Training Log Archive: bl

Event: DVOA Fall Orienteering Festival
 

DVOA A meet, French Creek North map. Perfect weather. M65, Brown X. I'd give this an A - : good navigation for the most part, some good hunches and some good luck, too. Forgot that "check point" over the hill was a flag but that fell in place with a glance. For 2, started round to L but saw the small, indistinct path marked by a streamer & noted it would take me there. Phew! nearly wasted a minute or so had I failed to note. 3, saw charcoal pit halfway. 4 - went close to tower, got on spine of ridge but then, somehow, got a bit off it -- things didn't match, did not see the first bldr or boulder pair - had gone far enough down, felt like I needed to go due W. There were a few others looking like they might have come fm last good point on ridge - so I went due W feeling very uneasy, pace counted - could not make much of contours, then saw what looked like a reentrant & flag straight ahead. And it was mine. Next 2 went straight & pretty much kept in touch. 7 I noted it was due into the sun, so kept at it & followed hillside contours - maybe saw a reentrant but no charcoal platforms. Finally saw a flag to L about 90m away - was thinking I still had about 100m to go. Investigated - it was a stone pile & went ahead to my point. 8 - went over hilltop, did not see flag but saw runners to right & then could see it. 9 - lost maybe a minute - did not rely entirely on my own plan...a runner ahead distracted, then when flag came due, no flag. Some circling then someone took off & then Peggy D too who had also been about &, phew, that was it. 10 - straight to nearest loop & found an exit from there.

Very lovely countryside around French Creek. Visited Hopewell & Scott's Run Lakes. Geese honking on Hopewell this morning were ever so reminiscent of West Point on a spring morning. Very nice BPOE Lodge dinner with Saegers, Walkers, Rick W & Linda K & Jim A. Interesting place!

Scrapbook




Morning drops

French Creek - Day 1 BrownX - Splits

Drive WIth Beth & Z&M to Pottstown. Left 8a, and in a blink, it seemed, we were on 684, passing Cross River-Katonah but this wasn't to see WP or WPR. Went 3, 495, 290, 90, 84, 684, 287, 87, 95 over GWB, 78, 29-100, 393 mi., arrive 4:30, 2 stops, total about 40'. Passed fairly painlessly talking & listened to "Slaughterhouse 5" which is pretty entertaining. Only slow down was stop & go traffic around noon hour on Yonkers-Bronx stretch.

Guess I've managed to remind myself of past visits to FC & environs but needed maps to recall (& not well at that). '82, '84, '92, '01 & now. Also Lehigh area in '08. There was a time when easy miles-on-wheels was just the way it was.

AM Bower loop w/ Z&M, agreeable temp. Powder blue sky at the PL when we emerged from the woods. 1 truck, didn't see anyone.

SPS wander after work. Low 50s, very pleasant. Stopped at the artificial turf field, did some exercises & admired the surface. Saw one SPSer rolling skiing. I think I'll buy a set of roller skis - can't hurt.

C • can't hurt 4

BHS track around 4:15p - getting dark, 3/4th moon, calm & cold. Walk-run, too late in day for much else.

Nottingcook wander - plan was 60', on & off trail but then decided to look at some of perimeter for BOS stewardship & new view on things. Forgot a compass which would have been quite useful. Got to end of Hope La, then along Bower loop & then into woods. Picked up Peasley development & found a blazed boundary. First, it took me to a granite cornerstone on the O map & then a 90 deg turn. Followed for a while & then another 90 deg turn I think - have not looked at track. Marked a few stones. Finally was following a non-Notingcook boundary...Lyford property vs other. Had not field checked that area so it looked even more unfamiliar than things were looking given fact that I did not have compass & logging either distorted or disillusioned me so that I couldn't "see straight". Finally came upon a lane - did not recognize but only choice was Rosewood if not WH. Out to BBR & back. A cold sunless (early) day, 32F felt like freezing but if it were a snow-covered, sunny landscape, 32F might feel balmy.

Boundary perusal

Nottingcook wander with Z&M. Started at S. Bow Road kiosk, had a map & compass. Went over Great Hill, then yesterday's vantages and then the small view that had been restored, presumably by Bob D. Wandered around off trail, too, taking in the loveliness & good terrain available in Nottingcook. Mappin' as an itchn' came to mind - it's been 6 years, time for a redo or maybe Knox Rd TF from scratch.

Event: NEOC: High Rock
 

Event: WCOC - Ansonia Nature Center
 

Bear Brook, green Y 2. Gray, low 40s. Lots of mountain bikers and hunters but saw nothing on course. Pretty good at times, so so at others. Hardest terrain around given coutours, boulder quantity & low visibility.

to 1 - straightforward, path on L, knoll on right

to 2 - went to #9 & got on ride but failed to stay on correct one! Maybe 15 deg difference.

to 3 - thought I'd crossed all three rides but came upon the third, surprise....was too far right too

to 4 - OK, white woods & came out on ride about 100m N

to 5 - straightforward but not always in contact tho short leg

to 6 - easily hardest leg - went by marsh 40% of way - could not stay in close contact. Then had trouble staying in contact period. Was going straight, came upon 2 large boulders in NE-SW relationship; spent too much time puzzling, finally, finally figured it out with assoc boulders as well - looked up & knoll was not 25m ahead.

to 7 - could read these contours & also green marsh midway. Came upon a knoll & more marshy stuff, maybe not mapped but could see feature a ways away

to 8 - ends of rides & big green marsh made this fairly straightforward

to 9 - made my way to large green marsh then got on ride halfway along NW edge & managed to stay in north-going ride; had passed an hour earlier. Looked SO different w/o leaves!

to 10 - long way around, thru start, got on correct rides but wall was less distinct than mapped & maybe more green. Coming fm SW about near impossible....

to 11 - straight, did not see ruined wall but second was not too miss & 'green wall' to left made it secure but did not immediately recognize (had been there)

to 12- pretty much straight -was surprised to see I came out opposite marsh

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Green Y2 - Splits