Training Log Archive: GlenT

Event: DVOA French Creek State Park Central
 

Green course at French Creek Central. 5.5km, 200m. Hot and stupid humid with summer vegetation, but there were bags in the woods to find, so it was all good. Wyatt set a pretty physical course, with three legs involving up-and-over-through-rocky-ground or way-around-through-rocky-ground.

Lots of sub-optimal orienteering. Andras R and I left 3 at about the same time and proceeded to veer west down the hill rather than south towards 4. I think I figured it out quicker but then still circled around finding the control - probably lost 10 minutes. Went up and over to 6 but was unsure of my location on the other side and wandered a bit to find it. Lost a bit near 8 when I passed nearby but didn’t see the bag (may have been distracted when I saw Francis H sitting about 30m beyond the control and we chatted about not being quite sure where we were - my finding the bag got us both back on track, but I think he was far more off than I was). Was pretty much out of gas on the leg to 9, so it was mostly a slog. Went up and around the east end of the fenced area on top of the hill - going way around and avoiding the climb would’ve probably been more pleasant but I think the time would ave been similar.

Nice to get out in the woods to find actual bags. Thanks to Wyatt and Mary Frank as well as all those who helped out.

Green - Splits

Green Lane Park. Janet dropped me off at the middle lot on Knight Road. Played on the single track trails there and then headed towards where she had parked (Snyder Rd. And Deep Creek Rd. lot) via the Red and Honeysuckle trails. Did a segment of the Orange trail to finish up but ended up walking a few of the rock gardens since I was pretty worn out by then. Mid 80s.

Paved and gravel ride from home. Paved roads to Saucon Rail Trail at Landis Mill Rd. then north on the rail trail to Reading Rd. parking lot. Retraced the route home with a few variations through the neighborhoods. Low 80s, sunny - shaded on the rail trail.

Walk to Start, scoping out the map and terrain.

Mocanaqua Advanced 1 course using UsynligO (4.9k straight line). Great orienteering area with interesting technical areas with some really big features but also some blander, nearly featureless areas in between. There are depressions of all sizes, and a couple of unique features too: trenches (narrow and quite deep) and large earth banks (remnants of mining I suspect Edit: probably culm banks - the stuff they didn’t want from mining, sometimes containing coal but mixed with non-coal). Some blueberry and ferns underfoot right now to slow things down and some areas of reduced visibility. The map is a KP map (Thanks Greg!) with many cliffs and boulders mapped, but occasionally more things showed up in the terrain. Less humid than it’s been but still pretty warm (low 80s).

Navigation was OK. Parallel error on 2. Turned the wrong way on the road headed to 11 and went a few hundred meters before I looked at the right spot on the map and the features I was looking at finally made sense. Struggled with 15-19, which were in an area with less distinct features (I had just seen huge earth banks at 14 but the earth banks at 15 and 16 were barely discernible). Even though the app said I passed near 18 (a broad one contour hill) on my way to 15, I didn’t find it when I needed to so switched to Score-O mode to finish. Looked a bit for the form-line reentrant at 19 but never got the happy tune and had run out of initiative. Still a fine day in the woods and great navigation practice.

C • Was this 2

Back from Finish (once I remembered to start my watch - time and distance adjusted).

Neighborhood walk - still 84F at 8:30pm when we started.