Willow Glen Neighborhood
Date: (Sun.) Dec. 20, 2009
Location: San Jose, CA
Event Directors: 
- 510.681.6181, - 408.524.2723
Course Setter: Brad Wetmore
Type: C; Light-O on a new map by Brad Wetmore - Walk/Run through Willow Glen while enjoying the festive decorations!
Course Setter's Notes
By
I hope you'll come join me for a colorful evening among the many well-dressed houses of Willow Glen in San Jose. I have spent several nights searching out some of the more interesting decorations, and have tried to set an interesting course with lots of route-choice options. This is the first event on a new map: 1:15000 with 5-ft contours. In a word, it's flat!
A quick reminder from Event Director Rex: There is a potluck following the course, plus we will be announcing the club service winner and the year's Sprint results. Please sign up ASAP so other folks can know what's lacking.
- To see who's bringing what, click here (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tcaTe31HbViXJ5m0QEuyzlQ&output=html).
- And to sign up, click here (http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGNhVGUzMUhiVmlYSjVtMFFFdXl6bFE6MA).
If you are not attending the potluck, please RSVP to , so I can make sure to have enough maps available. I should have more than enough printed, but I am getting a lot of interest from friends & relatives.
There are 41 controls spread out over a roughly 7 sq. kilometer area. There are quite a few controls close to the event center for those who don't want to cover much distance. You can visit roughly 25% of the controls within a 4-km (2.4-mile) stroll.
With a reasonable route choice, you're looking at just under a half-marathon (13 miles) to get all the controls. But with just over two minutes per control (including reading the clues & marking your answer), I'm not expecting anyone to get everything. Deciding on an optimal route will be essential.
There are two controls that are "don't miss" houses, and one is a "shouldn't miss." Naturally, they are on opposite areas of the map. Controls 300 and 301 are worth 30 points each. Control 200 is worth 20. Every other control is worth 10 points. If you don't get to the high-value controls during your stroll/walk/run, you might want to stop on your way home.
The format will be 60- or 90-minute Score-O. You don't have to declare which course you're doing until you return. For each minute, or partial minute, that you're late in returning, 10 points will be deducted from your score (e.g., 1 minute 1 second late will have 20 points deducted). 30 points will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
A couple of controls advertise that they will not turn on their lights until 6:00 PM. If you go out early, please consider this in your route choice.
A strong word of warning: This is a night-time urban Orienteering event, in an area where people will be looking for the lights more than you. Plus if you bury your nose in your map, you'll miss lots of great houses along the way.
Please exercise extra caution: Be sure to have a good flashlight, and dress in light-colored clothing. A reflective vest is a good choice.
Don't forget to bring a pen or pencil to mark your answers.
There is no BAOC-provided water on the course, but there are a few parks and stores on the course. It should be cool enough that this won't be an issue.
Please see the event announcement for other information.
I hope you enjoy the evening. Being around this much festivity has really put me in the holiday mood!