Fort Ross
Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2003

Contact: Evan Custer, 925-254-5628

The third annual orienteering event will be held at Salt Point State Park on Tuesday, April 29, 2003. White and yellowish-orange courses will be offered. A new area of the park has been mapped, and the courses will be different from the previous years'. The white course will be entirely on trails, and is suitable for first time orienteers or people who do not want to go off trail, possibly get into poison oak or get their feet wet. At this time, I have not definitely decided what other courses will be offered, but there will be at least one other course, probably a yellowish-orange, which is suitable for advanced beginners or intermediate orienteers. However, I may offer separate yellow and orange courses.

The terrain is generally rough open with multiple rock features, and there is a moderately extensive trail network. The map scale is 1:10000 and the contour interval is 5 meters. The map is a work in progress, and some vegetation and rock features may not be mapped on areas of the white course, but all of the trails will be included.

The assembly area will again be the Gerstle Cove parking area. Toilets are available. Registration will begin at 10:00, and there will be a short beginner's clinic around 10:15 with starts beginning around 10:30. Courses will close around 12 noon. Bring a lunch and enjoy the park after you complete your course. There will be no charge for this event.

The weather can be cold, windy, and foggy, so come prepared with warm clothes. There is a small amount of poison oak in the park, mainly around the large rocks and in the streambeds. At this time of year, poison oak will have reddish-green, small, oak shaped shiny leaves in clusters of three. Try to avoid it if possible. If you inadvertently get into poison oak, buy some Tecnu, the poison ivy and oak cleanser, and use it on all exposed surfaces as soon as possible, and again just before you take a shower as soon as you get home.

Directions

We will meet at the Gerstle Cove parking lot, which is on the west side of Highway 1 at approximately mileage marker 44.0 in Sonoma County, around 10:00 am. The park charges a day use fee of $4.00 per car.