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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.)

Related Event Information

Main Event Page Registration List, Start Times (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/reglist/home/2015-sierra-classic) Day-1 Course Setter's Notes Day 2 & 3 Course Setter's Notes


Event Director's Notes

By Paul Carson and Marie-Josée Parayre

(These Notes will be in your registration packet. They are also available as a PDF file.)

Welcome to the Sierra Classic 2015 A-meet and the 2015 U.S. Classic Championships.

The fun begins on Day 1 with a warm-up Sprint event set by Deron Van Hoff in and around the Village at the Northstar California Resort. While obviously not part of the U.S. Classic Championships, this event will allow competitors to stretch their legs before the even more serious events to follow on Days 2 and 3. The Sprint results will be part of the best-two-out-of-three calculation in determining awards for the overall Sierra Classic 2015 event.

Days 2 and 3 will take competitors through a variety of beautiful terrain in the Little Truckee Summit area. This is the same map used for the Sierra 3-Day event in 2011 and the Sierra Summerfest in 2013.

The main assembly area for these two days will be across Highway 89 from the parking lot just off the highway to the west side. Please be very careful when crossing the highway, since the sight distance is not very good.

Altogether, these courses promise an enjoyable weekend of orienteering.

Start Procedure

We will use the same start procedure on all the days:

Schedules and Logistics

The Day-1 assembly area and registration will be held in Lot C at Northstar (follow the signs). E-punch download will be located near one of the two Finish areas, so some of you will need to make a short walk if you finish at the other area.

On Days 2 and 3, the assembly area, registration, and E-punch download will be located near the intersection of a Forest Service road (Cottonwood Road) and Highway 89, across the highway from the parking lot.

The Brown and Green courses are split on Days 2 and 3

The Brown classes will be split as follows:

Brown X: F−18, F55+, F60+, F65+, M65+, M70+, M75+
Brown Y: F70+, F75+, F80+, F85+, F-Open, M80+, M85+, M-Open

The Green classes will be split as follows:

Green X: M−18, M50+, M55+, M60+, M-Open
Green Y: F−20, F35+, F40+, F45+, F50+, F-Open

Please pay attention to the split, and make sure to get the correct map at the Start​—​ask a Start volunteer to check for you (since you're not allowed to look at the map yet).

Day-1 Schedule, Friday, September 18

        3:00 PM – 5:30 PM       Registration and packet pick-up
        4:00 PM – 6:00 PM       Starts
        5:00 PM – 6:45 PM       TempO demo (see below)
        7:00 PM       Courses close

The pre-assigned start times (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/reglist/home/2015-sierra-classic) for A-meet participants are printed on registration packets and bibs. Recreational participants can start anytime during the start window.

Note to event volunteers: You can ignore your assigned start time if you want​—​you may start at any free slot. There will be additional start slots throughout the schedule, or you may start in the 15 minutes before or after the regular start window.

Per OUSA rules, the time limit for the A-meet Sprint is 1 hour. Any time over that will be recorded as overtime (OVT).

Everyone must return to the Finish by the course-closing time, and then report 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.

A demonstration TempO course will be available during the Sprint event for those interested. TempO is a Trail Orienteering format made up entirely of timed control stations. The TempO stations will be open for competitors after they have finished their Sprint. 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.

Day-1 Logistics

There will be portable toilets in the parking/assembly area, but not at the Start. You should not go into the Village before you run your course, because you would be in the course area.

Note: Shoes with metal spikes or cleats will not be allowed at this event.

Start for all courses:

All participants have a 600-meter walk to the Start. Allow 20 minutes to reach your Start.

Finish for White, Yellow, Orange, and Brown courses:

The White, Yellow, Orange, and Brown courses share the same Finish, and the E-punch download tent will be in the same area. Please remember to go to E-punch download before returning to the assembly area.

Finish for Green, Red, and Blue courses:

The Green, Red, and Blue courses share the same Finish, approximately 200 meters from the Finish for the other courses and the E-punch download tent. Please remember to go to E-punch download before returning to the assembly area.

Day-2 Schedule, Saturday, September 19

          9:00 AM – Noon       Registration and packet pick-up
          9:00 AM – 10:00 AM       Beginner's Clinics
        10:00 AM – 12:30 PM       Starts
          3:30 PM       Courses Close

The pre-assigned start times (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/reglist/home/2015-sierra-classic) for A-meet participants are printed on registration packets and bibs. Recreational participants can start anytime during the start window.

Note to event volunteers: You can ignore your assigned start time if you want​—​you may start at any free slot. There will be additional start slots throughout the schedule, or you may start in the 15 minutes before or after the regular start window.

Per OUSA rules, the time limit for the A-meet Classic courses is 3 hours. Any time over that will be recorded as overtime (OVT).

Again, everyone must return to the Finish by the course-closing time and then report to the E-punch download tent at the assembly area​—​even if they have not completed their course.

Day-2 Logistics

There are permanent toilets at the parking lot, and there will be portable toilets in the assembly area. There will not be toilets at the Start.

Start for all courses:

All participants have a 700-meter walk to the Start, down the Forest Service road from the assembly area. Allow 30 minutes to reach the Start. Since the Finish is relatively close to the Start, there will not be a clothing return from the Start.

Finish for all courses:

All the courses share the same Finish, immediately east of, and slightly above, the assembly area. Please remember to go to E-punch download before returning to the parking lot.

Saturday Banquet (Sold Out)

There will be a Saturday dinner at 6:00 PM at the Truckee Recreation Center (8924 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA 96161 [there's a map here]). The banquet appears to have been popular, since it has reached full capacity. For those who did not already sign-up, we're sorry, but you're on your own for dinner. There are lots of great places in Truckee, or check out something in Sierraville, just a few minutes north of the event parking area​—​we heard there is a good Mexican spot.

Day-3 Schedule, Sunday, September 20

The schedule is similar to Day 2, except 1 hour earlier:

        8:00 AM – 11:00 AM       Registration and check-in
        9:00 AM – 10:00 AM       Beginner's Clinics
        9:00 AM – 11:30 AM       Starts
        2:00 PM       Awards Ceremony
        2:30 PM       Courses Close

As for Saturday, the start times (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/reglist/home/2015-sierra-classic) for A-meet participants are pre-assigned, and recreational participants can start anytime during the start window. (Event volunteers can have the flexibility described above.)

Per OUSA rules, the time limit for the A-meet Classic courses is 3 hours. Any time over that will be recorded as overtime (OVT).

Again, everyone must return to the Finish by the course-closing time and then report to the E-punch download tent at the assembly area​—​even if they have not completed their course.

Day-3 Logistics

There are permanent toilets at the parking lot, and there will be portable toilets in the assembly area. There will not be toilets at the Start.

Start for all courses:

All participants have a 1500-meter walk to the Start, down the Forest Service road from the assembly area (i.e., similar to Saturday). Allow 45 minutes to reach the Start. The Finish is past the Start, down a hill, so we recommend leaving extra clothing near the Start. When the Start closes, we will return any clothing not yet picked up to the assembly area.

Finish for all courses:

All the courses share the same Finish. You will climb from the Finish to the Forest Service road, and pass the Start on your return to the assembly area. Please remember to go to E-punch download before returning to the parking lot.

Awards

We expect awards to be presented around 2:00 PM on Sunday.

U.S. Classic Championships

The course times for Saturday and Sunday will be combined to produce one set of awards for each A-meet class (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 DNF, DNS, DSQ, MSP, OVT, or SPW).

Sierra Classic 2015

Points will be computed for each day, and 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.

E-Punch Procedure

All participants must download at the E-punch tent after their run each day​—​even if you did not complete the course.

Recreational runners must register at the E-punch tent before going to the Start, and download after finishing.

The courses close at 7:00 PM Friday, 3:30 PM on Saturday, and 2:30 PM on Sunday. Everyone must report to the Finish by then, and then at the E-punch tent, even if they have not completed their course.

Hazards

In addition to the hazards mentioned in the Course Setters' Notes for the Sprint and Classic events, please be aware of the following.

Poison Oak

Poison Oak is believed to not be present.

Ticks

We recommend inspecting for ticks after you finish each day, so you can remove them promptly. Consider applying insect repellent before going to the Start.