Discussion: Little update, big terrain

We are not expecting anywhere near the 1000 racers that some are apparently thinking will show up for the WROC in South Dakota next year (does that seem just a tad optimistic?), but still we are doing pretty good. Of course, it could be just that we have low standards. Our standard for "pretty good" is met by any year where we have more entries than the number of ticks I find while mapping. And so far the score is: 3 entries, 2 ticks, so pretty damn good.

Some people back will no doubt scoff at this. "Two ticks? I see more ticks than that every day when I put dog food in our dog's bowl!" What can I say. Maybe ticks just like it better where there is lots of barberry and poison ivy. Or maybe ticks don't care for the wind. Whatever the case, there just don't seem to be all that many ticks out in these parts.

One of the main goals for Laramie Daze is to offer at least a little bit of new terrain and mapping each year. This year is looking more and more like "little bit" will be more than apt. It would help if there weren't so many details up in our granite hills. What would really help would be a few cornfields (cornfields map pretty fast.)

Here's a sample of new mapping for this year's Rocky Mountain Goat area:

From publiken

There is enough rock in the terrain for this sample that even what you see here has been heavily generalized with respect to rock features. It is big terrain, and it is very good terrain, definitely goat worthy!

"little bit" will be more than apt

I thought you were going to say that the map sample was the sum total for this years additions.. Looks like fun terrain, too bad it always overlaps with the beginning of the school year in these parts...

Looking forward to it! Especially after running on one of your maps (I think?) at Round Mountain last weekend.

I don't think too many people have plans for a WROC, be it in South Dakota or elsewhere. But, it would be a surprise if the WRC in South Dakota didn't attract at least 600, the majority of them from outside North America.

How many ticks in South Dakota?

Even 600 would be impressive--ticks or WRCers. I wonder where they would all fit, what with their camelbaks and gu's and walking sticks and such? South Dakota is not that big, as states out west go. Maybe some kind of shuttle service with North Dakota could be arranged.

Who would ever guess that the favorite food of Wyoming grizzlies is the lowly Miller moth? And in another wonderful unexpected surprise from the Wild Kingdom, it turns out the #1 favorite snacking food of the prairie rattlesnake are ticks, and not potato chips. So ticks are not especially prevalent.

Miller moths. Why'd it have to be...Miller moths? Did you know that a single Miller moth squashed between two metal surfaces at 10,000 PSI leaves a streak over a meter long? It also messes up your telescope tracking, if your telescope is so inclined. A paper towel and some WD-40 cleans things right up.

A record haul of Miller moths in Elizabeth, CO, on the night of 5/30/2011:



That bowl is about 12" in diameter.