Presidio of San Francisco
Date: (Sun.) Sep. 18, 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Event Director: 
- 415.453.3679
Course Setter: Chuck Spalding
Type: C; White and Yellow (beginner), and Orange and Long Orange (intermediate) courses for our National Orienteering Day traditional event. The Long Orange course is great for runners.
Note: The event location is different than (but near) that used in recent years.
Come out and join us for our National Orienteering Day tradition — orienteering on the beautiful grounds of the Presidio National Park. This is a great place to introduce a friend to orienteering — bring someone with you to join in the fun!
This outing for novices, as well as experienced orienteers, is a big draw for groups as well as individuals from around the world. September is a great time to enjoy the views while getting some exercise and learning new or improving old skills.
White, Yellow, Orange, and Long Orange courses will be offered. The White course is suitable for beginners, with no experience necessary. Yellow is for advanced beginners, a mostly trail course requiring little orienteering experience. Orange and Long Orange are longer, intermediate, off-trail courses of moderate navigational difficulty. The Long Orange course will cover most of the Presidio. It is also a great course for Adventure Racers.
Short, repeating beginner's clinics will be available for all those who wish one. They provide an introduction to orienteering, and enough information to complete a beginner's course.
Also, there will be an Orienteering Strategy Roundtable discussion from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM near registration. Intermediate and advanced orienteers interested in improving their O skills are invited to participate in this 1-hour roundtable. Advanced orienteers are being asked to share their approaches and strategy for completing advanced courses. We will discuss preparation, route choice, and terrain running. Using actual courses from last week’s Western States Championships, we will discuss strategies for some of the legs. The Roundtable will end at 11 AM, so you can then compete on your course.
Please note that with the construction of Doyle drive, and other work in the park, there are many changes, closed areas, and unmapped changes that need to be heeded. Bob Cooley has done a great job in updating the map, but changes happen everyday, so please prepare to be adaptable.
A Note From the BAOC Events Coordinator:
We will have free samples of Happy Squeeze (http://www.happysqueezefood.com) available in the refreshment area courtesy of Susan Olsen and Happy Family Brands.
Happy Squeeze is an organic yogurt protein squeezer available in several flavors. There will also be coupons to get one free at Target. So give it a try either before, during, or after your run.
Susan used to do some orienteering in Norway. She is bringing her family along on Sunday as well, to send them out on a course and introduce them to the sport. Say hi if you see them!
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Schedule
- Registration: 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon
- Starts available: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
- Beginners clinics: 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
- Orienteering Strategy Roundtable: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- Courses close: 2:30 PM
Event Notes
The Presidio is an ideal locale for beginning and intermediate orienteers, with a central location and relatively easy terrain, not to mention historic buildings and scenic views. (Note: Wooded areas have some poison oak, so off-trail participants should wear long pants.)
Beginners clinics will be offered every 15–30 minutes from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. These short sessions will introduce orienteering and provide enough instruction to be able to complete a beginner course. In addition, we will hold an Orienteering Strategy Roundtable discussion for Adventure Racers and intermediate/advanced orienteers at 10:00 AM.
Please observe the parking directions below, and the out-of-bounds restrictions described below and noted on the maps — including residential areas and lawns. Our permit strictly enforces these rules. Violations could result in hefty fines for the club, and/or prohibition from using the park in the future.
The Presidio is an open urban park, so there will be activities in many areas, but this should not interfere with your enjoyment. Please do not interfere with other activities.
Please note the following:
- There are many out-of-bound areas that need to be strictly observed according to park rules. Hopefully they are indicated on the map, but if you have any doubt about an area, stay on established trails in that area.
- The Presidio is constantly changing. Please be aware that changes made since the courses were designed will not be mapped.
- All residential areas and lawns are off limits, please use public roads, walkways, and paths when going through residential areas, and be courteous.
- Be aware of closed areas due to Doyle Drive (and other) construction work.
- The Golf Course road is open, but all golf cart paths, the golf course itself, and areas on either side of the road, are out of bounds. Please respect the golfers.
- All courses will require crossing roadways (under, across, around), so be careful.
- All courses provide scenic views of the Presidio and surroundings.
- 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, but we still want to know that everyone has returned safely.
- You must return to the Finish by 2:30 PM, when the courses close.
Courses
Here is the information for this year's courses:
Course Length Climb Controls Comments
White 2.7 km 65 m 13 Beginner’s course, no experience needed
Yellow 4.0 km 165 m 12 Advanced beginners, mostly trail course
requiring little orienteering experience
Orange 5.3 km 215 m 12 Intermediate, longer, off-trail course, of
moderate difficulty. Requires experience.
Long Orange 7.1 km 325 m 14 Intermediate, long, off-trail course of
moderate difficulty. Great for experienced
orienteers of all levels. A great runner’s
course.
The scale of the White course map is probably going to be 1:7500. The other maps will be at the standard 1:10000 scale.
More information about the courses is available in the Course Setter's Notes.
Driving Directions
Note: The location has changed this year! Read the directions carefully, as no signs will be provided because of park rules.
All the action will start from the Log Cabin on Storey Road just north of the Fort Scott ball field. (This is about 250 meters NE of the location we've used the past several years.)
A map showing the event location is at the right. You can use the + button to zoom in to see the details, and click on the Satellite button to see an aerial view. (A larger map is available here.)
Coming from the South or East: Head to the Golden Gate Bridge. Take the last SF exit on Doyle Drive, just before the toll plaza. Turn right onto Lincoln Blvd. Continue under the overpass. Turn left onto Storey Road. The Log Cabin will be on your left after about 200Â meters. Park where there is room (see below).
Coming from Marin: Exit immediately after the toll plaza onto Merchant Road. At Lincoln Blvd, proceed straight onto Storey Road. The Log Cabin is on your left after about 200 meters. Park where you can (see below).
Parking
The large parking lot we have used in the past will not be available. There is a parking lot at the Log Cabin, and various parking is available on the east side of the fields that are just south of Storey Road. You might also find parking along Ralston Ave and between the buildings on Ralston Ave (i.e., near the assembly area we've used in the past).
Wherever you park, please be mindful of conserving space so we can fit in everyone's cars, and consider the affect your car might have on traffic, pedestrians, etc. (Also, be aware that the park police office is nearby, so there's a good chance they will see your car.)