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“West Palisades of the Hooch” Map & Compass Dayhike & Picnic


The Basics:
Event Type:Learn
Event Location: Chattahoochee River NRA Parking Lot off Akers Drive in NW Atlanta
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Feb 1 2009  9:45 am >> N/A
Registration Opens: Mon, Jan 5 2009 1:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sat, Jan 31 2009 6:00 pm
Event Duration:4 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Erica
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:25
Minimum Group Size:5
Number Registered So Far: 19 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
One of North Atlanta’s most beautiful and and easily accessible wild areas is the “West Palisades” unit of the Chattahoochee River Nat’l Recreation Area (CRNRA). Join Charlie at 9:45 AM for this 3-hour event which will take us to seldom-seen scenic parts of the Palisades area and River. Included before and during our dayhike will be a review of basic map & compass skills in conjunction with the GA Orienteering Club’s “O Meet” scheduled that day in the north end of the West Palisades. The event should be fun and educational for hikers of all experience levels.
IMPORTANT: Note below the special Akers Drive access and parking for this event -- it’s DIFFERENT than our usual AOC meeting spot end for West Palisades hikes off Northside Pkwy!

EVENT PLAN: After we introduce one another and register as a group for the O Meet, Charlie and other experienced O Club volunteers will conduct a half-hour refresher in the basics of how to use a compass and interpret a topographic map. At about 10:30 our AOC group will set off together on the “Yellow” advanced beginner “O course,” applying our map & compass skills to locate about a dozen partially hidden “control flags” whose locations are shown on our maps. After reaching each flag we’ll re-study our map and jointly agree upon an appropriate “attack strategy” to find the next flag in the course’s sequence.
We’ll share several copies of the GAOC West Palisades topo map specially marked for the Yellow course. Bring your own compass if you have one -- otherwise you’re welcome to share one of our free “loaner” compasses. We plan to take a relaxed “wayfaring” pace, although many O Meet competitors that day will be trying for max. speed between control flags.
OPTIONAL POST-HIKE PICNIC: If you like, stick around for an informal picnic with our AOC group near our vehicles when we return to the start area (about 12:30 to 1:00 PM). bring a couple of simple food & beverage items to share (in a cooler, etc.) After the picnic feel free to locate a few more control flags on a more difficult course (e.g., Orange or Green) -- either on your own or with a couple of others from our group.

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 verbal descriptions of the main topographic feature(s) that we should be looking for where each flag’s is hung -- provided in the O Meet “start” area as “control description clues.”
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 “O” 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 most GAOC events without formal membership.

For more on the Chattachoochee River NRA go to http://www.nps.gov/chat

Required Items to Bring:
-Comfortable broken-in Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots,
-Lightweight comfortable Clothing appropriate for weather. Long pants are suggested, since we’ll be occasionally walking off-trail through the forest.
-Cap and Sunscreen
-Compass if you have one -- otherwise, we’ll have several “loaners” to share. The simple ones suitable for orienteering have a clear base and are available for less than $10 at Wal-Mart or Sports Authority.
-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 Beverage Items to contribute to informal AOC group picnic in O Meet Start Area near our vehicles after hike.
-$3 Cash (per vehicle) for your self-service CRNRA Parking Fee 		Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

How to Get There:
Event Directions:We’ll meet in the Chattahoochee River NRA “West Palisades” north-end parking lot adjoining Akers Drive in northwest metro Atlanta, near the I-285 bridge over the river (just inside the I-285 perimeter hwy). Following are directions from I-285 on Atlanta’s north side:

1) Exit I-285 at Exit #22, “Northside Drive, New Northside Drive, Powers Ferry Road.” (If you were driving westward on I-285-- e.g. from Sandy Springs -- continue straight ahead from the “New Northside” traffic light at the end of the ramp to the 2nd traffic light at Northside Drive.)
2) Turn southward on Northside Drive (inside I-285) and go 1 block to Powers Ferry Road. (Note the McDonalds and large hotel at this corner.)
3)Turn Right onto Powers Ferry Rd and go straight ahead 1.5 miles (west over the river) to the wooden mill wheel on your left at Akers Drive. (En route just after you cross the river, Powers Fy becomes Akers Mill Rd -- Avoid turning right under I-285 at this Powers/ Aker Mill traffic light. The mill wheel is near the top of the hill on Akers Mill Rd at the entrance to several apartment & condo complexes.)
4) At the mill wheel turn Left off Akers Mill Road onto Akers Drive and proceed 0.2 mile straight ahead to the large brown Chattahoochee River NRA sign on your left.
5) Turn Left at the sign and go another 0.2 mile to the NRA Parking Lot on your right. Self-service envelopes are available for paying the usual $3.00 per vehicle parking fee. Deposit the fee in the receptacle and hang the numbered receipt on your interior mirror.

FOR CUSTOMIZED DIRECTIONS: There are slightly shorter routes from midtown, etc. If you’d like customized directions from your starting location, go to:
Google.com/maps
and in the “Search Maps” window enter:
Akers Drive & Akers Mill Rd, Atlanta, GA 30339
Then click “Get Directions,” enter your personal “Start Address, and click the grey “Get Directions” box.

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


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