Orienteering 2:57:37 [3] 6.6 mi (26:55 / mi)
Patapsco/Granite
Blue Course (20 controls; 9.2 km; 335 m)
Actual Distance Traveled: 10.6 km
Actual Climb: 373 m
It rained, a lot, a whole lot, not constantly, but there was a lot of rain. By the time I was done with orienteering and control pickup I was soaked. It took a while for my fingers to loosen up and start working correctly again. So glad I brought a complete change of clothes, although tying my shoes with stiff fingers was a real challenge.
I didn't make any big mistakes. The fact that I only traveled 15% further than the actual course distance says a lot to me. It is not uncommon for me to travel 30% more than the actual course distance.
The 4th and 7th controls took me a little longer to find than they probably should have. In both cases I was in the general area but a 100-200 meters wide right. It always feels good when I am able to reorient myself after I have strayed off course.
Based on past experiences at Patapsco (both the McKeldin and Granite areas) I find this park to be fairly easy compared to some other locations used by QOC. The climbs aren't too steep or long and the terrain is varied enough and not repetitive in a confusing way.