 |
She said she really enjoyed exploring the far, less-traveled corners of the park and seeing all the wild life, including the many rabbits, red headed woodpeckers, jays and an eagle’s nest.
A newly-mapped portion of wet land adjacent to the northeast corner of the park provided the Green course access to an off-trail area of tall grass and open cottonwood forest nearly free of black berry vines. The Green course runners reported the course to be “challenging but fair” with the controls hard to find using only vegetation and other terrain features, but “right where they were supposed to be” as shown on the map and described on the clue card. Seven runners attempted the Green course, with ORCA member Steve Trautwein leading the pack through the 12 control, 4.8 K course with a winning time of 58:03, followed by Mike Davis (CROC) 1:23:31 and Alan McNeely (CROC) 1:26:01.
Special thanks to Andy Dale, Ben Legg and Jeff Watson for their help with teaching me how to use OCAD and Condes software for the mapping, and to Jeff Watson, Paula Whipple, Carolyn Guthrie, Steve Trautwein, Scott Drum, and Bob Roberts of Troop 27, Salem, for their help with map printing, publicity flyers, signs, registration, clinics, timing, and other meet logistics. You are all “totally awesome!”
And welcome to Bob Roberts, our newest ORCA club member.
----- Paul Guthrie, Meet Director -----
RESULTS
| White | 1.9Km | 8 ctrls |
|
|
1
|
32:40
|
Rainna & Joseph Kettley, Jimmy Connell, & Patrick Benson | ||
|
2
|
36:59
|
Kyle & Karen Rothwell, Kalon and Kelby Schmidt |
| Yellow | 3.3Km | 9 ctrls |
|
|
1
|
1:05:26
|
Teddy Stevenson |
| Orange | 4.7Km | 11 ctrls |
|
|
1
|
2:09:22
|
Ken Stillinger | ||
|
2
|
2:59:20
|
Carolyn Guthrie |
| Grey | 8.4Km | 18 ctrls |
|
|
1
|
1:20:51
|
Gretchen McNeely | CROC |
| Green | 4.9Km | 12 ctrls |
|
|
1
|
58:03
|
Steve Trautwein | ORCA |
|
|
2
|
1:23:31
|
Mike Davis | CROC |
|
|
3
|
1:26:01
|
Alan McNeely | CROC |
|
|
4
|
1:33:45
|
Robert & Ryan Aughenbaugh | ||
|
5
|
2:30:36
|
Corey Drechsler | ||
|
6
|
3:17:30
|
Tim & Donna Triden | ||
|
dnf
|
Scott Drumm | CROC |
Twenty runners, three event staff, and a Boy Scout Adult who volunteered to help with registration and control pick-up, enjoyed a beautiful warm “day-in-the-park”. After late-night clouds which kept the early morning temperatures very mild, the sun began to burn off the clouds by about 9:00 AM, and with a nearly clear sky by noon, the afternoon temperature was about 72 with a light breeze.
The large park, varied and generally open vegetation, and the extensive trail system allowed the courses to be separated from each other, with only 3 of the 54 total controls being shared.
In addition to the traditional White, Yellow, Orange and Green courses, the event introduced a Pink course (renamed Grey at the suggestion of Ben Legg, to be more attractive to young male Boy Scouts.)
The new course, modeled off the BAOC design, is a longer version of the White/Yellow course, about the length of a Red course, but with obvious, easy-to-find controls on well established trails. The design is intended to appeal to the recreational map hiker who wants a two-hour walk, to the Boy Scouts who need to “take a five mile hike using a map and compass, and measure the height or width of an object”, and to the experienced runner who wants the distance but not the off-trail navigation challenge of the longer traditional advanced courses. CROC member Gretchen McNeely inaugurated the new course, and declared it a success.