I tried to avoid the "Hillside of Death� the last couple of times I've set here, so it's about time for you all to find out just how much the topography has changed by now. Nothing like geological instability to put extra life into old maps!
Needless to say, until someone invents live links between the earth and our data, the map will not have changed nearly as much as the park. In particular, due to active park service management or global warming, many of the previous fight zones in the southern half of the map are much more runnable. I have made a fitful attempt to show this on the map. Somewhat paradoxically, much of the formerly runnable area in the northwest portion of the map is now well covered in some broom-like vegetation that will slow you down a bit or a lot. This is no doubt due to inactive management, or global cooling. I've sketched in a bit of this as well, but I'll mostly leave it for Cooley to get out his electronic mapping equipment to make more accurate updates.
The courses are a bit on the steep side. I gave our esteemed meet directors an opportunity to be merciful, but they felt like you all deserved your money's worth. I saw lots of turkeys (before Thanksgiving), deer, and broom, but no cougars, rattlesnakes, or PO. Keep in mind that I have cataracts, so lack of sightings should be taken with a grain of salt (or Technu). The "short� course is a bit longish (4.5 K), which is compensated for by a "long� course which is a bit shortish (7.1 K). The third available course is rather accurately described as "medium� (5.5 K).
Short 4.5 km, 195 m climb, 8 controls
Medium 5.5 km, 345 m climb, 12 controls
Long 7.1 km, 485 m climb, 16 controls
Courses will be manual punch. Please avoid the areas marked "stay out� on your maps; we don't want to lose privileges at this lovely venue. Good luck, Godspeed, and Merry Holiday-of-your-Preference.
Dwight Freund
Course Setter