2011 Stark Raving Mad in Cannonsburg, Michigan, just northeast of Grand Rapids.
The o areas and my gps tracks here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100570231229141128929...This was an interesting race for me. I had some issues on the first section (only in command on 7 of 11 cps), so it was surprising to find no bikes at the second O area. I was in first! I had a few issues here - #14 was on a very faint feature. I took several passes going off several spur type shapes to no avail, so I bailed to get the other points and come back. I managed to screw up #15 as well, but recovered well. The next two weren't bad, although I do think 18 was placed too high up, and the gps reflects it as well, but it was ver open and easily spotted. I then returned to 14 and brute forced it. GPS says I tripped over it on one of my very early passes; not sure how I missed it.
I can clearly see I need to beef up my bike speed - I was passed here for the lead, although I retook it at a creek point, and then promptly lost it again.
The singletrack was well marked, not bingo style, so you could bike drop and bushwhack - I did this to retake the lead at #23, but then promptly lost it. The winning team would put four minutes on me as I lugged around the balance of this portion.
The fourth and final section nearly did me in. Long distances and many unmarked trails made mistakes costly. Then I encountered A FRACKING TURNSTILE on the counterclockwise route. I didn't see a viable route around, so I went clockwise around the lake, with considerable time loss. At this time, the heavens opened up, making visibility extremely poor, plus my glasses fogged and were wet. I managed to find #31, but got very turned around heading to the swimming point in the lake, so I cut out to the road to regroup, and found the two track to the lake. I asked how many had been through the swim, and the gentleman said four, and I was discouraged...until he said half of those hadn't gotten other points here. So I hoofed it back through #29, grabbed my bike, drafted a few other solos, dragged my bike up the ski hill for #34, and rode down the slope to finish 2nd overall, first solo, one of only two teams to clear the course. Woo hoo!