Results from the annual Scrooge-O event are
now available on the results page.
December 1, 2010
The Rochester Orienteering Club Annual Membership
Meeting (including Election of Board Members and Awards, Potluck Supper
& SCROOGE-O*) will take place at 5:00 PM, Saturday, December 4,
2010 at Rotary Cabin in Camp Eastman. Please note that in some versions
of the schedule, the date was listed as the 5th - it is actually
SATURDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 4th.
To get to Camp Eastman, take Rt. 590 north to Durand
Blvd (the last stoplight before the north end of 590). Go left (west)
on Durand Blvd. The name will change to Sweet Fern Road and then to
Lakeshore Blvd. Camp Eastman is off of Lakeshore Blvd, west of all of
the entrances to Durand Eastman Park. Look for the orienteering signs.
Schedule of events:
4:00 Board of Directors meeting (all are welcome to attend)
5:00 Annual general membership meeting (which will be brief), followed by a potluck dinner
6:00 (approx) Scrooge-O starts
Bring a flashlight, compass, dish to pass and a place setting. For more information, call the ROC Hotline at 377-5650
*Scrooge-O: An orienteering Score-O event in the
dark that combines the fun of hide-and-seek and tag. One or more people
are designated as Scrooges and given red flashlights and blank
punchcards. When a Scrooge's flashlight is shone on an orienteer they
must exchange their completed punchcard for the red light and blank
card thus becoming the scrooge. Individuals, family groups and
especially children love it! Everyone Welcome!
Also, ROC started a tradition a few years ago to
collect clothing items to donate to the St Joseph's House of
Hospitality on South Ave ( It serves the needs of homeless men) This
year, we are asking for donations of SOCKS, men's socks. So, if you
can, please bring a pair of new, men's socks for the homeless ( no need
for fancy socks, any style will be appreciated).
November 8, 2010
Results from the Saturday Night-O event are
now available on the results page.
November 3, 2010
This Saturday we are pleased to offer a Night-Orienteering event at Mendon Ponds
Park. Start/Finish will be at West Lodge. There will be a mass start at 6:05 pm
and a 90 minute time limit to complete the courses. Bring headlights or
flashlights. It will be total darkness. We encourage you to also bring a whistle
for safety.
We offer options to compete in White, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Green, Red, and
Blue. Since I liked Georg Nadorff's version of Night-O last year I decided to
blatantly use a similar setup with a twist. Please come early, so we can get
everyone registered and ready for a mass start. There will be a briefing at 6:00
pm, at which time maps will also be handed out. You will have about 2 minutes to
study the map and make a plan. Mass start will begin after the 2 minute
planning. What class you are ranked in will depend on how many controls you
visit as follows:
*Visit 8 controls, you will be ranked in the White course, based on your finish
time.
*Visit 11 controls, you will be ranked in the Yellow course, based on your
finish time.
*Visit 14 controls, you will be ranked in the Orange course, based on your
finish time.
*Visit 17 controls, you will be ranked in the Brown course, based on your finish
time.
*Visit 20 controls, you will be ranked in the Green course, based on your finish
time.
*Visit 23 controls, you will be ranked in the Red course, based on your finish
time.
*Visit 26 controls, you will be ranked in the Blue course, based on your finish
time.
NOTE: if you visit any other number of controls, you will only be ranked in the
course below the total number of controls visited. (example: if you visit 19
controls, you will still only be ranked in Brown, so visiting extra controls is
just a waste of your time unless you just want the extra training.)
As you visit controls, punch the card in the order you visit them. For those
running blue, you can punch controls 25 and 26 above normal punch areas. There
will be 26 regular controls. The twist is there will be one additional control,
a ghost control. The ghost control will appear exactly 30 minutes after the
mass start and will only be available for 10 minutes. The ghost control counts
as two controls, so when you visit it you can punch your card twice. So if you
are a green runner, you will need to visit 20 regular controls or 18 regular and
the one ghost control. The ghost control will be centrally located and accessible
to all classes.
If you return after the 90 minute time limit, you will lose one control for each
minute you are late. This could drop you to a lower class.
The white areas of the maps are very open now that we are approaching winter.
Some trail sections are muddy, but most are dry. Avoid marshy areas unless you
want to get very wet. One control, #38, may require the crossing of a deep
marshy area. Logs and branches were laid for a dry crossing next to the
control, so if you want to stay dry try to cross the swampy area close to the
control.
October 25, 2010
Results from the Sunday meet at Rotary Sunshine Camp as well as the final Club Series standings are
now available on the results page.
October 19, 2010
There will be a meet this Sunday, with a full range of courses: White, Yellow,
Orange, Brown, Green, and Red. So there is something for everyone!
This is the last of the Club Series meets for 2010, which means the club
champions in each age group will be decided.
Courses offered, along with the lengths, are given below. The climb is relatively
insignificant, so I didn't bother to estimate it; even though there is a lot of
sometimes intricate contour detail, there are no really significant hills to overcome.
White: 1.6 km, 9 controls
Yellow: 2.7 km, 11 controls
Orange: 4.2 km, 15 controls
Brown: 3.7 km, 12 controls
Green: 4.7 km, 14 controls
Red: 5.8 km, 15 controls (the Red course will be shown on two sheets,
back to back in the map case, with roughly the first half of the
controls on one sheet, and the second half on the other sheet)
You may start any time between noon and 2:00 p.m. All courses close, and controls will be picked up promptly, at 4:00 p.m.
Directions:
- Take I-390 to the Rush exit (Rt. 251/Rt. 15)
- Turn south (left, if you're coming from Rochester) on Rt. 15.
- Go 2.75 miles south on Rt. 15, then turn left on Honeoye Falls Five Point Road
(there will be a sign pointing to “Sunshine Camp” at the intersection).
- Go about 1 mile on Honeoye Falls Five Point Road to the first intersection.
Turn right, and go about 0.5 miles to the entrance to Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp.
- Park in the main lot at the Sunshine Camp.
- The start/finish is in the Memorial building adjacent to the pond, which is
about a 300 meter walk from the parking lot. There will be streamers and/or signs directing
you to the Memorial building.
Important note: The bowhunting season for deer opened on October 16. Thus, there may be bowhunters
on the DEC land! It is highly recommended that everyone on Orange, Brown, Green, and Red courses wear
bright colors (blaze orange would be best). And please be courteous if you encounter any hunters. I’m
sure we’re not all that pleased that hunters will be in the woods, but they are also probably not that
pleased that orienteers are running through the normally deserted woods! Keep in mind that both groups
have the right to be there. There is very limited parking for the DEC land (two very small lots, each of
which hold 2-3 cars), so presumably if hunters are present at all, there should be few of them.
Adjacent to the DEC land and Sunshine Camp land is a gun club; it is likely that you will hear
gunshots from the south. Don't be alarmed by that; their shooting is done in such a way that
bullets do not stray from their property.
We will be using a brand new map, field checked in August through October of this year. The
base map utilizes LIDAR contour data, high-quality aerial photos, and the previous map, made
in 1997 by Karl Kolva.
The terrain will consist of the Sunshine Campus land, along with DEC land which borders the
Sunshine Campus land on two sides. White and Yellow courses will remain on Sunshine Campus
property, while other courses will utilize significant areas of the DEC land as well as the Sunshine Campus.
A few comments about the terrain and the mapping:
- The scale is the fairly standard 1:10,000. The contour interval is 2.5 meters,
and there is extensive use of form lines to better show some of the more subtle land shapes.
- There are a lot of rock features, probably more than any other local park.
- Boulders are mapped as either a “boulder” (relatively small solid black circle),
or “large boulder” (distinctly larger solid black circle).
- The approximate cutoff for mapping a boulder is that anything knee high or above would be mapped.
Sometimes boulders shorter than knee high would be mapped depending on their visibility – if the
boulder is large (long/wide) with a lot of rock plainly showing, it is generally mapped even if
less than knee high at the tallest point. On the other hand, if a boulder is smaller and covered
with moss (and thus not nearly as obvious in the forest), it would not generally be mapped unless knee high.
- When boulders are higher than waist high (roughly 1 meter), they are mapped as large boulders.
(Some are higher than head height!)
- There is one cliff that is mapped.
- Other rock features are boulder clusters (several boulders in close proximity, where it wouldn’t
be practical to map each one), boulder fields (a larger area of boulders, too many to map clearly),
rock piles, and rocky ground.
- There are quite a few rootstocks (root system of a fallen tree). The cutoff for mapping a rootstock
is that it is mapped if 2 meters tall or higher, at the highest point.
- The Sunshine Camp and DEC boundaries are shown accurately on the map, and are fairly well
posted, going either way, from Sunshine Camp to DEC and vice versa, and from Sunshine Camp or DEC land
to private land and vice versa.
- Many trails on the DEC land are indistinct in any season of the year, and are particularly indistinct
in the fall, when they are covered with leaves. (They are shown as indistinct trails on the map.)
Dick Detwiler
October 4, 2010
Information about the October 13th meet:
Location: Webster Park, Parkview Lodge
Sprint 2-4PM
Score 4:30-5:30PM
Both Events are E-Punch
Dinner: Vegetarian Chili, Bread, Salad & Dessert 5:45PM
Cost: $10 Jrs. 18 & under $5
RSVP with E-Punch number to wornerkohn@aol.com
October 4, 2010
Results from the Sunday meet at Mendon as well as the current Club Series standings are
now available on the results page.
September 30, 2010
What: Orienteering in Mendon Ponds Park on White, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Green, and Red courses with epunch.
This is also the Fifth ROC club series event.
When: Starts from noon until 2pm. The starting controls will be pulled at 2pm, so give yourself time. Courses close at 4pm.
Where: Cavalry Lodge.
Cost: $6; $3 for club members.
Course setter notes:
Red: 6.69 km, 17 controls, 1:10,000
Green: 6.23 km, 14 controls, 1:10,000
Brown: 4.12 km, 12 controls, 1:7,500
Orange: 3.96 km, 13 controls, 1:7,500
Yellow: 2.93 km, 11 controls, 1:5,000
White: 1.94 km, 8 controls, 1:5,000
We're
starting at Cavalry Lodge and using mostly the East Esker areas - so
the courses are hilly! But the woods and trails are in perfect shape
and very runnable. Poison ivy will not be a problem, but there are
patches of viny undergrowth in some of the depressions that could slow
you down. On Red or Green, leg covering is recommended but not
critical, on the other courses running shorts would work as well.
We could use another person or two for flag pickup
if you have time after the event. Just check in with myself or Rob
Stevens please.
See you on Sunday!
September 22, 2010
Results from the National Orienteering Day event at Highland Park are
now available on the results page.
September 16, 2010
This Saturday we celebrate National Orienteering Day with a meet
in Highland Park. The main purpose is to introduce orienteering to newcomers, so
it would be great if you could bring someone out who's never done it. There will
be white and yellow courses free to newcomers, as well as prizes. We encourage
club members to come and help welcome newcomers and do the mango (3.7 km.) which
takes you all over the park, and/or the 2.3 km sprint, after which awards will
be made for the sprint series. We still need help in most areas.
As in previous years, the starts are 12-2 PM at the South Avenue Recreation Center,
behind School 12 on South Avenue opposite Highland Hospital.
September 12, 2010
Results from the Sunday event at Rattlesnake Hill are
now available on the results page.
September 9, 2010
We have some really interesting courses set for the meet on Sunday at Rattlesnake Hill
(Google Maps)
and
hope that you will plan to attend. It's quite a distance but the Park-n-ride at
the 390 Rush exit makes a good place to meet and share a ride.
There are limited facilities at the event parking area
i.e. no water supply, one port-a-john, no nearby stores. We will have
limited water available but it would be good if you could plan to bring
your own water. We will have the usual snacks.
Starts are from 12-2pm and courses will close by 4pm to make sure
everyone is out of the woods and controls picked up before dark. If you
are planning to do a longer course and don't go real fast you should
plan to arrive early.
There will be a full set of courses:
Course Length No. Controls Climb
white 2.2 km 8 40 m
yellow 2.9 km 8 70 m
orange 4.0 km 8 80 m
brown 4.1 km 7 125 m
green 5.7 km 10 185 m
red 7.0 km 10 200 m
General course notes:
- The woods are generally quite open and easy to traverse, although
green areas can be slow.
- Trails were in very good shape, although there are some muddy areas
due to horses
- Rough open areas are rough ... the grass is high, and the ground is
full of ruts. Care should be taken when passing through these areas.
Special notes:
- The NYS DEC does want anyone parking on the roads. The parking lot at the top of the hill
is reserved for meet workers and a few early arrivals. When that fills you will need to turn
right on Ebert Road and park in the lot about 400M down the hill on the East side of the road.
If that fills you will need to go back down Bannick Hill Road and park in the lot on the
South side of the road 800M (?).
- We don't plan on setting up a String O because of the limited space and rugged terrain.
The White course is "family" friendly. You might also want to bring a chair or two. Rain is in
the forecast so plan accordingly. We will have one small shelter for registration.
August 22, 2010
Results from the Saturday event Powder Mill Park are
now available on the results page.
August 19, 2010
The next local event will take place this Saturday, 8/21, at Powder Mills Park, Butternut Grove Shelter.
Sprint Series #5 and White course: start from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Score-O mass start at 11:00 a.m.
Sprint-A and Sprint-B courses offered. Sprint-A counts toward Club series. Sprint courses feature e-punching.
Score-O details:
Score-O will feature debut of e-punching for this type of event. Don't miss out.
Mass start at 11 a.m. sharp. One-hour time limit. Overtime penalty = TBD
Control point values:
odd controls = 1 point
even controls = 2 points
controls ending in zero = 10 points
As an added bonus, there are no clue descriptions for the score-o. Only the control codes and their
respective point values are printed on the map as a courtesy.
August 15, 2010
Results from the Black Creek event and the current ROC Sprint Series standings are
now available on the results page.
August 7, 2010
The Rochester Orienteering Club will host a summer Score-O and Sprint Series orienteering meet
beginning at 6PM on Wednesday August 11 at Black Creek Park starting at the Pathfinder shelter.
White and Sprint starts are between 6:00 and 7:30 PM. The one-hour score-O begins at 7:00 PM
with a mass start. Be sure to arrive early enough to get registered before your start and if
you want to do a Sprint and the Score-O make sure you arrive early enough to get back from the
Sprint by 7:00PM.
Course Setter Notes:
The courses for will be on a recently updated map. Linda has made improvements to the entire map
with extensive updates to the area around the east side pavilions. Because most recent changes to
the park have been around east side pavilions and the updates have been focused on that area, the
mapping for the Sprint/White Course areas is quite up to date. In general, the park has some
extremely dense stands of vegetation (dark green on the map) and the rough open (yellow) areas
have grown unchecked, so runnability varies. The yellow vegetation will primarily affect the
Sprint Series sprint (Sprint A) and the Score-O. The yellow areas for Sprint A are generally
passable with waist-high vegetation - but do include areas of uneven/wet ground.
The maps will be at 1:5,000 for the Sprint and White Courses and 1:10,000 for the Score-O.
E-punching will be used for the White and both Sprint Courses. Sprint A counts towards the club's
Sprint Series Championship. Sprint B is a little shorter and is technically a little easier than
Sprint A but is a little more difficult than the white course.
The tentative courses lengths are as follows:
White: 2.10 km – 11 controls
Sprint A (Sprint Series): 2.48 km – 12 controls
Sprint B: 1.79 km – 11 controls
Score-O: 24 controls with varying point values
Please note that on all courses you will find some wet/low areas and you will likely
leave with muddy shoes. All of the courses, including the White course, cross the interior
park roads – so please be careful and mindful of the traffic.
July 25, 2010
Results from the Saturday event at Durant Eastman park
now available on the results page. Score-O results
from Cobbs Hill have been located and added to the website as well.
July 20, 2010
Orienteering this Saturday at Durand Eastman Park!
Courses:
- white - 1.8km, 35m climb, 9 controls
- sprint A (sprint series course) - 2km, 70m climb, 11 controls
- sprint B - 1.6km, 35m, 8 controls
- score-O - 60 minutes, 24 controls, distance and climb is up to you!
White and sprint starts are between 10 and 11am. The score-O begins at
11am with a mass start. Be sure to arrive early enough to get
registered before your start. All courses start at the Conifer Shelter.
Epunching will be used for the sprint courses. Sprint A counts towards
the club's Sprint Series Championship. Sprint B is a little shorter,
has a little less climb, and is technically a little easier than sprint
A but is a little more difficult than the white course.
The sprint is the third in the club's Sprint Series Championship. The
best four results over the six races in the series count towards
determining the club Sprint Series champions for 2010. Note that only
the sprint A course counts towards the series!
Course setter's notes:
There are many flags, some of which are quite close to each other. Be
sure to check the control codes (and the clue descriptions) to make sure
you are punching the right control - not every flag you see will be on
your course.
Runners will probably be able to stay ahead of the bugs, but everyone
else may want bug spray. Vegetation wasn't too much of a problem when
checking control locations, but leg covering is not a bad idea if you
are planning to go off-trail.
The golf course is out of bounds - DO NOT cross the golf course or
walk/run on any part of the fairways.
Use caution when traveling along or crossing roads. Stay well on the
shoulder on Lakeshore Blvd (on the north edge of the park). Also watch
for cars on park roads, though they should be fairly sparse and slow-moving.
July 15, 2010
Sprint results and splits from the Cobbs Hill meet are
now available on the results page.
July 9, 2010
Course Setter Notes for Wednesday July 14th meet at Cobbs Hill Park (overrall meet info can be found in
the June 29th post below):
Cobbs Hill Park is an urban park - and the course has made extensive use of man made objects that you might
find - fences, buildings, signs, seats, and statues. It is also host to multiple athletic events. All fields
and courts with activity on them are OUT OF BOUNDS, and reports of a competitor running through a game will
invoke a stiff 10 control penalty - stay out of their way! Concerned citizens have recently been granted
approval to cut out invasive trees from the part - Norway Maple as a prime example. And so this spring a
number of smaller trees have been felled and left on the floor of the forested area of the park. It is mapped
as open forest, but is generally less passable than that, though some areas are quite open. The course does
cross the road in the North of the park, so please take care. Road signs warns drivers, the road has speed
bumps, and local drivers should know to watch, but please cross cautiously. There is parking by Tay House,
but the nearby lots at the school and water authority should handle any overflow.
All maps are 1:5000 with 2.5m contours.
White: The white course is shorter, and
perhaps a bit easier than normal - hopefully those entrants will return
and compete in the Score-O section.
Sprint: The course makes extensive use of
the park's forested area which is mapped as open. It isn't as open as
one would hope (see note above), and trail routes may make sense. If it
looks like you have to fight to get through a section you may want to
go around.
Score-O: Each control is worth 1 point for a
total of 50 points.
We've created a special 50-state punch card for this event.
The bonus for carrying around a flag of at least 1 sq ft is an 1
additional point - the 51st point.
Controls are not terribly difficult to find - but with 50 of them, you
will have to manage your effort carefully.
Even with 50 controls and only 60 minutes, it should be possible for
some fast and efficient competitors to reach every location.
All controls have only 1 punch, so consider how you start - if you have
to wait in line behind a dozen others to punch, you might not want to
do that. There is a nearby control in every direction from the start!
The Course Setter predicts that the event will be
won by an individual that is able to plan and run through the park
while keeping their wits about themselves - while carrying a flag!
There will also be several handfuls of competitors that will wish the
US had stopped at 48 states because they missed one or two and noticed
too late...
Final notes:
- The fact that the control for NY is located in a depression is merely coincidental.
- It is also entirely accidental that NJ is by the water, VT is towards the top of a hill, and TX is along a fence.
June 29, 2010
The Rochester Orienteering Club will host a patriotic-themed summer Score-O and Sprint meet on Wednesday,
July 14th, 2010 at Cobbs Hill Park starting at the Tay House. Participants will be given maps of the
park with fifty key locations noted. They must “punch in” at as many of those locations that they can
reach within one hour and return to the finish. A separate “Sprint” course will challenge participants
to complete a 2km race through the park, reaching check-in points in a defined order. All ages and
skill levels are welcome.
The Sprint is the second in the club’s Sprint Series Championship. Points from this and the five
additional races held through the summer will determine a Club Sprint Series Champion in September.
The best four results over the six races will count, allowing for participants to miss an event or
improve upon an earlier result (and participants can begin without having raced in the first event).
Sprint competitors will compete from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM, and are eligible to participate in the
Score-O event afterwards. The Score-O event begins at 7:00 PM with a mass-start. Competitors are
encouraged to arrive with enough time to register and prepare, no pre-registration is necessary.
All control locations are named after one of the 50 states, and completing the score-O course in 60
minutes will be challenging. Competitors that compete in the Score-O event while carrying a flag
with them through the park will receive a 51st bonus point. (flags must be larger than a square foot to qualify)
Instruction leading to a beginner course will be available, and walking such a course can easily
be accomplished in under an hour – with starts beginning at 6:00 PM.
Groups and families welcome. Cost: $6 per Score-O or Beginner (White) entry
(groups count as 1 entry), and participation in the Sprint requires an additional $3 donation
to the Orienteering USA National Team.
Recommended dress: Appropriate for walking, running, or off-trail movement within your capabilities.
Long sleeves and nylon sweat pants can provide protection if you plan to leave the trail. A compass
would be helpful, and the club has some to loan if needed.
June 21, 2010
Results from Sunday meet in Mendon (including Sprint splits) are
now available on the results page.
June 18, 2010
Information about Sunday's Orienteering Meet in Mendon Ponds Park:
What
Sprint, white and score-o courses (epunch only on the Sprint)
When
Sprint - 1-2pm
White - 1-3pm
Score-O - 2pm Mass Start (Don't be late!)
Where
Parking will be in the lot across the street from
East/West Lodge (where the trail race finishes). Follow O-Signs from
park entrance. There will be a walk to the sprint start (800 m).
Cost
Sprint: $3 (All proceeds donated to US Orienteering Team)
Score-O/White: $3/$6 for members/non-members AND Free for Fathers!
June 6, 2010
Results from Saturday event at Oatka (including one of a kind String-O race) are
now available on the results page.
June 3, 2010
This week's meet on Saturday, 6/5/2010, will be at
Oatka Park just West of Scottsville.
There are courses for everyone: families, beginners, elite orienteers, dogs, etc. Starts
will be from noon-2pm. Control pick-ups will be at 3:30 pm. The meet will start at the
lodge west of the Quaker Road and Union St. intersection.
Linda Kohn and Kim McGann are the course setters, so I
am sure we have some excellent courses. The course setters' notes are
as follows:
Course lengths:
white 1.7k, 50m climb
yellow 2.4k, 50m climb
orange 3.4k, 90m climb
brown 3.5k, 90m climb
green 4.5k, 110m climb
red 5.9k, 165m climb
Map and course notes:
The rough open is just that, rough! It will slow you down a little but
is easily passable with vegetation about knee height. The green stripe
indicates slightly tougher going. It is mostly taller stands of bushes
and worth going around rather than through. Light green is generally
passable, medium green passable for short distances, dark
green...forget it, go around. Notice that all the edges of these areas
are very indistinct.
The main trails are mowed, the smaller trails marked with slashes on
the trees. There are many small deer paths, some shown with the
indistinct trail symbol, others are not on the map since they were
either too complicated or they go nowhere useful.
The pit symbol is used for pits that are at least 2
meters deep, the u symbol is used for smaller,but still distinct pits.
Not all of the pits are shown, especially in the areas where there are
lots of them. In other words, use some other features to navigate by
rather than the pits. Do be cautious while running through the areas
with pits since they are rather deep and rocky.
Rocks are abundant. The stone walls are obvious,
however, the ruined stone walls (indicated with a dashed stone wall
symbol) are not so obvious and are sometimes covered with leaves or
vegetation. Individual boulders are a single black dot, a group/cluster
of several boulders is shown with a black triangle, a larger area of
varying sized rocks is shown with the stony ground symbol (black dots
randomly placed within the area). The black circle with a dot in the
center is the symbol for a stone pile, these are generally around a
meter high.
There is private property along the east side of
the park that is marked with signs, please do not cross onto that
property. The safety bearing is for white is north...for all other
courses it is east.
One last thing...there is lots of poisan ivy out
there, mostly along trails and open areas. If you are allergic (or
don't know for sure) you should wear full leg cover and use caution
when removing shoes. This applies to all courses, including white.
May 24, 2010
Results from the Sunday Paddle-O event are
now available on the results page.
May 18, 2010
This Sunday the Rochester Orienteering Club is offering a paddle orienteering adventure. There
will be a mass start at 12:00 NOON ( NOT THE 10 AM START ON THE SCHEDULE ) The time limit will
be 2 hours 30 minutes.
DIRECTIONS: The event takes place in Wetlands Park on the south side of Empire
Boulevard (rte 404) where it passes south of Irondequoit Bay. You will see a green
Monroe County parks sign for Wetlands Park. The start will be at the Centolla House
about 500 meters down the road from this parking lot (follow O signs).
PLEASE allow time to register and get your boat in the water in time for the start.
Single or tandem canoes or kayaks may be used (and there will be separate classes for
each of these.) If you bring a boat, drive down to the house and unload the boat, and
then return the car to the parking lot.
Boats may be rented and launched from Bay Creek paddle center, just west of the parking
lot at the outlet of the creek into the bay, or Oak Orchard on the bay to the east, on the
north side of the boulevard. No discounts are being offered.
Bay Creek charges $16 for 1 hour, $27 for 2 hours, $32 for 3-4 hours for all types of boat.
From the center bear right (east) and paddle for about 500 meters to the dock by the house.
Oak Orchard charges $18 for 1-2 hours, $29.90 per day for poly canoe or solo kayak, $24 for 1-2 hours,
$39.90 per day for tandem kayak, $29 for 1-2 hours, $49.90 per day for royalex canoe, and accepts cash
only. Paddle west about 500 meters, go south under the bridge past Bay Creek, then proceed as above.
Many areas have gotten shallower than last time we did this, so not many of the narrow channels
will be used. Kayaks may work better in shallow water, since the paddle is more horizontal in
the water. On the other hand, canoes don't need as wide a channel, and they can nose into the
shore for disembarking (which you will have to do to get many controls) and they are easier to
get in and out of.
It would be good to figure out a way of keeping your map visible (but secured!) while paddling.
For those who haven't been there before, this is an amazing maze of waterways surrounded by
dramatic wooded hills. Wildflowers are blooming and the usual waterfowl are abundant (geese,
ducks, swans, great blue herons.)
If you are thinking of coming, please let us know by Wednesday (no obligation) so we can get
the right number of maps printed.
Rick and Dayle Lavine
May 15, 2010
Results from today's event at Mendon Ponds Park are
now available on the results page.
May 14, 2010
This week's meet on Saturday, 5/15/2010 is at the beautiful Mendon Ponds Park, starting from the "Pond View" shelter.
You can start anytime from noon to 2 pm.
It promises to be a beautiful spring day (from the law of averages as there has been lousy
weather the previous two weekends).
This course was originally to be set by Dick "I love swamps" Detwiler (RLShadow*). However,
due to a series of events starting with an unfortunate fractured wrist of Will Hawkins (feet*),
the course is designed by Orienteering Goddess Linda Kohn (LK?hn*) with actual course setting duties
(i.e. slogging through the woods with control flags) handled by Stina Bridgeman.
*Code names from orienteering training site www.attackpoint.org.
This week, we will have the standard courses. (# of controls and 'as the bird flies' lengths** forthcoming)
White 2.0 km 9 controls 1:5000 scale map – generally dry
Yellow 2.7 km 10 controls 1:7500 scale – generally dry
Orange 3.3 km 9 controls 1:7500 scale – generally dry
Brown 3.7 km 12 controls 1:7500 scale – generally dry
Green 5.0 km 10 controls 1:10000 scale & choices on crossing swamps
Red 6.8km 14 controls 1:10000 & choices on crossing swamps
And, finally, a wild string-O course, for those who are younger - or
maybe really for those who have the general navigational ability of
this week's Meet Director Carl Palmer (gas_turbine).
**These lengths not to be confused with 'As Carl runs' lengths, which are typically 70% longer and 85% wetter.
This week will feature e-punching again. For those
new to e-punching, make sure you hear you hear the beep after you
insert your dibbler into the hole in the control box (if you don't know
what those words are, you will find out when you register). Also, make
sure you 'clear' and 'check' your dibbler at the start. After you
finish, remember to go to the download station (where the person with
the computer will be) to download your data and receive your results.
Also, you can fill out the Registration Form beforehand to save time at the registration desk.
...And most importantly, we have outstanding
volunteers lined up to provide the post - activity food... The
wonderful baked goods are always a hit.
April 25, 2010
Results from the 2010 Ice Breaker event at Webster Park are
now available on the results page.
April 20, 2010
Rochester Orienteering Club is proud to open the 2010
Summer season with a full scale Icebreaker event this Sunday, April
25th, at Webster Park. This will also be the first stage of the Club
series featuring constellation of courses of near A-meet quality:
White: 2.1 km, 7 controls
Yellow: 3.7 km, 9 controls
Orange: 4.7 km, 9 controls
Brown: 4.1 km, 10 controls
Green: 5.6 km, 12 controls
Red: 6.7 km, 14 controls
We also plan on using club's state of the art e-punching equipment on all of the courses to emphasize the level of
this event and also to avoid any possible subjectivism in determining this year club champions.
The alternative theme of this meet is "The Other Side of Webster Park". Thanks to an outstanding effort
from Dick Detwiler, the club now has expanded and improved version of the map which includes areas never
subjected to an orienteering course before. All competitor except for those who decide to stay within the
boundaries of the White and Yellow courses will have a chance to discover the beauty of this hidden gem on the
east side of Holt Road (please be careful and watch for the traffic while crossing the street as our
volunteers will do everything possible to keep it safe but they have limited capabilities for stopping
fast moving vehicles).
On a completely unrelated note, long pants (with matching shirts and socks, if possible, to increase the attractiveness
of our sport to the weekend picnickers) are strongly suggested for at least Brown, Green and Red course runners.
The Spring is in full bloom and it's not completely unimaginable that some challenging vegetation will
be awaiting your arrival in certain areas of the park.
Meet headquarter will be stationed at the Parkview lodge with start open from noon to 2pm. Recommended
parking location (totally free and extremely spacious) is the lot at the corner of Lake and Holt Rd.
Results from the Sunday Ski-O event at Mendon Ponds Park are
now available on the results page.
Februry 6, 2010
Come one, Come all this Sunday Feb. 7th for Ski Orienteering at Mendon Ponds Park.
Start from 12pm til 1:30pm from Cavalry Lodge.
Since conditions were unpredictable, we will set out 15 controls. Each
course will have to get a specified number of them, in any order. There
will be no time limit ( control pickup will start at 3:30.)
This event will be an ESG qualifier - BUT also
this is an opportunity for lots of Ski O fun- if you are a skier, you
have skis,
please come and enjoy some orienteering challenge, do not worry about
your technique or the idea of a race, just come out and enjoy the
wonderful Mendon scenery and trails. Right now, there is just enough
lovely snow to ski upon, and with continued lake effect and temps below
freezing, the trails will remain in good, and mostly safe condition.
For serious racers, do not bring your best skis, the snow cover is thin
in some places. Skating will be a good option on most of the trails.
January 19, 2010
Results from the Sunday Ski-O event at Mendon Ponds Park are
now available on the results page.
January 14, 2010
Hey, it is finally winter and we have snow and ROC has its first
Ski Orienteering event this Sunday--Please wax up your skis and come
to Hopkins Point lodge- in beautiful Mendon Ponds Park.
Starts are from 12pm til 1:30
Now for the " nitty gritty facts of ski O life"--Jim Russell is
designing the courses, which will depend on the Sunday snow conditions-
Predictions are for above freezing temperatures which can mean mash
potatoe snow and "perhaps" uneven snow cover. You will receive a
message about how to prepare for Sunday's conditions Saturday evening.
So, please check your email- we will email to you ,Sunday evening
,about the conditions.
This event will be an ESG qualifying event, so Jim will have courses of all levels.
For those of you that need encouragement about trying
Ski O-
Yes , do it, it is so much fun- all controls are on trails ( you can
bushwhack and even, legally, take off your skis and run with them.)
For newbies, carrying the map is the challenge-
pinning the map to your parka will be necessary; this means you cannot
orient the map which is a mental challenge, but is OK. There are many
ingenious homemake apparatus you can devise. Dedicated ski-oers have a
map holder that allows orienting the map and is actually very user
friendly ( but pricey-seems like our sports become very equipment
specialized)
Experience WINTERFEST Sunday- there will be a smorgasbord of winter activities in the park, beginning at 11pm-