Discussion: 2022 Winter Series

For the first event, Greg Balter has prepared a training course at the Claudius Smith Den map in Harriman SP with access from the Tuxedo Train Station. ~ 1.5 km walk to the start. The course has a butterfly design and the course designer suggest to run it in both directions to experience the distinct challenges when attacking the controls from different directions. There are no regular flags, orange painted logs or yellow streamers mark the control locations.

Maps are available in both 7,500 and 10,000 scales and with the controls numbered either in clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) order.

WS#2 at Mountain Lakes is now available. Flags are in the woods and maps posted. The Gate is open until 4:00pm so you should be able to park in the vicinity of the start/finish.

Thank you, Lina and Ksenia.

Details and maps at

https://www.hvorienteering.com/hvo-wcoc-winter-ser...

We have a slight schedule change. WS #3 will be available next week with three courses at Huntington SP in Redding, CT. Joe Brautigam is event organizer and we will post a note when flags are in the woods.

The originally scheduled Surebridge Mountain event has been postponed due to recent tree falls in the area of the contemplated courses.

WS#3 at Huntington SP is now available. Flags are in the woods and maps will be posted later today. Parking at the Sunset Hill Road lot. Note that there are no control codes on the flags.

Thank you Joe.

Flags at Mt Lakes will stay out until 17th January. Snow is about 2" at present but rain tonight should clear it.

WS#4 at Blue Mt will be delayed because of snow. Flags should be out by Jan 31st.

How much snow on the ground at Huntington? Is it super crusty?

2 inches of super soft, crunchy snow

Winter Series #5 Update.

Flags are in the woods at Gay City. Currently there is 4-8" heavy consolidated snow pack (slow & wet), water features more than full with unstable crust over most marshy stuff, rocks along streams fully glazed in ice (no rock hopping), all trails solid packed ice (spikes all but mandatory). So will await a warmup/melt-off before formally posting things as open. Stay tuned...

Maps for Gay City should be posted later today. Report from the field is that the flag on Long #10 may be missing already, will try to check on it tomorrow. Ice persists on trails, still snow in the woods but diminishing quickly. Things are wet.

Gay City update. Woods much more open today, probably 65% bare ground, remaining snow melting fast with temps near 60. North slopes & shady spots holding on to snow. Many trails now just muddy. Flag at #10 was still there, just fallen down - rehung.

Flags are out at WS#4 Blue Mt. There is about 1-2" of snow (Today,Sunday). It is overlying patches of ice on main paths. Take care walking to start.

Flags are out at Rockhouse Mt. WS#6
As of today (19th) woods are clear and ice free except for paths which are (in Jordan's words) "perpetually in darkness".
No codes on flags and no flag at final control (path junction).

Five -5- Winter Series events are now available for training!

Flags are out at Ward Pound Ridge (maps to be posted today), Gay City State Park, Rockhouse Mountain, Blue Mountain, and Claudius Smith Den (streamers).

Right now, there are fairly good running conditions at Ward Pound Ridge with almost no snow in the terrain and the occasional soft ice/snow on some north-facing trails. We expect that we may have similar conditions at Gay City State Park by the weekend.

Note that the Harriman maps and Blue Mountain still have icy conditions in many places.

We can also recommend re-running the earlier courses at Mountain Lakes, which has fairly good running conditions with almost no snow in the terrain (email me if you need copies of the course maps. No flags out).

Bonus Winter Series Event - no flags, O-Range GPS course at Coops Sawmill. 7.8km, 17 controls. Plenty options to shortcut course. Same parking as for Gay City, other side of the road. Map and course file are available for download on O-Range. Choose the Niels Special....

Extra credit (ok, just bragging rights) - do the Long at Gay City, aid station at your car, then do the Niels Special for a Billygoat worthy outing...

Niels Special Course Notes: A handful of controls are repeats from last winter, features sizes are from memory and could be way off, stream between #7 & #8 while crossable in regular season, is probably knee deep with runoff and generally not a one-hop stream unless you find a boulder/log to cross with. The rest should be delightful...

Are the flags still out at Gay City?

Thru 3/14 @ Gay City..

Finally, we should be snowless at all venues. Flags are out until March 27th on Blue Mountain and Ward Pound Ridge, and until April 3rd on Rockhouse Mountain.

Final Call! This is the last week to run the Winter Series courses at Ward Pound Ridge and Rockhouse Mountain.
Flags have already been collected at Blue Mountain.

Are the flags still out at WPR through tomorrow (4/3)?

Yes, they are. Final day of this year’s Winter Series

The Rockhouse Mountain flags will be collected tomorrow 4/3, probably early afternoon.