China Camp

San Rafael
Sunday, Sept. 10, 2000

Contact: Joan Roos, 510-526-9071

The annual China Camp State Park meet will begin at Miwok Meadows as usual, a pleasant shady place with barbecue pits and tables for a picnic. Bring the whole family. Bring water and cold drinks too, along with food, because fall is our hot time of year and the area has no water. There are pit toilets.

Beginners are especially welcome; free beginner's clinics will be offered 9:30-10:30 am. Come early and all your questions will be answered. We will show you what poison oak looks like. You can rent a compass and whistle cheap. Please remember to report back to the finish whether you compete the course in total or not. We need to be sure you are not still stuck in a bush.

All seven standard courses will be offered. Mike Fleishman has set the advanced courses (blue, red, green and brown), and reports the usual steepness up and down reentrants. Joan Roos set the orange and yellow, and they seem almost flat in comparison. Idell Weydemeyer has set the white and promises trails the whole way.

		Distance	Climb		Controls
 
Blue		6.2 K		440 m		17
Red		4.9 K		325 m		13 
Green		4.0 K		170 m		10 
Brown		3.5 K		125 m		 9 
Orange		3.1 K		 70 m		12 
Yellow		2.625 K		125 m		11 
White		2.0 K		 45 m		10 
The advanced courses and orange will have a remote start, about a 20-minute walk uphill from the picnic area. White and Yellow start near registration. All courses have the same finish area.

Electronic punching will be used in addition to hand punching if all goes well. You can rent a compass, a whistle, and/or an e punch device at registration. Starts 10:00 am - 12:30 pm. Courses close at 2:30 pm.

Poison Oak is present, but is turning color and easy to see in its redness. We think the red leaves on the ground still have rash-producing potency, so use your Technu and bring a change of clothes.

It will probably be a hot day with no wind in the ravines, so bring fluids. We will set out water and have it at the finish. Keep drinking.

Directions

China Camp State Park is located on San Pablo Bay northeast of San Rafael. From San Francisco or the East Bay, cross the Golden Gate or Richmond Bridge to US 101 North. Exit at North San Pedro Road near the Marin County Civic Center just past San Rafael. Proceed northeast on North San Pedro Road, winding around about 3.5 miles to Miwok Meadows. Look for the distinctive orienteering logo signs.

From the North Bay take US 101 South and exit at North San Pedro Road as above just before you reach San Rafael.

If you come late and the parking lot is full, you can drop your passengers/gear off at the start/finish area and park on North San Pedro Road about 1/3 mile away.