Stars W.A.R.
Mono Cliffs Provincial Park
Browner and I teamed up and had a blast in an area that is seldom used for orienteering. It was super icy on and off the trails so we both rocked our Kahtoola Microspikes.
There were some detailed rules and bonuses for the opening Matrix where we had the chance to split up for 4 of the 6 controls. Without going into all the details, we got all 240 points. Maximum for the course was 970 pts so this was significant.
From there, we did a loop to the north and east of the map. Things went well until I sprained my left ankle badly shortly before 153. It felt major but I was able to run on it again (painfully) after a few minutes so I can't have torn it as badly as I did in September. It is now really sore along the underside of the medial ankle bone, limiting my ability to flex my foot. It could have been worse.
That aside, we made good time and found most controls where we expected them. We lost 2.5 minutes to a brain fart at 143 but that was our only moment of confusion. Browner was more detail oriented with compass bearings while I mostly used features and rough compass. There were times when one technique worked better than the other so it was super helpful to have both approaches.
We finished with 750 points but I'd guessed incorrectly that the Masters category would be better for us today than Female. Turns out there were a lot of speedy masters men - and Barbara Steele too! When it comes to race categories, I often have to choose between being old or being a woman. Rogaines are better since you get a ranking in every category you're in.
Congrats to Bob and Jack on clearing the course and taking the overall victory. Chad and Greg were 2nd and also cleared the course. Jacquie and Milla were the Female champions, Tarno and Trav won Masters, and Heidi and Alin won Coed. Great job, everyone! There's always a strong field at Stars W.A.R.
Thanks to Nick and all the Stars volunteers. The post-race lunch was yummy and it was a really fun day!