Scout Orienteering Championships
Pre-registration Required
Briones Regional Park
Date: (Sun.) Oct. 8, 2017
Location: Lafayette, CA
Event Director: 
- 925.934.6567
Course Setters: Steve Harrison, Gavin Wyatt-Mair
Type: B; 25th annual Championships and Scout-O for all scout levels
Event Director's and Course Setters’ Notes
By Gavin Wyatt-Mair
This is the 25th Bay Area Scout Orienteering Championships!! All scouts and non-scouts are welcome to attend, run a course, and have a generally good time! The forecast is for fine weather.
By order of the Park District: NO SMOKING ANYWHERE. DRIVE ONLY ON ROADS.
Schedule
Packet pickup will be open from about 9:00.
For the morning courses, the earliest start is at 10:00, latest start at 12:30. Assigned start times will be posted on the website on Saturday, October 7.
The afternoon Score-O will start at about 1:15 PM, and finish at about 2:45.
The awards ceremony will be from 3:15 to 3:45 PM.
Courses
The following courses will be available:
  Navigational  Physical
Course       Distance   Climb  Controls  Difficulty    Difficulty
Course 1 (White) 4.1 km 120 m 11 Easy Easy
Course 2 (Yellow) 4.1 km 145 m 12 Easy Easy
Course 3 4.8 km 200 m 13 Moderate Moderate
Course 4 (Orange) 5.1 km 235 m 14 Moderate Moderate
Adult Course 4.6 km 210 m 13 Moderate Moderate
Score-O ~7.5 km ~345 m 26 max Moderate Tough!
(Colors in parentheses indicate comparable BAOC courses.)
The Start is about 2.1 km, with 90 m gradual climb, from the parking lot—it takes 25 minutes to walk there.
Morning courses (1–4, and Adult) are point-to-point courses with staggered starts. The controls must be visited in the order shown on the map.
The afternoon Score-O course maps will be distributed at 12:45, and the start will be at about 1:15 PM. The Score-O is different in that it has a 90-minute time limit, competitors compete individually, and the objective is to get as many checkpoints in the 90 minutes as possible. It is feasible to get all the checkpoints in 90 minutes with good route choices, accurate navigation, and hard running. Optimal route is about 7.5 km and 345 m climb. Note that in orienteering, distances are measured along a straight line; the actual distance traveled will be 10% to 40% greater.
Troop standings are computed by combining each troop’s morning and afternoon performances into one troop score. Top troops, and top individuals on each course, will receive awards at the awards ceremony in the afternoon.
Map
The map scale is 1:10,000, with 7.5 m contours. There are two symbols used for distinct trees. The green O represents a distinct evergreen tree, while the green × represents a distinct deciduous tree.
General Comments
All the courses use E-punch.
There will be many scouts on the courses, please be polite to each other.
The ends of the courses include a steep downhill—be sure to go down the right place! There is a rope to assist.
To cross fences, you may go over, under or through wherever you like; just remember it is barbed wire. The course vetter recommends going under fences!
The star thistle is way down, probably smothered by the long grasses after the copious rains last winter. Nevertheless, long pants are highly recommended on Course 2 and above. Shoes or boots with cleats or a good grip are important, especially on the higher courses. Poison oak on the courses is minimal, and typically ankle high. There are plenty of cows on the courses; they won't bother you, but don't get too close to the calves.
Remember that horses have the right of way, and try not to scare them.
Please be polite to other park users (this is a requirement for future permits).
Bring water. The weather forecast calls for a high of 82, sunny, and no chance of rain.
Wildlife we have seen include deer, eagles, coyote, skunks, buzzards, orienteers, lots of turkeys, goats, cows, salamanders, and frogs.
Directions
Registration will be at the West entrance to the park, off of Bear Creek Road.
To get there, take Route 24 west from I-680 or east from I-80. Exit at Orinda, heading north on Camino Pablo. After about 2 miles, turn right onto Bear Creek Road. After about 3.5 miles, the park entrance will be on your right, and is well sign-posted (don't be fooled by the parking area on the left—that's not it).
There is an entry/parking charge of approximately $4.00 per vehicle. Please carpool if possible, since there will probably be many scouts attending.
There's a map here that shows the location of the event.
Parking
Do not park in the east dirt parking lot, south side. This is for horse trailers.