The Los Angeles Orienteering Club (LAOC) is hosting its annual 2-day Mt. Pinos meet on some of California's best orienteering terrain. This is a favorite road trip for BAOC'ers, so if you haven't tried orienteering yet outside the Bay Area, head on down!
Course setters Roland Hansson (Saturday) and Dave Ingram (Sunday) are providing White, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Green, and Red courses. Ron Hudson is vetting. Come for a great orienteering experience in the open woods. Map scale 1:10000, 5 m contours.
These two days are LAOC's offering to the Pacific Region Ranking series. Meet Director duties will be spread among the LAOC faithful for this meet. Starts on Saturday will be between 10 am and noon from the top parking lot. On Sunday, starts will run from 9:30 am to 11:30 am from a spot approximately halfway between McGill and the top parking lot. 3-hour limit on all courses. Start and Finish will be co-located each day. Beginner instruction will be available.
TERRAIN AND WEATHER: The terrain is pine forest from thick to open and runnable. There is virtually no fight. There are many meadows, boulders and boulder groups, complex and varied size reentrants, and a well-developed trail system. Some hills are steep, and the elevation is 7200-8500 feet. The daytime temperature will average 70-80 F, maybe reaching 85, with very cool nights. Rain is possible but unusual. Deer, raccoons, squirrels, and birds are abundant. No bears or poison oak.
PARKING FEES: Mt. Pinos is in the Los Padres National Forest and does require a $5 per day or $30 per year parking permit. The club has about 25 one-day permits from last year. Until the supply runs out, you may purchase them at Registration. Otherwise, Southern California residents may purchase permits ahead of time at sporting good shops.
CAMPING: LAOC has reserved camping at McGill Group Camp #1, three miles from the Mt. Pinos road end (follow the O' signs). Cost is $5/car/day, RVs are +$2, more than four/vehicle or an extra tent is +$5. Please pay when you arrive. ALL CAMPGROUNDS ARE DRY! BRING YOUR OWN WATER, ABOUT 1 GAL/PERSON/DAY. RVs are limited to 22 ft and must be self contained. Ample water will be available on the courses.
MOTELS: Nearly everyone from BAOC will be staying at the popular BestRest Inn (a.k.a. the Flying J Motel), (661) 248-2700 or (800) 766-9009. Rooms are $59/night, single or double (king or 2 queens). Good restaurant, sauna, pool. It's at the Frazier Park exit off I-5, 20 miles from the event. Elevation 4000 ft.
Other options: Western Village, (805) 245-1747; Frazier Mountain Motel, (805) 245-3788. Both of these are in Frazier Park, 16 miles from the event. Elevation 4500 ft.