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Could not post any more in this blog because Google tells me i've exceeded (1 GB) my free allowed size quota space that is given to free accounts.

So, I created a second blog: www.SHERPES.blogspot.com

Orienteerer from North East Ohio visits Pittsburgh

Got an email that Master Bo was going to be in Grasshoper's city, so called him up, and he was en route to a park nearby to play Frisbee Golf while his wife attended a conference. Met up with him, and we started playing Disc Golf. First time. After a few throws and puts in the basket, had to go because the Pens were playing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, and we headed back to the cars. On our way, a pavillion with a huge family gathering asked us about how the Disc Golf is played, and we stopped and chatted. They offered us food. Master Bo was too well-mannered to accept, but Grasshoper had no such scruples, and taught his Master how to accept such food offers. We picked some really meaty ribs. At the street were the cars were parked, someone broke into a car to steal a DVD player. Master Bo had asked Grasshopper earlier if that park was safe, and he replied it was the safest park in the city. But contrary to everyone's expectations, there it was, the scattered glass, as if the city wasn't exciting enough for Master Bo. As a good Ohioan, he always carries duct tape and plastic sheets in his vehicle, and offered to help his neighboring state resident the tools to patch up the side window. Grasshopper proposed that Master Bo go downtown to hear a funk music concert, free, outdoors, as part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, and then, see period three of the hockey game in some nearby bar, but that was too much eventful activity for a single evening for Master Bo. After all, we did score a meaty rib from perfect strangers. That was eventful enough.

Johnstown Stackhouse Park Orienteering

From start to 5 (rootstock), easy route
from 5 to 1 (rootstock), very easy downhill and then trail
from 1 to 3 (ruined wall), headed to clearing and thought "go upstream of creek on left side", but chose the WRONG CREEK ! realized of the error when saw a trail intersection.
from 3 to 7 (boulder, 1 meter), crossed creek and uphill in thick vegetation
from 7 to 2 (boulder), easy trails
from 2 to 17 (rootstock), followed trail that led to underhill side of control, instead of staying on high ground, given past experience that reentrant feature is more recognizable from below than from flat and feature-less top, but in retrospect, should have stayed on high ground.
from 17 to 8 (knoll), easy trail. Missed the control and used pond as reference
from 8 to 10 (rootstock), followed trail downhill and uphill, but realized I should go to control 11 first (spring). Wasted some time and energy and went back downhill.
from 11 to 10, trail and then thick vegetation underbrush.
from 10 to 18 (rootstock), trail, thick vegetation, stony ground.
from 18 to 20, trail, missed it, catching feature was trail intersection
from 20 to 19 (junked auto remains), easy trail
from 19 to 13 (lower end of trail), easy downhill road to trail intersection, then followed stream and woodsy terrain to control
from 13 to 9, uphill to forest road, trail, bit confused on a trail intersection (was expecting a T-intersection) but there never was one: the trail coming from the North is barely visible)
from 9 to 15 (ruin), easy trail
from 15 to 12 (stream reentrant junction), easy road, then uphill on stream
from 12 to 16 (cliff, 3 meters), downhill to trail, crossed creek on footbridge, used trail junction and marsh as reference, easy find
from 16 to 14 (rootstock), used trail junction as reference to then cross creek, and slightly uphill on other side of creek, but missed it. Trail was catching feature, and eventually, at trail-road intersection, got my reference back and from there, easy find.
From 14 to 6 (edge of thicket), uphill to road, then climb uphill.
from 6 to 4, steep downhill to trail, then easy find.
from 4 to finish, trail, then steep climb in woods, then road.

Buffalo Orienteering

Sunday route

Orienteering at Camp Twin Echo

The Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club hosted a orienteering meet at at Boy Scout of America camp near Ligonier, PA, Camp Twin Echo.

There were four courses available: White, Yellow, Brown, and Line.

Line was a novelty for all: one had to follow the line as drawn on the map to ensure to find unknown mystery controls on mapped features on touched by the line. It was easy to miss some controls, since not always one went on exactly where the line was. Missed three out of 16. And along the way, found other controls that did not belong to the Line course. On the map below, the red circles were added on the map to indicate were the controls were placed, and the yellow circles indicate where other controls were placed that did not belong to the Line course.

This was definitely an event where athletic ability was diminished and map navigation was rewarded. For example, in following the Line in the vicinity of control #9, went a bit south of where the control was, and found a utility pole with a small electrical line. Looked up and saw that the line was making a small bend. Located on the map the bend of the power line, and noticed that I missed a power line and a root stock. Kind of backtracked the Line and went to the pole (nothing there), and then to the rootstock, and hurrah!, there was the white-and-orange visual of a control. So, looking for mapped features was the key of the game here...

Doing the line backwards





Orange line is route followed

Cooper's Rock 4-hour orienteering Rogaine

Part of M.A.S.S. (Morgantown Advenure Sports Series), this 4-hour race took place in Cooper's Rock State Forest, just east of Morgantown, West Virginia.

Starting at 1 PM, the day was very hot with clear skies. There were four water stations spread in the park. There were about 35 controls, most on hilltops, stream junctions, spurs.

The event had 17 starts (teams and solo). Most of the participants were from the Morgantown area.

A quality map printed to scale of 1:10000 made this event great, well organized, and rewarding.

online photos

Route of team Two Guys From Three Rivers was 22 km long

Hartwood Acres Orienteering

more photos



Green 6.36 km, 260 m
southeastern-most rootstock
middle rootstock
southeastern ruin
between rootstocks, water
southern end of stream
stream intersection
rootstock
lower end of spur
eastern side of ruin
reentrant
north-east outside tip of vegetation boundary (evergreen)
lower end of renentrant
stream bend
boulder, 1.0 meter, water
ditch, north-east end

Choosing a similar but wrong control

North East Ohio Orienteerers at Flying Pig

Bob & Randy

Orienteering at Patapsco Valley State Park, Maryland

The Quantico Orienteering Club (QOC) hosted an "A" meet in this state park 20 miles east of Baltimore. Spanning events in three days, it attacted over 300 participants.