Marin Camping Weekend
Camp Tamarancho
Date: Jun. 29 - 30, 2013
Location: Fairfax, CA
Event Director: 
- 415.456.8118
Course Setters: Bud Laird, Randy Franklin, Andrew Peterson
Type: C; 2-loop relay course for pairs and solos on Saturday, Scramble on Sunday
Sunday Course Setters' Notes
by Andrew Peterson and Randy Franklin
We are looking forward to having you out in the hills of Camp Tamarancho. We are primarily adventure racers, and look forward to merging our two disciplines by adding some fun adventure to the typical orienteering Score-O course. We have worked hard to provide navigators of all levels a fun course with many optimal choices and strategies in their route selection. Several controls were chosen to take advantage of the many great views of Mt. Tam and the local area, so be sure to keep your eyes open to the surrounding natural beauty while you are furiously racing around the map, or even while you are just enjoying the day by walking the course.
Course Details
The event format is a Score-O where you plan your own race and gain as many points possible in a 90-minute or 3-hour time frame. The penalty for each 1-minute (or fraction) delay in finishing will be 10 points. Please do not be late.
Control values are 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 points, as follows:
- Nine controls are worth 20 points each
- Nine controls are worth 40 points each
- Nine controls are worth 60 points each
- Six controls are worth 80 points each
- Four controls are worth 100 points each
There are 37 controls total, for a total of 1960 points available.
We have not measured climb or optimal route distance, but please keep in mind there will be a fair amount of elevation gain and loss in order to capture many of the higher-value controls.
Water
Water is provided on the course. Water control locations are marked in the Control Description sheet, and are located at controls #67, #73, #90, and #97. There are also several Boy Scout camp sites in the central area of the map that have water spigots. As of June 22nd, these were running in several locations, but might or might not be running on the day of the race.
Map
The map is printed at 1:10,000 scale. The contour interval is 5 meters.
The main unexpected feature could be the newly-built "flow trail" that lies roughly between controls #71 and #73—we were unable to map this due to a GPS issue. If you are in this area, the flow trail has a definite smooth and bermed appearance. You are welcome to cross, but please be careful of downhill mountain bikers as the sight lines for them are limited.
There are also several "use" trails in the central area of the map (near the Start/Finish) that might not be mapped. Please stay aware in some of these areas.
Poison oak is growing in the park. Poison oak can be seen near several controls, but we have worked to avoid the large chunks. However, since this is Score-O format, we cannot be confident that you will avoid it due to your own specific route choice. Generally, dark green on the map ("fight") has this poison oak nearby. Please keep your eyes open near controls #60, #61, #72, and #85.
The ground is the typical summer Bay Area loose dirt. However, the recent rain might have helped solidify things a bit. In the open fields, please be careful on the downhills, as the ground can be very loose depending on steepness.
Wildlife
The usual Bay Area wildlife are present. There are no cattle within the park.
General Notes
Please observe and avoid out-of-bounds areas. These are small places centered mostly around Boy Scout specific areas. We are grateful to the rangers at Tamarancho for allowing access to the park, and want to continue its use for the future by respecting their private areas.
Please be wary and understanding of mountain bikers. Tamarancho is a classic example of a multi-use park in the Bay Area. While hikers and runners have the right-of-way, it is important that we maintain good relations with our brethren on two wheels. Do not assume that they will see you in time, especially if you are running off-trail toward an existing trail. The mountain bikers are typically around the outside edges of the map, and will certainly be encountered by those doing the 3-hour course.