Filed under: Latest News by Imre Polik on December 25th, 2020
Registration is now closed.
Update on Dec 31:
as expected, I’m looking at a steady stream of showers over Tennessee, heading East, with a 60% chance of rain in Cary tomorrow morning. That is the worst possible forecast I could get now.
But, it looks like Saturday morning will be a perfect day instead. So, instead of New Year’s day, we’ll have the event on Saturday, January 2, at the same time: starts between 9 and 11 am.
If for some reason you cannot make it on Saturday you have a few options:
1. Do it on Friday, Jan 1. You’ll likely be soaking wet by the time you finish and you’ll have a hard time keeping the answer sheet dry (and in one piece).
2. Do it on Sunday, same time. The weather looks slightly worse than Saturday, but still good. If enough people choose this option I’ll be there the whole time.
3. Do it later on your own time. In this case you’ll get the map from me in an envelope. You drive to the start, open the envelope, start your clock and start running.
4. Ask for a refund or use your balance as a credit for a future event. Please let me know only if you want to run the course other than on Jan 2. Happy new year!
Update on Dec 29:
Start/Finish: You will find me on the P3/P4 level of the parking deck next to the new Cary Regional Public Library. I think this should get you there:
115 Walnut St
Cary, NC 27511
The P3/P4 level is one above the library entrance.
Start window: You can start between 9 and 11 am on the day of the event and you need to finish within two hours. Please try to arrive earlier than later.
Date: See Weather.
What to bring? Pen/pencil, mask, compass, plus anything you need to be outside for a couple of hours.
Map: A double-sided legal sheet (8.5×14), flipped along the long edge. Scale is 1:10000. Let me know if you need a map at a different scale. Almost all the action is on the side where the start and finish is. I don’t have map covers. You can keep your map after the event.
This is a brand new map, so there can be little discrepancies. Also note that there is quite a bit of construction going on in downtown, so don’t be surprised if something is not on the map. I tried to add as much stuff as I could.
The map has all the streets, buildings, parks, streams, ponds, railroad tracks mapped. It doesn’t have any text (street/building names, etc.) It is oriented to magnetic North.
GPS: It is not allowed to use anything other than your map and compass to help you with navigation.
Scoring: There are three point values: 1, 2 and 3.
1 point controls are all very close to the start and to each other. You should have no problem collecting all of them just by walking around . There are 15 of these.
2 point controls are slightly farther, but not too much. They are often close but are tricky to get to. There are 17 of them.
3 point controls are the farthest, up to 2-3km from the start and about 500m from each other. There are 10 of them.
This makes the total number of points 79. I’m sure the course isn’t clearable in 2 hours, so you have to make a decision on which controls to get.
Timing: To keep things fast paced there is no preparation time. The clock starts as soon as you get your map, so please be ready to go. I’ll write your start time on your answer sheet and will put the finish time on it when you hand it in. Please start by writing your name on it! Since the timing is analog I’ll be generous with grace periods. If you are up to 5 minutes late I’ll count it as good. 3 points are deducted for every 5 minutes afterwards.
Weather: It is not too much fun to write down answers on paper if it is raining. As it stands now, it looks like it will be raining almost constantly between Dec 31 and Jan 2. If that is still the outlook on the morning of Dec 31 then I’ll reschedule the event to Sunday, Jan 3. I will send out an email at 10am on Dec 31 and will update the BOK website. Let me know if you have an issue with that. If you cannot make it on Sunday Dec 3, and don’t mind the rain on Friday/Saturday, then we may be able to make a special arrangement for you.
COVID precautions: I will be wearing a mask and gloves when handing out the maps. You should wear a mask too, and carry it with yourself on the course in case you get to a crowded spot.
————-
On January 1, 2021 we will have our first event of 2021: a street-orienteering event in Cary. Street-orienteering differs from regular orienteering in that there are no control flags at the control locations: instead a question is asked and the answer should be found where the control is. (Things like: what grafity is on the North end of the bridge, or what is the number on a light pole.) The map is a detailed map of downtown Cary with no street names. A compass is useful but not necessary.
This is not a scavenger hunt: the locations aren’t hidden, they are clearly visible. Also note that this event is not suitable for scout requirements.
Starts are between 9am and 11am. As this is supposed to be a quick and fun event there is no preparation time: your time starts as soon as you pick up the map. You will have two hours to come back with as many correct answers as you can. There will be a lot more controls than you can possibly cover in two hours so that people can spread out more over the course.
Unfortunately we cannot have bikes at our events this year. See more details on that here.
You will have to wear a mask at pickup and finish. As it will be quite cold and most places will be closed on Jan 1 it is a good idea to carry your own hot beverage. Please also bring a pen or pencil so that you can record your answers. I’ll provide the map and the answer sheet. Fingersticks will not be used at this event, timing is manual.
In case of bad weather (rain, snow or extreme cold) the event will be rescheduled to a later date, probably Jan 2 or 3. I’ll update this post as we get closer to the event. Update on Dec 27: looks like we are getting another wave of all-day showers for New Year’s, so this is a real possibility.
We will have an Open Reveal-O event at Carolina North on Sunday, Apr 14. You don’t need to be an expert to participate in this event – there will be plenty of controls to find for all levels. Park at the parking lot of Orange County Health Department (2501 Homestead Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516) […]
