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Morgan Territory Regional Preserve

Date: (Sun.) Dec. 7, 2008
Location: Livermore, CA
Event Directors: - 415.948.5593, - 510.604.2688
Course Setter: Evan Custer
Type: B; Standard "B" event, including the 2008 BAOC Club Championships


Course Setter's Notes

By , course setter

Morgan Territory is BAOC's nicest venue relatively close to the urban Bay Area. It is a mixture of oak forest with large areas of grassland, and some fight. It is not as steep as many of our Bay Area parks, but still has significant hills. However, it also has some areas of finer contour detail, and lots of rocks, which makes for challenging orienteering as one is more prone to make parallel errors. All in all, it is an ideal venue to hold our Club Championships.

We have been using this relatively small park for many, many years, and as a consequence, it is difficult to create new and challenging courses that are not overly familiar. Also, the extensive trail network makes designing longer legs difficult without them becoming trail runs. However, with the help of my course consultant and vetter, Martin "Route Choice" Kunz, at least the Red and Blue courses will have some long legs with hopefully interesting route choices.

Since this is our Club Championships, and since it is a one-day event, some of the courses may be at the upper range of normal for physical difficulty. Of course, I have tried to make the advanced courses as technically challenging as possible. Hopefully, the White, Yellow, and Orange courses will be at the appropriate level of difficulty. The Orange course controls are big distinct features with good attack points, and usually have a catching or collecting feature. The Yellow course will have handrails between the controls, but not necessarily paths. Other linear handrails, such as fences, streams, distinct reentrants, etc. may be used to connect the controls on the Yellow course. The White course will be entirely on trails, with a control at each decision point.

Start Areas and Finish

There will be two Start areas. The Start for the White and Yellow courses will be at the gate very close to the assembly area.

The other courses—Orange, Brown, Green, Red, and Blue—will have a remote Start about 1.7 km from the assembly area. Allow 15 to 20 minutes to get to the remote Start. The walk to the remote Start will be through the competition area for the White and Yellow courses, so step off the trail if you see one of them coming towards you. When your start time arrives, you will run approximately 80 meters to a remote Start triangle. The maps will be located there. Timing begins at the Start line, but navigation begins at the Start triangle.

Please be sure and clear and check your finger stick before your start time. When the horn blows, place your finger stick in the Start unit and follow the streamers to the start triangle about 90 meters away. Be sure to take the proper map, and then begin to navigate to your first control.

The finish will be at the pond about 250 meters northeast and down the hill from the assembly area.

Map Comments

The map, which is very good, was made by Zoran Krivokapic in 2001. It has held up fairly well over the years. Bob Cooley revised a chunk of the map on the eastern edge of the park, that the Blue runners may use. It was mapped as dark green, but in actuality, is much nicer, and may provide a reasonable route choice.

A green circle indicates a distinct or lone tree, and a green X indicates a standing dead tree. A brown X indicates a dead tree that has fallen down, but which usually does not have significant amount of dirt on the roots.

There are many animal trails that are variably mapped. Some of them appear to be quite distinct, yet may not be on the map. Others may be mapped as indistinct trails, or even small trails.

Course Statistics

  Course    Distance    Climb   Controls   Technical Difficulty
  White      2.1 km      75 m      13      Beginner
  Yellow     2.6 km      90 m      11      Advanced Beginner
  Orange     4.3 km     230 m      12      Intermediate
  Brown      3.3 km     185 m      11      Advanced
  Green      5.0 km     265 m      15      Advanced
  Red        6.6 km     400 m      12      Advanced
  Blue       8.6 km     550 m      19      Advanced