Heading into the Home Stretch!

[Kate Weatherby]

Hi Everyone-

The Dashboard and spreadsheet are now updated to reflect Atlasing efforts as of Sunday, March 5.  This update took a bit of time because there were tons of Block Completions this past week.  Woohoo!

It's been incredible to watch the spreadsheet shrink each week as more and more Blocks are officially no longer Salmon-colored.  There are currently just 140 Blocks left on the list, with 14 of them unofficially Completed and an impressive 42 of the remainder already Adopted by someone.  That does mean there are 84 Blocks no one has yet committed to Completing, so it's safe to say that you'll only be as bored as you'd like to be over the coming week.  

Communication is going to be key during this final week, so please let others know if you're heading out to Atlas in any unclaimed Blocks to avoid duplicating efforts.  Also, if you've previously indicated that you planned to Complete a Block, but find you aren't able to do so, please post that on the BlockBuster page, make a note of it on the spreadsheet, or shoot me an email so that I can make that change for you.  There's so much we can still accomplish, we certainly don't need to be stepping on anyone else's toes, so let's spread out and get this done!  

If you think you might be up for a remote Atlasing adventure and want to try for some of the unAdopted Priority Blocks, check out the Where to Atlas (Remote) page to get an idea of which areas still need some help.  Fair warning: most of them are very remote or offshore.  A few of the Blocks on the official map have already been snapped up, but those Adoptions are reflected on the spreadsheet, so double-check things there before you get your heart set on heading to any particular Block.  

Last week Glen posted on the BlockBuster page suggestions for how to select which non-Priority Blocks are more important to target in our final few days.  It is more helpful to the Atlas as a whole to add data to a Topo Quad which currently has less data amongst its six Blocks, rather than focusing on Blocks in areas which have already been well covered.  In case you found his breakdown of how to determine which non-priority Blocks to prioritize confusing, I made a list of the remaining, unclaimed non-Priority Blocks and arranged them in order of fewest to greatest number of Completed Blocks in their respective Topo Quads.  Understandably, some of these Blocks would be difficult to reach, but scan through the list and see if any familiar names pop out or look at the map on the spreadsheet (use Command f to search for a particular Block name) to see if any of them may be near a Block you had considered spending time in during this final week:

Block Name   Time Needed hh:mm.   Complete Blocks in Quad

Barren Mtn East_CE          3:00                1
Buckfield_NW                      3:00                1
Charleston_CW                   2:30                1
Easton_NE                          1:07                 1
Epping_NE                          1:04                 1
Fort Fairfield NW_NE          0:43                 1
Fort Fairfield NW_SE          2:58                 1
Fort Fairfield_NW                2:34                 1
Goodwin_NE                       0:49                 1
Goodwin_NW                      3:00                 1
Grand Lake Stream_CW     3:00                 1
Greenville_NE                     3:00                 1
Hadley Lake_SE                  1:10                 1
Houlton North_NW              1:03                  1
Indian Pond North_CE         3:00                 1
Isle au Haut East_NE           3:00                 1
Isle au Haut East_NW          3:00                 1
Limestone_SW                     1:57                 1
Linneus_SE                          3:00                 1
Long Lake_SW                     2:58                 1
Monhegan_CE                      2:28                 1
Montegail Pond_SE              3:00                 1
Mt Blue_CW                          3:00                 1
New Sweden_NE                  3:00                 1
North Haven East_CE          3:00                  1
North Haven East_NE.         3:00                  1
Oquossoc_CE                      1:52                  1
Saddleback Mtn_SW            1:10                  1
Scopan Lake West_CE        3:00                  1
Snow Mtn_NE                       0:39                 1
South Harpswell_NW           0:13.                 1
South Sebec_CW.                2:18.                 1
Tim Mtn_SE                          3:00.                 1
Wesley_CW.                         3:00.                 1
Bass Harbor_CW.                 2:33.                2
Cape Rosier_CW.                 3:00.                2
Cape Rosier_NW.                 3:00.                2
Cape Rosier_SE.                  3:00.                2
Cape Rosier_SW.                 3:00.                2
Cross Island_CW.                 3:00.                2
Dover-Foxcroft_NW              2:09.                2
Dover-Foxcroft_SW              2:19.                2
Hermon_NE.                         2:13.                2
Princeton_CE.                      2:55.                 2
Roque Bluffs_CE.                 3:00.                 2
Roque Bluffs_NE.                 2:13.                 2
Small Point_CW.                  3:00.                 2
Stinson Neck_CW                1:55.                 2
The Horseback_CE.             0:27                  2
West Corinth_SW                 2:33                  2
Addison_CE                          2:10                 3
Eastbrook_SE                       2:55                 3
Machias Bay_CE                  2:40                 3
Machias Bay_NE                  2:52                 3
Stratton_CE                          3:00                 3
Tunk Lake_CE                      2:43                 3
Whiting_NW                          3:00                 3
Whitneyville_SW                   2:31                 3
Bartlett Island_CW                1:22                 4
Machias_SE                          2:31                 4
Olamon_CE                           3:00                4
Bangor NW                            2:37                5
Deer Isle_SW                        2:04                5
Great Pond_CW                    3:00                5
Harrington_CE                       1:36                5
Jonesport_NW                       1:07                5

If you're not sure you'd be able to travel to any of the Topo Quads with only one or two Complete Blocks, here is a list of the unclaimed Blocks which all have at least one hour of effort contributed so far, so they are worth looking into if you'd like a relatively easy win:  

Block Name.              Time Needed hh:mm
South Harpswell_NW                 0:14
The Horseback_CE                    0:28
Snow Mtn_NE                            0:40
Fort Fairfield NW_NE                 0:44
Goodwin_NE                              0:50
Houlton North_NW                     1:04
Limestone_SW                           1:04
Epping_NE                                 1:05
Jonesport_NW                           1:08
Easton_NE                                 1:08
Hadley Lake_SE                        1:11
Saddleback Mtn_SW                 1:11
Bartlett Island_CW                     1:23
Harrington_CE                           1:37
Oquossoc_CE                            1:53
Stinson Neck_CW                      1:56

I hope you find this information helpful.  It's amazing what just an hour or two here and there could do for the Atlas.  Please check the spreadsheet before heading out to make sure no one else has added time to 'your' Block.  Don't forget to give yourself a couple minutes extra as a cushion for your Block.  Also, keep an eye out for any changes on the spreadsheet, since things could get a little fluid if someone isn't able to finish up a Block and indicates they would welcome some help.   Most importantly, have fun out there!

Take care,

Kate