By Scott Aster
Over 100 participants came out on a day of beautiful weather to try their skill (and yes, sometimes luck) orienteering at the Tamarancho Boy Scout camp in the hills west of Fairfax. A dense, ground-level fog greeted us at the camp first thing Sunday morning, but by the time participants appeared, the fog had melted away and we were treated to sunny skys and temperatures in the high 70s — just about perfect!
This event came together in a hurry. Greg Ehrensing and I only agreed to do the meet in late July. Greg quickly designed the courses, though we did not have enough time for them to be vetted. Vetting is extremely important, and ideally should always occur if at all possible. However, thanks to Greg's fine skills, the courses were met with approval and praise from the participants. There was only one control setting error. On the Green course one bag was hung at a water feature about 40 meters downhill from the intended water feature. Fortunately, most competitors found the bag with little delay, in fact several whom I spoke with afterward swore it was in the right place! Upon picking up the controls at the end of the meet, Greg discovered that he had in fact hung it at the wrong water feature.
I heard several comments that Greg had managed the climb very well. This is a steep map, and it is difficult to get within normal BAOC climb standards. Having a remote start for the advanced courses helped (and with e-punch, did not require additional staffing!). The comment I heard over and over from participants on all the courses, including the Yellow, was that Greg had created many route choice options, and judging by the routes drawn on RouteGadget, I'd say he succeeded very well indeed. Great job, Greg!
The Wednesday before the meet, I was contacted by a representative of a cycling pub called Gestalt in downtown Fairfax. The contact wondered if we would be interested in doing some cross publicity for the event. Due to the truncated time frame, we ended up offering discount coupons for beer and sausages to all finishers. Gestalt is a hub for mountain bikers in the area, and I think we would be well advised to work with them for next year. Besides getting some curious cyclers to try orienteering, it might be a great opportunity to put on a bike-O!
The day of the event, everything ran very smoothly. This is largely due to the volunteers who came out and cheerfully gave of their time and effort. Mark Blair stands out for coming out and running the e-punch station even though injured and unable to do a course himself! Mark also promised that this meet would be the last use of the GeBe printer system. Mark has designed a new system, so far kept behind closed doors, which he hopes to debut at Tahoe later this month. Stay tuned!
Todd Paulson, along with the ranger's wife, handled the parking control task. Deron van Hoff, Vicky Woolworth, and Jay Frantz took turns at the W-Y-O start. Judy Koehler gave beginners clinics throughout the morning. Gary Kraght single handedly ran the registration table. Luc Poppe, Donato Polignone, Harold DeMoss, and Greg and I picked up controls. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone!
I'd also like to thank the ranger, his wife, and the Marin Boy Scout Council, not only for allowing us to hold this meet, but also for being very helpful both before and during the event.
RouteGadget