WNC Orienteering Club

I love this guy.

And this was just half of them! Summer camp at Historic Johnson Farm now comes with orienteering, and it's a hit. In the span of an hour each, two large batches of Elementary-schoolers went from "never heard of orienteering" to moaning and groaning that they had to stop. 😁

I love teaching orienteering, but nothing tops teaching how to teach it. Every year I return to Camp Grier a week before the campers arrive and train the counselors, young people themselves, on how to teach, lead, and make their "scavenger hunt on steroids" super fun. It's been years, now, and it never gets old for me. I'm super proud of this year's batch of counselors, some of whom REALLY impressed me with how effectively they went from hesitant and nervous to confident and empowered.

77 coworkers, 10 teams, 60 minutes, 1 person in the water, 0 phones in the water. Corporate team building with the wonderful people of IMPLAN at Highland Lake Inn & Resort in Flat Rock on a picture postcard day. 🗺🏃🛶

Coming soon: updated Bent Creek Ledford Branch permanent course map made from fresh, post-Helene 2025 LiDAR, plus NEW MAPS with courses starting from Rice Pinnacle, Hard Times, Arboretum, and Riverside Park lots . Pics for attention... throwback to when a few of us went on a very long run there on a very hot day for Easter Eggs Rogaine IV back in 2022.

JROTC cadets from West Henderson High School test drove the work-in-progress map of Historic Johnson Farm today and did a fantastic job, especially the second group who did so in the pouring rain. Some enjoyed this so much they came back for a second round in the afternoon, teaching their peers how to orienteer. Let's just say I was super proud of them.

I don't know what this lonely goat's name is, but we should give them one. They live on the border of the forthcoming Historic Johnson Farm map, and will get some attention tomorrow when a gaggle of JROTC cadets from West Henderson High School locate Control 14, whose clue description will read, "Fence and Goat."

After many years of this, I can't decide if I feel more like an honorary FernLeaf staff member or family member, and then I remember there's no difference.

I never get tired of going to this place, but I'm always so tired after going to this place! Results and more pictures from this morning's orienteering race at our beloved FernLeaf Community Charter School Wilderness Campus are up on WNCOC dot org!

Preparations for tomorrow are almost done, and the forecast looks great! Race-day walk-up registration WILL be available starting at 8:30am. The excellent FernLeaf Food Truck will be slinging breakfast and lunch.