If you don't think you're quite ready for the Escape from Alcatraz triathalon happening on June 16th, a great alternative is to come for the orienteering event in Golden Gate Park. White, Yellow, Orange and Long Orange courses will be set by Leif Kirschenbaum to span a range of orienteering abilities and interests. As in past years, the controls will be paper plates with words/symbols on them for you to mark on your control sheet.
Golden Gate Park has been a popular venue for beginner orienteers, and we welcome all that would like to come try the sport. Beginner's clinics will be provided from 9:30 am until 11:00 am on the day of the event. For those that want a little more exercise, Orange and Long Orange courses will be set, and should keep you in the swing of things for the more technical courses later in the summer.
The course lengths are as follows:White 2.200 km Yellow 3.750 km Orange 5.100 km Long Orange 9.500 km
The courses will be set using pretty much all of the park west of 19th Avenue/Crossover Drive. The climb for each of the courses is low for Bay Area standards, as the park is very gently sloping toward the west with smallish rounded hills.
The starting area will be located in Marx Meadow along John F. Kennedy Drive between 25th Avenue and 30th Avenue. Meadows in this area of the park are commonly used for picnics, parties, and pick-up sports. I'm sure you can join in on a game of volleyball or ultimate frisbee after finishing your course. Or you might just want to relax afterward with a picnic.
Registration is open from 9:00 am to noon, with starts available from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Beginner's clinics will be provided from 9:30 am until 11:00 am. All participants must check in at the finish by 3:00 pm, whether or not they have finished their course.
I often call Golden Gate Park my front yard, as we live along the south side of the park on Lincoln Way. So please come out and enjoy my front yard with me.
From Route 101 North or Interstate 80 West: Take the Fell Street off-ramp in San Francisco. Follow Fell Street west for 1.5 miles, which will bring you to the east end of Golden Gate Park. The east end of John F. Kennedy Drive is closed on Sundays for biking, roller blading, etc., so you'll have to take an alternate route to the staging area. One option is to bear left on Kezar Drive, and follow this for 0.6 mile to Lincoln Way. Continue on Lincoln Way for about 1 mile to Crossover Drive/19th Avenue. Turn right onto Crossover Drive, and get in the left lane. Bear left onto Crossover Drive. Turn left onto Transverse Drive, and then a right onto JFK Drive. Marx Meadow will be on your right (on the north side of JFK Drive).
From Interstate 280 North: Take Route 1 North/19th Avenue exit. Continue north on 19th Avenue, then continue straight through the park on Crossover Drive staying in the left lane. Bear left onto Crossover Drive. Turn left onto Transverse Drive, and then a right onto JFK Drive. Marx Meadow will be on your right (on the north side of JFK Drive).
From Route 1 South: From the Golden Gate Bridge, follow Route 1 South (Park Presidio Boulevard). Take a right mid-way through Golden Gate Park on Crossover Drive. Turn left onto Transverse Drive, and then a right onto JFK Drive. Marx Meadow will be on your right (on the north side of JFK Drive).
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