Hey community, I might possibly be doing a little event in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee next month. It's a navigation and ultrarunning event that one might approach from an orienteering mindset.
Does anyone know if Frozen Head State Park has been mapped and/or if there is a local club near Knoxville that would have resources?
Thanks!
Josh
If my employer approves, yes
The park map looks almost good enough to use for a rogaine, especially since you can get it geo-referenced. Has there ever been an orienteering club in Tennessee?
https://tnstateparks.com/about/park-trail-maps/#fr...
Western North Carolina Orienteering held an event in Johnson City, TN a few years back.
I assume you know what you are in for....there a few people on here who have survived it.
Long ago, there was enough of an orienteering club in Tennessee that there was an A-meet in the state. Much later, there was a woman who had gotten enthusiastically into orienteering (Meg Garrett?) who moved to TN and said she'd be starting a club there, but AFAIK she was never heard from again. Maybe the saw briers got her.
There is no O-map of Frozen Head, but there are various Barkley maps online based on USGS that look decent.
The park map with 20 foot contours is good enough. I have toyed with the idea of grabbing the lidar and kartapullautin but it's not worth the effort. A couple of laps is pretty easy, gets a bit harder after that.
Love that HidingControls is part of the BM lore!
See this article, which includes a mention of MB (HidingControls)...
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/07/ba...If you are looking for good reads, almost all articles about the BM are good, or even better.
Also, if you've got time, there is
this documentary about Gary Robbins's experience at the BM which is
definitely worth a watch. I believe Gary is a member of one of the Canadian O clubs as well?
Barkley is definitely a running race with a defined course and course markings and you're told exactly where the books are. It's pretty easy to get around. Nav is about the level expected by a competent 14 year old :D
CalTopo works well for seamless USGS
Gary Robbins is a former adventure racer who has done a number of O events in the Vancouver area to improve his nav skills for the Barkley. Agree - great film. I also recommend this one.
https://barkleymovie.com/
No club in Knoxville so the closest club would be WNOC run by Chris Gkikas. Chris also runs a side mapping company and he has made some maps in Eastern TN. I am not sure if he did any work at Frozen Head as that is about 3 hours away from Ashville, NC.