Spring Lake, Santa Rosa
June 14, 1998

If recent history is any indication, orienteering at Spring Lake is truly for the adventurous. At our event last summer, the story of Spring Lake was blistering heat, with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. So we scheduled a winter event. El Nino flooded the park so badly we had to cancel. What next? Come join us on June 14 and find out!

The Spring Lake map actually covers portions of three parks: Spring Lake, Howarth, and Annadel. Spring Lake and Howarth are flat and not too technical, but with plenty of cliffs and pits left over from earlier mining days. Annadel is steep in contrast, with many point features. Spring Lake is an excellent park for first-timers to come and try the sport, as it has many trails and paths with a beautiful lake as its centerpiece.

There will be at least four courses offered: white, yellow, orange, and green, using the courses originally planned for the cancelled event. I may throw in a fifth course. White and yellow will stay in the flats, while orange and green will venture onto the slopes of Annadel. Starts as usual will be from 10:00 to 12:30.

Directions: Take Highway 101 north to Santa Rosa. Go east on Highway 12. Highway 12 ends in about two miles, continue straight on Hoen Avenue (you may need to get into a right hand lane to avoid turning left). After another two miles, Hoen crosses Summerfield Road at a stoplight. Take the next immediate left onto Newanga and proceed to the ranger kiosk, where you pay a day-use fee for the park. Turn right and go about 150 meters to the Oak Knoll picnic area.

--Gary Kraght