Monte Bello and Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserves
Date: (Sun.) Sep. 27, 2009
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Event Director: 
- 408.599.9709
Course Setter: Kent Ohlund
Type: B; The map got a rest last year, so hopefully it will feel a little fresher this year. Come out and enjoy! PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL COURSES!
Course Setter's Notes
By
There will be the usual seven courses, as well as a short Trail-O course. Here are the course details:
Course Length Climb
Trail-O 0.6 km 10 m White 1.3 km 35 m Yellow 1.8 km 105 m Orange 2.4 km 180 m Brown 2.7 km 200 m Green 3.7 km 250 m Red 4.8 km 390 m Blue 7.3 km 530 m
The Trail-O Training series will continue with a mini-course of 4 controls of varying difficulty. It is suitable for anybody who has done a Yellow course or above. The course follows an easy path of about 0.6 km. Follow the streamers from the WYOBr Start to the Trail-O Start. The course is free, and will not be officially scored. Answers for each control will be posted on the path just beyond each viewing station. A brief clinic will be offered on request at the Trail-O Start.
This year the Green, Red, and Blue courses will be on the Monte Bello map. There will be a remote Start with a shuttle so that you can experience an area that I don't believe has ever been used before. You will experience "new" terrain for one fairly small section of the course. Please allow an extra 20 minutes for the shuttle drive and walk to the remote Start area. The remote Start will not be manned; sign your name and course on the Start sheet before punching the Start unit. Maps will be about 100 m up the trail from the Start punch. The Finish will be a short walk from the parking/registration area—please heed the crossing guard and take due caution when crossing the highway when returning to the parking area after your course.
The Trail-O, White, Yellow, Orange, and Brown courses will be on the Skyline Ridge map. The Start will be a short walk from the parking/registration area, and the Finish will be very close to the parking/registration area.
Most courses will encounter some degree of tall dry grasses. This means that it's important to have gaiters or similar leg coverings to protect you from foxtails and thistles. The White and Trail-O courses are on trails, so there should not be any problems with the fall grass fields. There is also a fair amount of poison oak out there. For the most part, I don't expect that you will encounter much. There may be a few sections on the Green, Red, and Blue courses where you will run into the plants. In general, if you avoid green (walk, fight) areas on the map, you should be okay.
There will be water stops on all courses except the White and Trail-O courses. If the weather is hot, it's a good idea to take additional water with you on the course.
Please be courteous to others on the trail. In particular, give horses the right of way and slow down to a walk when nearby to avoid frightening them.
A First Aid Station will be available in the parking lot. Please contact a course official in case of any emergencies.
Courses close at 2:00 PM. Please return to the Finish and report to the e-punch table even if you have not completed your course, so that we do not initiate a search party.
Thanks,