Orienteering race 1:00:01 [4] *** 4.48 km (13:23 / km) +164m 11:19 / km
spiked:7/8c slept:6.5 shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-A 2013-08
WCOC-Hurd State Park south of Portland CT, a work-in-progress in an area with lovely open woods
Green course, 4.0 km, 8 controls, most of which were also used on the Red course; temp near 50 and sunny, so a very nice day in very nice woods. Thanks to George and Lyn for organizing!
George wanted us to go as straight as possible to controls, but I didn't do that for all of them. To 1 I followed the trail for a bit rather than go up and over the rise (probably could put a form-line hill SSW of parking lot). People standing at the control gave it away.
As I crossed the road headed to 2 I saw Roger U. who had started a bit ahead of me. He was going pretty much straight so I took a different line, going NW on the road until I could see boulders before heading up the hill. Will H (on Red) was leaving the control as I approached, and I punched shortly after Roger. To 3 I saw Roger heading along the trails so to be different I tried to go as straight as possible. I passed close to the large boulder along the bike trail (which I couldn't see under the leaves), and hit the top of the reentrant near the edge of the circle and followed it to the flag. A cut circle here would have made the top of the reentrant more obvious, but it became more distinct downhill so it wasn't a navigation problem. Saw Becky (on Red) somewhere between 3 and 4, about where I left the trail.
I would have appreciated a cut in the circle at 4, though, because I overran it, passing right by a boulder almost covered by the circle and stopping at one just outside it before heading back, about 50m each way added and a minute or so lost.
To 5 I wanted to hit the road somewhere south of the stream/green/pond but ended up going through a bit of crap and coming out right at the road split, with Roger just behind. Pretty much straight from there, checking off the large boulder and crossing the stonewall. Flag visible from a distance. Never saw Roger again until he finished a bit after me.
Due south ignoring trails until I hit the wall north of vertical green then took the trail until it crossed over to the other side. Cut the corner to the wall bend then could see the flag...but there were two large downed trees to get through first! Dodging skills required. :-)
Pretty much straight to 7, bouncing off the end of the stonewall just past the midway point and heading toward the stonewall junction south of the control. The flagged stone pile wasn't as far from the stonewall as I expected but was a simple control in any case. Peter was coming into it as I left.
Straight to 8 looked like it included two hill climbs so I went around the end of the first one (and past the mined areas north of the start/finish area) and climbed up and over the second one. Gorgeous woods in the flats near the cliff control...then just run back towards the finish. I went around the end of the hill, not bothering with the trail/road except as guides.
140m climb by my calculation along my route