Discussion: Daze 3 - The Tremendous Rocky Mountain Goat!
in: Laramie Daze (Aug 1–6, 2014 - Laramie, WY, US)
Jun 18, 2014 5:44 PM
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This year's Rocky Mountain Goat will feature a course of 10.9 kms with an undisclosed amount of controls (yes, we have our secrets, too) and will take place at Remarkable Flats. The race will include a brand new addition to the map that is studded with large and very large boulders and other miscellaneous rock features. The course will be fast, interesting, and will easily pierce the fun index ceiling, all verified by a full scale race test run yesterday. Information about the race can be found at the Daze website.
For those who haven't been to Remarkable Flats and don't know anything about it, it's one of those classic areas that any orienteer should visit at least once before passing on from this mortal world.
And here are a few pictures from the area...
A view of the competition arena--note the sophisticated yet elegant scaffolding of the Speaker Stand; at the very least, note the green grasses (probably won't be green in August! and blue, blue skies:
This view shows a typical area of balanced boulders (note the boulders in the foreground which apparently became unbalanced, or perhaps became windborn.) Many racers when running through an area like this will want to sing: "I got a sweet little boulder and I love the way she rolls and rolls!"
And, then, finally, if during the race you should see something like this, well, you better git there before that cattle does. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
For those who haven't been to Remarkable Flats and don't know anything about it, it's one of those classic areas that any orienteer should visit at least once before passing on from this mortal world.
And here are a few pictures from the area...
A view of the competition arena--note the sophisticated yet elegant scaffolding of the Speaker Stand; at the very least, note the green grasses (probably won't be green in August! and blue, blue skies:
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| From publiken |
This view shows a typical area of balanced boulders (note the boulders in the foreground which apparently became unbalanced, or perhaps became windborn.) Many racers when running through an area like this will want to sing: "I got a sweet little boulder and I love the way she rolls and rolls!"
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| From publiken |
And, then, finally, if during the race you should see something like this, well, you better git there before that cattle does. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
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| From publiken |
Jun 18, 2014 8:03 PM
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Damn... My holidays in Colorado are in september... Would love it to get the map just for training on my own.... ;-)
Jun 18, 2014 9:02 PM
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Oh, just drop in on Swampfox, he can typically set you up with something. He's just north of the golf course.
Jun 18, 2014 11:56 PM
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At least from the looks of the pic, we'll be running downhill with a tailwind.
Jun 19, 2014 1:44 AM
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Remarkable!
Any chance of a shorter version (eg junior goat or kid) for those who are a bit old or young to take on a full goat?
Any chance of a shorter version (eg junior goat or kid) for those who are a bit old or young to take on a full goat?
Jun 19, 2014 5:43 PM
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When Crazy Horse gathered his warriors together in preparation for the pending battle of Little Big Horn, did some of them speak to Crazy Horse off to the side and ask him: "Hey, boss, you know, that's a pretty big hill we're going to have to charge up, do you think some of us older and younger folks could maybe ride down to Laramie, and shoot up a few saloons instead?"
No! That's not what happened! The older and younger warriors demanded to lead the charge. They held up their shields and sang their war songs and said it was a good day to die. (Actually historians through the times have somewhat misquoted them; what the knowledgeable believe they really said was more along the lines of: "It's a good day for those fellers up on that big hill to die.")
The Goat controls are not random, disparate points on the map; each has been painstakingly selected and optimized for how they fit into and help create the greater whole; together, each leg comprises an essential element without which the resulting masterwork would be impossible. What you ask is an abomination! It is like going to Noma and asking for a grilled cheese sandwich, with instructions that Kraft cheddar cheese on Wonder Bread be used! Apostasy!
That said, if folks want to shorten the course, there will be obvious places to do so. But no official shorter version will be offered and further suggestions along those lines will be met with proper amounts of outrage!!! : )
No! That's not what happened! The older and younger warriors demanded to lead the charge. They held up their shields and sang their war songs and said it was a good day to die. (Actually historians through the times have somewhat misquoted them; what the knowledgeable believe they really said was more along the lines of: "It's a good day for those fellers up on that big hill to die.")
The Goat controls are not random, disparate points on the map; each has been painstakingly selected and optimized for how they fit into and help create the greater whole; together, each leg comprises an essential element without which the resulting masterwork would be impossible. What you ask is an abomination! It is like going to Noma and asking for a grilled cheese sandwich, with instructions that Kraft cheddar cheese on Wonder Bread be used! Apostasy!
That said, if folks want to shorten the course, there will be obvious places to do so. But no official shorter version will be offered and further suggestions along those lines will be met with proper amounts of outrage!!! : )
Jun 21, 2014 6:46 PM
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Crazy Horse's warriors probably didn't even have to sign indemnity forms.
Jul 16, 2014 2:50 PM
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Final test running for all Daze courses for ICOA Certification was and is scheduled to resume today, with the next course up being the Tremendous Rocky Mountain Goat. Unfortunately, at the moment we are sitting out a second rain delay period, and if it doesn't stop raining soon, a third mandatory rain delay will be in effect. But with the long days of July at hand, there is yet hope. Control hanging was (barely) squeezed in between 2 violent storms yesterday. Mounds of hail the size of fallen, bitten soccer players were littering the high altitude, short grass prairie, which made for some slippery running, but at least there were no flies. (Speaking of which, what was it with all those flies in the forest during the WOC Relay race? It almost looked like something from a Seven King novel.)
Jul 16, 2014 3:49 PM
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...rain delay #3, but the skies are brightening and officials are conferring off to the side, it appears there is some hope this thing might get underway in an hour or so, and if we get started, we *will* finish.
Jul 17, 2014 12:19 AM
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The biggest problem of the day turned out to be the rain. But after a record 6(!) rain delays, we finally managed to sneak in the requisite final test runs ("sneak in" because the rains resumed once we were done.) And so...
Formal test running of the Daze 3 course was completed earlier today, and we are yet again thrilled to announce that this course has achieved certification as 5 Spurs
by the International Cowboy Orienteering Association (ICOA). This is the highest level of certification that is awarded, and indicates a quality level that only the tiniest sliver of races meet or exceed each year. Much of today's success can be attributed to the downing of several miniature deerflies prior the commencing of the test running; no doubt they had their sights set on harassing the test runners relentlessly with the cruel viciousness that can only be fully expressed by that detested winged fiend.
Our calculated winning time for the 10.9 km, 21 control course is a bit up in the air. The best test time turned in was 64:59, but this must be adjusted in some way for grass that is tall and lush, essentially yet undisturbed by any cattle dining. Plus it was wet and slow. A golf ball pitched into this stuff would have rolled nowhere. Maybe even with yesterday's rest day legs were not as sharp as they could have been. So who knows. But with some drying and curing of the grasses plus cattle activity and factoring in the possibility of some well trained racers able and willing to do battle, we will speculate that a time of 62:27 or better could be possible.
But then, after we were done, a surprise! Dave Pruden insisted that a picture was necessary to document the day. Swampfox replied that picture taking had never been discussed and that anyway more rain was not only possible, it was imminent. Argument ensued. At length, Swampfox proposed a compromise solution involving a live AP blog interview of Dave P. Dave P. rejected the compromise, stating in unyielding terms that he had driven the team out there, it was his car, and that made him the decider, and there was going to be a picture. So, there was a picture, and this apparently is what the well outfitted, rather stylish orienteer looks like these days:
You can tell the photo was staged because of the thumb compass. Swampfox never races with thumb compass. Well, almost never. The head gear was something else that Dave insisted on, to make Swampfox look extra ridiculous. Swampfox just hopes Dave realizes that what goes around, comes around.
Certification will continue tomorrow with the Daze 4 course at Brown's Landing. I sure hope it's done raining.
Formal test running of the Daze 3 course was completed earlier today, and we are yet again thrilled to announce that this course has achieved certification as 5 Spurs
by the International Cowboy Orienteering Association (ICOA). This is the highest level of certification that is awarded, and indicates a quality level that only the tiniest sliver of races meet or exceed each year. Much of today's success can be attributed to the downing of several miniature deerflies prior the commencing of the test running; no doubt they had their sights set on harassing the test runners relentlessly with the cruel viciousness that can only be fully expressed by that detested winged fiend.
Our calculated winning time for the 10.9 km, 21 control course is a bit up in the air. The best test time turned in was 64:59, but this must be adjusted in some way for grass that is tall and lush, essentially yet undisturbed by any cattle dining. Plus it was wet and slow. A golf ball pitched into this stuff would have rolled nowhere. Maybe even with yesterday's rest day legs were not as sharp as they could have been. So who knows. But with some drying and curing of the grasses plus cattle activity and factoring in the possibility of some well trained racers able and willing to do battle, we will speculate that a time of 62:27 or better could be possible.
But then, after we were done, a surprise! Dave Pruden insisted that a picture was necessary to document the day. Swampfox replied that picture taking had never been discussed and that anyway more rain was not only possible, it was imminent. Argument ensued. At length, Swampfox proposed a compromise solution involving a live AP blog interview of Dave P. Dave P. rejected the compromise, stating in unyielding terms that he had driven the team out there, it was his car, and that made him the decider, and there was going to be a picture. So, there was a picture, and this apparently is what the well outfitted, rather stylish orienteer looks like these days:
 |
| From publiken |
You can tell the photo was staged because of the thumb compass. Swampfox never races with thumb compass. Well, almost never. The head gear was something else that Dave insisted on, to make Swampfox look extra ridiculous. Swampfox just hopes Dave realizes that what goes around, comes around.
Certification will continue tomorrow with the Daze 4 course at Brown's Landing. I sure hope it's done raining.
Jul 17, 2014 3:08 PM
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Hmm, all spurs and no saddles? It's hardly surprising you've got a Brown Landing the next day.
Aug 3, 2014 1:30 PM
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Dawn has broken and it appears that another fantastic day in the Laramie Range is about to begin!
Aug 4, 2014 1:51 AM
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Today's winner of the 104th running of the Rocky Mountain Goat (gee, has it really been that many? time flies!) was the strong runner from Switzerland, Marc Lauenstein. He was gracious in accepting his prize, and said something like: "Without Sandra I am nothing, with Sandra I am a dentist." So there you have it. Congratulations Marc! It's worth mentioning that he is over here as an invited runner to the Pikes Peak Marathon in 2 weeks.
Today's Goat course:
Today's Goat course:
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| From publiken |
Aug 4, 2014 2:27 AM
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Results Daze 3 - Rocky Mountain Goat - 10.9 km, not too much climb, quite a few rocks, some large, and then even more rocks, sunny, light breeze, temps in the 60s at start and gradually warming from there. Many, many cattle in the east part of map (and they ganged up on one poor, helpless control and tried to lick it to death, and did lick the punch to death.)
Marc Lauenstein 57.31
Wyatt Riley 73.45
Brian Moore 74.21
JP Lande 77.31
Mikhail Martemyanov 79.31
Jason Plunkett 80.01
Ondrej Jezek 82.45
Tom Svobodny 82.59
Nadim Ahmed 83.44
Troy Bozarth 83.47
Ron Birks 83.57
Rich Kelly 85.01
Clinton Morse 86.34
Angelica Riley 89.32
Charlie Shahbazian 89.34
William Langton 89.46
Sverre Froyen 89.52
Robert Minto 89.57
Steve Gregg 90.16
Neal Barlow 103.51
Peggy Dickison 104.15
John Crowther 109.15
Sue Kuestner 110.19
Gavin Wyatt-Mair 110.41
Theodore Good 111.59
Stina Bridgeman 112.34
Sam Listwak 112.52
Thomas Laraia 113.12
Kathleen Lennon 113.31
Kris Beecroft 114.01
Craig Weber 114.31
Brennan Hertel 119.01
George Walker 123.11
B. Brooke Mann 124.31
Michael Minium 130.11
Greg Lennon 131.11
Sam Kelsch 140.01
Alex Yancy 142.01
Ken Lotze 142.14
Donna Fluegel 150.01
Peter Goodwin 150.01
Lyn Walker 150.01
Jamie Reeder 152.11
Jim Hall 152.23
Anndy Wiselogle 168.01
Eric Rosenzweig 170.01
Quincy Rosenzweig 170.01
Mike Shifman 174.01
Carol Johnson 178.28
Marc Lauenstein 57.31
Wyatt Riley 73.45
Brian Moore 74.21
JP Lande 77.31
Mikhail Martemyanov 79.31
Jason Plunkett 80.01
Ondrej Jezek 82.45
Tom Svobodny 82.59
Nadim Ahmed 83.44
Troy Bozarth 83.47
Ron Birks 83.57
Rich Kelly 85.01
Clinton Morse 86.34
Angelica Riley 89.32
Charlie Shahbazian 89.34
William Langton 89.46
Sverre Froyen 89.52
Robert Minto 89.57
Steve Gregg 90.16
Neal Barlow 103.51
Peggy Dickison 104.15
John Crowther 109.15
Sue Kuestner 110.19
Gavin Wyatt-Mair 110.41
Theodore Good 111.59
Stina Bridgeman 112.34
Sam Listwak 112.52
Thomas Laraia 113.12
Kathleen Lennon 113.31
Kris Beecroft 114.01
Craig Weber 114.31
Brennan Hertel 119.01
George Walker 123.11
B. Brooke Mann 124.31
Michael Minium 130.11
Greg Lennon 131.11
Sam Kelsch 140.01
Alex Yancy 142.01
Ken Lotze 142.14
Donna Fluegel 150.01
Peter Goodwin 150.01
Lyn Walker 150.01
Jamie Reeder 152.11
Jim Hall 152.23
Anndy Wiselogle 168.01
Eric Rosenzweig 170.01
Quincy Rosenzweig 170.01
Mike Shifman 174.01
Carol Johnson 178.28
Aug 4, 2014 3:08 AM
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10.9 km in 57:31? Damn, that dentist is fast! There aren't many terrains where that kind of speed is even possible. (But... he never won the Billygoat!)
Aug 4, 2014 4:11 AM
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I guess all that dripping, salty sweat onto the poor little control did cause a salty, delicious lickin' for the gourmet cow(s).
This discussion thread is closed.