awarded to all finishers!  Registering and paying online as directed above covers parking at all three parks and the naturalist-guided summit hikes - plus snacks, refreshments and commemorative prizes. 

We'll hike as a group to each of the 3 mountain summits and descend together at a moderate pace.  We intend to go ahead with the event rain or shine..

A FEW DETAILS:  This is a group endeavor and learning experience - not a race.  It's well within the ability of AOCers who feel comfortable doing our "D3" or higher-difficulty hikes, made easier by our half hour or more of "rest & drive time" between Stone Mtn and Arabia and later in the afternoon between Arabia and Panola.  Each of our three summit hikes will be guided by park ranger-naturalists who are experts in the unique geology, biological diversity and natural history of these rocky "monadnocks."  Along the way we'll discuss the mountains' fascinating similarities, differences, and human histories.  Our total combined hiking distance at the three parks will be only about 7 miles and the estimated combined uphill elevation gains about 1300 feet.
  Tasty snacks & refreshments will be served at the Arabia Nature Center.  We expect to finish our final hike at Panola Mountain by about 5:00 PM, so those who choose to carpool with us from Stone Mtn Park to the other two parks can expect to be back at your vehicles at Stone Mountain by 5:15 or so.

WHERE & WHEN?  The order of our three "Monadnock Madness" parks will be:  first Stone Mountain, then Arabia Mtn, and finally Panola Mtn.  We'll meet initially at 10:45 AM on the front steps of Confederate Hall, just inside the west entrance of Stone Mountain Park.  (See precise Directions and parking instructions below.)

 After our initial hike to the Stone Mtn summit and back to the cars, we'll next caravan to Arabia Mtn (about 13 mi SE of Stone Mountain).  After our snack break at the Arabia park's Nature Center we'll hike up and down their "twin Arabia summits."  Then we'll caravan to Panola Mountain (just 6 mi S of Arabia) to complete the final "piece of the puzzle."

 Here is the Arabia Alliance's "target timetable," which may be a bit optimistic - hence my own 6-1/2-hour estimated total event time atop this article.

11:00A-12:45 PM:   Stone Mountain hike
  1:15 -   2:45 PM:   Arabia Mtn hike
  3:15 -   4:30 PM:   Panola Mtn hike 

MORE EVENT DETAILS:  In addition to our AOC "subgroup" of perhaps 20 hikers, the Arabia Mountain Alliance is inviting others from their own organization and from the general public to participate.  By the way, if this year's advertised AOC date/time is "sold out" (or isn't a convenient date for you) feel free to register for one of the other options described at "MonadnockMadness.com" and you can do it as a "non-AOC" event either with the parks' expert naturalist-guides or on your own.
  The info below is excerpted from the Alliance's "First Annual" writeup.

"Surreal views and a rockin’ good time are in store for “Monadnock Madness.” This event encourages amateur adventurers to reach the peaks of Arabia, Panola, and Stone Mountains, and if you’re “mad” enough you can master all three monoliths in a single day!
Each of these granite peaks is considered a “monadnock" - a specific type of mountain that juts out of the relatively flat landscape surrounding it. The rich geological history and varied ecosystems of these areas have created some of the best places to hike near Metro Atlanta. A recent Atlanta Trails review notes, “The diverse landscape at Arabia Mountain is so beautiful – and sometimes so foreign – it’s almost surreal. This wild, rugged granite ecosystem is…a testament to the awesome landscape diversity of Georgia.” In just one day you can see vernal pools, pine forests, rivers, and even snorkelwort. You’ll have to join us to see a snorkelwort!
The rare Diamorpha plant should also be in bloom which carpets the granite with bright red flowers. Our naturalist-guides will encourage hikers to get up close and personal with such wonders of nature as we explore each unique monadnock."

A BIT about "MONADNOCK" GEOLOGY and NATURAL HISTORY:  The thousands of acres of huge rocky domes and outcrops at Arabia, Panola, and Stone Mountain are known to have originally been giant "bubbles" of upwelling molten rock deep inside the earth.  They slowly cooled and hardened to form the dome-shaped "monadnocks" and over the eons have become revealed as miles of softer layers of earth and rock above them eroded away - a process that still continues today.  Geologists estimate that Arabia Mountain first took shape about 400 million years ago.  By comparison the granite of its Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain "siblings" is believed to be relatively young - a "mere" 300 million years old.  All three mountains existed long before the dinosaurs appeared on Earth and all have an amazing diversity of rare plants and creatures that are worthy of our conservation and protection.

DIRECTIONS and FREE PARKING INSTRUCTIONS for our INITIAL STONE MTN PARK MEETUP SPOT on the FRONT STEPS of CONFEDERATE HALL:

If you formally register and pay as directed atop this article (via "BrownPaperTickets.com) and sign up below for our AOC "informal subgroup" you'll be emailed a special 4-character "free-parking code" which you should give the Stone Mtn Park gate attendant as you enter the Park.  Our initial meetup spot for this event will be the FRONT STEPS of "CONFEDERATE HALL" on the west end of the Park, with free parking available in the large adjoining lot.  (CAUTION! Although many of our AOC dayhikes begin beside the nearby separate restroom building, note that this time we meet directly on the steps of the much larger Confederate Hall building!  Click on the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article if you'd like to see a zoomable map/ satellite view of this spot.)

DIRECTIONS to CONFEDERATE HALL from "SPAGHETTI JCN" in NE ATLANTA":
1.  From "Spaghetti Junction"  (the I-285/I-85 interchange in NE Atlanta) take "I-285 East" (actually southward - toward “Augusta”) about 4.7 miles.
2.  Take I-285 Exit #39B (bearing Right off I-285 in a clockwise loop).  Merge onto Stone Mountain Pkwy/ US-78 East (toward Snellville/Athens), and go about 5.9 miles.
3.  Get off the Parkway toward your right at Exit #5 (onto the Memorial Drive/Stone Mountain Bypass).  Go only about 0.6 mile and bear Right again at your first opportunity up the E. Ponce de Leon Ave. access ramp.
4.  At the end of the ramp turn Left onto E. Ponce de Leon Avenue and go 0.5 mile to the first traffic light (on the north side of Stone Mtn Village).
5.  Turn Left at the traffic light onto James B. Rivers Memorial Drive (avoiding the sharper left onto “Silver Hill Rd”) and drive (eastward) about 0.5 mile to the large Stone Mtn Park "West Entrance Gate."
6.  Tell the Gate Attendant that you're there for the "Monadnock Madness" guided hike and give them the special 4-character free-parking code for the event which will be emailed to all confirmed AOC registrants.
7.  After entering the West Gate turn immediately Right onto Robt. E. Lee Blvd and note the large Confederate Hall building just 0.1 mile ahead on your left.  Park in that big lot (just past the building on your left).
8.  As directed above meet our AOC group and other Monadnock Madness participants at 10:45 AM on the front steps of Confederate Hall.  Our Stone Mtn hike is scheduled to depart at 11:00.

GPS or GOOGLE MAPS USERS: The following Lat/Lon coordinates of the CONFEDERATE HALL STEPS may be useful as your entered “Destination Address” in conjunction with the above directions.  33.81136,- 84.16189 

OPTIONAL CARPOOLING from STONE MTN to OTHER TWO PARKS:  AOC "Monadnock Madness" hikers will have the option of carpooling with other participants to the other two parks or driving alone in your own vehicle (caravaning with us or driving independently).  We expect to depart from Stone Mtn Park toward Arabia at about 1:00 PM and from the Arabia Nature Center lot to Panola Mtn at about 3:00).  Written directions will be made available so that drivers can reach the Arabia & Panola parking areas even if they don't remain in our "caravan."

- Parking and Park Entrance at Stone Mtn, Arabia Mtn and Panola Mtn,
- Naturalist-guided Hikes at all 3 mountains,
- Snacks & Refreshments,
- Commemorative "Monadnock Madness" Gifts

We intend to go ahead with the event rain or shine, but if any portions need to be canceled due to unusually severe weather, etc. we'll do our best to schedule a convenient alternate "rain date" for AOC paricipants.  If you are unable to participate (or can join us only for part of the event) please consider your $16.52 payment to be a nonrefundable tax-deductible donation to the worthy missions of the three parks.