Ah, finally got in a good O event, maybe the best of the year. And first time I'd ever tried this version of orienteering -- Parkling Lot O'.
Arrived at Bradley airport in Hartford a little before midnight. The parking place didn't answer its phone, but the shuttle was running so off we (Ali, Alex, and me) went. No power at the parking office, just a few candles, and quite a crowd of people who appeared to be waiting for their cars.
I checked in at the office, gave them my parking ticket, the woman said it would be a little while, because first they had to find the cars, and then they all had ice on the windshields so they had to be warmed up before they could be driven.
Could I go find my car myself to speed things up? Nope, very icy out there, can't let you go back there.
By now I had used up all my time with her, because there were others demanding attention. Including one complaining that he had been waiting an hour, and another complaining about waiting two hours.
I went out to inform the girls of the situation. Time for a little independent action. Dug out my spare flashlight (putting on the headlamp would have been too conspicuous) and headed out back.
Here's the map and the course:
Notice that there is no course, none marked on the map anyway. No idea where the car was. Also very icy, snow all over the place. A couple of employees also walking around looking for cars, but they paid no attention to me. Within 2 or 3 minutes I had nailed the first control:
I hadn't notice the woman inside doing anything with car keys, so I was hoping....
The car wasn't locked. Reached in, but no key in the ignition. Looked around, there it was on the front seat. Big smile. Warmed up the engine while I scraped off enough ice to see, extracted the car from the snowbank it was in (thank you Subaru). Now time for the finish chute.
Where, as it turned out, my corn maze skills came in handy. The direct route was block by a couple of cars and a van, but a zig away from the exit and then a zag back had me in sight of freedom. In the process, a call to Alex to alert them to the plan -- get the bags, meet me left of the building, fast! -- and then they were running towards me with the bags, and then were we out of there and on the way back to Amherst. And laughing very hard. And wondering how long they may be looking for me car, or me.
The finish chute:
If I could have just orienteered so well out in St. Louis....