Sun, May 17 2009 - Lake Allatoona “Map & Compass Hike” & Beach Picnic (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Charlie Cottingham, cgrierson Participants: Charlie Cottingham, Jeannie Cassidy, Christian, Kristi, Warren Rudert, Caitlin Stark, Denise T, Sharon, Cristina, Scott Bennett, Sharath, Ricki Adkins

Write Up:
Writeup by Charlie Cottingham:  Thirteen of us AOCers had a good time together at the GA Orienteering Club's "O Meet" at Red Top Mountain State Park despite a few light rain showers.  Thanks to Colleen Grierson for doing a great job as our co-leader!  We first gathered at the O Meet Start Area at the Iron Hill Trailhead and had about a half-hour tutorial in maps, compasses, and the sport of orienteering.  After registering as a single "wayfaring group" for the O Meet, we set out together on the 4-kilometer "Yellow" (advanced beginner) course using the specially marked O Map with eleven red circles showing where we'd find the sequence of Yellow control flags.  Along the way we took turns suggesting an appropriate strategy and route for finding the next flag.  As we found each flag we proved that we'd been there (and at what precise time) by inserting our electronic "finger stick" into an instrument attached to the flag.  The route took us to some very pretty parts of the Park including several mysterious low depressions near Lake Allatoona that were surrounded by steep cliffs.  By about 1:00 we had successfully found all the flags and were back under our blue tarp at the Start (by which time it was raining pretty steadily).  About 7 of us stuck around for a very nice picnic lunch under the tarp.

Thanks to Warren Rudert for submitting his Picasaweb album of photos that he took at the event.  They can be viewed at the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/yrunvs66/OrienteeringOutingMay2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJC136-Xj5-X4QE#

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