Spring Lake County Park
Date: (Sun.) Sep. 17, 2006
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Event Director: Judy Koehler - 707.778.1604
Course Setter: Dwight Freund (GCO)
Type: C; National Orienteering Day "Come and Try It" event for beginners; White, Yellow, & Fog-O courses
Event Director's Notes
By Judy Koehler
Welcome to National Orienteering Weekend. Spring Lake is a great park to try orienteering. Today's courses are listed below. Be sure to attend one of the free clinics before going out on a course.
Course Distance Climb Controls Technicality Physicality
White 2.3 km 45 m 10 Beginner Easy
Yellow 3.6 km 65 m 12 Advanced Beginner Easy
Fog-O 3.6 km 65 m 12 Intermediate/Adv. Easy
As usual, the White course is for beginners or those out for a run/walk on established trails. The Yellow course is designed for orienteers who have successfully completed a White course and are ready for more of a challenge. Today's Yellow course has a lot of route choice. The Yellow course is set such that even if you do make a mistake, there is a number of large obvious features that will allow you to quickly relocate. The White and Yellow courses visit different areas, so if White is not enough for you, and time allows, you may wish to also try the Yellow course. Be advised that the length of a course is measured along the straight lines between controls — your distance will be longer.
The Fog-O course, which is for intermediate and advanced orienteers, uses the controls from the Yellow course. The map for the Fog-O course has sections between controls totally blank. Only the immediate terrain around the controls will be as they are on the Yellow course map. This will allow intermediate and advanced orienteers who wish to come to the Spring Lake event a chance to practice their compass bearing and navigation skills on a course that is not very physical.
Today's courses will use manual punching. Because you choose your own route from one control to the next, be sure to check the control code before punching to make certain it is the correct control. Both courses can be completed without a compass.
Safety Rules — MUST READ
Courses close at 2:30 PM. Every participant must check in at the Finish by 2:30 PM whether or not you finish your course. If you do not check in by 2:30 PM, we will assume you are lost or injured, and a search party will be organized.
Small plastic whistles are available for free at Registration. The whistle is for beckoning help; it is not a toy.
Orienteering rules require that groups stay together at all times. A group's finish time is based on the last member to cross the line.
Today's safety bearing is the lake itself. If you are having trouble, either retrace your steps to the last control, or find your way downhill to the lake and determine your location along it's shoreline.
Map Information
The map is constantly being updated, but then, so is the park. There may be features and trails on the ground that do not appear on the map, and vice versa. However, our courses are designed to minimize this effect on you. Two trails are marked by signs as "Closed due to Flooding". Please adhere to the ranger's wishes, but you may orienteer around the affected areas. Areas marked on the map with red diagonal lines indicate out-of-bounds areas. As a courtesy, orienteers should navigate around anyone's campsite.
This map has one special feature not normally found on BAOC maps in the Bay area. That is the use of the color gray to designate a sheet of granite that lies flat on the ground. As usual, a black "X" designates a man-made object (which can be almost anything).
Hazards
There are many roads in the park, so take care when crossing roads, even in the campground area. Be advised that vehicles may be towing boat trailers or horse trailers. Equestrians and bicyclists have the right of way. There are also a lot of people with dogs in this park. You may find poison oak when navigating off trail.
Amenities
You are free to use the Oak Knolls Group Picnic Area. Water is available in the Group Picnic Area, and restrooms are nearby. While on your course, restrooms and water are found in the Campground, the Lower Jackrabbit Group Picnic Area, and near both ends of the Swimming Lagoon.
Must of all, have fun. Enjoy the views. Be safe.