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Presidio of San Francisco
Date: (Sat.) Sep. 19, 2009
Location: San Francisco, CA
Event Director: 
- 415.453.3679
Course Setter: Vic Revenko
Type: C; One of our National Orienteering Day (NOD) events. Note that the event is on SATURDAY this year.
Course Setter's Notes
By , Event Director and Course Setter
Welcome to the Presidio. This is an ideal location for beginning and intermediate orienteers with relatively easy terrain and plenty of trails and buildings to navigate by. Experienced orienteers and adventure runners should have a few challenges on the Orange and Long Orange courses.
Beginner's Clinics are available from 9:30 AM to Noon. There will be an intermediate and advanced clinic from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. We encourage school, scout, and JROTC groups to attend, but please expect to go out in groups no larger then 4. Because this is an urban park with a high density of occupied housing, please respect property rights and out of bound areas (see comments below).
The Course Menu
Here are the details of the courses:
Course Length Climb Controls Comments
White 2.8 km 15 m 9 Beginner’s course, no experience needed
Yellow 3.9 km 65 m 9 Advanced beginners, mostly trail course
requiring little orienteering experience
Orange 5.9 km 95 m 9 Intermediate, longer, off-trail course, of
moderate difficulty. Requires experience.
Long Orange 8.3 km 160 m 11 Intermediate, long, off-trail course of
moderate difficulty. Great for experienced
orienteers of all levels. A great runner’s
course.
Course Comments
All orienteers should be aware that the Presidio is undergoing lots of change. The Doyle Drive project, new trails, and view sites are being constructed. You may find changes that are not mapped. Please be mindful and resourceful.
There are other events going on, so please do not disturb them. There are many out of bounds that need to be strictly adhered to according to park rules. Please observe the terrain and off-limits areas, and stay within park boundaries. Be careful of traffic and construction zones.
All residential areas and lawns are off limits, except for the streets and walkways. Please do not trespass, and be courteous.
All the courses will require crossing (under, across, around) roadways, so be careful.
You must check in at the Finish whether or not you complete your course. We will not search for anyone, because this is an open urban park. Courses close at 2:30 PM. All participants should return to the Finish by then.
There is poison oak in spots on the Yellow, Orange, and Long Orange courses.
Write your name(s) and car license clearly on both parts of the punch card.
No yelling or loud talking please. Orienteers like to find the controls on their own. Please carry a whistle with you in case you are injured. They are free at the registration desk. Use it only for an emergency (i.e., it's not a toy).
Water is available at the Start and Finish, and also on all courses except White. Restrooms are located near the registration area. Please use this restroom facility only.
Please park where there is space in a large lot west of the registration area (if it is not being used for construction supplies). If not available, please park along Ralston Ave, which is east of the large lot. The registration area is by Building 1205.
We hope you enjoy the event.
Course Vetter's Notes
By
I had the pleasure of vetting the courses for the Presidio event, and I have the following comments for the participants.
Vic has designed a set of courses that provide spectacular views as well as interesting route-choice alternatives. The beginner (White and Yellow) courses might be a bit more difficult than usual, because there are so many decision points, but the map is sufficiently accurate that careful reading and attention will be successful. The Orange courses will take you to areas that you haven't seen before, even if you've been to this event many times.
Everyone should be aware that the map is not perfect. Vic, Bob Cooley, and I have attempted to update the map to keep pace with the ever-changing landscape, but there will always be inaccuracies on the map. (Special thanks are due to Bob, who spent two days field checking the map.) In particular, be aware that trails exist that are not shown on the map, and some of the mapped trails, and even some streets, might not be shown exactly correctly.
There are many out-of-bounds areas on the map, which will affect your route choices. Please do not be tempted to cut through such areas. In some cases, there are high fences that will block you; in other cases, you will seriously jeopardize our permission to hold future events if you trespass on private property. Take careful note that the streets in most residential areas are in bounds, even though the adjacent properties are out of bounds.
Because there are so many features on the map, navigation is not very challenging for advanced orienteers, but that will give you an opportunity to practice things like planning ahead and reading the map on the run.
You should be aware of the hazards you might face:
- Be careful when crossing streets. There is a lot of car and bicycle traffic.
- There is poison oak! Long pants or gaiters are strongly recommended for the Yellow and Orange courses. (Do not make the mistake I did of discounting the poison oak.)
- The Orange courses climb and/or descend some steep, slippery slopes. That might lead you to think about wearing cleated shoes. However, be aware that you will be doing a lot of street running. If you wear regular running shoes (which I did, and survived), be extra careful on the slopes.
- All the courses, particularly the Orange courses, involve some running on sand. That's not a hazard, but it might influence your choice of footwear.
I hope you'll come out to enjoy this special venue. Even better, contact Vic with an offer to help—even if you've never helped at an event before.