Scout-O Championships Event
Briones Regional Park
Date: (Sun.) Oct. 27, 2024
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; everyone is welcome, including beginners — free, brief, beginner instruction will be available
Related Event Information
Meet Director's and Course Setter's Notes
By Gavin Wyatt-Mair
We return again to Briones Regional Park for the 30th Bay Area Scout Orienteering Championships and public event! 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.
The Scout Orienteering Championships will be held in conjunction with a regular BAOC B-meet.
Scouts must be pre-registered. Scout registration information can be found here.
Pre-registration is preferred for the BAOC event. You can register here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/register/start/briones2024) (until Oct. 26 at 6:00 PM).
- NOTE: By order of the Park District: NO SMOKING ANYWHERE. DRIVE ONLY ON ROADS.
Here are the preliminary details for all the courses:
Maps: 7.5 m contours. 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 and mountain bike 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 — please carry your own!
- Electronic punching with contactless SI-Air (SIAC) Beacon Mode is enabled. If you use an SI-Air finger stick, please be sure to punch the "CHECK" unit to turn on your finger stick. The Finish punch turns off your SI-Air stick.
- 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.
The Start for the morning BAOC and Scout courses is about 1.4 km from the assembly area — it takes about 20 minutes to walk there. The Finish is at the assembly area.
The Scout-O courses overlap the BAOC White(1), Yellow(2), and Orange(4) courses.
BAOC runners: Please set a good example for the scouts!
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 the "BAOC" event will be open from 9:00 to noon; the earliest start is at 10:00; the latest start is at 12:30.
Bring water. The weather forecast calls for a high of 72°F, sunny, and no chance of rain.
The afternoon Scout Score-O mass start will be between 1:00 and 1:15 PM near the Finish area.
Wildlife we have seen include deer, eagles, coyote, skunks, hawks, buzzards, orienteers, turkeys, goats, cows, salamanders, and frogs.
Parking: There might be a $3.00 charge for parking, collected at the park entry kiosk. The south side of the east dirt parking lot is reserved for horse trailers.
Directions: Registration will be at the West entrance to the park, off of Bear Creek Road. The approximate coordinates are N37.9271,W122.1578. 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 — 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.)