Bayfront Park
Date: (Sun.) Aug. 19, 2007
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Event Director: 
- 650.281.5280
Course Setter: Frank Markowitz
Type: C; White and Yellow courses, Motala (1-3 loops, with some wrinkles)
Course Setter's Notes
By Frank Markowitz
Welcome to Bayfront Park. We hope you'll enjoy the courses at this small, but interesting park.
Course Statistics
Here are the vital statistics for the courses. Note that the "Length" figures represent the combined straight-line distances between the controls. The actual distance you will cover will most likely be somewhat greater.
Course Length (km) Climb (m)
White 2.3 25 Yellow 2.7 45 Motala A – Loop 1 2.7 45 Motala B – Loop 2 2.7 (5.4) 50 (95) Motala C – Loop 3 2.3 (7.7) 60 (155)
The numbers in parentheses for Motala B represent the combinations for loops 1 and 2. Similarly, the numbers in parentheses for Motola C represent all three loops.
White, Yellow, and Motala Courses
All the courses will use manual punch. All courses will share a single Start area, and a single Finish. The individual courses, and the Motala operations, are described in more detail below.
The grass has been mowed in most sections of the park, but you may still want to use gaiters to keep the stickers out of your shoes (except for the White course, which stays on trails). Also be aware that the park is home to ground squirrels and other burrowing animals, and the cut grass can cover their holes.
Water
There will be drinking water at the Finish location, plus at the bathrooms near the parking area. In addition, there are water controls in the eastern parts of the park. These are indicated on the maps either by the term "refreshments" (for White and Yellow) or by the drinking-cup symbol (for the Motala).
Control Locations
Due to the sparse terrain and small size of this park, controls are often located close to each other. Please be careful to check the control numbers on the bags with the control description table. The Motala loops re-use some controls on different loops, but they are approached from different directions.
Special Map Symbols
Most of the black X’s on the map (including some used as control locations) are electrical junction boxes.
Rock sculptures are indicated on the map with a special symbol. The control symbol is the boulder cluster.
White Course
As usual, the White course is for beginners, or those out for a run/walk on established trails. One leg offers a fairly obvious short-cut off trails, but generally there should be little time advantage gained by leaving trails.
Yellow Course
The Yellow course is designed for orienteers who have successfully completed a White course and are ready for more of a challenge.
While you can successfully complete the Yellow course without using a compass, Bayfront Park is an excellent place to practice your compass and map-reading skills. The course will reward orienteers who are able to take a rough bearing and travel cross-country. The park is such that even if you do make a mistake, there are a number of large obvious features that will allow you to quickly relocate.
Motala
A Motala is a type of orienteering event named for the city of Motala, Sweden. It is characterized by a series of short courses, run one after the other. After each loop or course, the participant exchanges maps. This format is useful for smaller parks, where the number of control locations is limited. You will see other controls while on a course, but you will not know if that control is even on a later course, or from which direction you will be approaching. A few controls are re-used on different Motala loops, but you should not know which ones until you get the third-loop map. You will approach these duplicated controls from different directions, and should punch both times in the correct order.
The Motala offers Yellow-to-Orange navigation challenges, and moderate physical difficulty. The terrain is relatively fast. It is intended for those with some orienteering experience. (Remember, if the navigation seems too easy, you're not running fast enough.)
Some Motalas have mass starts and have participants run the loops in different order, but we will use the standard start intervals, and use the same loop order for everyone. There will be a single Start location for the White, Yellow, and Motala courses, and also a single Finish for all the courses.
Motala participants will get their punch card at registration and will pick up the map for the first loop (Motala Loop 1/Motala A) as they start. At the end of the first loop, they will head to the standard Finish. If they wish to continue on to a second loop, they should not enter the Finish chute, but instead head to the adjacent Motala Map Exchange area. There, they should drop their first-loop map in the appropriate bin, and pick up the Motala B (2nd-loop) map. There is no control to punch at this map exchange area, and the clock continues to run during the exchange. You must keep your punch card for the next loop. There should be a volunteer present to help keep things flowing smoothly.
The same procedure will be used for those finishing the Motala B (2nd loop) and starting the Motola C (3rd loop).
When you’re ready to finish (whether after one, two, or three loops), simply head into the Finish chute and hand over your punch card.
The second and third Motala maps do not show trails, to make it a little more interesting. However, they do show roads and parking lots.
Again, all the Motala loops will use a single punch card for 1, 2, or 3 loops. The loops will be separated on the card by a line and/or color coding. Please make sure you punch at every control that you visit on each loop.
Have fun!