Discussion: Maps near Los Angeles

Is there someone out there who can help with o-maps in southern California? Our family will be in Newport Beach over the holidays. I tried contacting someone at LAOC weeks ago but without response yet.

Rick & Julia Van Camp
richard.vancamp(at)tkk.fi

I sent an email to the Southern CA o-list, hopefully someone will get back to you soon.

...not too many O maps, or orienteers, in "the OC" where you are located. You may wish to consider contacting the folks in the San Diego club for copies of some of their northern maps.

And if you're still around in January, their 4-day Desert O-Fest at Anza-Borrego would be a unique experience.

Probably your best bet would be to try to get to Vasquez Rocks, up towards Palmdale. It'll be a bit of a drive from Newport Beach, but its a good map and some fun terrain in the winter. Most of the other good maps are at pretty high altitude, so they're most likely under snow by now, and all the low altitude ones are quite thick and brushy. As far as actually getting the maps, hopefully somebody from from the LA list will get in touch.

try my maps for a general idea of what is where:
http://www.thethinkingsport.com/folder_o_sconet/ma...
and http://www.thethinkingsport.com/folder_o_sconet/ma...

and http://www.thethinkingsport.com/la_venues.html for description.

The good advanced O-spots are Mt Pinos 90 miles north of LA(snowed in) , Vasquez Rocks 45 miles north of LA - super map, very technical, but at the same time a really unusual scenic place - if you go visit Bullwinkles 1/4 mile away. Mt Laguna, out of San Diego may be snowed in.. Scenically Topanga, up the coast nr Malibu. But to combine an o-map with some LA visiting, try the 2 in Griffith Park - the largest wild urban park in the States. You will get the planeterium and the birdseye view of LA, Hollywood sign etc, monument to James Dean (Rebel without a cause filmed there) plus good fireroad hiking.

your family will be in Newport Beach over the holidays. I have good ideas for LA touring too although Newport beach is a bit south, and you may be with local family/friends and don't need that info. I live 4 miles west of downtown LA. if here for a one-and-only visit over New Year do not miss the Rose Parade in Pasadena. You can go at 11pm on New Years Eve and see the floats arriving, or later to see the floats in the park. But the parade is the thing. So very beautiful.

I can probably find you some used maps, but they are on paper - try Route Gadget.
Who did you contact in LAOC? try Bill Gookin for SDO, where there are some good maps in San Diego itself.

Olive

Thanks so much for the advice so far. Olive, I wrote to presiden(at)losangelesorienteering.org. Perhaps that email address is out of date? Actually, I didn't run across the new web site until today--not even sure now where I got that email address. Now I filled out the contact form provided in the new website. I will try to contact SDO too.

As suggested, we would definitly like to visit Vasquez Rocks and Griffith Park. We will probably still visit those spots even if we can't get O-maps, but it sure would be more fun with them.

I'm currently the mapping director for LAOC. I will send some maps by e-mail to Rx, and continue the conversation offline.

A finnish orienteer also contacted me about being in the LAOC area over the holidays and may even stay at my place around the New Year. Maybe I'll put together a small little training event for the out-of-towners at Vasquez Rocks.

" Maybe I'll put together a small little training event for the out-of-towners at Vasquez Rocks."
That would be cool--we will be in LA from th 20.12 to 10.1, although we signed up for some sort of trail run on the 9th. Please send us an email if you arrange something!

For anyone who will be in the area, training is on at Vasquez Rocks for 9am Sunday, January 2. RSVP to be sure I print you a map.