Discussion: Midweek events?

Bulletin 2 says, "It is probable that there will be additional events midweek in the vicinity. More details will be given later." I asked one of the organizers about this at the Corn Maze Champs, but he didn't know anything about midweek events.

If possible, I'd like at least a hint, now rather than later, if there are any actual plans in the works for events between the US Champs and the North American Champs.

If nothing else is being planned, I might (no promises yet) try to stir up some training or even an informal event at, say, Pawtuckaway or Harris Center (how many mapped boulders between those two maps--eight or ten thousand maybe?). Maybe Tues 9/20 and/or Wed 9/21? Fellow stirrer-uppers welcome.

But we sure wouldn't want to invest effort in that if it conflicts with something already planned.

For sure it is a disappointment that there seems to be no mid-week orienteering activity between the Classics and the NAOC.
Is that because for the vast majority of participants - from mid-Atlantic, New England, Central Canada and mid-west it is not much of a problem and is much cheaper to just head home for four days.
Or is it because the potential organizers in the area are too absorbed in the main events to plan peripheral ones.
The reason doesn't matter but it may explain why the Classics have attracted somewhere close to 150 fewer entries than the NAOC: those 150 have chosen one event over the other.
It does explain why many of us skipped the Western Canadians when two consecutive weekends of great orienteering were offered in Alberta this summer. There was nothing orienteering related to do in between.
And it will explain why next year - late July, early August - you will see an "all you can 'meet' menu" of orienteering events between the Eastern Canadians in the Montreal area and the 50th Canadian Nationals in the Ottawa area. All that plus Canada's year-long 150th birthday celebrations. You won't want to miss a thing.

The U.S. Armed Forces orienteers training for the military champs in Finland next June will hold a training camp between U.S. Classics and NAOC. Our Tuesday and Wednesday training events will be streamered in Harriman (USMAOC Long Mountain map - where we were for the national competition this spring) and available for download on the NAOC website. Here's what I submitted for Bulletin 2, which Peter and team are hard at work on and should be published soon, if not already:

U.S. Armed Forces orienteers will streamer control locations and make maps available for informal training Tuesday and Wednesday on the public (Harriman State Park) portions of USMAOC’s Long Mountain Map. Training specifics are not yet finalized, but will likely include line-O, control pick, and compass / relocation exercises and be intended for advanced orienteers. Control locations for both training maps will be streamered by Tuesday morning. Maps will be posted on the NAOC website to download and print; training is self-serve and at your own risk. Please do not cross into the USMA training area as we do not have permission to use that area. Parking will be in Turkey Hill Parking off of Route 6. Grab some friends and enjoy the rugged, complex terrain of the Hudson Highlands!

Additionally, one training will be designed by none other than TGIF! Many thanks to Boris Granovsky for giving me the idea and encouragement to ask such a champion, and Thierry for being so enthusiastic, approachable, and such a great supporter of our sport world-wide.

And if you see any of the military orienteers - some you may know, but also some new faces - please don't hesitate to compare notes on how your courses went. So many of us are stationed far from clubs that it can be hard to practice our sport, and even harder to engage in the lively exchanges that help keep us all motivated. I can't tell you how much we are looking forward to this.

There were preliminary plans for the US Night-O Champs to be held midweek, but after a bunch of back and forth, it turned out that there wasn't enough wind for that kite to fly. That was, in part, what that bulletin was referring to.

Thanks, Tori!

Not O related, but perhaps of interest to some here, I got word this AM that there may be an impending Amorphophallus titanum (aka Corpse Flower) bloom at the Dartmouth Greenhouses. Hard to tell exactly but estimates suggest it could bloom the week between US Champs and NAOC. And quite conveniently, the Class of 78 Life Science Building sits just to the north of the Sprint embargo area...

I recall JJ counting three thousand and something boulders on Pawtuckaway, but it's been a couple of decades.

Life Sciences will probably be included in a revised embargo---but not to worry, the embargo really doesn't take affect until 4 pm on Sat. the 24th. So, if you want to see some flowers that smell like death, try to do it before that.

Pawtuckaway: 2400 small boulders, 607 large boulders, 52 huge boulders, 2436 boulder field triangles, 223 boulder cluster triangles, 3076 stony ground dots.

Harris Center: 3309 small boulders, 501 large boulders, 57 huge boulders, 965 boulder field triangles, 15 boulder cluster triangles, 3518 stony ground dots.

...give or take...

And weren't some 3500 of those boulders put on the first Pawtuckaway map using letraset on mylar separates?

I remember (possibly wrongly) that Pawtuckaway was rendered (using JJ's term) using an early version of 0CAD, which carried it's own frustrations I understand.

Harris Center sounds rocky indeed. Is it bigger or smaller than P'way?

Much smaller. Pawtuckaway is about 11 km^2, Harris Center is less than 4 km^2.

Pawtuckaway was the first "real" map I did in 0CAD (I had done one small map for practice first), and as far as I know, the first major 0CAD map in the US (and maybe North America?). Fall of 1992, 0CAD v3.09 when I started, but it was up to v3.14 when I was finishing up. So no, there were no rub-on boulders or mylar separations, and in fact one of the things that was wonderful about that primitive early version of the software was that I didn't need to worry about running out of boulder symbols. There are a bunch of amusing anecdotes and horror stories about that project (ask me sometime if you see me in person when there's time to chat), but I will note one thing: it was before I got my first color monitor.

gordhun wrote: "The reason doesn't matter but it may explain why the Classics have attracted somewhere close to 150 fewer entries than the NAOC: those 150 have chosen one event over the other. "

I'm going to the 2-day Classic only because of the AGM vote. I would have much preferred to spend my vacation days on the NAOC. I know the 2-day classic will be great, but I'm bummed I will miss the premier North American event and the US-Canada competition.

The trail-O community regrets that we were unable to get someone to course set some trail-O in conjunction with these meets. Mika Latva-Kokko had volunteered at one point, but then had a change of plans and is in Finland.

Victoria
Is it OK to include the above events on the USCC website (and maybe amend Bulletin 3 I put out last night)?

Sure!