Hike-Bike-or-Paddle Orienteering with Map & Compass at Fort Yargo

OVERVIEW:  This map & compass adventure and learning experience will be held in conjunction with the special Sat May 28 "Hike-Bike-or-Paddle Score-O" meet hosted by Charlie, Harry and Warren and their friends from the GA Orienteering Club.  The meet will take place between 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM at beautiful Fort Yargo State Park, just 40 miles NE of Atlanta—see detailed directions below to the "START" area. In addition to our AOC "subgroup," several dozen other participants will be there from the "O Club" and from the public at large.  The event should be fun for hikers, canoeists, kayakers, mountain bikers and map/compass aficionados of all experience levels—see details about your options for this special meet below.

AOC "SUBGROUP" PLAN: Members of our AOC "subgroup" will meet with Charlie, Harry and Warren at the START area at 9:30 AM. After we introduce one another we'll discuss the basics of the sport and how to register to take part in the meet.  O Club vounteers will give you a tutorial review of how to use a compass in conjunction a topographic map.  Loaner compasses are available at no charge if you don't bring one, and each individual or team will be given a special Score-O topo map of Fort Yargo State Park.  Your mission will be to find partially hidden "control flags" that have been hung around the periphery of the lake and whose locations will be shown on your copy of the map. 

  In this "Score-O" event it will be up to you to decide which controls you wish to try to find within your 2-hour time limit (see more below). The points you can earn will range from as few as 10 for easily accessed controls near the START by the lakeshore to as many as 40 for those requiring, for example, a 200-meter hike up a hill through the woods. You can also score bonus points for solving two optional course-related puzzles described on the Control Description Sheet.
  Walkers, runners, and mountain bikers are welcome, as are canoe or kayak paddlers.  You paddlers will have to get out of your boat occasionally to locate controls that may not be directly on the lakeshore and you non-paddlers may occasionally choose to get your feet wet to reach some of the lakeside controls.
  The Score-O course is suitable for individuals (even if you have no previous experience) and for teams of two or more.  If you prefer we can likely pair you with one or more other AOCers to do the Score-O as a team of paddlers, walkers or mountain bikers.  Teams  are asked to register together on the same form, and you can pay a single entry fee if you share your map.

TIMETABLE for MAY 28 MEET and PICNIC:
9:00 AM-12:00 Noon: Eight Rental Canoes available on first-come-first-serve basis at O Meet START area by Fort Yargo "Area B" boat dock (see more below).

9:30-11:00 AM: Beginner Orienteering Instruction available at START.
10:00-12:00 Noon:  Score-O Registrations & Start Times available at START. Entry/Map Fee: $6 per Member (individual or "crew") and $10 per Non-Member (individual or "crew"). 2-hour Time Limit (see more below).
12:00-2:00 PM: GAOC "Potluck Picnic" served at Picnic Shelter #4 on hill near START area: If you'd like to participate please bring an item of your choice that would feed about 5 to 6 people - your item might be, for example, a Covered Dish, box of Chicken, Salad, Fruit plate, Hors d'Oeuvres plate, Dessert, etc. The Club will provide delicious grilled Hotdogs and "fixins" and also Chips & Dip, Soft Drinks & Water, Ice, Paper Plates & Cups, Napkins, and Utensils.

SCORE-O TIME LIMIT & PENALTY SYSTEM: The time limit for each participant or team will be 2 hours from your assigned START time until the time you turn in your Score-O punch card back at the START table, with an assessed penalty of 5 points for each minute that you're late if you exceed your 2-hour limit.

SPECIAL BOATING NOTES (for all who intend to paddle): If you have one or can borrow one, please bring your own canoe, kayak or other small personal watercraft plus paddles and lifejackets. We also expect to have 8 rental canoes available at our O Meet START area by the small Area B Boat Dock, beginning at 9:00 AM, on a walk-up first-come-first-serve basis (no advance reservations allowed). Our $12 cash-only flat-fee canoe rental rate includes use of paddles and lifejackets (max of 2 adults + one child per canoe). All rental canoes should be returned to the START area no later than 2:00 PM. (Rental canoes have been arranged on a special contract basis with the Fort Yargo State Park office and their canoeing concessioner.)

QUESTIONS? Contact GAOC volunteer Meet Director Charlie Cottingham by emailing him at Cott4Treks@aol.com or by leaving a message on his home/office phone at 404-321-3230. Charlie greatly appreciates the assistance of his friends and fellow AOC leaders Warren Rudert and Harry Falise who have volunteered to help manage the START/FINISH Area for this meet and coach our AOC subgroup.

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 compass, and our judgment as to which route to take between partially hidden white & orange control flags whose positions and surrounding land & water features are shown on the map. Before tackling an O course we’re also usually given a "clue sheet" that describes the main topographic features in the immediate vicinity where each flag is hung.
  We’re fortunate to have in Atlanta a very active and friendly not-for-profit “O” club. GA Orienteering Club volunteers organize year-round “O Meets” and map & compass education programs at parks and wilderness preserves throughout north Georgia.  The general public is welcome to participate in GAOC events without formal membership.  Membership dues are only $8 per year (or $12 per couple, $15 per family).

For more on the GA Orienteering Club go to:
http://gaorienteering.org

The O Club has an excellent online "Tutorial" for beginners at:
http://gaorienteering.org/Education/BeginnerGuide/introduction.htm

For more on Fort Yargo State Park, go to:
http://www.gastateparks.org/FortYargo