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Sierra Classic 2015

Tahoe Area 3-day A-meet with 2015 U.S. Classic Championships

Northstar Resort & Little Truckee Summit

Date: Sep. 18 - 20, 2015
Location: Lake Tahoe Area
Event Directors: , - 925.516.7622
Course Setters: Deron van Hoff, Nik Weber (GCO), Bruce Wolfe
Type: A; Tahoe Area 3-day A-meet: Friday Sprint at Northstar, Classic courses Saturday and Sunday at Little Truckee Summit; three sanctioned OUSA A-meet days with 2015 U.S. Classic Championships (2-day event on Sat. & Sun.)

The Sierra Classic 2015 will consist of the following events:

The events on Saturday and Sunday will be combined as the U.S. Classic Championships.

Be sure to read the Event Directors' Notes, and the Course Setters' Notes for the Sprint and Classic events, for more information. (Printed copies will be in your registration packet.)

Embargo

Because this is an A-meet, the area close to the Saturday and Sunday races is embargoed. This is done for fairness purposes. Northstar California Resort, however, is not embargoed.

Between March 30, 2015 and September 18, 2015, the area surrounding Cottonwood Road east of CA Highway 89 is off limits to orienteers competing in this A-meet. It is permitted to drive along Cottonwood Road, but not permitted to leave your vehicle. Anyone who visits this area can still compete in the event, but will not be included in the official results, not receive awards, and will not earn OUSA ranking credit.

(This notice does not apply to people who will participate on the recreational courses.)

Event Schedule

Everyone must return to the Finish by the course-closing time, and then to the E-punch download tent (i.e., even if they have not completed their course). We want to know that everyone has returned safely from the courses. Otherwise we will have to initiate a search-and-rescue operation.

Registration

Online registration for this event has closed. However, it will be possible to register at the event.

If you need to contact the (e.g., to complete your online registration, or to make a change), the address is:

Gary Kraght

78 Robinhood Drive

Novato, CA 94945

Standard event fees will apply to the recreational White, Yellow, and Orange courses each day.

Entry fees for the three-day A-meet are given in the table below. For members of OUSA/COF/IOF, a discount ($4 Adult / $2 Junior) will be applied to each A-meet event entered.

Additional, optional fees:

E-punch rental: $5 per day (see Electronic Punching)

T-shirt: $22

Sample maps: $4 per map

Saturday dinner: $25 per adult, $15 per child 12 and under

The up-to-date list of people who have registered is available here (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/reglist/home/2015-sierra-classic).

T-Shirt

The T-shirts are regular fit and 100% Polyester moisture-management/antimicrobial performance fabric with self-fabric collar, double-needle hem with tack and Badger heat-seal logo on the left sleeve. The men's and women's shirts are shown at the right (you can click on the images to see larger copies). The shirts will be available in the following sizes:

• Youth – Large

• Women – S, M, L

• Men – S, M, L, XL

Saturday Dinner

A group dinner will be held 6–9 PM Saturday evening at the Truckee Recreation Center (https://www.google.com/maps/place/8924+Donner+Pass+Rd,+Truckee,+CA+96161/@39.3375671,-120.177201,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x809bdfefa19d5169:0x2c206a42c6fe71fe?hl=en) (8924 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA 96161).

The cost for the dinner is $25 per adult and $15 for children 12 and under. The cost includes a catered buffet service with the menu below, taxes, and gratuity.

• Mixed green salad

• Sliced beef brisket

• Chipotle BBQ chicken

• Cowboy baked beans

• Mac and cheese

• Cornbread

• Drinks

• Dessert

The plan for the evening is to have a projector and screen to allow for some course reviews. Please let us know if you have access to a project/screen, or if you think of a better solution.

Courses

If you'll be running a Brown or Green course, you might want to know that the classes are separated as follows on the X and Y alternatives:

Brown X: F−18, F55+, F60+, F65+, M65+, M70+, M75+

Brown Y: F70+, F75+, F80+, F85+, F-Brown, M80+, M85+, M-Brown

Green X: M−18, M50+, M55+, M60+, M-Green

Green Y: F−20, F35+, F40+, F45+, F50+, F-Green

Friday Sprint Courses

Here are the details of the Friday courses:

     Course      Length     Climb   Controls
     White       1.1 km      20 m      16  
     Yellow      1.3 km      20 m      12
     Orange      1.8 km      40 m      14
     Brown       1.7 km      35 m      14
     Green       1.9 km      50 m      17
     Red         2.3 km      55 m      20
     Blue        2.9 km      75 m      24

The Starts are a 500-meter, slightly uphill walk from the parking lot. The scale of the ISSOM map is 1:4000; the contour interval is 2.5 meters. Read the Day-1 Course Setter's Notes for more information. Note: Shoes with metal spikes or cleats will not be allowed.

TempO Demo at Northstar

Clare Durand (LAOC) is hosting a demo TempO (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_orienteering#TempO) course on Friday during the Sprint event at Northstar. TempO is a Trail Orienteering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_orienteering) format made up entirely of timed control stations. The TempO stations will be open for competitors after they have finished their Sprint, with starts from 17:00 to 18:45. Expect three or four stations, with three or four problems per station. The entire course can be completed in less than 15 minutes. Participants will be timed, and results will be posted. The entry fee will be $5, and all proceeds will support the U.S. Trail-O Team. Registration and payment for the TempO will be at the event. 

Saturday Classic Courses

Here are the final details of the Saturday courses:

     Course      Length     Climb   Controls
     White       1.9 km      70 m      12  
     Yellow      2.0 km      75 m      10
     Orange      4.3 km     130 m      13
     Brown X     4.3 km     105 m      12
     Brown Y     3.1 km      65 m      10
     Green X     6.2 km     120 m      12
     Green Y     5.4 km     120 m      11
     Red         8.0 km     195 m      18
     Blue       10.0 km     260 m      25

The Starts are a 750-meter, flat walk from the parking lot (10–15 minutes walk). Read the Day-2/Day-3 Course Setters' Notes for more information.

Sunday Classic Courses

Here are the final details of the Sunday courses:

     Course      Length     Climb   Controls
     White       2.0 km      15 m      10  
     Yellow      2.8 km      40 m      11
     Orange      4.5 km     130 m      11
     Brown X     4.2 km      75 m      12
     Brown Y     3.0 km      55 m      10
     Green X     5.8 km     135 m      12
     Green Y     5.6 km     150 m      12
     Red         8.7 km     225 m      16
     Blue       10.0 km     325 m      17

The Starts are a 1500-meter, flat walk from the parking lot (20–30 minutes walk). Read the Day-2/Day-3 Course Setters' Notes for more information.

Recreational Courses

White (Beginner), Yellow (Advanced Beginner), and Orange (Intermediate) recreational courses will be available on all three event days at regular BAOC fees. Advance registration is not available (or needed)​—​simply show up at the event, register, pay, and enjoy your course(s). Beginner Clinics will be available​—​they are short, repeating sessions that introduce the sport of orienteering, and provide enough instruction to be able to complete a beginner course.

Electronic Punching

SPORTident electronic punching (E-Punch) will be used for both A-Meet and recreational courses. Thus, each "team" will need an E-Punch card/stick. Rental E-Punch cards/sticks can be preordered through registration and also will be available at the event.

An explanation of E-Punch is available here. More information about the use of E-Punch is available in our User's Guide to Electronic Punching, and will be available in Beginner Clinics at the events.

Awards

The awards ceremony will take place at 1:00 PM (or earlier) on Sunday at Little Truckee Summit.

There will be two sets of awards:

• U.S. Classic Championship awards (excludes Open classes)

Course times for Saturday and Sunday will be combined to produce one set of awards for each A-meet class (http://orienteeringusa.org/rules#A11) (except for Open classes). Awards will be presented in each class to the top-three, eligible, overall competitors who finish both days (i.e., no DNS, DNF, DSQ, MSP, OVT, or SPW).

• Sierra Classic 2015 awards (includes Open classes)

The best two out of three events will be used to determine one set of awards for each class (A-meet and Open) for the weekend. Points earned from the best two out of three events will be summed using the Scottish system as calculated in OE2010. Your score each day will be:

1000 × (your course winner's time) ÷ (your time)

Awards will be presented in each class to the top-three overall competitors who start at least two races and have at least one valid finish. Note that you do not have to be present for all three races to be eligible for an award.

General A-Meet FAQ

In addition to the following frequently asked questions, also see the general FAQ section of this website.

• What is an A-meet?
• What are standard (Point-to-Point) courses?
• What are Sprint and Classic courses?
• What different courses are offered?

As usual for A-meets, preregistration will be available with discounted fees, as described above.

Volunteers

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. You can use this online spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i_wpHhCrRQJ2v3oekhOnXZoQr0UAHdGgFEdjs8UJX-8/edit?usp=sharing) to sign up for tasks.

Thank you to all the members and non-members who have already volunteered to help during the Sierra Classic 2015.

If you have not already signed up to help, please consider volunteering for one of the following tasks:

• Parking assistant (we need help Saturday and/or Sunday)
• Street crossing assistance (same shift as parking assistance)
• Refreshments: organize and maintain food/drinks at refreshment table (Saturday and/or Sunday)
• Results: organize and post results at the assembly area (Saturday and/or Sunday)
• Early runners (Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday)
• Beginner clinics (Saturday and/or Sunday)
• Registration table (Saturday and/or Sunday)

The role of the early runners is to make sure all the controls are in the correct location and the units working properly. The early runners should be back before the first start, to allow time for fixing a problem if needed.

If you are not able to access the Online Sign-Up (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i_wpHhCrRQJ2v3oekhOnXZoQr0UAHdGgFEdjs8UJX-8/edit?usp=sharing), please feel free to contact one of the Event Directors (email links at top of page), who would be more than happy to add your name for you.

Please note that all volunteers will be able to run their desired courses.

Child Care

We will be as accommodating as possible for couples requesting split start times (i.e., one starts early, the other late). If you are interested in cooperating with other entrants who are in need of child care, please indicate on your entry that you give the Registrar permission to share your email address with other entrants who also have given permission for the purposes of arranging cooperative child care.

Lodging

Note that the weekend will be extremely busy in the Tahoe area because of other events. Booking early is strongly recommended!

We have set aside five rooms at Truckee Donner Lodge (http://www.truckeedonnerlodge.com) in Truckee, just off I-80 less than 0.5 mile from Donner Memorial State Park. Call 1-877-878-2533 for our group rate (mention Bay Area Orienteering Club or U.S. Classic Championships)​—​rooms available with two queen beds at $122 + tax per night. This hotel has free WiFi, a small pool and hot tub, and free breakfast. (If not booked, the rooms will be released to the public on August 17.)

We also have special rates at The Inn at Truckee (http://www.innattruckee.com/): one queen or two double beds, $81/$90 weekdays and $130/$139 weekends. Call 1-888-773-6888 for the special rate (mention Bay Area Orienteering Club). This facility has a daily continental breakfast, WiFi, and a hot tub. Availability and rates are subject to change. As of 6/12/15, there were about 20 rooms left.

Other possibilities include Northstar California Resort (http://www.northstarattahoe.com/) (hotel rooms to 4-bedroom condos; shops and pool/spa/gym on site) and vacation rental homes (North Lake Tahoe Visitors' Bureaus (http://www.gotahoenorth.com/) and Vacation Rentals by Owner (http://www.vrbo.com/)) that can be convenient and economical if you can get a group together.

Camping

As you know, there are many wonderful places to camp in the Tahoe area. I would like to recommend the Ridge Campground (http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/donner-memorial-sp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=CA&parkId=120029#sr) at Donner Memorial State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503) in Truckee. It has great swimming, flush toilets, showers, and food lockers. It's first-come/first-served that weekend.

I will try to get there on Friday and claim site 12, 14, or 15 on the outside of the loop, by the overflow parking area. I don't think it will be as crowded as it was the previous times when we were there in the peak season.

As of August 24^th, we have about 18 campers, so we'll need someone to get another site, to share, when they get there.

I think that September is a wonderful time to be in the Tahoe area. I hope that you will be able to join us.

– Nancy Lindeman, Camping Coordinator

Travel

Typically, the most convenient and fastest way to the Tahoe area is by car. Other forms of transportation to the area include trains and buses. The Amtrak California Zephyr train (http://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train) leaves Emeryville in the Bay Area once a day, and stops possibly in Truckee and definitely in Reno. There are also buses that leave from Sacramento to Truckee each day. The MegaBus (http://us.megabus.com/.aspx) runs from San Francisco and Sacramento to Reno, and has very good deals.

If you are flying to this area, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose Airports handle North American and some international traffic. Sacramento and Reno airports handle more local traffic, but are closer to the events.

Driving Directions

There's a map below that shows the locations of the events.

Northstar California Resort

From Interstate 80 take the Highway 267 exit (188B or 188) just east of Truckee. Take Highway 267 in the direction of King's Beach for about 5.5 miles. The entrance to Northstar Resort will be on your right​—​follow the orienteering signs from here (you'll want to park in the lot shown on this map (https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217576037111246765009.0004e01ada67ad8c4d753&msa=0&ll=39.275234,-120.120043&spn=0.002413,0.005284/)).

Little Truckee Summit

From Interstate 80, take exit 188B (it's the eastern exit for Truckee). Go north on Highway 89 for about 15 miles to the Little Truckee Summit parking area on your left.

Google Map

Map Legend

    Northstar California Resort
    Little Truckee Summit
    Saturday Dinner
    Reno Airport (RNO)
    Sacramento Airport (SMF)
    Oakland Airport (OAK)
    San Francisco Airport (SFO)
    San Jose Airport (SJC)