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2011 Golden Goat and Golden Kid

Camp Tamarancho

Date: (Sun.) Dec. 11, 2011
Location: Fairfax, CA
Event Director: - 415.747.2768
Course Setter: Greg Ehrensing
Type: Extra long courses with a mass start -- sorry, but no beginner courses at this special event

Related Event Information

Course Setter's Notes Last Year's Golden Goat Previous Tamarancho Event Event Results

Please note that fees and time limits apply. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Note: Unlike most BAOC events, there will not be beginner courses at this event. We apologize for that, and hope beginners will attend another event.


Announcing the 16th Annual Golden Goat and Golden Kid. For those not familiar, this is a long and hilly, mass-start event. Following is encouraged, but the course setter will introduce some twists to help break up the packs.

Note: This event is suitable for intermediate and advanced orienteers only. There will be no beginner (White/Yellow) courses at this event. We apologize to those who would have liked to participate in a beginner-level course. Please come to one of our upcoming regular events — see the schedule here.

Be sure to see the Course Setter's Notes for more information. (You have been warned!)

Greg will be setting his first Goat, but he is no stranger to Tamarancho, having set regular courses there since 2007.

Given the unpredictability of the North Bay weather in December, we will be making use of the Lodge at Camp Tamarancho for registration, epunch, and a place to shelter if need be while enjoying snacks and waiting for friends to finish.

If you're worried about a chilly day, we have reserved the "Lodge" at the edge of the parking lot. Ranger Dana says he has plenty of firewood for the fireplace, and we may be able to do some spectating out the big windows. We'll try to have some goodies on hand, but if anyone wants to bring goodies to share, we're sure they'll get shared. We can also share which control we decided to skip and "What were we thinking???".

Registration

Since there is a mass start for the Golden Goat and Golden Kid at 10:00 sharp, we will cut off registration for these courses at 9:45. Anyone who tries to register after 9:45 will have only two course options: the Little Brown Goat, or the Orange course. So plan for success, and make sure you leave your house early enough to negotiate the drive to Fairfax, Marin County, and make sure to allocate an extra 15 minutes for the drive up the dirt road to Tamarancho.

Self-registration will be an option, so if you own an e-stick and bring exact change ($10 for BAOC members, $15 for non-members), you will be all set. If you will need to interact with the registration desk (rent an estick and/or compass), allow time for possibly waiting in line as well. Registration will open at 9:00 AM.

Registration will not be open until 12:30, or even 12:00. Registration will be closing relatively soon after the mass start, but we do want to accomodate those people who really did attempt to make the mass start, but for whatever reason arrive a little late. We'll play it by ear. But don't expect to show up at 11:00 and be able to do a course. Registration will likely be closed by then.

Should be a great day! By now, the Golden Goat is a BAOC tradition, and I hope to see a large turnout of billies and nannies.

– Gary Kraght, North Bay Registration

Courses

All the courses will begin with a mass start at 10:00 AM — although latecomers might be accommodated on the two shorter courses.

The following courses will be offered: 

   Course               Length    Climb   Controls

   Little Brown Goat    3.4 km    140 m       8
   Orange               3.6 km    190 m       8
   Golden Kid           8.3 km    350 m      16
   Golden Goat         12.7 km    670 m      24

Be sure to read the Course Setter's Notes for more information.

See you there!!!

The following information applied to last year's event, and thus might not be accurate for this year. It will be updated as details become set.

Awards

Awards will be given to the first male and first female in both the Goat and the Kid.

The Goat results will also be added to the Golden Goat Lifetime Points Standings. (The 2010 Golden Goat Lifetime Points table is available in this file (PDF/72KB).) Now that Martin Kunz has used his two "free" scores, will he be able to maintain his perfect record? Will Steve Greg be able to reclaim his long-held first place in the standings?

Schedule

  9:00 AM – Registration opens
  9:50 AM – Pre-race briefing (see below)
10:00 AM – Mass start for all courses
  1:00 PM – Awards ceremony
  2:30 PM – Courses close

Note that a briefing will take place at 9:50 AM at the Start, which is about a 5-minute walk from Registration.

Look for the e-Stick reader near registration and get it to read your e-Stick before heading to the Start.

Please note that everyone must return to the Finish by the 2:30 course closing time, regardless of whether or not they have completed their course.

Fees

Club member entry fee – $10
Non-member entry fee – $15
E-stick rental – $3
Compass rental – $1

One Last Request

Volunteers are a bit thin on the ground, which is completely understandable given the nature of the event. This is not really a big deal, as there is less than usual to do on the day, but ... there still is some stuff that we may need help with please:

See how you're feeling on Sunday, and if that "I wonder if I should volunteer to help with something?" thought passes through your head let Donato know. There just may still be something you can help with.

[Editor's note: Helping at this event will be a good way to join in on the fun without suffering the "long, gruesome, and grinding" course.]


Driving Directions

From Highway 101 in Marin, take Sir Francis Drake Blvd until you reach downtown Fairfax. Continue westbound on Sir Francis Drake past downtown for another quarter mile, and look for the green highway sign that says "Camp Tamarancho". Turn left at this sign onto Olema Road, and continue to follow the subsequent green camping signs until you reach Iron Springs Road. Head up Iron Springs Road for two miles until it ends at the camp entrance.

Carpooling is encouraged as always.

Note: You must park facing outward (i.e., back into your space).

Warning: Iron Springs Rd is a narrow, winding, partially-paved road with lots of small to moderately sized potholes. A car with normal clearance can make it if driven carefully. Low-riders and sports cars are not advised. Please allow at least 15 minutes for these last two miles.

There's a map here that shows the location of the event.