Eagle Creek Middle Blue map and track
Very nice course and happy w/ my performance & navigation. I think the prep paid off. 1st nat'l Blue middle where I met my own expectations and had only minor nav mistakes. 6th place (3rd USA) is my best Blue finish yet. Will probably be a good score and certainly one of my strongest. Kept winding up standing next to control not seeing them though--some of the intricacy and subtleties snagged me at times.
Lots of quick turns and subtle details on this one, had to be careful not to get too cocky or go too fast because of some areas void of major features and only offering subtle hints. Very accurate map, but had to navigate very accurately in some parts. My bearing discipline practice earlier this week and last Sat came in handy. Great to see SMOCers, MVOCers & OCINers. Hats off to the Rob, Aiden and all of OCIN / Indy folks for such a great event. Really looking fwd to tomorrow's long, except for the climb...that is scaring me.
Details:
1- A little foggy out of the gate
2- Spike
3- Spike
4- Straight to a spike
5- Road, trail north, a little too far north and missed it, went back to it.
6- Went to the trail corner for attack point, but didn't see the control on my first pass...was standing right next to it...then I saw a flag, further east after doubting myself, ran to it but it was for different course..turned around and saw the rootstock and got it. My messiest control.
7- Followed the south side of spur to spike
8- Bearing discipline and eyes up for the knolls, spike
9- Bearing discipline, straight across water, spike
10- Slowed down for this one as everything was very subtle. Looked for the 3 knolls and found them for my AP, spike
11- Bearing discipline, spike
12- saw the depression from 11, spike
13- Kept track of the 3 knolls as a reference and stayed south of them, using them almost like an AP, but went a bit too far, was standing just west of the control confused fo a bit, thought I was too close to trail which was correct, but soon found it after a little flailing recon.
14- Bearing discipline and eyes up for the round hill, spike
15- Aimed off right to trail, used open space to lead me to it, spike
16- Aimed off right to trail, bottom of curve for AP to cross water, junk as AP for control, spike but too slow
17- Lots of hesitation and a bit of confusion but kept it under control well enough to to recognize the key features, used trail corner as AP.
18- Open space, paved path corner to launch me into forest, stayed in white runnable as long as could, stream intersection got me in right direction, almost spiked but was off to south a bit, saw from distance while scanning.
19- Shwaked in eye by branch, climbed over fence, spike
20- Had a great plan but for some reason didn't see the black x I was after and instead doubted self and went to one farther east since I saw a flag thinking I made mistake, but no I actually was originally at the correct one and just didn't see my control.
21- Forest, trail, parking area as AP, spike
22- Road, due south across water, trail, contour around hill, spike
23- straight and spike
24- trail, road, parking lot, road, spike
25- spike
CY17 control goal count = 248