Training Log Archive: furlong47

There's a little beginner permanent course at a nearby park that was installed last year as an Eagle Scout project, with help from my friend John G, so I finally went over there to check it out. It was designed with the iOrienteering program which uses your phone to scan QR codes at each control.

I swear I've seen an actual map for this course, but couldn't find one online or at the park. There's a tab in the app for map, so I figured it may load once I got to the park and scanned the start code. First the map wouldn't load at all, just a black screen with some buttons that did nothing, so I got this idea that maybe I could just wander along and find the controls. First I found finish. Then #2. I looked around a bit in likely areas for #1 but didn't see anything. So I tried reloading the app and this time the map tab worked. I went back to start and began again.

Unfortunately, it didn't load an orienteering type map but rather a Google Maps aerial image showing the control locations. The ones in the open area were then easy, but the ones in the woods were quite a bit more challenging seeing as the image only showed treetops and I had no idea where the trails went. This led to a little bit of bumbling and some reliance on the little GPS dot in the app, but that also didn't work right until I figured out that opening the actual Google Maps app would update the dot in iOrienteering as well.

Despite all that I somehow have the fastest time in the short results list. Unfortunately it doesn't look like anyone else has tried the course aside from the creators and myself. I think it would be quite challenging for anyone with no orienteering experience unless there was a way to get the actual map...

Event: DVOA Bucks County Community College
 

DVOA Bucks County Community College - Sprint 1

Super fun campus/urbanish sprint stuff! Biggest mistake at 4, where I first visited the control for sprint 2 which was a bit south. Then decided I must be on the wrong building, went around the corner and saw 8, realized I was in fact on the right building and then figured out where the control was located.

At 7 headed to 8, briefly went one direction and then settled on the other instead, when it looks like the original direction was probably a better choice.

8 to 9, headed across the field toward the wrong building but realized it partway across and corrected.

Proud of myself for making some route choices that involved going backwards but were actually the best route... I often miss those options.

DVOA Bucks County Community College - Sprint 2

Error from 3 to 4 when I missed the first break between buildings and ended up in the second one instead, where I saw the small building and realized I was wrong. I sometimes have this issue due to the scale and just blowing right by something when it's not very far into the leg. That one error cost me two places. Feel like the rest of the course was ok though. I know I didn't choose every single best route on both courses, but looking at the routes posted so far I didn't do too bad.

Sprint 1 - Splits

Sprint 2 - Splits

Lesson on Neo

Around Overlook after going to the library