Hunting for Nuggets in the Gold Rush Hills

The woods beckon!
It was a beautiful morning out in the Idaho City area on Saturday July 23, 2011. Starting off cool it soon turned to a scorching day. This didn’t do anything to the general excitement in the air as people arrived ready to conquer the multiple challenges presented to them. With four courses to choose from it caused some debate as folk decided whether to choose from the Orange course to the longer Green-going-on-Red course, or if the Red (or Blue as many called it) course was worth tackling. The sun did defeat some people throughout the course of the day and they came back without finishing. However, the runners of CTOC, Utah, Oregon, and Washington wouldn’t be overcome and afterward there was much laughing and discussing the courses over a table ladened with food under the canopy of the pine trees. So ended a hard but satisfying day for all the orienteers who decided to brave the challenging terrain.

By start and finish master,
Masha Velichko

Many thanks to John Murray for designing wonderful and proper white and orange courses and being my co-director. Green and red courses were on the hard side but of true championship quality. We spent together many hours in the woods making sure that all controls were correctly placed and maps were ready for your enjoyment. We all think that John is ready to fly on his own next time. Special thanks to Dasha Velichko for helping with start organization and for taking Lora and Candice on beginner course; and to Masha for helping enormously with all registration, start, and finish allowing meet directors to enjoy some free time. And to all who helped with collecting controls and taking care about club supplies after the meet. Finally, we just all wish to have the energy of Toby and Jade. ☺

Your Saturday meet director,
Sergey Velichko

BTW, did anyone find a gold nugget?


Saturday July 23 2011 Results

Beginner (White) course: 1.7K, 7 controls, 90m climb

Dasha, Lora, and Candice 53:05

Benji, Kirsten, Boston, and London Warren 54:50

Gavin, Ainsley, Becca, Rachel, and Grandma Rossiten DNF

Orange course: 3.6K, 12 controls, 160m climb
Jeff Decker 1:12:00
Dondi Black 1:44:05
Eli, Tamra, Grandpa, and Erik Rossiten 2:10:20
Joann Leone and Joe Novak 2:35:30

Green course: 5.2K, 17 controls, 300m climb
John Harbuck 1:25:40
Ole Bergset 1:33:10
Bill Pilcher 2:05:00
Russ Pilcher 2:17:30
Andy and Elijah Hill 2:39:30
Scott Coble 3:00:40
John Beck DNF
Don Crownover DNF
Joe Walker DNF

Red course: 8.1K, 24 controls, 500m climb
Patrick Nuss 1:53:45
David Murray 2:28:25
Jeff Black DNF
Melanie Schuster and Greg Davidson DNF

Saturday Red and Green course best routes per Sergey (dashed lines show alternative routes):



Bill and Marley P.Sunday dawned sunny and clear. Participants had their start on the northwest side of the map, and the modestly shorter courses were much appreciated after the highly technical first day - although some of those who did Green on Saturday opted for Red instead! In addition to the traveled orienteers who stuck it out for a second day and couldn't get enough of the spectacularly detailed map, some fresh CTOC faces also arrived, either the night before to camp or scattered through the start time frame. Almost everyone survived their course of choice in full (excepting Jay who ran 20 miles before he came up, and David who found himself pondering bodily sacrifices after falling into a reentrant - he was perhaps just balancing out my own difficulties on Saturday) and was eager to compare the subtleties of route choices under the canopy. Given my relative inexperience setting advanced color courses, I think I pulled off some decent options since there were plenty of differences in route choice. In many cases there was an easier road route, often safer, but at some climb, time, or distance penalty. Sergey blitzed the competition as expected and set the bar high; some observers suspected steam was rising off him as he passed, but I think this was from the effort of all the climb after control 8. Next time I may try to balance out the climb amidst more controls, and try to winnow out a nice long leg.

John Harbuck.
Many thanks go to my co-director Andy Hill, who vetted my control placement in advance (and saved me much embarrassment for two I misplaced myself after being in the field too long), and had suggestions for course modifications. Those who appreciated the shorter courses can thank him. Special thanks also go to everyone who helped with control pickup in the blazing afternoon sun - Ole Bergset on his trusty iron horse, the Pilcher Brothers who got those farthest to the south and east, John Murray who was assigned the closest but most numerous for White and Orange courses, and Joe Walker for grabbing those in the ominous hawk territory just south of the start (we didn't lose anyone to the hawk I'm happy to report). After setting controls both Friday and Saturday, I really appreciated the leg recovery...although I got my hill workout in by picking up #46 that was missed in the assignments.

This is our second woods event for the summer triple play this year, and we hope to see you all back out there up in McCall at Bear Basin, where Karin will keep us honest once more in August.

Your Sunday meet director, Jeff Black

Sunday July 24 2011 Results

Beginner (White) course: 2.02K, 8 controls, 80m climb

No takers.

Orange course: 3.68K, 7 controls, 245m climb
No takers.

Green course: 4.14K, 9 controls, 265m climb
Scott Coble (EWOC) 1:18:15
Karin Didisse (CTOC) 1:18:55
Joe Walker (SDO) 1:43:25
John Beck (EWOC) 2:07:32
Andy and Elijah Hill (CTOC) 2:28
Brad Lowe and Dawn Caldwell 2:32:05
Jay Morgan (CTOC) DNF

Red course: 6.06K, 13 controls, 440m climb
Sergey Velichko (CTOC) 55:40
Patrick Nuss (OK) 1:08:50

Ole Bergset 1:26:57
John Harbuck (EWOC) 1:31:03
Bill Pilcher (CTOC) 1:51:04

Russ Pilcher (CTOC) 1:58:13

Mike Bading and Merrill Hayden 2:04:55

John Murray (CTOC) 2:14:32

Greg Davidson and Melanie Schuster 2:24:45

David Murray (CTOC) DNF

Jay Morgan (CTOC) DNF


Sunday Red Course best routes per Sergey (dashed lines show alternative routes):