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Scout-O Championships Event

Briones Regional Park

Date: (Sun.) Oct. 29, 2023
Location: Lafayette, CA
Event Director: - 925.934.6567
Course Setter: Gavin Wyatt-Mair
Type: B; Open Event for non-Scouts — Regular 7-course BAOC event in conjunction with the Scout-O Championships

Meet Director’s and Course Setter’s Notes

By Gavin Wyatt-Mair

We return again to Briones Regional Park for the 29th Bay Area Scout Orienteering Championships and public event, plus a Nav-X Rogaine!! All scouts and non-scouts are invited to attend, run a course, and have a generally good time! The forecast is for fine, warm weather. It is a good area for picnics, so bring your friends and your family, and enjoy the park as well as the orienteering challenge. We will have some snacks for you to eat afterwards.

This year’s event is a triple header:

• The Scout Orienteering Champs,
• A regular BAOC B-meet, and
• A Nav-X Rogaine (2 or 4 hours).

Run-ability is good, and the ground has been somewhat softened by the recent rain.

Here are the details for all the courses:

The Scout-O courses overlap the White(1), Yellow(2), and Orange(4) courses as indicated above.

Maps: 7.5 m contours, with the scales shown in the table above. Briones vegetation has changed — some map corrections have been made where the courses are impacted, but changes are not comprehensive. There are many unmapped new cow trails.

Advanced courses: The courses are fast and open with average climb (for Briones). The footing is good.

All courses: There is no water on the courses — you might want to carry your own! Electronic punching with contactless SI-Air Beacon Mode is enabled. Please be sure to punch the “Check” punch to turn on your SI-Air (SIAC) finger stick, if you use one. (The Finish punch turns your Air stick off.) Water features are dry. The star thistle is patchy; nevertheless, long pants are recommended. Poison oak is minimal and avoidable. There are cows on the courses — they won’t bother you, but don’t get too close to the calves, or mama cows will get upset (never go between a cow and its calf!).

The Start for the morning BAOC and Scout courses is about 1 km from the assembly area — it takes 15 minutes to walk there. The Finish is at the assembly area.

The Nav-X Rogaine starts are at the assembly area. The map handout will be at registration, which opens around 7:30. The 4-hour course briefing will be at 8:45 and the mass start at 9:00. The 2-hour course briefing will be at 10:45 and the mass start at 11:00. There is a separate registration table for Nav-X.

The afternoon Scout Score-O mass start will be between 1:00 and 1:15 PM near the Finish area.

Requests & Notes: Please set a good BAOC example for the scouts! Also, remember that horses have the right of way, and try not to scare them. Be polite to other park users please (this is a requirement for future permits). Registration for regular O will be open from about 9:00. The earliest start is at 10:00, the latest start is at 12:30. Bring water. The weather forecast calls for a high of 87°F, sunny, and no chance of rain.

Wildlife we have seen includes deer, eagles, coyote, skunks, hawks, buzzards, orienteers, turkeys, goats, cows, salamanders, and frogs.

Parking: There might be a $3.00 park charge for parking. The east, dirt, parking lot, south side is reserved for horse trailers, so please do not park there.

Directions: Coordinates: 37° 55' 37.5" N, 122° 09' 28" W (or 37.927083,-122.157778). Registration will be at the West entrance to the park, off of Bear Creek Road. To get there, take route 24 West from 680 or East from 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 — it is well sign-posted. (Don’t be fooled by the parking area on the left — that’s not it … but you could park there and walk if you like.)