It was a relatively warm day for January, warm enough to have just a little intermittent light rain instead of snowfall. The significant weather was not what occurred on Saturday. It was what had happened in the week before. Some weather alarmists called it Snowmageddon 2.0, a foot of snow and low temperatures approaching zero. As difficult as the week's weather was, I believe Snowmageddon is a little hyperbolic. The real weather story of this meet was the aftermath of the week's storms that left 10 to 12 inches of snow on the ground at Eagle Island. As you can see by observing how much the snowman had shrunk, by Saturday the conditions had much improved since I began setting controls on Thursday. The snow depth had diminished by 2 or 3 inches, and the warmer weather destroyed the rain crust that impeded my setup.
In spite of the much-improved conditions, the remaining snow made travel conditions, whether running or walking, much less than ideal.
Not quite Snowmageddon |
Perhaps there was one advantage for the orienteers—elephant tracks. No, Eagle Island State Park has not become a sanctuary for large African mammals. No need to fear lion attacks. At least none has been reported recently. “Elephant tracks” is an orienteering term describing a visible path traveled so heavily that it aids navigation or entirely eliminates the need for navigation. Snow cover ensures elephant tracks are present.
Jerry, Angela, and Torin's boots for deep snow. |
Scott & Christy at the start table |
We hope to see you on February 11 when Melanie Wright directs the Willow Lane Motala.
John Murray
Meet Director
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