Chesnut Ridge Park. Mid 70s and very humid with threats of showers
FR = 6.030, 145m climb
Route Gadget /
WinSplits
~30 seconds lost on #1, surprised when the boulders weren't at the edge of the field, and confused by the fact that the fellow who started when I did punched at a control location awfully close to mine (in fact it was the same on). I thought everyone was supposed to have a different control 1, especially this close to the start.
AP has me with errors on several controls involving stream crossings, but those are only because I slow way down on steep climbs. I found the rest of the controls right where I wanted them to be.
2 - I should have gone from 1 through the field and the open-with-scattered-trees to the road instead of picking my way across the stream and then slogging up the hill and ending up across from the trail just south of the stream anyway.
3 - SE to the road junction and along the fence to the first crossing point, then compass right to the jct.
4 - S to the main trail, crossed over to the smaller one and east along the stream for a little ways until the crossing/steepness looked less, then up to the top of the hill.
5 - Compass. The drop into the stream bed was scary; I leaned forward to keep my weight balanced over my feet as I learned in downhill skiing -- try it, it helps! Got to the bottom and was looking for the best way up when I slipped an landed on my side in the muck! Sloppy, but it kept me cool for the rest of the run. :-) (Had to brush mud off my control descriptions at subsequent controls...) Hit the ride just NE of the boulder. Probably 'lost' nearly a minute due to having to pick myself up and "dust" myself off, then climb the steep hill.
6 - Trail to bend, then bike/intermittent trail to stream. Crossed the stream but wasn't sure exactly where I was so my goal was to just get out to the road safely. Got there, took trail/ride north of the boulders until I saw the open field then attacked. Several others shortly ahead of me, including Judy D and, I think, Gail (pink shirt), who I saw through 8-9.
7 - Tried the "open" field but high/prickly vegetation in it forced me into the light green woods which weren't bad. Kissed off the small building at the end of the road just SSW.
8 - back up to the E-W ride, along field edge, then cut in.
9 - Headed a bit more NE than straight to avoid the steepest climb, then along the stream
10 - Contoured along stream, crossed and took an unmapped trail up to road. Across bridge, then compass to stream before it crosses the trail, then counted dot knolls.
11 - NE to trail which crossed the stream at a gentle angle, then down the road until the little side trail headed toward the fence opening, and around (looped around the vegetation at the top of the stream)