Discussion: 1:15,000...

The O'map was 1:15,000. It was my mistake---I had that section of the map blown up to enormous proportions on the computer screen when I added the text "1cm = 150m", but, even though I swear I checked it, I missed the 1:10,000 text. I remember clearly reading 1:15,000. I did have an issue with an old map file, but I'm almost certain that wasn't the problem. I think I just spaced it.

One question I wanted to ask you two was if you knew to avoid green areas on the map, especially the dark green. Especially on the south-facing slopes, I suspect the Mounds map might have "new" green areas that aren't mapped.

Sorry to bore you with O'geek stuff if it's not your thing, but I'm certain Joe might have some thoughts about this:

I was audio recording most of the teams as they were planning the O'course part (with permission), and I was shocked first of all how lucid and clear thinking people were, but also how every single team seemed to miss some detail that might have helped them.

The biggest thing teams seemed to miss were the smaller trails (which I need to verify are ISOM-compliant---I think they are), but also some of the vehicle tracks, which are thicker black dashed lines. I wondered if using MTBO-type trail map symbols might have helped, with the much thicker lines.

We were told it was 1:10k, I just wrote the wrong thing. We didn't have an issue with the scale. The bushwhack in question shows only small infrequent patches of light green on that hillside and no dark green. Other than not being able to find that key trail at the end, we had no issues with the map. It was very detailed and made finding CPs straightforward.

I'm so used to orienteering and orienteering maps that I forget how awesome they are, especially to people who don't use them much. If you haven't used them much, and even if you have, I'd say you crushed that course.

Oh we do our fair share of orienteering :) QOC is a very active club in the DC area that we hit up as much as possible. When you've been staring at USGS maps all day, an orienteering map is like information overload! We loved the map and Mounds course...absolutely the highlight of the race for us.

In hindsight, I think it would have been most efficient for us to have paddled to 24&19, but there is no way I would have planned that from the beginning.

I think the transition crew (including me) should have thought out the transition better. Everyone basically put up their canoe then came for the instructions. We should have realized we needed to grab people right off the boat.

I also think the course setting crew (Brian plus Mike and me), for this section, should have pushed for more CPs. When I personally set score courses, I work for "confounding controls" which I define as controls that aren't on an obvious loop---you have to leave the obvious loop, which you can do from multiple places, to get them. There weren't any confounding controls on this course, except with regard to different modes (for example, the order might be different for bike v. foot). With a few more controls we could have forced (or just encouraged) more multi-mode decisions.

cedarcreek, i think TA logistics were fine, it wasn't that big of a deal to carry the canoe another 20' back to the water.

britty...you and Dusty should be seriously proud of your whole race, and particularly this section. your strategy was superior and your execution was great too until that last control! (but at least you had calf protection) great job!

Thanks Em. I noticed you went with the full leg protection this wknd :) We knew from the beginning getting back to the TA would be trouble, but we thought, eh, we'll figure it out later haha. That worked out well.