October 18, 1998
Joseph Grant County Park lies in a valley between Mt. Hamilton and the eastern hills of Santa Clara Valley. The park is moderately hilly. It includes a mix of oak forest and large open areas with plenty of topographic variety. This fall’s event will feature White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Red and Blue courses. A Start-O will also be set up for children.
To reach the park, take Highway 101 or I-680 to the Alum Rock Avenue exit in San Jose. Head east on Alum Rock to Mt. Hamilton Road. Take a right on Mt. Hamilton and proceed about 7.5 miles to the park entrance to your right. After paying your entry fee ($3), follow the O’ signs for about 0.25 mile to the main parking area.
Course Setter's Notes
Welcome to Joseph D. Grant County Park.
Though the terraine is dry and many ponds are empty, the park is full of wildlife. While setting up today's courses, we saw turkeys, deer, pigs, lizards, grouse, hawks, vultures, juncos, quail, woodpeckers, magpies, butterflies, etc. Many areas are intensely aromatic with bay tree leaves.
Today's courses:
Course Length Climb Technical Difficulty Physical Difficulty White 2.5 km 80 m Novice Easy Yellow 3.6 km 210 m Advanced Beginner Easy Orange 4.5 km 220 m Intermediate Moderate Brown 4.5 km 205 m Advanced Moderate Green 5.1 km 350 m Advanced Hard Red 7.0 km 450 m Advanced Harder Blue 8.7 km 610 m Advanced Tough
If you have never orienteered before, we strongly recommend that you do the White course first. If you want to do a second course, the charge is only $2 for the new map.
The landscape is dominated by large oak trees and open meadows. The terrain is less steep than most Bay Area parks; it has a lot of rolling hills, though at times the slopes can get steep. Cleated shoes are necessary for the advanced courses.
Poison oak is prominent. Avoid it wherever possible. Change your clothes as soon as possible after completing your course, putting them in a plastic bag and not touching them again until after they have been washed. Cleanse your skin with Teknu (a poison oak cleanser available in drug stores) as soon as possible after the event and again just before showering.
Livestock grazing takes place on the land. The trails are shared by mountain bikers and equestrians. Please be cautious and courteous with the other users of the park. Take care not to spook the horses: walk-do not run-past them.
Other hazards include ground squirrel holes, star thistle, ticks, rattlesnakes and steep loose terraine. Consider covering your legs with some duct tape to protect against the star thistle.
Every participant must carry a whistle. Whistles will be available at registration for participants who do not have one. If you become hopelessly lost or injured, blow three short tones at approximately 1 minute intervals until help arrives. The whistles are not toys and should be used only in an emergency. Please explain this to your children and do not allow them to play with the whistle.
Check in whether or not you finish your course. The courses close at 2:00 PM, whether or not you complete your course. If you do not check in, we will assume you are lost or injured and we will organize search parties for you. If you think you may take a long time on a course, please start before 11:00 AM to allow yourself the full three hours to complete your course before course closure at 2:00. Be sure to write your license plate number on the control card stub.
Peter Graube and Greg Wagner
--Peter Graube (408) 245-7457