Discussion: Huh?

So let me get this right. The RD admitted the point was in the wrong spot but wouldn't 1. give you credit or 2. let you go on (without getting a point that you have no map of its true location). Not sure I understand the layout of the race but it sure sounds like a race I would NEVER do.

It's run by college kids, so you get a new RD every couple of years. You get what you pay for :) All CPs are mandatory, so you can't move on to the next punch card til the previous one is full. Yes it makes no sense, and I doubt we will go back. It's a bit far coming from the East Coast now.

I feel bad for you and would have been really mad in a situation like yours. They should clearly have let you continue on leg three and (once it was clarified that it was misplaced - we could and would have confirmed that) waived S5 for you guys in the end.

I'll have to come to the organizers' defense a bit, though. Despite the frequent turnover in volunteer staff, the organization has improved hugely over how the race was run just 3-4 years ago when no control descriptions were given whatsoever and many of the controls were in areas with no distinctive features at all. In this particular case, we did not loose any time on S5 at all thanks to the fairly clear (for us at least...) description of its location ("end of the ridge - south side"), which was quite accurate - it hung about a cm (on the map) to the southeast of where the coordinates said it would be - on the middle of the ridge, very close to its southern end.

In general, I thought the controls were placed and described in an acceptable way this year (although there obviously is room for further improvement). My primary wish would be that they had more uniform reflectors for the night part (some flags had big red reflectors and others only small white tape looking much like the reflectors on marked trees).

BTW, R7, which you were spared, was the only other control beyond S5 that I can clearly say was off from the coordinates (if only by 2-3mm on the map - higher up on the ridge). And that was actually worse, I think, since no description was given there. But, and that's another improvement compared to how it used to be some years ago, like all other controls this year, the flag was hung high up and well visible - and we did not end up loosing any time thanks to that and some luck coming in from the right direction.

Bummer, I am sorry to hear that! It was good to see you, though, even if just briefly. :)

It was good to see you too! Although it was too short. In hindsight, we should have traveled all the way down the spur since we attacked it from the E rather than the bottom. Finding no flag at the next CP did not inspire confidence. Live and learn.

Missing points, bad placements, and poor descriptions are one thing but penalizing the racers for an RD mistake is unacceptable in my book.

Sorry to hear it affected your race/adventure.

post-race survey in your inbox!!

haha right? Barbara reached out to them before the race and offered to vet the course. They said no. I guess they figured they've never vetted it in the last 15yrs...why start now? I will fill one out though.

And done.