Black Hill Orienteering Puzzle

[djjames]

There is what appears to be an abandoned orienteering course in the Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds. Back in 2017 while geocaching in the park I came across a 5' high 4x4 wooden post with the word Orienteering and the number 7 engraved on the side. I recognized this as a way point in a fixed post orienteering course and was interested in doing the course. However, I could not find any information from internet searches or from anyone at the park office or the county. For the next several years I would make many trips to the park bushwacking off the trails searching for more posts and eventually found 11 total marked 1 through 10 and Start/Finish. This may be all that there is but I still search occasionally for others.

I assume that there are a few members who would be interested in finding these posts so I've posted a jpg of a portion of the park map showing the post locations. Fans of orienteering could use this map to search for them. I also put the locations of nearby geocaches on the map so one could triangulate the post coordinates if desired.

I will warn you that the posts can be difficult to spot. The word orienteering carved into the post helps enormously. Also, back in November I visited all the posts and discovered that posts #7 & 8 had fallen to the ground. These I leaned against nearby trees to aid in spotting them.

Interested parties should go hunt before the foliage makes searching more difficult.

Park Map:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AUcLi ... hare_link

Orienteering post

[djjames]

I've put together a 3 page PDF file that illustrates a method to calculate the Lat/Lon coordinates of a post using a printed copy of the map, a pencil, ruler and protractor.

Starting from a known point on the map, the ruler and protractor are used to measure the distance from and bearing to a post. These values are entered into a website that will compute the Lat/Lon coordinates of the post.

The PDF file can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14s_ihG ... share_link

While not shown on the map, you can find a stone pyramid built in memory of the victims of the 2020 Covid-19 virus between posts #7 and #8.

[Serrabou]

Thanks, this looks like fun!

If you want to earn smilies while doing orienteering-like activities I have a few series down across the Potomac you may like:

Toponaut https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/B ... 0&take=500

Roovendell https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/B ... 0&take=500

[djjames]

Those caches look very interesting. I'm definitely adding them to my to-do list.
Thanks!

[busman82]

Have you checked with a local Boy Scout Troop or the BSA Area Counsel that these posts are located in? They may have gotten permition to put these posts in for an Orienteering Merit badge.

[djjames]

I did go to the BSA website and searched for Orienteering in Black Hill, but nothing turned up. I did not try to email anyone at the time. I also tried the GSA website as well. I don't know how long ago the course was created or abandoned but some signs point to many years ago.

[djjames]

While I was searching for the orienteering posts I came across blue blazes painted on trees located far from the known trails. At some of these blazes I could see remnants of an old trail. After a while I'd mapped nearly a mile of abandoned trail which I assume was an early portion of the Cabin Branch Trail (CBT). This trail starts a little way up the current Hamilton Trail (HT) then heads west over an intermittent/dry stream bed via a "buried bridge" then uphill where it turns north roughly following the HT. Near the junction of the HT and the current CBT it then turns west and crosses the Cabin Branch stream at the site of Georick402's Cabin Branch Creek Ghost Bridge (GC6MCQN) and continues to the Utility easement at the boundary of the park where it turns south to end at the lake parking area.

A second, shorter, abandoned section starts at the CBT, beginning at Lake Ridge Dr. and running NW but deviates after a short distance and finishes at the HT north of the current CBT/HT intersection. At the end of this section is a fallen signpost pointing the way "To Park Entrance Road".

I've uploaded a map showing the trail and blazes. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KOv4so ... share_link

A quick way to find the longer section of the trail is to start at the HT along Black Hill Road and head north to the HT/CBT intersection. There is a sign post at the intersection. From this post go 30 feet south then look 50 feet west into the trees and you'll see a tree marked with 2 blue blazes. Stand with your back to the blazes and you'll see the trail remnant heading south which appears as a broad avenue through the trees. Looking west from the blazed tree, the trail becomes difficult to spot. It was more visible years ago, but these days I lose sight of it quickly and just navigate to the Ghost Bridge. The trail is not easy to find on the other side of the stream but I go to the blazes and later see a tree carved with graffiti while occasionally spotting the trail.

The "buried bridge" to the south is an old log & plank footbridge crossing the now dry stream bed and is covered with years of leaf litter and debris.

Also on the map, and shown in purple, is an abandoned road/trail that went from Lake Ridge Dr. to the lake. It may have been an early access road. There's remains of what I think was a wide gate part way down the road.