Delaware Valley Orienteering Association

Topic created by anniemac on Mon Jul 1, 2013 at 11:05 am

anniemac
Num Posts: 161
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map:
First O: 0

Thanks to everyone involved in putting on this event.  As always, Hickory Run teaches new lessons with every event and this one was no exception.  My compass was my best friend on this day and it was a good mental exercise to be on the 1:15 map.  I did have some frustrating minutes and almost gave up at one point...but I feel extremely good about finishing the Green course despite my slow time.  I loved all the creek crossings, it was beautiful terrain (though a tad greener than I would have liked at times,) and the orienteering was very challenging.  Well done to those who took part.

Reply by edscott on Mon Jul 1, 2013 at 7:28 pm

edscott
Num Posts: 703
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1983

Yes, challenging courses, partly due to the age of the map and the summer conditions.  I know I thrashed around between #2 & #3 on Brown for an extra 7 or 8 minutes, and had a huge barberry patch block my intended route to #7. This side of the map also requires careful reading of subtile contour data compared to the Eastern part.  I look at the other mistakes I made and they were a result of being inattentive in areas of open woods.  When I was picking up controls afterwards I recognized solid features I had missed while on the course.  Route gadget will be interesting. There is one area where I need to just pick up my pen and put it down to start again where I relocated several minutes later.

Reply by johncampbell on Mon Jul 1, 2013 at 10:11 pm

johncampbell
Num Posts: 88
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Batsto
First O: 1969

Agreed this was an excellent event and really nice to be running (well, a little running), on the west side of Hickory Run. Realized at control 2 after wasting a fair bit of time that the map scale was 1:15000. It has been a while since I ran on that mapscale. The map is so readable at 1:15,000 that it felt more like a 1:10000 map.  In fact for legibility it is better than many 1:10,000 maps we have. Also fun to be at an event in DVOA with Alison before she heads back across the pond.
Thanks to all the volunteers.

Reply by BRycharski on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 0:10 am

BRycharski
Num Posts: 198
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Rutgers Preserve
First O: 1976

Yes, It was a very Hot and hardly runnable day on 30 June.  Ahem, It was a summer Green and dark and stormy day.  It was Like, seriously, a day like when the Airplane (the movie) doctor, says,

The Doctor on the plane to Ted: "Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker  : Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack (the Doctor ): I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.   ...."

So I was on Hickory Run West June Green course, Air temp was at least 85 F if not higher.  Course terrain was challenging (Up and down), and lush with ferns and weeds everywhere (Green fern stockings at one point), which make for problems with me, a terrain follower [ one can't follow what one can't see...]. So getting serious here, I started off strong, but wanted to be careful not to not run in circles.  Jog to control 1 via a stream ford,  then overshoot #2 control due to being too low on the contours, and hitting my catching feature, the cliffs just above two small pond.  Saw Karl A at the #3 Pond control , Allsion also after him...
And the cicadas. One could hear them far away in the start triangle, but it got louder in the Stream (Forth Run) area after control 3. Strangely, I did not see a single one in the woods (but there must have been hundreds due to the volumn of cicada calls/chirps), but when I arrived home in NJ, there was a hitch hiking PA Cicada in my car, found stunned in the rear window ledge.  Spookie how they have big red eyes, set him free.

Rex Kramer: Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron O boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. Sorry, reader, that's a dumb question... skip that.

I felt dehydrated warnings (the Iron Boot) crossing the Stream "run" just east of control 5, but I was not sure where I was -on the map, tried to relocate but circled just south of #5 control (a reentrant).  Gave up twice, then decided to relocate yet again (on the stream) and found the Mountain laurel (Dark obvious veg Boundry) on the map just 1/4 km from the control, spiked it (reent)  and then started to 'limp' in, but then decided to walk the rest of the O course. That actually was good O training, besides I have over 20 years never DNF'ed at a DVOA course (came close a bunch of times). Drank the last of my bottled water at #6, drat not bringing that camelback water carrier I own.  Anyway, this small exerp is for all those regular O hikers whom are not speed - demons, stick with this hiking  sport, and smell the daisey's.  See you DVOA bunnies/readers hopefully at the 14 July O meet next.  I plan to run more "serious", shirley ... thats my O plan.  Better than a "good day" at work...

PS Kudos for a nice and HOT CS course, all Hick meet workers were great, especially the DVOA computer and support staff and late finish crew.

Reply by rpboehme on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 10:42 am

rpboehme
Num Posts: 129
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Nolde
First O: 2012

Many thanks to all who organized and ran the event.  I can only imagine how amusing the routegadget will be - my GPS track is most hilarious - a confused, mislocated cicada comes to mind on green 3.

However; I have been thinking about RG and this map.  Will it even be possible, as this old map may not be part of our digital collection?  Also, the course setters actually had to hand draw the course for us (at least, that is how it was on green).  So, it was O done Old School, without the technological conveniences enabled by OCAD, Condes, Clue, etc.  So, I fear that this classic bit of randomness in route choices will only be shared within conversations.

I would be happy to scan in the map I have (albeit, with the green controls on it), if the powers that be would like a digital copy.

Cheers,

Rich

Reply by edscott on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 11:48 am

edscott
Num Posts: 703
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1983

Route gadget is on our to do list in spite of the technical gymnastics that are necessary to pull it off.  The paper copies of the course maps along with a clean copy of the area we used, were mailed to Doug Sevon.  He should have them by today.  After scanning the map and doing whatever else he needs to do, including entering all the courses, it will go up.  So keep watching and you can add your adventures to our Route Gadget history.

Reply by DSevon on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 8:35 pm

DSevon
Num Posts: 65
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map:
First O: 2009

RouteGadget is up for this event:  http://www.dvoa.org/cgi/gadget/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=235&kieli=