Orienteering at Catoctin Mountain Park
By Chris O’Connor
There comes a time in everyone’s life when they choose to change course to reach their destination. But the question is which way to turn?
Orienteering is a means to help one find a way through forest and field, over mountains and across deserts. Armed with the basic technique of using a compass and topographical map, hikers can find their destinations.
I’ve always wanted to learn compass skills in the unlikely event I ever became lost in the wilderness. It’s doubtful I’ll ever be lost in the wilderness because I never venture too far off the beaten path, and learning to use a compass or topographical map always remains a daunting prospect.
All that changed after attending a basic orienteering class under the expert tutelage of Ranger Peggie Gaul at Catoctin Mountain Park.
Orienteering is often known as a sport where competitors race through a course from point to point, but the instruction in basic orienteering offered at Catoctin Mountain Park is not about competition.
According to Ranger Gaul, it’s a great leisure activity for individuals and families to enjoy a relaxing time in the Catoctin Mountain Park’s 5,770-acre woodlands and waterways.
Ranger Gaul, a twenty-five-year veteran of the National Park Service, has had a lifelong interest in the outdoors. She explained clearly what I considered to be a complex subject.
The class, held at the Visitors Center at the intersection of Park Central Road and Rt. 77 in Thurmont, is roughly a 45-minute instruction period, during which participants are encouraged to interact with the instructor while learning the vagaries of topographical maps and symbiotic relationship the map and compass have, along with information they provide the hiker.
“I actually appreciate questions,” Ranger Gaul said, adding, “It gives me feedback. I know if I’m getting the message across or not. If one person doesn’t understand what I said, chances are there are other people in the room who don’t get it either.”
Each participant is supplied with a compass and topographic map. The map shows the orienteering course “controls,” 4×4 inch brown painted posts that sport numbers or letters, in addition to red and white triangles that are internationally recognized orienteering symbols.
One of the many beauties of the topographic map is that it contains “contour lines,” which aid the hiker to visualize points of equal elevation and “contour intervals” that reveal rise and fall in elevation. It contains other details explained in the class.
One basic and important detail of any map is the “legend,” the key that identifies symbols and defines them.
Unlike competitive orienteering where the course must be followed in sequence, we were encouraged to choose any controls designated on the orienteering course.
After the classroom instruction, we budding orienteers were sent on our merry way to utilize our newly acquired compass and topographic map reading skills.
The group dispersed as they chose their own destinations. While changing from my sneakers to hiking boots, I noticed some folks immediately strike out, then others appeared to all have their heads together, apparently studying their maps as if to decide which control to head for first.
After donning my boots, my first attempt at orienteering was hampered by my inability to focus.
I was distracted by the beauty of the surroundings, from the moss on the rocks to a wee purple-leaved woodland plant just peeking out from under the leaf litter, to the mixed hardwood trees towering overhead and the delightful noise of the creek flowing under the bridge, crossing just feet away from the beginning of the trek.
Although the orienteering course doesn’t follow trails, Catoctin Mountain Park contains twenty-five miles of established trails for hikers. Hikers can obtain a trail map at the Visitors Center: folks can choose loops for shorter hikes or other destinations like one of the many scenic overlooks with varying degrees of difficulty.
Printed on the reverse side of the map I acquired at the Visitor’s Center is a guide chart with trail names with their respective round-trip mileage, estimated hiking time, the ascent in footage, location of trailhead, a brief description of the trail attributes, and ratings from “easy” to “strenuous.”
Cold rain discouraged continuing on the orienteering course, but orienteers are welcome to hone their skills while the course is open. Inquire at the Visitor’s Center for specific course closure dates, but generally, the course is closed from April through October. Hikers are discouraged from going off-trail for reasons that include protection of growing flora and protecting hikers from ticks.
Trail maps can be obtained at the Visitor’s Center.
The orienteering class is offered at no charge throughout weekends in March and again in November.
Class sizes are limited, so pre-registration is necessary.
Call the Visitor Center at 301- 663-9388 to register or for further information.
For general information regarding Catoctin Mountain Park, access the website at
www.nps.gov/cato
