Worst O' race in a long time. Ranking -14 points - worst at the whole event.
Didn't attack precisely enough - repeatedly - and even after correcting the bearing of attacks, I failed to pace count, though that was hard due to:
Awful fern coverage - an attempt tough it out and just run anyway egged my left ankle:
https://goo.gl/photos/Aho9No1GM5YXPn5a8 - ended up having to walk much of the course - which was probably a good idea from the start for anything in the woods - except that it wasn't some woods were still fast - some were fern-city - map didn't indicate which was which - not that it easily could have w/o a lot of work.
I recall now that during summer events, you need to show up last, so there are some tracks - otherwise you have to walk, treacherously, through ferns with unknown rocks & branches beneath.
#2 major loss - I've screwed up here before -
https://goo.gl/photos/rnvJf7RqLqEZTRUH8 I think I let my 'contouring' plan trump my bearing - couldn't believe I was so far southwest - I was however, practicing Lamaze for some of this leg as my Left ankle was very unhappy after the twist early on.
#4 major loss - small pit in waist deep green, with the flag at the bottom, is a bold choice of placement. You did know it going in though - you'd been through crap before, and this V was in the green.
Attack #1 - I was enroute ok - but with a minor zig high I should've avoided per GPS - but saw someone high, just as I hit an unmapped old logging road (and the many mapped ones were just as invisible) - so I though maybe I'd passed it, and wrongly corrected high. After searching along the top of the slope, realized I didn't know which steep slope I was on, so bailed toward the large green & yellow are and managed to relocate at the small yellow clearing, confirmed by the nearby depression.
Attack #2 - 80m - but I knew this was tricky so I sighted trees and marched. I think I missed this one by <10m. Hit a cluster of rocks that I thought might be mapped - (Attack # 3) looked around, - including high toward where bag should've been (and I think it was) - didn't see it.
Attack #4 - 20m - hit 2nd set of rocks - seemed more distinct, so I aimed toward the bag from these - missed as I was on the wrong set of rocks. Noticed some flattening, and an elephant track and followed that until I could see the platform.
Attack #5 - 50m - A careful walk on a bearing from the platform, and this time, nailed the pit.
I suspect a more careful job on Attack # 1 would've gotten me to the platform, or one of the rock clusters on the slope below the platform (broaden the control) from which I could've attacked - and at least spent less time in the 20-30m area nearby.