Ribbons and Map refreshes

Spent 5 hours in Umstead today setting ribbons for the Jan 25 event. What a great winter day it was! Below freezing, but sunny and calm. We so rarely get such weather over here.

Anyway, I set almost all ribbons (only 2 orange ones remained). However I faced a new problem. As you probably know, some areas of the Umstead park were mapped quite a few years ago and not current anymore. There were also a few inaccuracies (especially with rocks and cairns) from the very beginning. Every time I was setting courses I would notice these issues and would either ignore them or move controls slightly to avoid inaccurate features. This time I decided to confront the problem and instead of moving the controls fix the map. That's why 5 hours... I ended up fixing the map (only in control areas) in 6 places.

I'll send the new map to Joseph, of course. But I wonder, do we need a new way to maintain maps within the club, so people who make such small refreshes could simply upload new versions somewhere (with comments). And maybe have Joseph simply approve/reject the changes?

Highlighted map for the Umstead Park

Just a quick update on the latest activities. Joseph asked me to fix the Umstead map a bit, so it could be sold to the park visitors, so that's what I was doing during the last two weekends:

-- Moved the new trail behind the main shelter at Ready Creek entrance to the full map. I had this trails mapped in November last year, but it never got to the park map. Finally, it did :-)
-- Refreshed a bunch of small features in the same area (tables, benches etc.)
-- Mapped a few minor trails in the north part of the park
-- (And the hardest part!) Carefully highlighted all park trail and roads with pink color :-)

Sounds like a lot, but it wasn't much work really - just a few hours here and there. Now Joseph should be able to print the maps and I need to think about the next mapping project.

My first Radio-O and remaining ribbons

Big day today.

Two weeks ago Nadya and Charles kindly agreed to introduce me, Tanya and Michael to Radio Orienteering. I've always wanted to try it and, finally, my dream came true :-) Last weekend the weather wasn't nice, so Nadya and Charles decided to move the training to this Sunday and it worked out nicely.

Tanya couldn't come, because of long hours she had to put in the theater this weekend, but Michael agreed to accompany me. Nadya also invited Larisa, so there were five of us (as far as I understood we were the second biggest Radio-O club in the US at that moment :-) ). I was a bit concerned about complexity of the equipment and rules at the beginning, but it turned out to be much simpler than I thought. Nadya explained the essentials in 10 minutes and off we went looking for the transmitters! And you know what? It was fun!

I am surprised so few people participate in this sport. It not only requires regular orienteering skills, but also gives you a mathematical challenge! You can view every course as a geometrical problem with several unknowns which you gradually resolve while running through the forest! Speaking about a sport for thinking runners!

Anyway, I think both me and Michael are hooked up now and Tanya will definitely try it too. We'll see how often such trainings can be organized, but I hope we can do it at least 1-2 times a month.

After the Radio-O I brought Michael home, drove Tanya to the theater and returned back to the Umstead Park to finish the ribbons setting. No rain today and less distance, so I was done in 2 hours. Interestingly, I had to move 4 white and yellow controls after visiting the planned spots. Things like overflown creeks on White course and freshly fallen trees caused the adjustments. Yet another reason to check all White and Yellow controls BEFORE the map is finalized!

But the map is finalized now and the only remaining field work will come on Friday when Tanya and I plan to set the advanced controls (and of course during the event day).

I guess, that concludes this day report :-) Indeed, an eventful day.

Plans and Goals for 2008

Tanya (my wife) and I signed up for organizing three BOK events this year: one training and two regular meets. The training event was in January, so it is in the past now. Two regular meets are obviously on our to do list and are my main goals for this year. But there are a few more.

Here is the full list:
1. Organize April 13 BOK event (Umstead North).
2. Organize October 19 BOK event (Umstead).
3. Complete Schenck Forest map refresh I started in 2007 by May. I am 70% done there, but it is going to take 4-5 more days to finish. Josef Trzicky told me that he also updated that map last year, so it looks like we did the same work twice... But, anyway, this is my first map and I'd like to finish it. It would be interesting to compare with Josef's one later one and see where I messed up :-)
4. Do some map refreshing in Umstead or at Lake Johnson in the autumn.

I guess, that's it for now.