BFLO Score-O at Chestnut Ridge.
After Steve T's session on Score-O planning, I felt a bit more prepared mentally than normal. Turned out that quick planning wasn't needed at all in this event, though -- since they ran out of pre-printed maps, and didn't discover that until they handed out all of the pre-printed maps (of which I was fortunate enough to get a copy), the mass start wasn't until about 30 minutes after the initial maps were handed out, to give others time to copy the controls from master maps. So no excuse not to have a good plan ...
I think I did have a pretty good plan. However, it is also important to execute the plan well, and that I didn't do, on two major controls.
Started by going to #1, along with many other people -- got there 4th, and didn't have to wait for the punch. Then #21, another very easy control. Then my plan was to head west along the wide trail, to just past where the private land ended (which was not at all distinct in the terrain), then head south through about 250 m of white woods to #22 at a stream junction. Hit it perfectly!
The next two I had worried about, and with good reason. I totally blew them. From 22 to 23, there was a lot of light green and medium green, with what looked like a potentially confusing collection of trails. Sure enough, I got all botched up, not really knowing where I was. I spent at least 10 minutes after getting to the area looking for #23, since it was a 25-point control (controls ranged from 5 to 25 points). No luck -- finally bailed, decided I was along the stream a bit upstream from #16 (a 20-pt control), and I just had to head down to a junction, and there the control would be. Got to the junction, it looked right, but no control. By then I was very frustrated, and time was rapidly passing. So I didn't spend any time looking for it. Dave Levine told me later that he saw me, and I was at a very similar stream junction about 100-150 m ESE of the control.
From that point, I did OK, but the damage was definitely done. 45 points worth of controls, not found, and probably 25 minutes of time since I punched in at 22.
From there I did: 12, 25, 15, 24, 14, 13 (a very poor excuse for a reentrant), 19, 18, 17. By then I was running very low on time, and I knew it would be a challenge to get back in time. So unfortunately, I had to pass up #9 (almost right on my way), #8 (very short detour), and #2 (right on my way, I passed within 10 m of it, but I decided I couldn't even spend the 15 seconds or so it might have to punch in). I wound up finishing with around 40 seconds left (after a very hard run in, all the way from 17), so I could have gotten #2, but nothing else.
I think I finished with 225 points, out of a possible 375. Not very good at all. Pavel managed to get them all.
One thing that would help, I realized later, would be if I were more willing to try crossing the many steep gorges in the park. Dave Levine said he always finds a way across, and it can sure save a lot of running.
As embarrassing as it is to reveal my blundering run, here is the QuickRoute account of it:
http://www.picfront.org/d/7A3F
Depressing how many controls I was so close to, but didn't get because I was either lost or running out of time ...