25th "Annual" Golden Goat & Golden Kid
Camp Tamarancho
Date: (Sun.) Jan. 12, 2025
Location: Fairfax, CA
Event Director: 
- 415.456.8118
Course Setter: Mikkel Conradi
Type: C; After missing a year, we have the return of an extra-long "Goat" course, and a long "Kid" course, with a shared mass start; there will be NO BEGINNER COURSES at this special event
Related Event Information
(Optional) Online Registration (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/register/start/goldengoat2025) Golden Goat Lifetime Points (PDF/26KB) 2022 Golden Goat & Golden Kid 2021 Tamarancho Event Aborted November 2024 Event
The information below is preliminary and subject to change.
After missing 2023, we have the return of the Golden Goat and Golden Kid for the 25th "annual" event. (This "2024" edition of the event had to be rescheduled from last November. We have been informed that the road to the Scout Camp will be repaired and open by December, and we already have a permit in hand!)
What a great way to start the new year off, with a tour of the scenic Tamarancho scout camp located in the hills west of Fairfax.
Mikkel Conradi is designing the courses. The Golden Goat, and the shorter Golden Kid, is a mass-start event, traditionally emphasizing long and hilly courses. Mikkel might throw in some deviations from traditional point-to-point orienteering (e.g., skipped controls, forked controls, butterfly options, ...).
Unfortunately, we will not offer beginner courses at this special event. Please check the BAOC schedule (https://baoc.org/wiki/Schedule/Current?year=2025&club=BAOC) for other events, which will offer beginner (White) and advanced beginner (Yellow) courses. Also, (free) short introductory lessons for those new to orienteering are available at "normal" events. Beginners are welcome at those events!
- The next "normal" BAOC event will be on January 26 at Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park near Gilroy.
As described in the Parking section below, you must back into the parking spaces.
Golden Goat Mass Start?
Schedule
The schedule information below is preliminary and subject to change.
Note that this event has a non-standard schedule, with a combined mass start for the Goat and Kid courses.
- 9:00 – 9:45 AM: Registration 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
- 1:00 PM or sooner: Awards ceremony for the Goat and Kid
- 2:00 PM: Everyone must have returned to the Finish
Notes:
- At registration, all juniors under age 18 must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians, or bring with them a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. (The standard registration form is available here [12KB PDF].)
- There is a four-hour time limit for the Goat and Kid courses.
- 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!
Costs and Registration
- Optional online registration (and payment) is available as described below.
The following fees apply for this event:
- $5 for each junior on the Goat or Kid course
- $15 for each 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:
- Juniors are age 8 through 20 (under age 8 is free).
- You can register at the event or online before the event (see below).
- You can rent an E-punch finger stick and/or a compass online, then pick them up at the event.
- At the event, we can accept payment by cash, check, or credit/debit card (but no electronic payments — e.g., PayPal, Venmo).
- Members of other orienteering clubs can pay the "member" fee. (We hope your club would do the same for our members. 🙂)
More information about BAOC event pricing is available in the club FAQ. All the prices are also shown on the standard entry form (12KB PDF), 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
You can (but are not required to) register online here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/register/start/goldengoat2025) for this event. If you register online, you must pay online via PayPal (with credit card, debit card, or PayPal account—you do not need to have a PayPal account).
Note: If you register online, you must pay online before the event.
Online registration for this event will close on Saturday, January 11th, at 6:00 PM.
- Notes:
- Online registration is not required—you can register at the event. However, you might want to register in advance to simplify check-in at the event (and to help the on-site Registration volunteers).
- Online registration is available only to individuals, not to groups (i.e., sharing a single E-stick). Group members must register individually online, or register at the event.
- Compass rental cannot be arranged during online registration, but you can register online and rent a compass at the event.
- E-punch fingerstick rental can be arranged during online registration.
- You can see who is registered here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/reglist/home/goldengoat2025) (but keep in mind that others will register at the event).
What to Bring
A compass is not necessary, but can be helpful. We have compasses available for a $1 rental fee.
We time the courses with the SPORTident system, so each entry/team needs to have a SPORTident fingerstick. If you don't have your own, you can rent one at registration for $5. (Use of the "E-punch" system is easy. You can learn how at the event, or read about it here.)
Venue Facilities
More details will be provided here closer to the event date.
Picnic tables and toilets are available.
Courses
Course information will be available closer to the event date.
Awards
Details TBD.
In addition to 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 in this file (26KB PDF).
Request for Volunteers
Even though this is an "abbreviated" event, we will still need some volunteers to help put on the event. For example, we can use help with setup, organizing the mass start, and of course, control pickup.
If you can commit in advance, please contact Scott Aster, Event Director (). Volunteers will also be enthusiastically accepted at the event.
Driving Directions
The approximate coordinates of the parking area are 37.9943,-122.6117.
There are several ways to get to Fairfax from Highway 101 in Marin. The quickest route is to take the Central San Rafael exit (#452) and turn west onto 3rd St (a left at the second light if you're coming from the south, a right at the fourth light if you're coming from the north). Follow this road for about 3 miles (it changes name three times on the way) until it intersects with Sir Francis Drake Blvd in San Anselmo. Bear right onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd and stay on it until you reach downtown Fairfax.
Continue westbound on Sir Francis Drake for another quarter mile past downtown Fairfax, and look for a green highway sign that says "Camp Tamarancho". Turn left at this sign onto Olema Road, and continue to follow the subsequent green Camp signs until you reach Iron Springs Road. Head up Iron Springs Road for two miles until it ends at the camp entrance. Continue on the camp road to parking.
- Note: Once Iron Springs Road stops being paved, the road is very bumpy and travel is slow—about 10 mph. It's narrow, so care must be taken with vehicles approaching you, and the road is popular with mountain bikers. Cars with low clearance are not recommended.
Carpooling is encouraged as always.
Parking
You must park facing outward (that is, back into your space).
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The event name mentions "Annual" (in quotes), because a few years have been missed.