SWSW - Catalina State Park - Long Red
Terrain was so different than MI! Still feeling a little under the weather, tried to run to one of the early controls and ended in a coughing fit, so running wasn't going to happen. 85F and Sunny meant when I grabbed the map I was blinded for a bit - should have brought the sunglasses. Maps available for viewing at:
http://www.tucsonorienteeringclub.org/index.php/ev...Started off ok, beat the guy who started ahead of me to 1 and again to 2. Headed off down the wrong spur to 3 and had to backtrack a little. Also took the wrong hill to 4 and head to up down over a couple hills to get to the right one. Wow 4-5 was LONG. Took the "Safe" route trail to stream bed ("wash") which was full of 2-5 foot boulders - very slow going, but it sounded like most people ended up taking the same route. 6, 7 were easy. 8 was the first "distinctive boulder" in "rocky ground" - both of which are very different than similar things in MI. Rocky ground is 2-5 ft boulders everywhere - some loose some well attached. Also, there are cacti everwhere, about 10 different types and none afraid to scratch or prick you. Apparently you are supposed to bring a comb to comb out the needles.
Found 8 ok, back to the trail for 9 and missed the turn so I went WAY to far, stupid mistake. Found a wandering Syd on the way to 10 and helped her, which ended up meaning she beat me. Also twisted my ankle (the one that I had just started feeling better about after Fall Chenango meet), and it swelled up and I could hardly walk for a bit. 11-13 went OK. tried to take a shortcut back to the finish to get back ahead of Syd, but it didnt work out.
7/8 M red. I know I couldnt run and made a lot of mistakes, but I dont know people could in this terrain, but they definitely did based on their times.