Discussion: Surebridge Challenge - A-meet 4/21& 22, 2007

The Surebridge Challenge presents two days of classic length courses on the northern part of the 1993 WOC Surebridge map.

The terrain is a mix of fast open woods, hills with areas of intricate rock details (leftovers of several mines) and a few patches of everygreens. The hill are often capped with open rock (grey areas) and grass. The valleys have a few marshes and dark, dense woods. A few hiking trails crisscross the map, otherwise it is fine off trail navigation.

The map is updated with trail changes and other man-made changes. It is printed 1:10,000 to make the map reading easier. --

We are checking with the ETA camp in Harriman, if it is possible to stay there during the week between the HVO meet and West Point.

Check Surebridge Challenge for details and registration.

We currently have troubles with the web server (I guess they always happen when you need to rely on the web page), so the page looks patchy.

Thank you for 1:10000!!!

You're welcome. I prefer the scale myself. I assume as a course setter I can do things the way I would like them as runner.
This map is finely tuned with jiggles and smallish features. I have no clue how the WOC runners were able to read this map on the dark rainy day in 1993, especially in the dense lower woods where there is little light sometimes.

so this is the pink part of your training log...nice!

I remember some "scarry woods "( rain, something like fog/steam on open areas, burned trees-heard was a fire that summer ) on that classic race,.. maybe being younger (eye vision) helped .I enjoyed every bit of it.

I had no problem reading the map in '93 -- younger eyes of course. I remember turning over the map and being very happy to see how complex it was. But now, even at 1:10 I'll use my magnifier.

I posted some map history and terrain notes. Once the hockey rink like ice cover in the woods has melted, I might add pictures to it.

What's the best airport to fly into for Harriman?
If I go, I would be coming from San Jose.

Newark?

Newburgh/Stewart is the closest. Newark and White Plains are your next-best choices.

For the curious, public transit to Harriman exists and is quite timely even on a Saturday morning, but you'll have to cab it the last 5–7 miles. MTA Metro-North.

JFK is not much farther too. I got ticket to there.

Yea, while it can be not much of a hussle to drive from JFK on Sat morning (~2 hours) to Harriman, it can be real pain to drive back to NYC on Sun in the evening. Trust me on that one, so you better off going to Newark in that case or as Vlad mentioned other places or you can attempt the public transportation.

Yeah, Nikolay, that is why I didn't respond to your suggestion of JFK in the West Point thread. I'm still hoping someone is going to Newark then.

I'm flying into Newark. Prices from Denver to Newark, JFK, and Laguardia were basically identical, but Newburgh was an extra $150.

The three NYC airports all seem pretty close to each other -- but I'll trust the local's advice on which is easier to get to in traffic...

Yeah, Nikolay, that is why I didn't respond to your suggestion of JFK in the West Point thread. I'm still hoping someone is going to Newark then.

Couldn't get flight from Seattle to any of the other airports that arrive early enough and does not cost an arm and a leg. I will look for public transportation, or just sit in traffic instead of on the airport while waiting for my flight.

Newark is the most practical solution, because the drive to Harriman is fairly direct on the Garden State Parkway.
Newburgh has only a few direct flights, but it would be closer and the car rentals are probably cheaper, too.
If going to JFK, there is the pretty cool Airtrain which goes to a subway line which brings you to Manhattan. If using the train, you have to get to Penn Station. Check the Bergen line schedule at: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0020.pdf
You go over to Secaucus, take the train either to Suffern or Harriman and arrange to be picked up.
Somewhat more direct is the Metro-North train from Grand Central to Peekskill or Garrison. Again, you need someone to pick you up.
Of course I would do this, but I guess as the course setter I might be busy otherwise.

The Online Registration for the Surebridge Challenge is up and ready to be played with.

For entry fees postmarked on or before March 23rd , 2007 each competitor will receive an Early Bird Special, the very fashionable Surebridge Challenge headband.

          

On the Online Registration form, will there be a category for the Accomodations at the event center, the ETA Camp, or do we need to set that up on our own???

I just registered online, and there weren't any lodging options offered as part of that process. The event website says to contact ETA directly. (Although, I haven't been able to get ahold of them.)

Contact Joseph Ventimiglia of Education Through Adventure (ETA) Camp directly to reserve a cabin or camping space (telephone) 1-845-497-7012 or email joev@etatraining.com or www.etatraining.com

I double check with the meet director, but contacting Joe is the way to go. -- We talk to Joe about people who want to stay over until West Point. The camp is in the middle of the Baileytown map, West Point is some miles east and all the other Harriman maps within a few miles south and west.

We talk to Joe about people who want to stay over until West Point.

That sounds great! Is there WiFi access? ;-) (Because, technically, I'll be "working remotely" for that week in between. I'll need to be able to make an appearance via email every now and then...)

Ellen (the MD) says, that staying over is no problem. You should mention it to him when booking for the A-meet.

The meals should be booked via the web site/HVO, we give Joe the count of everyone participating, if staying in the camp or somewhere else. -

Wi-fi? Hm, one more question. The camp is simple (did you see the photo page on the web page?), so rather not? Except if Joe has it for himself. Otherwise we got to find the next Starbuck or Borders nearby. Maybe in Harriman (the town, about 8 miles west, there are malls and outlet stores there).

Sounds great! Thanks for the details.. I'm really looking forward to the meet.

Here is the RCLS map of the local library system. Most libraries have computers with internet access. Highland Falls, Central Valley and Tuxedo are probably the nearest libraries.
(The rumor, that this is also the day 2 map cannot be confirmed nor denied.)

The Suffern Library ( southern tip of the park) has free internet access via public terminals and there is never a line.

Would anyone be able to give me a ride back to the Newark airport Sunday afternoon??? My flight is at 5ish that evening.

Has anyone had success reaching Joe at ETA about accommodations? I've tried email and phone and messages with no luck so far. A cabin would be nice, but I'm prepared to go tent--I wonder if that even requires a reservation.

Fred - I reserved a tent site through the email address. It took a few days for them to respond. When they did, they sent me a PayPal invoice via email.

Fred, I reserved a cabin, same story as Tom_O. I wrote to the address given for Joe, but all the replies came from Leo Fernandez, leoin508@aol.com. Leo seems to reply significantly faster to this address than to Joe's.

I am checking with the meet director if she knows how to get a reservation done easier. -

The snow from 10 days ago has melted. Makes it much easier to test run the courses. It is going to be fun, but very Scandinavian. You got to read the map or things turn weird. Towards the end I get of today's extended red course I am sloppy tired and almost stop short on a control I have streamered myself. It is great fun running here, at times extremely fast. At other times, you got to fight burned out trees and stumble across a pile of contours and those hard things, cliffs or so.

No bear sightings yet. They still sleep.

E-mails and voice mails hacve been sent/left all week, to no avail.

I sent in a repeat of my information from last week and Leo worked it out. I'm thinking they might have gotten a little overwhelmed when we all started to drop in and say "yes please"-) (with the registration deadline hitting...-)

Recommend if you have not already that you send a copy to Leo at the email above and hang tight.

We received this e-mail from Leo. Please contact him directly and he will respond.

<If you have any questions or know of anyone that needs assistance please have them contact me directly at this email address.

Thanks and have a great day,

Leo Fernandez
Education Through Adventure
www.etatraining.com
leoin508 at aol.com>>

Hope this helps.

update--yes, the emails started flowing today from Leo (though originally sent to Joe) and he has been very responsive