July 26, Saturday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Cost: $5.00
WORKSHOP - ORIENTEERING
Learn to read topographical maps, how to orient a compass, take and follow a bearing and successfully complete an orienteering course. We will start out at a beginning level, then advance to land navigation over varied terrain.
http://www.friendsofraccoon.com/
UPDATE ! UPDATE ! UPDATE !
unfortunately, they do not accept children. They explained that the workshop begins with a two hour theory session in which they go into details about maps. My opinion is that they are concerned by the children's attention span. Last year they didn't have this problem. What is mistifying is that the event was listed in the Pittsburgh Parent magazine, usually addressing an audience of parents of little ones.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hashing, Geocaching, and Orienteering
In hashing, geocaching, and orienteering, one goes out in the woods and finds stuff. Be it a case of beer, a geocache, or a series of flags hanging from a branch, the concept is pretty much the same, with some differences:
In a hash, the start is a mass start
In orienteering, the start is an individual start
In a hash, you look for flour marks
In orienteering, you look for flags
In a hash, you finish when you find the beer
In orienteering, you finish when you find the finish flag
In a hash, when you find a flour mark, you yell to the others that you found it
In orienteering, when you find a flag, you keep quiet and stealthy
In a hash, you want to be noisy and vociferous
In orienteering, you want to be quiet and silent
In a hash, it's OK to be last
In orienteering, it's OK to be first
In a hash, you may end up trespassing
In orienteering, you may never trespass in the out-of-bounds area
In a hash, you may end up trampling a fresh flower bed and not be disqualified
In orienteering, you get immediately disqualified if you trample on a flower bed
In a hash, it is OK to miss a mark or two and shortcut to the next mark
In orienteering, you must stop and check at every flag
In a hash, there is no clock telling you how long was your run/walk.
In orienteering, there is a clock telling you how long was your run/walk.
In a hash, the start is a mass start
In orienteering, the start is an individual start
In a hash, you look for flour marks
In orienteering, you look for flags
In a hash, you finish when you find the beer
In orienteering, you finish when you find the finish flag
In a hash, when you find a flour mark, you yell to the others that you found it
In orienteering, when you find a flag, you keep quiet and stealthy
In a hash, you want to be noisy and vociferous
In orienteering, you want to be quiet and silent
In a hash, it's OK to be last
In orienteering, it's OK to be first
In a hash, you may end up trespassing
In orienteering, you may never trespass in the out-of-bounds area
In a hash, you may end up trampling a fresh flower bed and not be disqualified
In orienteering, you get immediately disqualified if you trample on a flower bed
In a hash, it is OK to miss a mark or two and shortcut to the next mark
In orienteering, you must stop and check at every flag
In a hash, there is no clock telling you how long was your run/walk.
In orienteering, there is a clock telling you how long was your run/walk.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Canoe Orienteering in North East Ohio
Annual canoe orienteering meet organized by North East Ohio Orienteering Club.
Left Pittsburgh at 10 AM to arrive here at 11:40 AM. It started raining at noon, and there were definitely less people than last year. Also, recognized a family that participated in yesterday's O-meet at Boyce Park. At the end of the rain, it turned nicer, and we did a mass start at about 12:50. We took a clock-wise route, going for the southern half. The underwater control 20 drifted away, and a speck of orange could be seen at about 300 meters to the East. On the approach, I thought it was a buoy, but then, realizing that some other canoers went to it, and afterwards were not following us, we realized it HAD TO BE the control, and paddled back it. We stopped at the small island where control 4 was, and found some blueberries. Arrived some minutes late, and with the unusual logarithmic algorithm that NEOOC uses, I am sure we will be subtracted 7.85 points (intentional sarcasm here...) Yoh! Result recorder! you didn't notice that we punched box 25 (the three holes are barely visible, see below for enlarged image).
Route
Upper portion of reservoir
Bob Boltz route. In yellow is the canoe solo by his canoe partner, while Bob ran on land.
Part of map with hole punches
punched square missed by the results recorder
Left Pittsburgh at 10 AM to arrive here at 11:40 AM. It started raining at noon, and there were definitely less people than last year. Also, recognized a family that participated in yesterday's O-meet at Boyce Park. At the end of the rain, it turned nicer, and we did a mass start at about 12:50. We took a clock-wise route, going for the southern half. The underwater control 20 drifted away, and a speck of orange could be seen at about 300 meters to the East. On the approach, I thought it was a buoy, but then, realizing that some other canoers went to it, and afterwards were not following us, we realized it HAD TO BE the control, and paddled back it. We stopped at the small island where control 4 was, and found some blueberries. Arrived some minutes late, and with the unusual logarithmic algorithm that NEOOC uses, I am sure we will be subtracted 7.85 points (intentional sarcasm here...) Yoh! Result recorder! you didn't notice that we punched box 25 (the three holes are barely visible, see below for enlarged image).
Route
Upper portion of reservoir
Bob Boltz route. In yellow is the canoe solo by his canoe partner, while Bob ran on land.
Part of map with hole punches
punched square missed by the results recorder
Orienteering at Boyce Park
Orienteering meet organized by the Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club in Boyce Park county park, located 10 miles east of the city of Pittsburgh.
Knew the park well from previous meets and course setting. Having done Orange first, helped in finding best route for Green.
split times for Orange (first time I used the lap chrono feature)
S-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-F
-- 4.36 4.00 4.56 2.33 3.56 4.53 4.00 5.27 2.15 0.36 (alex)
1.27 4.25 4.30 6.14 4.14 4.52 4.50 4.31 5.50 2.31 0.41 (dave)
Orange course: On approach from 3 to 4, knowledge of trails helped. On the approach to 7, standing on the edge of a semi-paved parking area and looking steep down into the woods, wondering if I did the right approach. Eventually, took the plunge and skydived downhill.
Green course: there was some construction on the water tank near control 2, but forgot to read the course setter notes warning about it, so did a useless tour of the tank. While leg from 6 to 7 took 9.52 minutes, leg from 7 to 8 took 1.38 minutes, but it was a tough and short burst into thorny shiggy of blackberry plants growing on the clearing of the powerline.
Yellow
White
Knew the park well from previous meets and course setting. Having done Orange first, helped in finding best route for Green.
split times for Orange (first time I used the lap chrono feature)
S-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-F
-- 4.36 4.00 4.56 2.33 3.56 4.53 4.00 5.27 2.15 0.36 (alex)
1.27 4.25 4.30 6.14 4.14 4.52 4.50 4.31 5.50 2.31 0.41 (dave)
Orange course: On approach from 3 to 4, knowledge of trails helped. On the approach to 7, standing on the edge of a semi-paved parking area and looking steep down into the woods, wondering if I did the right approach. Eventually, took the plunge and skydived downhill.
Green course: there was some construction on the water tank near control 2, but forgot to read the course setter notes warning about it, so did a useless tour of the tank. While leg from 6 to 7 took 9.52 minutes, leg from 7 to 8 took 1.38 minutes, but it was a tough and short burst into thorny shiggy of blackberry plants growing on the clearing of the powerline.
Yellow
White
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
bicycling in Washington DC
The DC area is a great place for road bicycling. The shores of the potomac offer great views and a nice cool breeze even in the muggy heat of summer. Lots of trails, plus the added bonus of visiting all the monuments.
The National Crescent Trail is a phenomenal ride. In the town of Bethesda, hopping with trendy restaurants, the trail goes into a tunnel inside a large building, which is also the location of a geocache.
The National Zoo has some strange signs:
Upon entering the Think Tank building in the zoo, the visitor is confronted with a sign that warns visitors that visitors might find the materials displayed as objectable, and that "you may disagree". This sign was so curious, that I REALLY wanted to see what it was all about, and I guess some people have some issues with recognizing that animals have intelligence and learning abilities.
At the National Mall, the Smithsonian Folkways festival was going on. One great show was a gospel group from Industry, Texas, The Original Soul Invaders: "The Original Soul Invaders draw on the amplified quartet tradition popular with African American gospel groups in Texas. Founder and leader Roy Green, who pastors the Mars Hill Deliverance Tabernacle Church in Fayetteville, Texas, started the group in the late 1970s."
The National Crescent Trail is a phenomenal ride. In the town of Bethesda, hopping with trendy restaurants, the trail goes into a tunnel inside a large building, which is also the location of a geocache.
The National Zoo has some strange signs:
Upon entering the Think Tank building in the zoo, the visitor is confronted with a sign that warns visitors that visitors might find the materials displayed as objectable, and that "you may disagree". This sign was so curious, that I REALLY wanted to see what it was all about, and I guess some people have some issues with recognizing that animals have intelligence and learning abilities.
At the National Mall, the Smithsonian Folkways festival was going on. One great show was a gospel group from Industry, Texas, The Original Soul Invaders: "The Original Soul Invaders draw on the amplified quartet tradition popular with African American gospel groups in Texas. Founder and leader Roy Green, who pastors the Mars Hill Deliverance Tabernacle Church in Fayetteville, Texas, started the group in the late 1970s."
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Digger's Frick Park Hash
rain, rain, rain.
From the Environmental Center at Beechwood Blvd, towards bridge to RegSq, then across Forbes, into cemetery, to Frick Art Museum to find (or not find but wait) for B1. Then, back into the park, main trails, to ravine trail, to Digger's back yard.
Apres with Rigatoni al Ragu' alla Bolognese. Visitors from Columbus, Ohio, including Off Tuna, and from Philly, Dancing Fool.
From the Environmental Center at Beechwood Blvd, towards bridge to RegSq, then across Forbes, into cemetery, to Frick Art Museum to find (or not find but wait) for B1. Then, back into the park, main trails, to ravine trail, to Digger's back yard.
Apres with Rigatoni al Ragu' alla Bolognese. Visitors from Columbus, Ohio, including Off Tuna, and from Philly, Dancing Fool.
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