Orienteering race 1:57:06*** 9.82 km (11:56 / km) +618m9:04 / km spiked:16/18c shoes: Luath Blue XTalon 212s
Yellowwood, Red 7.4 km/585 m Meet 18, course 24
While this was a pretty grueling affair, there was quite a lot to be liked about it.
Run-wise, I missed on 7 running too far out the spur. It seems like the depression on the spur has filled in or is only visible leaf-off because I couldn't pick it out during control pickup either. So, too far out the spur, down to the reentrant, knew there could be a problem, chose to shift W but E was correct (4.75 min). Other smaller problems with C10 pulled high by thinner vegetation (30 s) and C11. I took the high route; Aragorn thinks lower was better but as an armchair exercise, I think it is a wash. The problem with the high route wast the center and N side of the ridge have many blown down trees. There was a continuum of route stalks along the edge of the reentrant to zig around (eventually I crawled under a yard of trunk wedged between two 1.5-m rootstocks to escape). Clean to the end. Very happy with my navigation and compass work, the best of the season.
So, to be liked: lots of route choices, peaceful woods, some quite technical controls and just low enough visibility to be sure that you really had to keep on top of your map. I definitely want to do another spring meet here, one with more finishers.
To be adjusted in the future: it was slippery, steep (600+ m), and slower with the veg so, more appropriately brown, green and red should have been green, red, and blue, respectively.
Control clearing/setup1:20:45 2.93 mi (27:34 / mi) +259m21:38 / mi shoes: Luath Blue XTalon 212s
Up to the new addition onto the Monon. A sharp blind turn where it connects to the Midland Trace is likely something that will be fixed after a couple of cyclists or runners land in the hospital.