in: Bash; Bash > 2008-05-03;
| # Posted 2008-05-05 21:16:36 | |
| 'Bent: | If we'd done the bike route in reverse order, we would have encountered the trail to CP6 just before the marsh, and the trail to the "coffee pot" camp just before the camp, and the right marsh just before the "stone wall" control. I suspect GL went around in that direction.
As far as the passport, *I* had it at the time :(. It was damp at the start of the trek, and my sodden gloves didn't help as it came apart and almost dissolved under the punch. Tyvek passports would be far better, but it's mactac for us from now on. |
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| # Posted 2008-05-05 21:24:41 | |
| FB: | we actually missed the trail to 8 (coffee pot) then ID'd the trail to six so we left our bikes at that trail and ran back to bag 8 |
| # Posted 2008-05-05 22:37:10 | |
| Bash: | If we'd done the bike route in reverse, the UTM for CP6 would still have been on the south side of the marsh, and the CP would still have been to the north, i.e. it wouldn't have affected my thinking. We saw the trail that led to CP6 when we finally decided to cross the marsh outlet and continue north to CP8, so that doesn't give us an excuse. We tried following lots of trails, and that was just one more. I'm sure there were some CPs that were easier to find going in the direction that we went, so it probably all came out in the wash. |
| # Posted 2008-05-06 00:42:18 | |
| FB: | I'm sure you would have taken the trail we did from the north, 'cause it just seemed (intuitively) that it was going to go around the end of the swamp and since we were looking for an ATV intersection within 100? yards of that... well, it seemed easier than going down around the whole swamp, and looking for a trail that could be anywhere.
FYI I marked the cp about 100 m due north of where you did |
| # Posted 2008-05-06 01:02:57 | |
| 'Bent: | Good point that there were probably some CPs easier in our direction too. |
| # Posted 2008-05-06 06:17:05 | |
| Bash: | Before adding the digital version of the map to my log, I measured the JPG with a ruler to make sure that I put the red dot exactly at 461183. So what you see here is exactly the centre point of the range for that UTM. FB, as an experienced Raid The North course setter, you have probably developed a special ability to see into race director's brains, and that's how you knew to place your dot 100 m further north than the UTM. That's a useful ability, and if you're ever looking for a teammate... :-) |
| # Posted 2008-05-06 06:38:53 | |
| urthbuoy: | Marsh navigation.
I believe FB and i have had this discussion in the past. Creek, marsh, navigation is horribly unreliable on NTS maps due to busy beavers and seasonal fluctuations. Most of my experience comes from your neck of the woods (in Ontario). Locally we have tighter contours out here that generally define those features more (and aren't as seasonally effected). Add to that, I generally distrust manmade features such as trail features on an NTS and you're left with the spurs and the subtle re-entrant as AP's. And possibly the height of land on the bike there. But I'm guessing as to real terrain thay you guys were in. |
| # Posted 2008-05-06 07:52:52 | |
| Bash: | Yup, I think every adventure racer has been burned by (a) beavers changing the shape of water features, and (b) trails not properly marked on topo maps. This marsh was more clearly defined than your average Ontario marsh, since it sat in the re-entrant that you can see on the map. The trail behaved correctly relative to the marsh. But if it *was* all an illusion, i.e. an improperly mapped trail next to a marsh that had moved due to beaver activity, then that goes back to the point about avoiding the use of CPs that the map doesn't support. |
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