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Joseph D. Grant County Park

Date: (Sun.) Apr. 28, 2013
Location: San Jose, CA
Event Director: - 408.878.5073
Course Setters: Werner Haag, Rory Maclean, Derek Maclean
Type: B; Classic courses on the Joe Grant North map

Related Event Information

Course Setters' Notes Last Year's Event Event Results

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


Please join us on the slopes of Mount Hamilton for a classic springtime BAOC local event. This year we will explore the lesser-visited area north of Mt Hamilton Road, unused for orienteering for at least the past five years. The terrain is oak-studded grassy hillsides with extensive runnable wooded areas. There are stunning views across Halls Valley. Peak wildflower season completes the package of an unbeatable day in the Bay Area hills.

The weather is looking nice for this event, but a bit warm, in the low 80's. Come out early and get going before the sun gets too hot. Remember to park in the main (South side) parking area and budget about 10–15 minutes to walk to the Start area on the N side.

Please consider volunteering to help at this event. As always, the event can't happen without volunteers.

Schedule

09:00 – Registration Opens
09:30 – Repeating Beginner Clinics Start
10:00 – Starts Open
12:00 – Registration Closes
12:30 – Starts Close
02:00 – Finish Closes (please finish before 2:00)

The short beginner clinics provide an introduction to orienteering, and enough training to be able to complete a beginner (White) course. In addition to the clinics, feel free to address questions to anyone who looks like they know what they're doing. In particular, you might want to ask questions after you complete your course so you can learn from any mistakes you made.

Note: You must report to the Finish by 2:00 even if you haven't completed your course.

Costs

Beginner (White and Yellow) courses are $6 for adults and $3 for juniors. Intermediate (Orange) and Advanced (Green/Brown and Blue/Red) courses are $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Discounts apply to teams of more than one individual.

E-punch rental for timing your course is $3, and compass rentals are $1.

For a complete breakdown of costs, see the registration form (PDF/78KB) (http://baoc.org/pdfs/entry_form.pdf).

Courses

Since we started setting the courses the terrain has gotten a bit drier and harder, and the poison oak (PO) has grown. The White, Yellow, & Brown courses should not see much PO. Orange, Long Orange, Green, & Blue will encounter a little, & Red has more, so be prepared.

The extended range of eight courses will offer the appropriate level of challenge for all competitors​—​beginner to advanced. The final course statistics are below. By popular demand, the course lengths & climbs have been increased a little bit. 

   Course        Length    Climb  Controls  Technical Difficulty

   White         2.2 km     35 m     10     Beginner
   Yellow        2.8 km    120 m     12     Adv. Beginner
   Orange        3.8 km    225 m     14     Intermediate
   Long Orange   5.2 km    280 m     20     Intermediate
   Brown         3.0 km    200 m     12     Advanced
   Green         4.6 km    285 m     17     Advanced
   Red           5.2 km    310 m     18     Advanced
   Blue          6.2 km    370 m     19     Advanced

Be sure to read the Course Setters' Notes for more information.

Driving Directions

To reach the park, take I-680 to the Alum Rock Avenue exit in San Jose. Head east on Alum Rock to Mt. Hamilton Road. Take a right onto Mt. Hamilton Rd and proceed about 7.5 miles to the park entrance to your right. After paying the entry fee (about $7), go about 0.6 miles to the parking area designated by the O' signs.

Here's an alternative route choice (after all, orienteering is all about route choice): Quimby Road is believed to be much faster, with a shorter (but steeper) windy road, than Mt. Hamilton Rd from Alum Rock. Some people recommend this route even for those coming from the north on 280 or 101. In that case, exit 101 south at Tully Rd, and head east (toward the hills). Turn right onto Quimby Rd (just before East Ridge Shopping Center); take this up and over the hill until it meets Mt Hamilton Road. Turn right and go a few hundred yards to the park entrance.

From the south, coming up 101, take the Capitol Expy exit and head east (toward the hills). Go about 1.5 miles and turn right onto Quimby Road.

There's a map here that shows the location of the event.

Carpool Site

People sometimes meet at the junction of Alum Rock Ave and Mt. Hamilton Rd, where there is plenty of parking. That might seem so near the park as to be not helpful, but it does save the twisty drive up Mt. Hamilton Rd, and the park entrance fee for the cars that are left below.

Similarly, people taking the Quimby Rd route could meet at East Ridge Shopping Center (at Tully and Quimby).