Orienteering race 1:04:02 [4]
Green on Day Two. Going for "2 day total" medals!.
Today, "Map just made sense!" Wow!
#1. Road to bend; followed ridge to left to trail. Off trial at bend. Didn't see spur at first - 'must be left' - it was.
#2. Bearing to trail - cross it. Read depressions well to knoll. (No hunters' forts mapped on today's map - that's weird.)
#3. Read depressions well, pace-counted, to depression. Look over shoulder, see Tom Svobdny who started 2 minutes behind.
#4. Bearing to big steep climb & knoll - Tom jogs past me on uphill.
#5. Read contours well on way out. Then pace counted and checked off depressions - Tom comes in from left as I punch.
#6. Plan to stay high on right. Didn't see Tom ahead. 2/3 - saw Peggy D low on left. "Following big depression looks better - I know where I am - I'll drop down." Lost Peggy, started hesitating - I was further from circle than thought. "This depression? No. Next? No. Map still made sense and I found high subtle re-entrant. "Sure hope there's a control in next depression. Yes!" Should have stayed to plan! (Lost 1-2 minutes)
#7. Looked ahead - saw maze of trails. "Oh well, I won't pass anyone today." Read contours well, then bearing to trail; hop to next trail, climbed big spur. Very surprised to see Tom just ahead as I climbed spur.
#8. To trail, turned right, suddenly big depression on left, not right. Missed trail junction (why?). 150 meters, then hop to correct trail. Used pace count, trail, and contours, got off at right place. Knoll seemed further from trail than mapped.
#9. Back to trail, run trail, hop trail, run trail - bearing from bend.
#10. Missed trail, but intended to cross it anyway, on bearing to big trail. Junction, turn, junction. Very short left then right - 30 m - oops wrong trail - I took second right not first - hop to correct trail. Trail past knoll, turned right to depression.
#11. Wow - what a maze of trial hopping. Up to and cross trail & right on next trail. At yellow on right, hop left to next trail, run 50 m, hop to next trail, 150 m north on trail, then right to ridge on left. Ridge north to next trail, cross trail, then next trail. Left to junction, north to bend. Almost fooled by 'early' depressions - pressed to big one and down.
#12. Up to trail - seemed further than it should be - saw Gale T - on trail? Yes? Left on trail, looking for severe saddle, not here!?!? Turns out control was depression in depression; map sure looks like depression on hill. From trail bend, 50 m bearing - "I can't miss it" - there it is - faded yellow bag blended nicely. (Lost 1 min)
#13. Up hill - bearing through weeds to GO - hmm, trail to right looks better.
F: Only 15 sec today!
Of 10 on M55, only 3 splits were 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. So I was slower comparatively (vs. 7 splits on Sat) , but clean pays!)
Of 10 on M55: (#1, Ernst, ran a strong Red course)
Surprised by "3rd today"
Shocked by "2nd 2-day total"!!!