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Emerald Hills

Date: (Sat.) May. 10, 2014
Location: Redwood City, CA
Event Director: - 650.302.4835
Course Setter: Frank Markowitz
Type: C; Beginner point-to-point course and "Western Massachusetts Rules" Score-O course for beginners through advanced


Course Setter's Notes

By Frank Markowitz

Location

The Score-O map covers a hilly, largely residential area BAOC has used annually, with a hilltop community college and Edgewood County Park (and other smaller parks). The Emerald Hills area was initially developed about a century ago as a weekend and summer vacation retreat for San Franciscans. There are a number of quirky homes and sites among the twisting roads, like a mini rock-climbing park, small lakes, a huge hilltop cross​—​and superb views. Controls have been “set” to encourage participants to travel to at least one corner of the map. You will have time to plan your route before starting.

The White map is largely in a suburban tract residential area, but also loops through a Buddhist temple and retreat area.

Safety and General Notes

Please watch for traffic at all times, and stay on the sidewalk or shoulder whenever possible. Many of the streets have tight curves and no shoulders, so extreme caution is needed. Jefferson Avenue especially has curvy stretches with higher traffic volumes, and should be avoided unless necessary to access controls.

You should not trespass on any private (business or residential) property. You should access and travel through Edgewood Park or Canada College only by public gates, trails, walkways, or roads.

You can go solo or in teams, on foot (walking or running). Teams must stay together at all times. Please do not use any navigational aids beyond map and compass (e.g., don’t look questions or locations up on Google maps). Even if you know the answer in advance, don’t circle it unless you visit it. You’ll need a pencil to mark the map. You can rent a compass if you wish. A magnifying glass can be handy.

Please return to the school by 2:00 PM even if you cannot complete the course.

Enjoy the views, the hills, and even some quirky sights! Results will be posted on the BAOC website.

Score-O (Street-O) Course

The Score-O course will probably be best for most participants, including older scout or school groups. Adult beginners who feel comfortable reading a street map (without street names) will probably want the challenge of this Street-O Adventure course.

A number of control (or checkpoint) locations are circled on the map. The descriptions on the back of the map explain what to look for in the center of the circle. On foot, visit 7, 15, 25, or 40 controls in any order, and circle the best answer for each question on the table on the back of the map. You’ll be asked questions about natural or man-made features, such as: “How many mailboxes are at house #565?”

Under "Western Massachusetts" rules, competitors will be ranked on the shortest time to reach the number of controls in each category. You can choose the number of controls even while out on the course. However, there is no advantage to reaching more controls than your category requires (e.g., there’s no benefit to reaching 9 instead of 7 controls). Each control is worth 10 points. Any wrong answer will result in a 5-point penalty (therefore, on average, guessing should result in no points).

The map does not contain any street names. That’s part of the fun. The brown lines are contours that connect points at the same elevation to help you choose the least hilly route. The map does not have the level of detail or accuracy of normal BAOC park maps. For example, in Edgewood Park, the limited vegetation mapping is not detailed nor very reliable. Please do not rely solely on the map to navigate, but also use the questions and the answers to help guide you as you near the control circle. In many cases, especially near the residential areas (mapped olive green), it is not possible to travel a direct route between adjacent controls or streets (e.g., there's no direct route between controls 62 and 65) because of fences or private property. Some of these may be difficult to detect on the map, although a magnifying glass can help in some cases. The western part of the map uses 40-foot contours, while the eastern, denser part uses 20-foot contours.

The distance you’ll travel is impossible to predict. However, 7 controls probably requires walking or running about 3–4 hilly miles (5–8 km), while an efficient 40-control route requires covering about 13–16 hilly miles (21–26 km). A 40-control course is strenuous and difficult to complete in time by walking or slow jogging, and therefore should be attempted only by strong distance runners.

We plan to start passing out maps at 9:30 AM, with pre-race instructions at 9:50 AM. While there is a mass start planned at 9:55 AM, you can also start anytime until 11:55 AM. Everyone must return by 2:00 PM.

White Courses

The White courses are probably best for beginners and families or groups with younger children, as they are flatter and easier to navigate.

A number of control (or checkpoint) locations are circled on the map. The descriptions on the back of the map explain what to look for in the center of the circle. On foot, please visit controls in the order listed, and circle the best answer for each question on the table on the back of the map. You’ll be asked questions about natural or man-made features, such as “How many mailboxes are in front of house #445?” Participants who finish the course fastest will rank highest. Most people should be able to walk the entire long course in under 90 minutes.

The map does not contain any street names. That’s part of the fun. However, the first two controls have street names listed in the answer table to help you get off to a good start. (But after that, you’ve really got to be careful.) You should use the questions and answers to help navigate as you approach the control circle, and not rely solely on the map due to its lack of detail. The brown lines on the map show contours that connect points of the same elevation to help you choose the least hilly route.

The White courses will open for starts beginning at 10:00 AM. Participants can start anytime from 10:00 to 11:55 AM. Everyone must return by 2:00 PM.