Golden Goat & Golden Kid

24th “Annual” Golden Goat & Golden Kid

Las Trampas Regional Wilderness

Date: (Sat.) Oct. 22, 2022
Location: San Ramon, CA
Event Director:
Course Setter: Yurii Konovalenko
Type: 2022 Golden Goat & Golden Kid—after a 2-year absence from the schedule, we have the return of an extra-long "Goat" course, and a long "Kid" course, with a shared mass start; and regular beginner courses with separated starts

Related Event Information

Event Results Course Setter’s Notes Latest Las Trampas Event (2017) Latest Golden Goat (2019) Attackpoint Event Page (https://www.attackpoint.org/eventdetail.jsp/event_54337)

Please note that fees and time limits apply. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Note that the event is on Saturday!


After missing two years, we finally have the return of the Golden Goat and Golden Kid for the 24th “annual” event. (Special thanks to Yurii Konovalenko for volunteering to set the courses!)

The Golden Goat, and the shorter Golden Kid, is a mass-start event, traditionally emphasizing long and hilly courses with some deviations from traditional point-to-point orienteering.

In addition to the Goat and Kid courses, beginner (White) and advanced beginner (Yellow) courses will be available at this event. There will be (free) short introductory lessons for those new to orienteering. Beginners are welcome!

As described in the Parking section below, you must not park in the small lot at the very end of Bollinger Rd.

Schedule

Note that this Saturday event has a non-standard schedule, with a combined mass start for the Goat and Kid, and a non-standard period for separated starts on the beginner courses (White and Yellow).

  9:00 – 9:45 AM: Registration in the assembly area for the Golden Goat and Golden Kid
  9:50 AM: Instructions for the Goat and Kid
10:00 AM: Mass start for the Goat and Kid
  9:45 – 11:30 AM: Registration in the assembly area for the beginner courses (White and Yellow)  
  9:30 – 11:00 AM: Beginner instruction (times approximate)
10:10 AM – noon: Starts for the beginner courses (White and Yellow)
  1:00 PM or sooner: Awards ceremony for the Goat and Kid  
  2:00 PM: All courses close, pick-up of all controls begins  
Notes:
  • For the beginner courses (White and Yellow), there is a 1.2 km walk from the assembly area, with 110 m of climb. It takes 20–30 minutes to walk there.
  • There is a four-hour time limit for the Goat and Kid courses.
  • People can start on the beginner courses (White and Yellow) anytime during the period shown above (but not earlier or later, please).
  • For the beginner courses (White and Yellow), the time limit is three hours or 2:00 PM, whichever is earlier.
  • Everyone must return to the assembly area by 2:00 PM and check in at the download table. The Goat, especially, travels a long distance from the Start/Finish​—​make sure you allow time to return!

Golden Goat Mass Start? Golden Goat mass start?
Who is that leading?

Costs

The following fees apply at this event.

  $3 for each junior on a beginner (White or Yellow) course
  $8 for each adult on a beginner course
  $5 for each junior on the Goat or Kid course  
$15 for each BAOC member on the Goat or Kid course
$20 for each non-member on the Goat or Kid course
  $1 for a compass rental (optional)  
  $5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (if you don’t own one; you’ll need one to complete the course)
$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)  
Notes:
  • At the event, we are able to accept payment only by cash or check​—​no credit cards or electronic payments.
  • Juniors are age 8 through 20 (under age 8 is free).
  • There is no charge for a second course (but you must end up paying for the more expensive course​—​e.g., Kid after Beginner).
  • Members of other orienteering clubs can pay the “member” fee. (We hope your club would do the same for our members. 🙂)

More information about event pricing is available in the club FAQ. All the prices are also shown on the standard entry form (PDF/12KB), which you can print and fill out in advance to save some time at the event. (You will need one entry form for each group of people going on a course together.)

Optional Online Registration

Online registration has closed, but you can still register at the event.

Notes:
  • Online registration is not required​—​you can register at the event.
  • You can see who is registered here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/reglist/home/goldengoat2022) (but keep in mind that others will register at the event).

Park Facilities

The assembly area (registration, E-punch, Goat & Kid Start, Finish) will be located next to the main Las Trampas Parking lot at the end of Bollinger Canyon Rd (Google map) (https://goo.gl/maps/xgSohCFZHLvDerFB9). As described below, please do not park in the main Las Trampas Parking lot.

Toilets and water are available at the park’s main parking lot.

Courses

The Golden Goat is extra long and strenuous, and the Golden Kid is (only) long and strenuous. In keeping with the spirit of the event, the climb is higher than normal on both the courses.

Here are the details for the courses: 

    Course          Length       Climb     Controls
    Golden Goat    11.0 km    750 m  6.8%     20 (*) 
    Golden Kid      5.8 km    325 m  5.6%     12 (*)
    White           2.9 km     67 m  2.3%      9  
    Yellow          3.6 km    100 m  2.7%     11

(*) On the Golden Goat and Golden Kid, you will be allowed to skip one control. (That does not apply to the White and Yellow courses.)
Beginners should be aware that the distances shown are the cumulative straight-line distances between controls. Your actual distance will be longer. The climb numbers represent the amount of ascending that would be done on the “optimum route” (in the Course Setter's opinion), without regard for any descending.

The Start for the Golden Goat and Golden Kid courses is located next to the assembly area.

The Start for the White and Yellow courses is located 1.2 km from the assembly area, with 110 m of climb. It takes 20–30 minutes to walk there.

There will be two controls with water on the Goat course; one control with water on the Kid course. There will not be any water on the White and Yellow courses.

The Finish for all the courses is located at the assembly area.

Be sure to read the Course Setter’s Notes for more information, including the rules for the Goat and Kid.

Awards

Details TBD.

In addition possible awards, the top 15 finishers on the Goat earn Golden Goat Lifetime Points. The current table of these points, and the rules for their awarding, are available here (PDF/83KB).

Volunteers

If you don’t plan on running the Goat or Kid, please consider volunteering for beginners clinics or starts of the White and Yellow courses. We will also need many people for control pickup. 🙂

If you can commit in advance, please email , the Event Director. Volunteers will also be enthusiastically accepted at the event.

Driving Directions

The approximate coordinates for our parking lot are 37.815,-122.047 (Google map (https://goo.gl/maps/K7XF46AcSwnDgpyM6)).

From the north, east and south, take I-680 to the Crow Canyon Road West exit in San Ramon. Go west on Crow Canyon to Bollinger Canyon Road. Turn right (north) onto Bollinger Canyon Rd, and continue about 4.1 miles to our parking area on your left, near (but not at) the end of Bollinger Canyon Rd.

From the west, take Highway 238 east from Highway 880, or Highway 580 southeast from Oakland. Shortly after the merge of Highways 238 and 580 (about 3 miles from 880 when taking 238), take the exit for Center Street and Crow Canyon Road. Turn left onto Center St, turn right onto Castro Valley Blvd, and turn left onto Crow Canyon Road. Follow Crow Canyon Road north several miles to Bollinger Canyon Road. Turn left (north) onto Bollinger Canyon Rd, and continue about 4.1 miles to our parking area on your left, near (but not at) the end of Bollinger Canyon Rd.

Parking

Please observe the following parking requirements (which are required by our park permit):