Billygoat! More later.
Tried to post the map, but got this DOMA fail message "You don't have permission to access /doma/edit_map.php on this server." I'll try again later. Not sure what it means.
37th annual, my 31st time participating. 1 miss in the last 32 years, when I was in CA (1993). Two OTs, 1984 (my first) and 2005 (the infamous Norwottuck event), One DNF (2013, back badly in spasm, didn't even find #1). 28th shirt. This one went pretty well. Back quite sore and stiff pretty much all the way, but kept moving. Had to hunt a bit for 6 (maybe 3 min) and for 15 (2 min). Not the most effective skip, I think (10). Squandered whatever advantage it might have implied by getting hung up and bloodied in the deadfall dump along the trail route from 9-11.
Saw a lot of Sharon, Sam, Jim H, Rich N, Francis H, Valeriy, Dave L at different times. Also by myself for long stretches, going to 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23 - F. Having skipped relatively early, I was disappointed to see them when I was leaving 14 and to get behind them when I missed 15 to the left. Got a bit ahead, but having to go to both 18 and 22, I fell well behind most of them. Hit the road after 22 and was surprised to see Francis. I was jogging and trying to catch up to him, but then realized I could walk faster and got by him. We cut up across from the trail to 1, aiming to just cut off a section and get back on the road, but I was a bit left and went straight for 23 instead. Saw Sharon and Phil heading from 24-25 when I was still going for 23, too late to catch them.
Not too beat up, but very stiff, very tired. Sat in the car for a while trying to motivate myself to go get more water.
It works out well to set goals for this sort of thing after the fact, and I find that I met all my goals:
1. Find the first control!
2. Get a shirt.
3. No serious injuries
4. Torque my back enough to have something to show the orthopedic doc at my Monday appointment.
5. Beat my age in placement.
Very nice visit with J-J and Jeff, dinner at Ratlum Sat and Sun, and a pleasant ride down and back. Glad I didn't have to drive any, especially on the way back.
Map:
Part 1 and
Part 2 .