VETERANS RALLY in the WOODS 9-11 December
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VETERANS RALLY IN THE WOODS 9-11 DEcEmber 2016 PLAN 1-2016.7 TASK ORGANIZATION: VETLANTA; Sierra Club Outdoors (SC); Team Red, White, Blue (Tm RWB); Boots to Loafers (BTL), Live the Ranger Creed (LTRC). Other entities/members of VETLANTA are being solicited. I. SITUATION: The great outdoors might just be greater than you think. There are plenty of us who love to spend as many hours of the day outdoors as we can and there are others that simply can’t stand being in the woods. Hiking is obviously healthy for the body, the mind, and yes, even the soul and it will even improve your social skills. It turns out that hiking might just be your ticket to a brand-new brain, whether you’re passionate about the outdoors, or just force yourself to take a stroll around your local park. VETLANTA and its partners are committed to helping our Veterans. To that end, Rally in the Woods will promote not only mental health and emotional resiliency; we will also emphasize leadership development. Many veterans experience difficulty adjusting to civilian life after leaving the service…the transition. To that end, as VETLANTA wraps up its third year, we reached out to key members to organize and execute an opportunity for Veterans to Rally in the Woods at Vogel State Park in North Georgia and bring back one of those key missing elements in corporate America…Comradery! We all have a common thread running through our veins…we are the other 1% that swore an oath to this great nation. Let’s join forces and gather in the woods of North Georgia for a hike in the woods, some camping, storytelling and comradery. This event is limited to the first 20 approved applicants and will also have 5 cadre and a handful of base camp volunteers. See Appendix A and complete the application to participate and Appendix B the Release of Liability. a. WEATHER. 1. Temperature Levels (Blairsville, GA, Longitude: -83.9444, Latitude: 34.8544): - Avg High: 51 F - Avg Low: 28 F 1 | Page NOTE: Snow is not uncommon in the North Georgia Mountains beginning in October. 2. Average Precipitation: 4.84 inches in December. 3. Average snowfall in inch: 1 inch b. TERRAIN. General. The rugged, often rocky terrain reaches a height of more than 4400 feet and never dips below 2500 feet. The high point of the trail is at Blood Mountain (4,461 ft.) while the low point is Dicks Creek Gap (2,675 ft.) Access to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail is by foot from Amicalola Falls State Park. c. LOCATION. 1. Vogel State Park, North Georgia Mountains (http://gastateparks.org/Vogel). a. One of Georgia’s oldest and most beloved state parks, Vogel is located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Driving from the south, visitors pass through Neel Gap, a beautiful mountain pass near Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. Vogel is particularly popular during the fall when the Blue Ridge Mountains transform into a rolling blanket of red, yellow and gold leaves. Hikers can choose from a variety of trails, including the popular 4-mile Bear Hair Gap loop, an easy lake loop that leads to Trahlyta Falls, and the challenging 13-mile Coosa Backcountry Trail. 2. See Appendix C for a map of the hiking route. II. MISSION: Establish a base camp at Vogel State Park and conduct day hikes for 3-days and camping for 2 nights. Successfully conduct three (3) day hikes during the time at the Park. III. EXECUTION. a. INTENT. To conduct a safe and impactful outdoor and hiking experience in the North Georgia Mountains at Vogel State Park that fosters the comradery of all Veterans participants. The hikes are broken into 3 separate hikes in and around Vogel State Park. b. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION. The hike will be broken into 4 phases. 1. 9 December, Phase 1/Day 1: Rally Point. a. Location: Vogel State Park. Specific location will be provided to all hikers prior to the event. b. Arrival/Registration Time: 8 AM to Noon. This time is designated as the time to arrive and get your personal base camp established. Specific instructions are TBD. c. Gear and site set up. All participants should bring with them their own tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and any other specific camping gear they desire. In the event a participant 2 | Page does not have a tent, there are Adirondack shelters available that sleep 10 people. For the hikes, day packs will, be required. d. Day 1 hike is approximately 5.1 miles on the Trahlyta Lake Trail (1.0 mile) and the Bear Hair Gap Trail (4.1 miles). Duration is estimated at 4 hours. e. Overall plan briefing TBD. 2. 10 December, Phase 2/Day 2Hike. a. Location: Vogel State Park, Coosa Backcountry Trail (13 miles) b. Day 2 hike (full day) is the longest hike of the Rally and will last the entire day. c. Early breakfast. Start NLT 0800, eat lunch on the trail. Bring snacks and it is highly suggested that you have a Camelbak. Guides will have water purifiers. d. Specific instructions for this day are TBD. 3. 11 December, Phase 3/Day 3 Hike: a. Location: Vogel State Park, Bear Hair Gap Trail (4.1 miles). b. Intent is to launch NLT 0730 and end the hike at noon or earlier. c. End of hike BBQ for lunch. Location TBD. 4. Date TBD, Phase 4: Debrief a. Location: The Original Pancake House, Alpharetta, GA. b. Date and Time: TBD. c. Take this time to debrief and capture lessons learned. c. COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS. 1. Application to participate. See Appendix A and complete the application and send to John W. Phillips at [email protected]. Upon review of the application, you will be notified if you are selected to participate in this event. 2. Release of Liability is at Appendix B. It is mandatory to participate in this event. If a potential participant shows up at the Park, they must sign the Release of Liability or they will not be allowed to camp or hike with this group. It must be signed and provided to John W. Phillips on or before 1 December 2016. 3. Electricity, fire-pits, and grilles are available at each campsite. 4. (ROE) Rules of Engagement that must be followed. a. Follow instructions. Any participants that are deemed “out of line” or do not conduct themselves in a proper manner will be asked to leave. b. Safety briefing will be conducted before each hike. 3 | Page c. Team leaders or guides will ensure personnel accountability before, during, and after each hike. d. If you have a previous cold weather injury, please notify the cadre. e. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! f. Leave no Trace. During all day hikes, the policy of Leave no trace is in full effect. If you pack it in, you must pack it out. g. Georgia State Park Rules and Regulations are located at http://gastateparks.org/rules. All hikers must comply or they will be asked to leave the base camp. 5. Calendar of key dates at Appendix D. 6. Late fall is hunting season, so special care must be taken during that time. IV. SERVICE SUPPORT. a. SUPPLY. 1. Food. a. Snacks. VETLANTA partners will provide granola bars, trail mix, and jerky will be provided to each hiker upon arrival and registration on Day 1, 9 December. If a hiker has specific dietary needs, it is their responsibility to provide their own snacks and special dietary needs. b. Meal breakdown is as follows: i. 9 December. 1. Snack. Issued upon arrival. 2. Dinner. Provided by VETLANTA partners and issued upon arrival. This meal is a dehydrated backpacking meal. ii. 10 December. 1. Breakfast. Provided by VETLANTA partners and issued upon arrival. This meal is a dehydrated backpacking meal. 2. Lunch. Provided by VETLANTA partners and issued upon arrival. This meal is a MRE…yes, you’ve had them before and you’ll have one again. You’ll need to calories since this day of hiking is the longest hike. If you want to eat something else, it is the hikers’ responsibility to provide their own lunch meal. 3. Dinner. Provided by VETLANTA partners. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips. iii. 11 December. 1. Breakfast. Provided by VETLANTA partners and issued upon arrival. This meal is a dehydrated backpacking meal. 2. Lunch. Provided by VETLANTA partners. End of event BBQ. c. Beverages. 4 | Page i. Consumption or use of alcoholic beverages or intoxicants is unlawful in any public-use area. ii. PowerAde powder, Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and Dasani is provided by The Coca-Cola Company. iii. Any other beverage needs of hikers are the responsibility of the hiker. 2. Water. a. Water. i. There is water located at the camp sites. ii. See Appendix C for locations of water sources during each hike. Prior to each hike, please ensure your canteens or CamelBaks are full. iii. Any water purification is the responsibility of each hiker. VETLANTA partners assumes no risk in any water that is purified and consumed by a hiker. iv. PowerAde powder will be provided by The Coca-Cola Company to mix with water. v. It is highly recommended that participants bring with them a Camelbak so they stay hydrated. 3. Equipment a. Recommended packing list is located at Appendix E. b. Camping/Hiking Equipment. i. Each participant is required to being their own tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and any other camping or hiking gear they personally need.