Troll Cup, Sunday. Worse than yesterday, C+/B-. Warmer.
1- difficulty getting going, map orientation baloney on my part. Followed wall, up spur, over wall, then had trouble with contours. Not focussing, too earnest, perhaps. Wandered left, got on hill to W, saw Scott T coming, went east & spotted flag before Scott but had used up my 90” or so lead. Should have gone W on path initially.
2ok
3 went straight - should have taken path to right in retrospect. Just plain misread map & ended up circling for awhile. Saw Tony & then Scott & decided maybe they were heading toward it. Went their way but, before too long, noted they were headed for #4. Went back, backtracking, stayed high &, mercifully, it was there.
4,5,6,7 ok saw Tony ahead on way to 7 and then got to 8 just before him, by 5m.
9 not really reading map carefully, wishing perhaps I was alone. Saw Scott ahead & got to 9 just after him. I believed I’d need 30” to keep ahead in the run in.
10 got there ahead of Scott - knew he wasn’t far behind. Left for 11 thinking I needed to get more distance ahead & was a bit reckless. Got on top of contours, went left & soon spotted the wall - had gone too far. Came back, saw flag, only some 15” ahead of Scott.
Got to 12 fast enough & then went straight south & turned right! The start triangle confused a oxygen-deprived mind, I suppose. Went for about 10”, saw my error, turned back as Scott was hitting trail. So that lead was not to be.
All told, about 4-5’ mistakes. An amazing map for technical orienteering & a nice weekend, thanks to NEOC with some help from UNO.
Drove home on 13 thru Mt. Vernon, New Boston, Goffstown, Dunbarton to Robert Rogers Rd. Nice NH.
Awards ceremony, chocolate-filled gold medals.
November casts its pall over
Mt. Vernon cemetery