orienteering 40:25 [3] 3.09 mi (13:04 / mi) +392ft 11:40 / mi
shoes: brooks #2 lighter
A meet at French Creek. 4.3 km beeline.
I haven't been to French Creek in many years. Back when I did go I never liked it, but I guess enough time had passed that I thought maybe I'd like it this time.
Though actually, I think the real reason I went was that I wanted to play golf with Clem. :-)
So Clem was doing the trifecta -- O', trail-O, and golf. I was doing my version of the same trifecta -- hopeless O', spectator trail-O and golf. And, as you would hope, things only got better as the day progressed.
The hopeless O' -- well, I couldn't find #1. At least that's what the split sheet said as it DQ'd me. I couldn't really remember, I mean quite a bit of time had passed and I don't remember most things these days. My initial reaction was that of course I'd been there. On a moment's reflection I thought it was reasonably likely that I hadn't.
No worries, time was passing, the day was getting on, the sun sets early these days, still lots to do. Rendezvous with Clem, he also just off a hopeless-O', golf clubs and proper clothing transferred to his car and off to the trail O'. He was competing -- you aren't allowed to just file a protest, you actually have to compete first, bummer -- and I was there in a support role, spectating and cheering I assumed.
But there was no indication of where spectators were allowed or not allowed, so, wanting to behave myself, I stayed in the parking area and chatted up the e-punch expert Sandy Ahlswede. Very fine use of time. And before long Clem showed up. The results would later show that he had the fastest time around the course. Bravo! Unfortunately, in trail-O the fastest time counts for squat.
So now onto the main event. We motor off to a nearby course, check in, they'll have us for $15 each, very fine. And then we have at it. Three and a half hours later, the sun having set a couple of holes earlier, the sky darkening, the full moon rising back over the 18th fairway, well, it was the conclusion to a most pleasurable trip around the course. The usual mix of the sublime and the ridiculous when it was a matter of the golf, but the company was always excellent. One just hopes that we get to do this again.
And then, the serious work done for the day, off to the wine tasting, with Clem driving like a bat out of hell, actually faster than that, but fortunately on the first part where the road was rather narrow and had a few bends, the car ahead of us was only going 75, so Clem couldn't go near as fast as he wanted. I was quivering.
And then the dinner and the course review, all very fine. Thanks DVOA.
Oh, and the rest of the hopeless-O? Hmmm, missed #4, technique was go where it feels right, but I got diverted by seeing another control. Checked it out, saw where I was, had been doing fine if I just hadn't see this decoy.
Missed #5, but not bad.
#7 was similar to #4, long leg across a blank map, technique was just go where it feels right, again the misfortune of just noticing a decoy off in the distance. Checked it out, saw where I was, maybe, went and found where I was supposed to be which was pretty much where I was heading. Oh well.
And fell down at least a dozen times. And tweaked an ankle.
But somehow by dinner time I was in the results with a time. Will have to get that fixed in the morning, unless they can prove I really was at #1. And I don't think they can. :-)