Race Evaluation
DVOA French Creek: Red
donkst
| 1. | Trail to right before clear cut and then followed it up on the W side to reentrant. From there across clear cut and around S end of rock flow and in. Very cautious. Overall, there were a lot of nice route choice decisions to make on this course. | ||||||
| 2. |
Lacked confidence Hesitated +01:30 | Straight, just above rock flows and steep part, but very cautious. Walked in from about 200 m away. Not reading the subtle reentrants quite well enough yet. | |||||
| 3. | To trail and then off of sharp trail bend SE of control. Hugged the bottom of the hill and then on up when it started to turn N. No problems. | ||||||
| 4. |
Bad compass work Frustrated +01:30 | N to trail. Wanted to take smaller trail to NW of control and come back, but couldn't find it. Ended up on main E-W trail and took a bearing from trail/clear cut intersection on the E side of clear cut. Followed bearing closely, but still ended up in the middle of the rock flow. Stopped about 25 m past control on pace count and started just looking around. After about 1 minute saw it. I was about two contours too high. As with many legs on this course, despite my attempts to navigate around most of the rock flows, I still ended up catching several of them and having to walk through them--UGGGHHHH. Boy I love French Creek East! | |||||
| 5. |
Frustrated +10:00 | Down on a NNW bearing trying to cach the NS trail about 300 meters NNW of #4. Finally caught the trail at about 600 meters when it was turning E. Took it back to NW trail and across clear cut. Then in on a bearing from trail/clear cut intersection. Was very careful and deliberate, but didn't see the bag. After stopping and looking around for a couple of minutes, and seeing several other terraces in the area, decided to go back to trail/clear cut intersection and relocate. Once again in on a bearing, this time walking. Turns out I was about 15-20 meters from the bag when I was coming to a stop on my first pace count but didn't see the bag. VERY FRUSTRATING. Granted the bags were very old and faded, but that didn't deter others from finding the bag. AGGGHHHH!!!! | |||||
| 6. | Straight on a bearing, over the two rock flows and into the control. Very slow and cautious. | ||||||
| 7. |
Frustrated +06:20 | Due S on a bearing being very careful. Once again, stopped at the right pace count and looked around for a minute. Nothing--how could I miss this? Frustrated, I ducked out to the road and relocated and went up in the big rock flow WWS of the control and then walked in. Finally found it. Another faint bag hung on a terrace that was difficult to see, but the major frustration was I had again come within 20 meters of the thing and not seen it. | |||||
| 8. |
Hesitated +02:00 | Tough route choice. No great attack point. There seems to be three routes to take. I opted for main E-W trail and down on a bearing from the clear cut/trail intersection. Looking for green and it's not there. Hit the first of the major rock flows and start looking. Seeing what I think is a rocky reentrant down the hill, I mistake my placement on the map and start climbing a couple of contours until I see others punching downhill on about the bearing I originally had. | |||||
| 9. |
Lacked confidence Hesitated Followed others +02:00 | Hugged the bottom of hill and walked the last 200 meters scanning from left to right. Finally saw two other people punching low and to the right in the general direction of control. I go there and that was it. | |||||
| 10. | Actually, one of the easiest controls of the day. Down to the trail and then S on the indistinct trail and up. No problems, except having to walk down hill in very rocky areas. | ||||||
| 11. | +05:00 | Straight at it, carefully, on a bearing. I'm not seeing it at the right pace count. After searching for about 30 seconds, I blew out W to the clear cut and relocated from the small stream/clear cut intersection W of control. Walking up, and encountering three other people in Red light mode looking for it, including Brian Tucson, I finally see the faint bag when Brian starts sprinting toward it. Turns out I had once again passed within 20-25 meters of it and didin't see it. This is getting ridiculous. | |||||
| 12. | Down to main stream/clear cut intersection and onto trail. | ||||||
| F. | Beat two other people in at the last second. Overall, a frustrating day at French Creek East, even though, pathetically, it is by far my best per K time and run in this park. Did I mention I love French Creek East!!! |
Total Time Lost - 00:28:20