Discussion: Flying Pig

I'm really looking forward to the pig this year!

The Pig is like the annual gateway to spring for me.

This year, I'm not so sure that will work though. It might still be winter in June.

Too bad you didn't come down to the QOC Patapsco meet today. 40 degrees and raining hard, then changing to ice and finally snow for the trip home. A surprise winter storm! The Pig will hopefully be tropical by comparison.

Also looking forward to! I'm guessing footwear with utmost traction?

@AliC: Yes.

ICO held the Conquer the Crossroads Rogaine on Saturday in Brown County State Park which is adjacent to Yellowwood where the Flying Pig was held last year. It was 38 degrees and raining hard for the starts at 9:00 am (12 hr) and 10:00 am (6 hr). Fortunately the rain stopped by 1:00 pm but the breeze came up. It certainly didn't feel tropical but all of the 6 hr teams were happy as they finished.

The weather looks like it will be warmer in Indiana for this weekend :)

To reiterate cedarcreek for emphasis, @AliC Yes!! Bear Creek has soil that turns to grease when wet and wet is all but certain.

It was tropical two years ago. We arrived from cold Pennsylvania to Kentucky where it was something crazy like 90 degrees. I spent the entire course thinking I would die of heat stroke.

The Flying Greased Pig? Time to bring out the Mudclaws and hope the rain stops early enough.

It also might be good to consider long sleeves for protection from briars. I was out vetting yesterday, and my arms got nicely scratched up. I haven't been to Mounds lately, but it hasn't changed---still scratchy.

Ok, longsleeves and Icebugs it is!!

Exciting news from the Flying Pig.
Orienteers are now responsible for the first positive identification of a species new to science! For many years there have been reported sightings in southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana of a black, cat-like animal, somewhat larger than a large housecat. Around Oxford, sightings over the last 40 or so years resulted in a local legend of the Oxford panther, described as a black cat the size of a mountain lion. In recent weeks, mapper and course setter David_Waller has obtained two photos of one of these cats in the Mounds Recreation Area where this year’s Pig will be held (and they are actually quite a bit smaller than an adult mountain lion, but a little bigger than a typical bobcat). Vetter cedarcreek recently obtained hair and scat samples which were sent for identification. Results are back, and simply amazing. “This is definitely a felid species previously unknown to science” says lead investigator Chuck Akabarra of the International Center for Cryptid Research And Preservation. We are very excited to finally have definitive evidence of this species. This vindicates hundreds of sightings which have been dismissed as fakes or misidentifications. Akabarra and other researchers from the Center will be attending the Pig this weekend, and will be eager to gather any evidence and reports of sightings by Pig participants.

April Fool!

Very nice! Mazel tov.

But, after all these years, why no confirmed sightings of a flying pig?

meow ;)

Start times are now posted.

A new feline species! How exciting.

:)
With such imagery we could rebrand O as the "outfox the cat sport"

Great to have confirmation from someone at I.C.C.R.A.P.

Cool!

I'll be there saturday! Cant wait!

I humbly suggest that the new species be called by the Latin name Felis aprilfoolicus.

ALERT: US 52 just south of Brookville, Indiana is closed indefinitely due to a mudslide. If you are coming from Cincinnati or Cincinnati Airport, you will NOT be able to get through to Brookville. Because of the Whitewater River, there are not any short, easy ways around. If you are coming from Cincinnati to Bear Creek or Mounds, we recommend going by US 27 to Oxford then following the locator map via Bath Rd and Fairfield Causeway. Allow extra travel time. On the rural Indiana county roads, if no speed limit is posted, then the limit is 55. But the roads are narrow and have lots of potholes.

Oh this is embarrassing. You probably didn't think of *this* when you read "mudslide". I drove by it a few days ago---the guardrail hadn't dropped below the road yet, but---it didn't strike me as unusual for roads around there. I can't decide if they've seen something really alarming, or if the other mudslide has them being extra cautious.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/Landslide-will-close-a-la...

Also, the detour shown in the video is a joke---that's just for semis or something.

Mike's detour will work, but I'm from Brookville, so I have to take a "proper" detour on small twisty backroads without lane markings:

Bear Creek: I-74 to exit 164, Indiana 1 North to St. Peters Road, then west. Now go north on Highland Center Rd or Blue Creek Road. Blue Creek is slightly safer, longer, and wider, but more fun. Plus you pass through the town of St Peter, which will stick in your memory as a peculiar rural midwestern town. Highland Center goes through Klemmes Corner and then descends Meyncke's Hill, which isn't terrible, but be careful. Either option basically drops you into Brookville (left at the first light). Then go through town and take IN1 through Blooming Grove. A few miles more to Big Bear Rd (left).

Mounds: I-74 to exit 169, US 52. North to Cedar Grove. Just north of Cedar Grove, take Big Cedar Rd north to 252. Jog left a bit at 252 and take "Big Cedar Rd N". Be careful for the next couple miles because there's a one-lane bridge and some sharp turns---speeding strongly discouraged---I go 10mph a few places. But basically keep going until it changes into Liberty Pike, then turn L at Hetrick Rd (which is the same as Farm Hill Rd), then North on Mud Rd, then Left on Fox Hill Rd. That will drop you on 101 at the main entrance to Mounds SRA.

Also, cell service is spotty in the valleys, so don't trust the typical smartphone GPS. Finally, expect to see lots of speeding enforcement everywhere.

Cedarcreek's offers some creative detours for those who like a challenge of exploring and driving. These detour routes are probably not best suited for buses and Rv's as they are twisty and narrow.

Well, we are staying in Harrison so we might need those detours.

We had worse sinkhole areas than that on the interstates around here this winter...

The Blue Creek Rd option is quite drivable for buses. The tightest part is where St Peters Rd diverts from a straight line, and that's not bad.

Big Cedar Rd south of 252 is decent, but is said to be crowded and busy because of the detour. You can skip the difficult section north of 252 by going west on 252 to Dorrell Rd (at Palestine, Indiana, a very tiny crossroads)---check a map for how to get to Highway 101 from Dorrell. (Dorrell tees at Oxford Pike, west to Whitcomb crossroads, north on Whitcomb Rd, left on Pea Ridge Rd)

The other option for buses and RVs is Johnson Fork Rd. You exit I-74 at US 52, exit 169, then go south/east a mile or two to Johnson Fork Rd. That, like Blue Creek, is a wider, gentler "main" country road. It follows Johnson Fork (a stream) so it's gently curvy. There is also a real, actual working historical covered bridge at Snow Hill Rd. You can drive through it and park to read the historical marker. Johnson Fork Rd takes you to Mt. Carmel, Indiana, which is on 252. Go straight through (I hope!) onto Springfield Rd, then stay on that through some turns and intersections, generally straight north, and left on Hetrick Rd, which is part of Mike's directions.

I'm unfortunately not going, but having grown up in Indiana, I think you should mention the clearance on that covered bridge. Is it high enough for buses?

The bridge is on a side road (Snow Hill), so they don't have to go through.

I also like to exit I-74 at Ohio exit #1 and use New Haven to Carolina Trace to New Biddinger to California to OH 126 west which becomes IN 252 west, and right (north) on Springfield). Depends how good a map / gps you have and how comfortable you are with fairly narrow, sometimes bumpy roads.

Apologies for the thread hijack.

The initial orders are in for the TeamUSA uniforms for the Seniors, Juniors, Trail-O, ARDF and Deaf-O. The sizing kit will be at the Flying Pig and Sunday morning is the final deadline for sizes. The sizing kit will be available to try at the meet on Saturday and at the dinner on Saturday night.

Final details TBD.

For those hoping to order uniforms for MTBO, Military-O, WUOC, WMOC or WRC, please make an effort to determine your size. The order for these will go in on May 31 for delivery July 31.

Can somebody tell us what is the true feel of the size - should we go size up, size down, or stay with our usual size?

Day 1 splits are posted: http://www.attackpoint.org/eventdetail.jsp/event_1...

We had last minute course updates split between two Condes files, so I'll follow up in a few days with the course data file that adds the leg lengths.

On sizing, of course best to find someone similar to you who can actually try stuff on and let you know what they think. I'm a Women's M/Unisex S in the tops (sizing up the jacket one for sleeve length) and a Unisex M in bottoms, if that helps anyone.

Day 2 splits are posted---same link as two posts up.

Day 3 splits up: http://www.attackpoint.org/eventdetail.jsp/event_1...

The combined time from Saturday and Sunday should be available on the ocin.org website within a day.

And team results?

Just in case there is any question in anybody's mind, the "new cat" posting earlier in this thread was an April Fool's prank. The story had hidden clues at the end with a "scientist" named Chuck Akabarra (chupacabra) who worked for International Center for Cryptid Research And Preservation - the acronym of those letters spells IC (I see) CRAP.

There really was an urban legend of the "Oxford panther", although that story may possibly have roots going back to a local all black segregated basketball team in the 1920's, or perhaps was an inspiration for that team's name.

A number of years ago, a major science magazine (I think it was Discover) posted a similar prank about the discovery of a new Antarctic species called hot-headed ice borer that allegedly used a concentration of blood vessels in its head to melt tunnels through ice. Although the article contained several clues, the story took on a life of its own, eventually being reprinted in other magazines and media. Despite the magazine later posting a clear statement that the story had been a prank, it continued to recirculate for some time. We at OCIN certainly don't want to perpetuate our prank as fact.

So, sorry folks, the cat is out of the bag.

Come on Mike. I don't believe you. I was in a really thick patch of vegetation out there, and I swear I saw evidence of this creature.

You may not believe in it, but I do.

Me too- I tawt I taw a puddy tat!

In the late 60's, there were a number of "black panther" sightings in Vermont. Turns out people were seeing Fishers (Fisher cats) which were starting to re-establish themselves in the area. Up to that point though, no one had ever seen anything like them and thought they were black panthers.

@ breseman: We're working on team results and combined time results. There are some issues we need to fix.

I did wonder if you were going for a goatsucker reference there, but it seemed like a stretch.