Sunol
Practice Sesion
Wednesday, July 29 1998, 6pm

The Wednesday evening BAOC practice session for July 29 will be held at Sunol Regional Wilderness in the East Bay. This activity will take place in teams of 2 and is designed to stimulate thinking about precise control placement and precise control description. It should be worthwhile (and fun, hopefully) for all orienteers of intermediate or advanced level.

Basically, the object is this: You will put out a bunch of control markers (these will be identical-looking orange ribbons) which your partner will later gather in, while he/she does the same for you. Each team must distinguish its ribbons (which are ultimately identifiable) from other teams' ribbons at the same locations by means of very accurate control descriptions.

Pre-marked maps will be provided. Please let me know some time before Tuesday, July 28, if you plan to come, so I can get a rough idea how many maps to make. If you can't find a partner and you don't mind running the risk of being the only one without a partner, don't worry. Just show up and we'll pair you with someone else who needs a partner. Make sure to bring a compass.

There will be a mass start shortly after 6:15 P.M. We will meet at the ranger station near the first parking lot on your left after going past the park entrance booth. This booth will most likely contain a human whose hand will stretch toward you to accept $3.00 for park use. After the gala pageantry, we will gather up whomever is interested and head to one of Pleasanton's exquisite dining establishments that caters to large groups of sweaty guys.

To get to Sunol Regional Wilderness from the South Bay, you can take I-680 north to the Calaveras Road exit near Sunol and proceed 4.6 miles east on Calaveras Road to Geary Road, which leads you into the park. To avoid the infamous Sunol Grade portion of I-680, which is typically crammed with commuters at that time of day, you might take the following alternative route: Cross the Dumbarton Bridge, proceed about 2 miles north on I-880, then take the Niles-Alvarado Road exit (watch out, there's an Alvarado Blvd. exit just before this) and literally follow this road/boulevard east all the way to Geary Road mentioned above. (Niles-Alvarado Road goes through Union City, Fremont, and Niles, then winds its way through Niles Canyon, finally passing underneath I-680 where it turns into Calaveras Road). To get to Sunol Regional Wilderness from the North or East Bay, simply take I-680 south to Calaveras Road.

For any questions or to let me know you're coming, reply to this e-mail or phone me at (925) 462-2254. -- Mark Blair