Training Log Archive: bbrooke

Night-O at "The Big Sandy" map in Buena Vista. The last time we used this map was for the 2006 US Championships.

My outing can best be described as an epic FAIL. But then again, I wasn't alone; only three of 12 people on this course actually finished it. On the Long course, five of nine finished. The DNF-ers included Graham Baird, Sverre Froyen and Neal Barlow -- and those guys are not slouches!

I found #1 through #4 relatively easily, but then I totally blew it on #5. I had planned to travel up a wash east of #4 to the wash junction, and then cut across the saddle and go down the reentrant west of the control. But, looking at my tracks, I apparently left #4 on a bad bearing and didn't hit the wash I was looking for -- so I was totally confused when it died off. Then I tried to re-locate off a bend in the road, but I was at the wrong bend (they both have bends with trails continuing eastward and N-S washes to the southeast...typical parallel error). I was afraid of venturing too far east, since the control was right on the edge of the map; but, in retrospect, that really wasn't an issue since I was nowhere near the edge of the map!

I tried one last time to relocate when I ran into a couple of other people near #3. But, that was unsuccessful, too, so I bagged it and went back to the Start / Finish...where a campfire and s'mores were waiting.

Troy did a great job, finishing in first place on the Long course, ahead of Jason Poole (2nd) and Mike Kloser.

[Results]

C • fail 2