Second day, this is the shorter course, right? Billed as 4.0km as the crow flies. Ok, so I'd expect 6km as I wander. Billed as 90m climb: WTF! The cadet who came up with that figure is lucky he isn't in the Navy striking for submarine duty.
My route.Started out fine after a 20 minute rest and recuperation after climbing 100m to the Start. #1 was easy. Thought I was nailing #2 until a dense thicket of sapplings was in front of me blocking all visibility. This can't be right, so I went left toward some open space. Discovered I was at the serious cliff beyond, so turned back and found Karen O emerging from the thicket of saplings, so I took her reciprocal in to hit the bag in area where a dog couldn't turn around. Ok, now I know the course setter has an attitude.
#3 no problem and enjoyed a downhill fuel-saver to the n.e. tip of the lake, thinking I'd go low to the road, turn n.e. and let the road point me to #4. But at the lake tip, I decided I'd climb just a bit and go directly for control. Minutes later I discovered I was actually still on Plan A in the deep ravine. Climbed up to the road and completed. (I see PG ended up taking nearly the same route, like me inadvertently. The difference, of course, I don't move like a bullet train.) #5 was easy but the climb to #6 wore me out. I was getting dopey now and had trouble with #7 and #8.
Leaving #8 I thought I'd go up a little early-on so as to contour around. A sapling thicket at the corner and a view ahead of a tough traverse along the contour convinced me to descend where I found an unmarked old wagon path along what was marked as a long narrow marsh. Nice. But the climb just shy of #9 was a killer. I stopped to survey the imposing cliff to the n.e., turned around, and found #9 just 10 feet behind me.
To #10 and #11 was simply a slow death march through stoney areas and uphill with no navigation mysteries. Plodded through #12 and onward down across the brook bridge to the lake side lane, where I actually trotted the last 50m into the finish chute.