Sierra 2000 O-Fest


Burton Creek A-Meet

Pacific Region Championships

Saturday & Sunday, August 5-6

Contact: Evan Custer, event director

The final event for this year's Sierra 2000 O-Fest will be The Pacific Region Championships, a 2-day A-meet, which will be held at Burton Creek State Park near Tahoe City on Saturday and Sunday, August 5-6.

Courses and Classes

All 7 standard courses (white, yellow, orange, brown, green, red, and blue) will be offered at the A-meet. The standard 42 USOF classes will be used. Kent Ohlund designed the courses for Saturday, and Joe Scarborough designed the courses for Sunday. Bob Cooley and George Kirkov are the vetters.

In addition, there will be a separate set of recreational courses (white, yellow, and orange) for first-time and inexperienced orienteers. Beginner's clinics and a free start-O for young children will also be available.

Below are the available competitive course statistics.

			Saturday, Aug 5		Sunday, Aug 6
			
	White		1.975k, 35m, 9c		
	Yellow		2.85km, 55m, 9c		
	Orange		3.95k, 95m, 11c		4.93k, 135m, 13c
	Brown		4.65k, 125m, 14c	4.67k, 140m, 11c
	Green X		6.775k, 155m, 15c	6.56k, 170m, 17c
	Green Y		6.45k, 155m, 15c	6.58k, 160m, 16c
	Red		8.775k, 225m, 17c	8.49k, 250m, 18c
	Blue		11.725k, 270, 22c	10.88k, 275m, 21c
Advanced courses are of longer distance than usual. However, we believe that, because of the relatively fast terrain, times should be within the standard.

Pacific Region Championships Eligibility

To be eligible for the Pacific Region Championships, you must have been a resident of one of the Pacific Region states (CA, AZ, NV, HI, and UT) for the last 6 months, and also be a USOF member in good standing.

Awards

There will be medals for the top three finishers in each class. In addition, there will be separate medals for the highest finisher in each class who is eligible for the Pacific Region Championships. Brunton is also donating a compass to each Pacific Region Champion.

The top 3 finishers in the M21 and F21 classes will also receive cash awards. The winners in these two classes will receive $150 each; the 2nd-place finishers, $50; and the 3rd-place finishers, $25.

The awards ceremony will begin as close to 2:00 p.m. as possible on Sunday.

Map

This is the first use of this map, which was field-checked and drafted by George Kirkov in 1999. Its scale is 1:10000 with 5-meter contours and meets IOF specifications. The maps will be printed on an Epson Stylus Ink Jet printer.

Navigation demands may be quite different to what you are accustomed to, particularly for the Bay Area folks. With little in the way of contour detail, compass, pacing and interpretation of subtle clearing/forest demarcations can be very important. The map quality is generally very good, but there are many unmapped stumps, logs, and small areas of downfall.

Terrain

Burton Creek State Park offers some of the most interesting orienteering terrain in Northern California. Terrain in California is notoriously known as being very steep. However, Burton Creek is significantly flatter, with only mild to moderate climb. In fact, large areas of the park are very runnable. It will be the flattest of the three major venues, with an altitude of 6800-7100 feet. The park is used as a cross-country ski area in the winter.

All courses encounter the same terrain types on both days. Two-thirds of the mapped area is generally very fast running, flat to gently sloping with good visibility usually 50-100 meters. One third is steeper, with lower visibility and slower running. Some good climbs and descents are presented by one major hill and a couple of major stream valleys. Expect two or three climbs of about 50 meters over 500 meters or so of distance.

Trail network: Light to moderate for the most part. Most courses cross a dozen or so paths. Few optimum routes should involve much trail running.

Footing: Firm, except on some steeper slopes and occasional soft areas particularly in the large clearings. Small patches of rocky footing and talus slopes. Some courses cross a marshy area.

Vegetation: Mature pine/fir/cedar forest, mottled with rough open clearings, some areas of slow run due to brush or downfall. Both clearings and under the trees are generally fast except for sizable patches of downfall and some brush. The wide vertical green map symbol (50-80% speed) usually downfall but can be waist high manzanita. Narrow vertical green may be the slower chemise-like brush. Gaiters are advised. Medium green is usually a stand of cedar or fir saplings. Areas of downfall may include a jumble of logs 1-2 ft. diameter. While vegetation boundaries are rarely distinct they are often the best navigational guide.

Rock features: Some areas have only small scattered rock features. Others will have clusters of boulders up to 2.5 meters. Most mapped features are distinct above a general soil surface as opposed to intermingled with smaller unmapped boulders in stony ground. In some places rock features range from distinct boulders to boulder groups through stony ground with the distinction sometimes subtle on the ground.

Contour features: There is very little contour detail. There are a few small hill, knoll and re-entrants as controls.

If you'd like a preview of the Burton Creek terrain, check out these photos.

Special Features and Symbols

All symbols apply to the advanced courses, and the tree symbols apply to the Orange.
  • Distinctive tree - This is shown as a green X on the map. It is usually a lone tree in the open. It may also be an unusually large tree in the forest. All distinctive tree controls are lone coniferous trees indicated on the description sheet with the "single tree" symbol.
  • Small tree cluster - A green circle on the map. Usually very small tight clusters in the open. Described with the IOF "copse" symbol. Both the single tree and the copse can be very difficult to single out when close to the dispersed edge of the forest.
  • Stump - A brown X on the map. Broken off tree trunks usually 3-5 meters high. The special IOF X is used for descriptions. The brown X may also represent an unusual large chunk of wood such as a big but short log. None are used as controls.
  • Log - Mapped with a brown line proportional to the length of the log. If a mappable stump remains, the line has a brown X at that end. If not, there is a short perpendicular line forming a T at the base. This may or may not have a rootstock. Logs can be up to a meter in diameter, high enough to obscure a control marker. On clue sheets, they are described with the special IOF circle symbol.
  • Rootstock - The T end of a log which has significant upturned roots. The distinction between rootstock and log can be very subtle and the dominant part is usually the log. The IOF description for rootstock is used. There are rootstock controls on the Day 1 courses, none on day 2. In my experience, the rootstock is almost always second in significance to the log itself.
  • Stack of logs - Mapped with a black X and described with the special O as for individual logs.
  • Knoll - The brown dot on the map, black dot on the description sheet, can have a range of appearances on the ground. All are used as controls.
    • An anomalous artificial pile of soil and/or small rocks. Its height will be given on the description sheet.
    • A typical knoll too small for a contour, often rocky.
    • A vague high point on a large broad hill or spur, perhaps better mapped with a form line.
  • Pit - Actually standard in appearance symbology. Usually rocky excavations with dimensions of 2-4 meters across and a meter deep. The pit and/or the distinctive mounds of excavated material should be visible from the optimum direction of approach. The flag should be close enough to the top of the pit to be seen as you approach.
  • Reentrants - With the lack of contour detail, we could find only three reentrants to use as controls. One, on Day One, is very subtle.
  • Thicket - As a control, a thicket is an area of slow runnability or a bushy tree mapped with a green dot.
  • Unmapped features - There are many unmapped stumps and logs in the forest. We have tried to avoid placing log or stump controls in areas where there are others not on the map.

More Course Notes

Description sheets: Day 2 descriptions will not be available in advance. Loose descriptions will be available after call-up. Be prepared to affix them in a limited time. There will also be descriptions on your map. Some Day 1 sheets will have dimensions in column E.

Mispunching: There will be many control markers in the woods in close proximity. Check the features and codes carefully. Without a control card, some people have noticed a tendency to skip controls. Note that with EP you must now be sure to punch at not only the missed control but also to re-punch at all subsequent controls in the correct order or you will be disqualified.

Spectating: The last two controls on Day 2 are accessible to spectators. From the second-to-last point on the advanced courses, you will be able to see runners approach and run on to the last control and finish.

Registration and Assembly Area

All A-meet competitors must be pre-registered. The deadline for entry without a late fee has passed; you must pay a $5 late fee for each A-meet day in addition to the regular fee.

Recreational participants do not pre-register; they can show up and enter on-site at the registration area. Standard BAOC rates will apply for the recreational courses: $6 for white and yellow, $8 for orange, plus $2 for each additional person in a group. Juniors less than age 21 are half price.

The registration, assembly area, and finish are at or near the North Tahoe High School at the west end of Polaris Drive.

Start

There will be two start areas on Saturday. Start 1 is for the orange and all advanced courses, and is about a 500-meter walk from the assembly area. Start 2 is for white and yellow courses, and is about a 680-meter walk from the assembly area. The first start on Saturday will be 10:00 a.m.

On Sunday, the orange and advanced start is about a 5-minute walk from the registration area. The white and yellow start is about a 2-3 minute walk. The first start will be at 9:00 a.m.

Electronic Punching

SportIdent electronic punching will be used on all competitive A-meet courses, including white and yellow. You must have a SportIdent e-card in order to compete at the A-meet. If you do not own one, you may rent one for $2 per day.

The recreational white, yellow, and orange courses will use standard paper punch cards and needle punches.

Hazards

The biggest hazard at this event is probably the altitude. You will be competing at about 7000 feet. One of the best ways to decrease some of the effects of high altitude is to stay hydrated throughout the competition. Start drinking water about 1 hour before your start, and drink water at all of the water stops. If it is warm, it is even more important to stay hydrated.

There are no rattlesnakes or poison oak. The safety bearing is south until you reach a residential area or Highway 28.

Whistles

Whistles must be carried by all competitors. If you do not have a whistle, ask for one at registration.

Parking

There will be free parking in the North Tahoe High School parking lot. In addition, you may park on the streets near the school.

Training Area

A model course, set in the northeastern-most portion of the map, will be open from Monday morning, July 31, until Friday afternoon, August 4. It will be unmanned, and you can do it at your convenience. The practice map will be included in your packet. The route to the start is not streamered. The start and finish are flagged with a pink ribbon. Terrain not on the map is strictly out-of-bounds.

Purpose: Training, demonstration of terrain, control features, flag placement, and descriptions for the advanced courses.

What: 10 controls have been set, comprising a suggested course of about 3 k. Legs 2 and 4 are least typical of the competition days.

Environmental concern: An osprey nesting site in the vicinity of the trail to the start requires that we cause no disturbance to the tranquility of nature.

How typical? You will see little of the thick vegetation and low visibility in competition that are before controls 2 and 4 on the model course. The vast majority of both Saturday and Sunday's running will be similar to what you see on the western part of the course.

What's missing? Orange and above will encounter some steeper climbs and descents on the competition courses as well as some patches of downed timber. Advanced courses will have several controls consisting of small rock features mapped as rocky ground or boulder groups, with the rocks, which may be no higher than 0.5 m. Other control features not in the model are knolls, rootstocks, thickets, pits, reentrants, and lone trees.

Directions: Follow the directions below for getting to North Tahoe High School, but instead of turning left on Polaris Drive, continue straight on Village Road, and park in the Highlands Community Parking lot or at the Cross Country Ski Club (both about a block before the road ends).

Saturday Night Dinner

There will be a Mexican dinner at the Truckee Donner Community Center, 10046 Church Street, Truckee, at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August, 5th. The price is $15 for adults and $9.50 for children age 3 to 11. Seating is limited, so be sure to sign up when you register for the Sierra 2000. Reviews of Saturday's courses will be offered. In addition, door prizes, including 25 compasses donated by Brunton, will be awarded.

Directions

For a logistical overview of the venue, look at this map.

From Northstar: Take route 267 south towards Kings Beach. At the T-intersection, turn right onto Route 28 west towards Tahoe City. Go about 7 miles until you near Dollar Point. Turn right onto Fabian Way (there is a 7-11 store on the opposite side of the highway), then an immediate right onto Village Road. Turn left at the 3rd intersection onto Polaris Drive, and go to the end of the street and follow signs for parking at the North Tahoe High School.

From the Bay Area and Donner Memorial State Park: From I-80, turn south on Route 89 towards Tahoe City. In Tahoe City, at the Y-intersection, continue straight on Route 28, North Lake Boulevard. Go about 2 miles towards Dollar Point, turn left onto Fabian Way (there is a 7-11 store on the opposite side of the highway), then an immediate right onto Village Road. Turn left at the 3rd intersection onto Polaris Drive, and go to the end of the street and follow signs for parking at the North Tahoe High School.