GROWING NUMBERS USE ORIENTEERING TO TRY UNKNOWN
By Glenn Collins
fire orienteering technique,'' said Dick Murphy, giving no hint that his tongue was set firmly in cheek. ''Just walk straight through the forest till you hit water - then make a right.'' Mr. Murphy is one of about 175,000 Americans who brave the woods in all weathers in the fall and spring to practice an increasingly popular sport that involves, in primitive terms, getting from here to there without getting lost. Or, perhaps, without getting totally lost. The sport is orienteering, finding one's way with map and compass through a stretch of unknown territory to a predetermined destination. It is practiced in both national forests and city parks, by men and women, by children and golden-agers, and by enthusiasts who range from elite competitors to families on nature hikes who find comfort in the presence of the family dog. Orienteering has grown dramatically in America since it began to catch on in the early 1970's. Membership has increased 1,750 percent since the national organization, the United States Orienteering Federation, was founded in 1971, a leap from 200 to 3,500 members. There are now 56 local chapters in 26 states.