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REGISTRATION & PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page. This is a paid event with payment managed through the AOC. Please read the event description carefully for details; you will be given payment instructions after you sign up. Late payments are NOT accepted for this event, in any circumstance.



Camping, Watersports, Mountain Biking & Hiking Getaway at Dauset Trails Nature Center


The Basics:
Event Type:Overnight
Event Location: Dauset Trails Nature Center, Jackson, GA
Date(s) & Time:Fri, Aug 22 2008  7:45 pm >> N/A  (Carpool Departure: 6:45 pm   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Tue, Aug 5 2008 10:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Mon, Aug 18 2008 11:55 am
Event Duration:2 Days
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:$15.00/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:25
Minimum Group Size:8
Number Registered So Far: 7 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
EVENT OVERVIEW: Dauset Trails Nature Center is a beautiful privately endowed 1200-acre nature preserve just 50 miles south of Atlanta (adjoining Indian Springs State Park near Jackson, GA -- visit their official website at www.DausetTrails.com). We’ll have exclusive use of their campground, dining pavilion & comfort station, boating/swimming lake, and fleet of boats for up to 25 of our members and guests for the entire Aug 22-24 weekend. Read more below about their amazing facilities and many free extras. This weekend getaway could aptly be called “C to the 7th Power:” Convenient, Close, Cost-friendly Carside Camping + Canoeing and Cycling!” An optional informal “Pre-trip Planning Happy Hour” will be hosted on Mon. evening, Aug 18 for all who can attend (see below) and more details, including specific plans for group activities and meals, will be emailed to all who have signed up. Feel free to drive down at any time on Friday (directions and optional Fri. evening carpooling plan below) -- or Saturday morning if you prefer -- and stay as late as 5PM Sunday. Pets are not permitted.

PRE-TRIP HAPPY HOUR & PLANNING PARTY: 6PM-8PM, Mon. Aug 22 in “Kicks Lounge” at the Century Center Marriott in NE Atlanta (on the I-85 southbound access road between the Shallowford Rd and Clairmont Rd exits). Charlie will host this optional informal gathering for all who would like to meet one another prior to the trip. We’ll pre-arrange carpooling, gear-sharing, etc. and work up a rough schedule of planned group activities, meals, campfires, etc.

DAUSET TRAILS’ WONDERFUL FACILITIES: Dauset Trails has very nice facilities for camping, mountain biking, hiking, swimming, paddling, and fishing -- plus a nature/visitor center, botanical gardens, and a free wildlife park with cougars, bobcats, bears, bison, deer, otters, raptors, waterfowl, turtles, etc. Reserved groups such as ours have exclusive use of the entire heavily shaded camping area (see more below). We also have exclusive free use all weekend of about 15 canoes and kayaks of various styles (+ paddles & lifejackets) and a lovely lake with a white sand swimming beach. The camping area, lake, boathouse, and dining pavilion are in the middle of a 20-mile network of beautiful shaded mountain biking and hiking trails, suitable for all riding and hiking skill levels. The spacious lakeside dining pavilion is conveniently located beside the camping area and swimming/boating beach, and even has hot showers and flush toilets! Its numerous electrical outlets make it easily possible us to conserve expensive propane by bringing and using electric hotplates & skillets, coffeemakers, fans, etc.

TENT CAMPING FACILITIES: There are shaded tent camping areas on both sides of the lake, with about 15 level gravel tent pads in all. Every campsite is within about a 2-minute walk from our vehicle parking area by the pavilion. Several fire rings and steel lantern poles are provided. If you prefer you may sleep inside your vehicle or on one of the “Turkey Roost” platforms -- see below.

“TURKEY ROOST” COVERED SLEEPING PLATFORMS: These three open-sided roofed structures are available to us at no extra charge. Each can sleep up to about 10 campers. They’re set on a hill overlooking a beautiful creek that flows into the lake. They’re great if you prefer pitching your self-standing tent on one of the clean covered wooden decks in lieu of a gravel pad. They’re also fine if you have no tent at all -- just lay your pad and sleeping bag directly on the deck, and if necessary apply a little insect repellent to your upper body before bedding down. Each “Roost” has two wooden-deck platforms, each roughly 15 feet wide by 10 feet front-to-back. They’re just a 3-minute walk from the pavilion and parking area.

“POTLUCK” GROUP MEALS: The spacious lakeside dining pavilion in the campsite area has eight large picnic tables, and is ideally suited for the “potluck-style” group meals that have been lots of fun on several previous Dauset Trails trips. The king-size charcoal grill by the pavilion is great for group barbecuing. For any potluck-style meals that you’d like to take part in with the group, simply show up and chip in a ingredient or two, or a small prepared dish, dessert, beverage etc. -- also pitch in with food prep, cooking & cleanup. We’ll plan on hosting “potluck” meals at the Pavilion for our Fri. & Sat. dinners (~6:30pm-8:30pm) and Sat. & Sun. breakfasts (~8am-9:30am). The group charcoal grill will be lit Fri. & Sat. evenings in the patio & fire-ring area, and implements will be provided for those who would like to barbecue a reasonable-sized personal item: e.g., a steak, chicken breast, couple of dogs or burgers, etc. If you own an electric skillet or hotplate, consider bringing them. If convenient, bring a couple of pots, pans, cooking utensils, and a large cooler with plenty of ice and your favorite beverages and foods. Charlie will have a stash of paper plates & bowls, plasticware, napkins, etc., available for all meals, but to be “green” consider bringing your own personal washable plate, bowl, & utensils -- we’ll provide a hot-water dishwashing station and paper towels, etc. Lunches are on your own -- enjoy them from your coolers in the shade of the pavilion -- or take along a small daypack, etc. and we’ll do lunch while hiking, biking, etc.

DAUSET TRAILS NO-ALCOHOL POLICY: The Nature Center has a no-alcohol policy in their public areas including the camping and dining pavilion area. Infractions could jeopardize our Club’s future use of the camping area. If you feel that you must drink at all, please do so discreetly -- avoid bringing labeled bottles or cans, pour any drinks inside your parked vehicle or tent into an opaque mug or cup, and dispose of any labeled containers in opaque bags, etc. in the trunk of your vehicle. None of our garbage may any contain any alcoholic beverage containers when we leave on Sunday.


Required Items to Bring:
Tent (or sleep on “Turkey Roost” covered platform), Sleeping Bag (or sheets & blanket), Pillow, Sleeping Pad or Air Mattress, HeadLamp, Cooler with lots of ice, food & beverages (See “No-Alcohol Policy” discussion below!), Bike and Helmet (if you have and can easily bring), Folding Chair, Camera, Bathing Suit, Sunscreen, Bug Repellant, Hiking Boots or Athletic Shoes, Small Daypack or Fanny Pack, CamelBak water system or Bottled Water, . Our Dining Pavilion has lots of electric outlets, so feel free to bring an Electric Fan and Extension Cord if warm weather is forecast. You can conserve on Coleman fuel, etc. by utilizing any electric Hotplates, etc. that you have on hand (+ extension cords) -- but consider also bringing your Coleman stove, etc. if you have one. It’s not convenient to buy more ice nearby, so consider bringing an extra cooler with a bag or two of ice -- also consider pre-freezing some water bottles, jugs of water, etc. -- using them for longer-lasting solid ice in your food cooler and you can drink the cold water as it melts. 		Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

How to Get There:
Event Directions:From ATLANTA to DAUSET TRAILS NATURE CENTER CAMPING AREA and GROUP DINING PAVILION #2

–About 45 minutes from south side of Atlanta. SUGGESTION: Rezero odometer at each instruction and pay close attention to mileages given and driven. These instructions for campers are much more precise than those on DausetTrails.com.

1) From the southside I-75/ I-285 Interchange east of Atlanta Airport take I-75 South toward Macon and go about 33 miles.

If you’re driving from the east or NE side of Atlanta consider the I-675 shortcut from I-285 east of town to I-75 Exit #227, 26 miles north of our Exit #201 for Dauset Trails.

2) Get off I-75 at Exit #201 (GA-36 “Jackson/ Barnesville”).

3) Turn Left over the bridge onto Hwy 36 East and go about 3.1 miles (toward Jackson, GA).

4) Turn Right onto High Falls Road and go about 2.5 miles.

5) Turn Left onto Mt Vernon Church Rd (also known as Mt. Vernon Rd) and go about 3.0 miles to Dauset Trails Nature Center on your Left.

6) The Camping Area entrance is a gravel road on your Left surrounded by a long bank of pine trees at a rightward curve in the highway. (This is about 0.2 mile before the better-marked paved entrance road to the Nature Center Visitor Center.) A few yards down this gravel road (from Mt. Vernon Rd) you’ll find a gravel parking lot and “check-in bulletin board” for mountain bikers & other “day-use” visitors -- then a steel gate with “cattle bars” below it. Enter through this gate in your vehicle toward the Camping Area: Unhook the chain (which may appear to be locked), open the gate, proceed through it with your vehicle, then reclose the gate and rehook the chain behind you as you found it.

7) The covered lakeside Campers’ Pavilion (Group Pavilion #2) and campers’ parking area are about 0.8 mile beyond the steel gate down this gravel road, on your Right (just before the narrow causeway that forms the dam for the lake). The “Turkey Roost” camping platforms and most of the gravel tent pads are also on your Right, near the lake about 100 yards before you reach the pavilion. Look for Club personnel at the pavilion for advice about parking, camping, group meals & activities, etc.

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):124Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 6:45 pm
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $49.60 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:
Important information for paid events in which payment is managed through the AOC:

     - Payment must be received by the payment due date and prior to participation in the event.

     - Some paid events require a minimum number of registered participants. If that number is not met, the event will be canceled and refunds will be issued to those who have already paid.

     - Third-party vendors often require damage deposits. Each registrant agrees to be liable for and required to reimburse the Atlanta Outdoor Club for any withheld deposits due to the actions of or damages caused by that registrant.

     - No partial payments. All registrants must pay the posted Member Cost regardless of any agreement you may have with any party involved in the event.

     - Read the event description carefully for additional information, and contact the trip leader(s) with any questions.

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

Cost & Payment:
Member Cost:$15.00/Person
Non-Member Cost:$15.00/Person
Cost Includes:2 nights camping, use of group pavilion and other group facilities & watersports gear discussed above.
Payment Cut Off:Payment must be received by the AOC on Mon, Aug 18 2008.
Make a Payment:Click here for the details. PLEASE PAY AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED UP BELOW.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.
*Note: Payment Cut Off: Payment must be received by the AOC by Mon. Aug 18, 2008.

*Note: It is your responsibility to get the payment in on time. Please allow two days for processing a PayPal transaction and one week for a check. No checks accepted after RSVP date

Refunds less a $5 handling fee are available if someone pays and fills your spot.