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MAP & COMPASS HIKE and PICNIC by the HOOCH




The Basics:
Event Type:Adventure
Event Location: Chattahoochee River NRA: Special Events building at the Jones Bridge Unit (between Alpharetta & Norcross)
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Sep 6 2008  9:45 am >> N/A
Registration Opens: Sun, Aug 17 2008 12:00 am
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Sep 4 2008 12:00 pm
Event Duration:4 hours
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Tom Collins
Paula Schubert
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:35
Minimum Group Size:6
Number Registered So Far: 29 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
Interested in improving your map-reading skills in a fun and unusual way? The Georgia Orienteering Club (GAOC) has invited the Atlanta Outdoor Club to help them celebrate "National Orienteering Day" on Saturday September 6. We’ll gather at 9:45AM at the Special Events building in the beautiful "Jones Bridge" section of the Chattahoochee River Nat’l Recreation Area -- see detailed directions below. Our easy to moderate AOC "map & compass hikes" led by Charlie, Tom, and Paula will be in conjunction with the GAOC’s annual free O Day Orienteering Meet and Picnic.

At about 10:00 just before our hikes, we'll conduct a brief refresher for our AOC group in fundamental map and compass skills. We’ll also discuss the basics of the sport of Orienteering . Upon registering for the meet, each participant will be given a free detailed topographic "O map" of the area. Bring your own compass if you have one -- otherwise you’re welcome to use a free "loaner" compass.

At about 10:30 we’ll plan to divide into three AOC "teams" and set out on the "Yellow" orienteering course (about 3 miles, easy to moderate) during which we’ll attempt to find about a dozen orienteering control flags in the terrain near the river. We’ll apply our map and compass skills and jointly agree upon appropriate "attack strategies" to locate the flags based on their marked locations on our maps. We’ll take a relaxed "wayfaring" pace, although many O Meet competitors that day will be trying for max. speed between controls.

FREE O DAY PICNIC! Stick around awhile after our hike for this big picnic by the Special Events building, with food & refreshments provided by the GAOC as part of their big O Day celebration. If you have a couple of tasty items or non-alcoholic beverages on hand that you’d like to bring and contribute, please do so!

WHAT IS ORIENTEERING? It’s a sport that blends the fun of a scavenger hunt with the adventure of navigating between flagged checkpoints in unfamiliar natural terrain. We "orienteer" using a detailed topographic map, a simple magnetic compass (no GPS!), and our judgment as to which route to take between checkpoints (partially hidden white & orange flags) whose positions and surrounding land & water features are shown on the map. We’re fortunate to have in Atlanta a very active not-for-profit "O" club. GAOC volunteers prepare highly detailed "O Maps" and organize year-round O Meets and public education programs at parks and wilderness preserves throughout north Georgia -- go to www.GAOrienteering.org for more details. Membership dues are only $8 per year, and the general public is welcome to participate in their meets (typically about 20 per year).


Required Items to Bring:
  • -Comfortable broken-in Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots,
  • -Lightweight comfortable Clothing. Long pants are suggested, since we’ll be occasionally walking off-trail through the forest.
  • -Cap and Sunscreen
  • -Compass if you have one. (Otherwise you can use a free "loaner" compass.)
  • -Water: about 1 Quart, in "Camelbak" or bottles inside a small daypack/fanny pack.
  • -Hiking Poles or Walking Stick if you like,
  • -Optional: Small food and/or beverage item to contribute to O Day picnic after hike.
    		• Recommended Items to Bring:
    Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

    How to Get There:
    Event Directions:
  • 1) From the I-285/GA 400 Interchange in North Atlanta, take GA-400 North about 9 miles and exit at Exit #7A, GA-140 East, "Holcomb Bridge Road".
  • 2) Take Holcomb Bridge Road eastward toward Norcross about 4.5 miles to the traffic light at Barnwell Road.
  • 3) Turn Left onto Barnwell Rd, and go just 0.8 mile to a special park entrance road on your right which should be marked by one or more small low-lying orange-white-black "ORIENTEERING" signs. (NOTE!: This entrance is about a mile before the public entrance road used for other AOC hikes. Except for this and other special occasions it usually has a locked gate.)
  • 4) Turn Right onto the Entrance Road and park in the designated area near the large Special Events building. The usual $3 CRNRA parking fee will be waived for "O Day" participants.
  • 5) Our AOC sub-group will meet between 9:45and 10:00AM at the GA Orienteering Club’s registration table at the building, which should be marked with a large banner. Look for Charlie wearing a white long-sleeve "Atlanta Outdoor Club" T-Shirt. (Several dozen other GAOC guests and members will arrive during the day for the general orienteering meet, picnic, and other O Day festivities.)

    • Notes:
    * We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


    Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.