Discussion: Billygoat #42 Update

Billygoat update: We’ve rescheduled the 42nd Annual Billygoat run for Sunday, September 6, in conjunction with the 11th annual Corn Maze National Championships planned for Monday, September 7 (Labor Day).

The location of the Billygoat (Kent, CT) remains the same, as do most of the other details. The Corn Maze champs on Monday will be held at nearby Sunderland, MA. Along with a meet HVO will offer on Saturday, September 5, at the also-nearby Mountain Lakes map, this will give you an opportunity for a 3-day O extravaganza.

More info soon.

( Caveat: a definite date for the Corn Maze champs cannot be nailed down until into the summer, depending on factors such as corn growth. But in recent years it has reliably been the Labor Day weekend. )

Boom

Now my training can begin

I applaud this move. Just hope that it doesn't have to be postponed again...

Oh no! I have a wedding in Maine that weekend!

Is it yours? Just get cold feet.

Why there could not be any other "regular" weekend instead?

I think this is a great idea! Combining with the Corn Maze makes it well worth the long trip.

Some people have other plans for long weekends besides orienteering.

I think at this point, we are well past plans... If any events actually happen this year (in safe conditions), I will be thrilled. :)

Note that the Corn Maze event really is tentative. It's not up to us, it's up to the schedule of the farm, and it could well turn out to be the previous weekend.

Likewise, a major factor for the Billygoat was when the venue is available to us.

This is great! I mean, I'd love to run the BG in May, but that was looking unlikely. Combining the event with a few others reasonably nearby makes it even more enticing. (Though as a diehard BG fan, I'd make the trip just for that. But Mtn Lakes? Love. And maybe the corn maze champs? Finally have a shot at that? Yes please!)
Thanks!

The dates Sept 2-7 have been on the national schedule for a long time for Laramie Daze, a popular event with six days of orienteering, including 3 national ranking "A" meet days, in Laramie Wyoming, a joint event organized by Mikell Platt and RMOC.

I think we are at the point where there are more postponed events than available weekends left in the year, so we oughta be grateful to the organizers for doing their best to try and reschedule our beloved events. And forcing organizers to take into account events over a thousand miles away seems unnecessary to me.

I am glad we will have so many choices in the fall! Can't wait!

An interesting note is that, traditionally, Labor Day weekend has not been a popular time for orienteering in the USA. Until we started doing the Corn Maze Champs that weekend in 2014, I had only twice orienteered during the period September 2-6, once in 2000 and once in 2008. There still one date in there when I have never orienteered, the only date missing between the middle of March and the middle of December.

Anyone have odds on being able to hold the Billygoat on this date? Any creative approaches being discussed?

not likely to happen in the traditional form.

It's sounding like there will be some substitute event (not an official Billygoat) available over some longer timescale (not a single-day event). More information should be appearing soon.

If the Billygoat doesn't happen (as a single-day) event, would the CMOC happen on Sunday (as it has for several years), instead of Labor Day?

Corn Maze is also in the negotiation phase, with the hope of also having a spread-out event over the the whole three-day weekend, so that only a small number of people will be there at any given time. Stay tuned.

This is still tentative, as we're waiting for final confirmations, but this is the likely scenario:

… A DIY Goat, in the spirit of the Billygoat, at Mountain Lakes (North Salem, NY). Flags should be in the woods by the end of August, and will stay out for some time. Usual DIY approach--honor system, self timing, etc.

… Corn Maze along the lines of J-J's note above, i.e., spread out over the Labor Day weekend. Pre-registration required, with days and start windows assigned (based on individual's preferences) so as to assure only a limited number of people are in the maze at any given time.

… WCOC will plan on hosting a traditional Billygoat at Pond Mountain sometime in 2021.

We're all pretty disappointed about not having a traditional BG and CM. But it's become clear we can't host the traditional events while still respecting CT and MA guidelines, as well as OUSA's.

Btw, we're going to try to make suitable modifications to the BG t-shirt we had designed last spring. It won't count as an official BG shirt, but you can add it to your t-shirt collection as a memento of a rather strange year.

I'll update this as soon as things are definite.

Aside from accommodating individual preferences, since CM has always been limited to about 50 people, how much spreading is really needed to be compliant? (FWIW, for the past several years, I've been driving up from NJ and back the same day)

I made some suggestions, and the deciders decided that they wanted an event that did not have everybody there at the same time. We're waiting to see if Mike's will let use the maze for the extended time span.

I will have to work out if Mountain Lakes (which contains a sliver of CT territory on the eastern edge of the map) is allowed under my self-imposed 'stay in CT for the full year' rule. Maybe I can ask the organizers to put all the controls in CT.

I think if you park in CT, you could somehow twist the logic to work.

Or you could change it to be some radius from your home, because germs aren't particularly interested in political boundaries.

I am infectiously irresistable but not actually a germ, so I am allowed to be interested in them.

I think that it would be possible to park at Sturges Park in Ridgefield, CT. It's about 2km in to the usual start location from there.

Quick update: The DIY Goat on the Mountain Lakes map is definite. The flags should be in the woods by the last weekend in August.

The Corn Maze over Labor Day weekend is still likely, but we're waiting on final confirmation.

Anyone want to mass starts on September 13 at 11.?We plan to do this with kids ...

This should be obvious but clearly is not. The whole point of the DIY part is that you don't mass start with people from outside your family...

Selfishness is what got us here, do your part to get us out.

Not forcing anyone to do it. It would be fun to have few people around. People can make their own decisions. I don’t think you can catch virus in the forest...

It's dependent on distance and relative humidity. (And it being present, obviously). I'm not a virologist, but I haven't read/seen you cannot catch it in the forest. I don't watch FOX or Breibart et al, so maybe there are alternative facts I'm unaware of.

I'm running on monday. hope to see flags. all but one of them.

BTW how do we pay for this event?

I don't know? How many asymptomatic people attempt to run Billygoat? We don't know. That's why there's no mass start. I'm tired of going out in a forest (with a mask), on a single track, doing what's obviously right and being ridiculed by people that are over 60. Obese and less than 6 ft away. Yet have the knowledge of a virologist. Why am I and my kids trying to keep them alive? Because somehow we care. Do whatever you want. Good luck. Have your day in the forest.
(Maybe think about deleting your first two posts too?)

The DIY Goat is available gratis for all. Enjoy the woods.

BTW there will be no DIY Goat shirt, contrary to earlier note. The prepared shirt design will be used for next year's Billygoat shirts.

Meh, spread out 3 or 4 meters at the start. I mean, how many people are we talking about, a dozen or so? They'll be spending little or no time close to each other. Don't hang out afterwards huddled together discussing route choices.

Really fun event even running it alone. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen!

I am happy to run spread out mass start ( not expecting many people) . I am not worried about sick people attempting to run Billygoat and breathing on each other for a long time. Of course if people are uncomfortable they should run alone. I like social aspect of orienteering even it is 6 ft apart after run or before. ( DVOA is hosting events now and it is working well) . We have things opening up - kids cross country, small 5 K races and some trail races. Looking forward to this event!

We will be there at 11am on Sunday (with kids). Will stay 2 meters away, so don't try to look at my map ! :)

Route Gadget is here http://www.vmeyer.net/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi

@coach, I better to bring my map.... kids are here?

Thank you for setting the course - lots of fun!

Are the controls coming down after tomorrow, or will they stay up a bit? I’ve been thinking it might be fun to try again.

They will be up until mid October.

All controls still in good condition as of today. Lots of leaves down makes paths tricky to follow in places and hiding small rocks. Lots of color.
Controls will be picked up in two more weeks.

would we be able to run the course next sunday? 10/18

Yes, we will probably take them down 19th onwards.