Discussion: Excellent meet

Thanks to EMPO and their friends who put on this outstanding O-meet. Excellent map, courses, and organization.

Yes, Thanks ---and I liked the awards even though I didn't get one.

Its interesting to look at the splits for the road crossing on day 2. You can almost tell who didn't read the event notes by how fast their split was. And who was really careful and timed it precisely (there were several)

If you weren't there, there was a road crossing with a control and punch on each side and your time for that leg, up to 2 minutes, was deducted from your total. Some folks blitzed the leg (15 seconds), while others took the full 2 minutes and a few, a bit more.

So I wonder why it was that you rushed through in under 1 min, Carl? Was someone chasing you?

Thanks, EMPO! I enjoyed the terrain (perhaps more than most people?), especially the contrasting challenges between the north and south sides of the road. The mapping style took a bit for me to get used to but I did manage to find everything. :-) Logistically everything seemed to run quite smoothly from my perspective. A fun weekend.

One thing I would enjoy generally at American A-meets is to have a bit more of an 'arena' or gathering area that isn't filled with parked cars. Something that makes people bring their stuff to a smaller area where everyone can hang out together rather than retreating back to their cars after their run. I'm not sure if that would have been logistically easy at this location but I do think it's something clubs should keep in mind and try to do.

There is the risk that, since people tend to keep their dry clothes and lunches in their cars, that they'll go back to the car to change and then just drive away. If there were club tents and such in the assembly area (or if clubs arrived by bus) then people might go to the assembly area with a backpack, and that would help keep them there. But American car culture...

@fossil---my intent was to take the full two minutes and I even checked my watch when I punched the first of the two. But, after a leisurely road crossing, water at the water stop and planning the rest of the course, I figured I might as well get going before I lost my momentum. At that point I didn't know if you were in front of me or behind but in either case, I didn't see any benefit is waiting.

I would also like to join in thanking EMPO for an excellent weekend. I enjoyed the terrain - it was tough, with respect to runnability, visibility, and navigation, and provided challenges that tend to be uncommon in U.S. orienteering. Like Cristina, I also appreciated the change of pace between the North and South areas of the map.

If I had to pick something out to improve on in the future, I think that out of bounds areas should be clearly shown on the map and marked in the terrain. This included, in particular, the fenced-in plantation areas on the Day 2 map, as well as the area on the other side of a ruined barbed wire fence near Red control 12: it was very easy to end up in the out of bounds without knowing it.

But that is just a minor point to change for the future. I had a great time all around and am grateful to EMPO for putting on high quality events on new and challenging areas with a relatively small core group of volunteers.

Thanks also to Valerie for a great results setup, as always.

Great meet! Lots of fun, great courses, delicious dinner...thanks for all of your work.

Thanks to all for coming! The results are now posted on the Event Website, along with a long list of people we needed to thank, including many from other clubs who stepped in to help us out. We couldn't have pulled it off without you!

Lost and found items still unclaimed are also listed on that page, and again below:

Hooded fleece pullover

K-Swiss sweatshirt

O-Ringen jacket

Nike jacket

Two blue ballcaps

Nalgene 32-oz bottle

Please contact me to claim (provide more identification). I can bring items to the UNO meet and to the Highlander and give them to their owners or someone who can deliver them.

Thank you EMPO! I had a wonderful weekend. Enjoyed the long course very much. I actually thought the assembly area was quite comfortable... lots of cars but also lots of dry grass between them, and like JJ was saying, it was nice to be close to one's stuff. It was like tail gating!

And kudos for the childcare on Sunday - kids had a great time, and it made our day so much easier to not have to split starts to watch our little guy while also getting our 10 year old to her course, and then drive 8 hours home. We had a wonderful weekend and are really glad to have made the trip. Thanks!

Too bad your ten year old missed the snake we found when setting up the results area on Sunday...after looking at pictures it seems it might have been an eastern worm snake. She would have known right off. :-)

Oh, she'll be so disappointed! How cool is that? (Have to say my attitude towards snakes has changed a lot in the past decade). Awesome.

That snake was about as big as an earthworm. We assumed it was just a baby.

Nathan C gently removed it and put it in the tall grass in front of the lodge where nobody walks.

Janet, is the O-Ringen jacket in lost and found a black one from Boden 2013?

Thank you Janet, Sue, Valerie, and all the folks behind the scenes for a very nice meet. I may have been disappointed in my own orienteering, but that didn't diminish the fun I had at the event. It was nice to have what little arena we did have, and I really enjoyed the beer tasting and the banquet. Valerie did her usual magic that we've all come to expect; live results are pretty awesome.

Loved the edible prizes!

Boris, sorry...it's a blue one from 2005.

Anyone know whose it might be?? We did have a couple of Swedish orienteers here this weekend (M40 and M60, I think).

I may have been disappointed in my own orienteering

I was very pleased with your orienteering, Alex. :-)

Any lost and found items unclaimed by the end of the month will be donated/tossed. Fortunately, most of the items have been reunited with their owners (or are on the way).