Orienteering 2:18:47 [3] 6.4 mi (21:41 / mi) +820ft 19:20 / mi
shoes: MPMW15:w
Clopper Lake
Red (17 controls, 8 km, 250 m)
Actual Distance Traveled: 10.3 km
I did not feel like I had enough time to finish the 10.4 km blue course before 3 PM so I went with red instead.
Route choice to the first control was constrained by two obstacles, a creek and a highway. There were numerous places to cross the creek but there was only one of them that had a bridge; the highway was a different story. I might have been able to sneak under the highway by following the creek, but I decided to take the overpass instead.
I overshot the fifth control and doubled back. I found it after circling around for a few minutes. I thought I was too far from the creek but it turned out that I had been too close to the creek on my first approach.
The sixth control wasn't too difficult to find but I went through a lot of not thin vegetation on my way there. There was also a fence to climb over when approaching and departing the sixth control.
I got a little bit of help with the seventh control from a couple other people who caught up to me when I was very close to it. I'm sure I would have found it on my own but I appreciate the help.
I cut through some more thick vegetation, instead of taking the trail, from 7 to 8. I got to where I expected to find the eighth but it wasn't there. I turned to my left and spotted it partially hidden behind a tree.
I once again got some help from another person when I was looking for the ninth control. I was about to walk past it when this other person coming from another direction pointed it out to me. When he checked the number on the control he realized it wasn't the control he was looking for.
The sixteenth control gave me more trouble than it should have. My big mistake here was mistaking one side of the peninsula it was on for another. I circled around for a few minutes before, after walking right past it, I turned around and saw it.
I had a good time at Clopper Lake. I thought it was a great course. I hope next time I have enough time to try the blue one.
The weather was damn near perfect.