Snowshoeing 30:00 [1]
slept:2.5
Thomass Glen Haffy - a fun, scenic and interesting course designed by Leanimal. It became more challenging than expected at the last minute after a huge dump of snow on Wednesday night followed by more snow on Saturday. It was a long, strenuous race, but most people came out smiling because mucking around in deep snow brings out the child in all of us.
Some racers used snowshoes, and it seemed like most people I talked with were happy with their decision to either use them or not use them. When I hung the flags on Friday, I used snowshoes, and I wouldn't have done it any other way. But I was breaking trail 100% of the time, which wasn't true for all the racers. As it turned out, half of the top six finishers wore snowshoes and the other half didn't.
Absolutely fantastic post-race buffet put on by Rocky, Scooby, Mrs. Scooby and Crash. Yummy chili, hot chocolate and brownies warmed everyone up - and they were hungry after such a long race! We normally get bottled water and bagged cookies after an orienteering race, so this was amazing. Thanks also to Phatty for the awesome prizes from Salomon. I got a jar of jam for winning the Canadian Orienteering Championship a couple of years ago, but yesterday's Thomass podium winners got a fleece jacket or hydration backpack. We're lucky to have some great members in this new club!
Because of system and OOA-related issues, the Race Director was unable to get a planned e-mail out to participants letting them know about the snow depth, including a suggestion that they consider using snowshoes, and also telling them about the extended race time, which would have enabled them to plan food, drink and clothing better. Thanks to everyone for being good sports about it and giving your best effort on a textbook Canadian winter day!