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Indian Valley Open Space Preserve

Date: (Sun.) Jan. 29, 2006
Location: Novato, CA
Event Director: - 415.895.6039
Course Setter: George Minarik
Type: B; White, Yellow, Orange, & Brown courses open to everyone; Red & Green courses by reservation only

Orienteering once again returns to Indian Valley on Sunday, January 29, 2006. The center of action will be the College of Marin Indian Valley campus, which has a network of trails and woodsy hills and meadows, in addition to standard campus fare. Stretching south from the campus are steeper hillsides with few trails, perfect for more advanced orienteering opportunities, both physically and technically. George Minarik will be the course setter.

White, Yellow, Orange, and Brown courses will be offered. White and Yellow (beginner courses) will stay in the gentler areas around the campus, while Orange (intermediate) and Brown (advanced) will climb the hills. All these courses are open to everyone.

In addition, there will be Red and Green courses offered for club volunteers. These courses are available through advance reservation only. You will not be able to sign up on the day of the event. The Marin Open Space District has limited the number of people who can orienteer in the areas these courses will go through. In order to reserve a spot, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Contact to reserve your spot.

E-punch will be used on all courses except for White and Yellow.

The revised and final course statistics are as follows. See the Course Setter's Notes for more information.

   Course    Length    Climb    Technicality    Physicality
   ------    ------    -----    ------------    -----------
   White     1.9 km     55 m    Beginner        Easy
   Yellow    2.3 km     65 m    Advanced Beg    Easy
   Orange    3.6 km    160 m    Intermediate    Moderate
   Brown     3.4 km    150 m    Advanced        Moderate
   Green     4.5 km    295 m    Advanced        Hard
   Red       6.1 km    335 m    Advanced        Hard

Registration will be next to the swimming pool — the same spot we have used in the past. Registration will be open from 9:00 AM to noon, with starts available from 10:00 AM until 12:30. Short beginners' clinics will be available from approximately 9:30 until 10:30, depending on demand. All courses close at 2:00 PM, and control bags will be picked up at that time. Please honor the course closure time, since evening comes early this time of year and we need time to pick up the courses.

Driving Directions

To get to Indian Valley, take Highway 101 through Marin County to southern Novato, and exit at Ignacio Blvd. Go west on Ignacio Blvd as far as you can until it terminates at the College of Marin Indian Valley campus entrance. Follow the campus road to its end, and park in the huge parking lot. Registration will be next to the swimming pool, the same spot we have used in the past.