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Topic created by edscott on Fri Mar 28, 2014 at 4:53 pmThe more remote controls are in the woods. Here are my revised course setters's notes after a wet morning in French Creek.
COURSE SETTERS NOTES FCW 3/30/14
White: Note that control #60 is both White 3 and White 7. Be sure to punch #60 as control 3, then do 4, 5, & 6 in the proper order; then punch #60 again as control #7 before going to #8.
The route from 3 to 4 is streamered with yellow ribbons as the trail is indistinct and has a couple trees down near each end.
Yellow: The clusters of Group Camp cabins each now have a large toilet and shower room. These buildings are not on the map. The original small cabins are marked accurately and the main road connecting them has not been altered.
Orange: Control 3 will have drinking water. It was not in the original plan so is not on the clue sheet.
Orange & Advanced: The green areas of the map tend to be of the thorny variety. Pick your battles carefully. When I put out the ribbons I did use the compass a lot and did lots of straight line walking to be sure I had the correct feature. It wasn’t much fun. But while hanging the flags I kept the compass in my pack, my head up, and navigated around the briars to the ribbons with little difficulty.
There are a couple trails that have been rerouted to avoid wet or overused areas. They tend to be close to the original trail. The only one near a control is on the approach to BLUE #3, Control #39. The blue blazed trail is following the property line marked on the map while the overgrown trail runs more or less parallel a few meters to the south. As far as accessing the control, this is a good thing.
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Reply by BobGross on Sat Mar 29, 2014 at 1:43 pmWe have all the controls in the woods. I have a stack of maps printed, bagged and ready to go.
Looks like it might be damp for the event but look on the bright side, it isn't snowing!!!
We still have a few spots to fill on the volunteer list. We could use some help at registration to handle the massive crowds we expect with tomorrow's perfect orienteering weather. I could also use help with pickup at the end. Let me know if you can pitch in.
See everyone tomorrow. We'll be under the tent with the rabbit on it.
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Reply by kathyu on Sat Mar 29, 2014 at 3:44 pmBob, thanks for a smile on a grey afternoon. See everyone tomorrow.
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Reply by kathyu on Sat Mar 29, 2014 at 3:44 pmBob, thanks for a smile on a grey afternoon. See everyone tomorrow.
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Reply by anniemac on Sun Mar 30, 2014 at 6:41 pmAs I am still relatively new to the sport, and always looking to learn (from my mistakes) I am searching my mind for what to take away from today's experience that will improve me for the next one. How could I have 'picked my battles' wisely through the green, when what was mapped as white was also green? (At least I think it was - maybe I'm just that bad an orienteer that I didn't know where I was, or it all seemed to blend together into one briar patch hell after a while.) Ed, you know FCW extremely well; is that how you 'navigated around the briars with little difficulty'? I certainly couldn't.
I truly appreciate Ed, Bob, and all the volunteers being out there on a cold, rainy day like today so that all of us crazy people could go prove how crazy we really are. You all deserve a tumbler of whiskey in front of a fire, with the dinner of your choice served to you. I applaud your fortitude today. Mary thank you for driving me around looking for my brother who was looking for me - I'm not sure if I thanked you enough. Clem, I think you might have seen me at a real low point. Please strike the memory from your mind. :)
I certainly don't want to be one of those people who complain when something is hard, or they don't do well at an event. Orienteering can be very hard, physically. I just was hoping that someone out there could help me learn from this experience; how can I improve myself in this situation? I am truly open to hearing thoughts.
Maybe I need to learn to adapt better to obviously outdated maps, and just stop taking this so seriously??
Ann
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Reply by Tom-O on Sun Mar 30, 2014 at 7:21 pm
Ann,
I didn't have a great run but I managed to control the damage. I think the key was use of compass and pace along with some island hopping from one platform to another along the way. Reading the rock also helped.
I knew we were in for a tough outing when the course setter's notes advised not relying on your compass. At French Creek, that is nearly impossible. I compassed and paced every leg. I would get off course trying to get around the worst of the green and then re-adjust as best I could to get back on the needle.
Maybe we should retire this map for a while. It is not much fun running through crap for an entire course.
My thanks also to the event workers who braved the miserable conditions.
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Reply by anniemac on Sun Mar 30, 2014 at 9:55 pmThanks, Tom. That all makes sense. Looks like those tecnhiques worked well for you, and you had a pretty good run after all - #1 on Red! Well done and thanks for answering.
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Reply by hughmac4 on Sun Mar 30, 2014 at 10:30 pmResults, Splits, Routegadget are up!
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Reply by j-man on Sun Mar 30, 2014 at 11:12 pmHi Ann,I really don't think you can take that much away from today's orienteering. Aside from surviving, which thankfully we did, but barely.It wasn't the coldest day I've orienteered, or the most briary, but it was the worst combination of briars, water, and cold that I can remember. For me, the briars were by far the worst part. But, on the bright side, I was pretty numb, so they didn't hurt that much.Anyway, you should be very proud that you held it together.Tom's advice is good. My problem was that I didn't really want to go where I had to go, because there wasn't any appetizing way I thought I could get there. And by the end, I just wanted the briars to stop. If you want to get good at the way French Creek orienteering, re-run the A-event courses from the fall, or just go to Governor Dick. It's the new French Creek.It's funny, because I had been wondering how FCW was these days. As a DVOA old timer, I remember when FCW was paradise, when we could cruise through there at 6 minutes per KM. I thought, just maybe, some of that terrain was left, and we could find it. Well, I looked everywhere today, and it was just a memory, maybe a hallucination... Actually, the thing I took away from it was that there is absolutely no need for me to go back to FCW.All that said, I am very glad I went, and thankful to Bob, Ed, Mary, the Hartleys, the Urbans, Bob F, and the other helpers. You guys get major props for just being there. And the course was probably as pleasant as it could have been.
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Reply by Len on Mon Mar 31, 2014 at 9:16 amI always try to come away from an activity learning something. And Yesterday's teaching was the Boy Scout moto 'Be Prepaired'. So yes, I forgot my shoes, I didnt read the map scale, and I couldnt wear my glasses. (that last part made it impossible to see the briars before it was too late) so when you add those three to Clem's perfect storm of rain, cold, and briars I had a Trifecta squared.My secondary learning is that I cant expect to have a first rate run in those conditions, but I dont have to. I just have to overcome the adversity a bit better than everyone else. My victory was for the day was having the fastest time on two of the 8 green legs.I didnt realize I mis punched until I got home. That was my low point. But reading everyone elses challenges that evening put a smile on my face because I could relate.
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Reply by Hesketh on Mon Mar 31, 2014 at 10:54 amI also want to thank all the volunteers for the FCW event. Thank you!This brings to my mind at least two new Briar patch articles. What to wear when running advanced courses with briars would be one. Another would be how to orienteer in the rain. I used to feel sorry for Mark Frank when he complained about the rain but now I have joined him. So what happens at an a event if it rains? Motorized eyeglass wipers? Carry many hankies. Memorize the route so you don't need the map?I must say that the gaitors or shin guards that I wore worked great - no marks on my shins. But my thighs have pin pricks every 1/2 inch! Do we buy thigh guards? or Treklite ThornKnickers http://home.comcast.net/~galeso/O_Gear.html
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Reply by hughmac4 on Mon Mar 31, 2014 at 12:36 pmThornKnickers are only two thin layers of slightly tougher material than 'regular' O gear has. I've been wearing them for years, and they do little to stop thorns: my thighs still sting today, and are covered with the same 1000 tiny cuts/holes. I think putting duct tape on the thighs would work better. I wear them because I like knickers!But the real tip is just staying out of that park until we can afford to hire 1000 migrant workers to come through and weed out the blackberries.Does anyone know 'the story of the blackberries'? Native? Why the (relatively) sudden explosion? Is this a climate change issue? ;)
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Reply by edscott on Mon Mar 31, 2014 at 12:50 pmGot the last three controls today. A beautiful hour or so in the woods. Went in to Blue 4, then did 5 & 6 in order. Great visibility today and avoided most of the thorns. Have one small scratch on my finger. I think a sunny day would have made a lot of difference in the course difficulties.
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Reply by edscott on Mon Mar 31, 2014 at 1:49 pmLost & found. Found a Red & Blue striped Old Navy knit shirt size medium in the parking lot this morning. Claim here or email me. It was on the same side of the lot as our tent and about 8-10 spaces toward start.
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Reply by furlong47 on Mon Mar 31, 2014 at 7:05 pmI think we just need 1000 goats. Set them loose in the park and wait a while.
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Reply by kathyu on Wed Apr 2, 2014 at 9:04 am2 or 3 goats will soon be enough!
