The start area is the SE corner of the RC Flying Area (on the SE cpart of the park). The main road is note open -- there is a bridge over Mouse Creek that is closed. So, follow O' signs carefully from Raytown Road.

For more info, contat Paul at 913-782-3419 or check the PTOC web page (there is a link from the main OREAD home page).

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), November 03, 1999

Answers

My results and splits from the Longview event... I can say my learning curve seems pretty steep...

Saturday 6 november 1999 O meet at Longview

Total split: total: 76.13min 6150 m 12.24 min/km

To 1 14.46.28 315 m 46.54 min/km Plan: North along edge of yellow/green boundary, then powerline to trail. OK, not the best plan. Especially when I did not read the directions that said the yellows had been switched and there was a new sewer, resulting in new cleared areas. Ended up running up to the last control, then ENE down the powerline. Stopped at the new clearing and spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what was going on. Finally relocated on the powerline streambed crossing to the east of the control. Came back to the new clearing where I had been scratching my head and sweating and swearing and then followed the streambed into the control. (And what feature WAS that control hung on, which was on the edge of the sewer open area??)

To 2 14.03.25 28.49.53 535 m 26.16 min/km Plan: Follow vegetation boundary NW to fenceline, then W to reentrant. Think I would learn, but no. Ran along the sewer clearing, past the fenceline, which was not to be seen, and maybe 100 to 200 meters north of the nonexistant fenceline tried to head west. Bumped into the impassable creek. Parallel error, thinking I was 300 meters south, where there is a creek bend, I go back east and head north for a bit, hoping to then head west as the creek flows west. Instead, I crossed the streambed/creek junction at the western bend of the impassable creek and headed west along the north side of the impassable creek. Feeling more and more miserable, I found a tree that had fallen across the creek and gingerly clambered across the creek. WSW to the base of the hill, then S on the faint trail to the re-entrant. Saw Grace there.

To 3 13.36.25 42.25.78 1455m 09.21 min/km Plan: Straight and use cleared areas in the horse riding area when I got there. Execution: Angled a little to the left of the line. Down the hill, across one, two, three re-entrants. Across the light yellow soybean field and into the dark yellow semi-wooded area. Dark yellow? No use trying to find a trail, just continue NW to the road. Unable relocate while crossing the road. Think now it was into the little patch of green SE of the end of the cul-de-sac. Keep on. Relocated at the cul-de-sac. W along the road. N at the top of the hill. See control from junction of cleared areas.

To 4 2.31.55 44.57.33 195 m 12.57 min/km Plan: Follow cleared areas W, then N along vegetation boundary. Execution: Followed cleared areas to the NE, but none then headed E. Saw marked trail. Ran on this due E. Left that after a bit as the trail turned S. Slowed down and started looking. Expected to find control on right, but it was on my left.

To 5 12.43.32 57.40.65 1530 m 08.19 min/km Plan: Cross at the bridge! Use previously visited stream/creekbed junction as attack point. Execution: Northish to cleared trail, then east along that. Veered SW at 'trail' bend, then was forced back to the trail when I encountered mud flats of the stream and startled a herd of deer. Crossed at the bridge. (Finally a plan that worked.) About 150 meters past the bridge headed to the steam/creekbed junction, passing the manmade object off to the right. Wasn't sure if I was in the right place when I entered the field -- sure didn't seem light yellow. But was reassured when I saw the copse of trees in the field. Control was off to left.

To 6 3.09.31 60.49 360 m 08.46 min/km Plan: Rough compass to pond. Execution: Rough compass to pond. (This dark yellow sure has a lot of trees in it!)

To 7 9.33.57 70.23 930 m 10.17 min/km Plan: Straight or around, I think as I wander south from the pond onto the powerline clearing. Oh, around. Execution: Struggled along the powerline clearing to the trail. N along jeep trail at the top of the hill. From NW corner of clearing rough compass to NW along with map reading. Crossed one streambed and entered second streambed E of control. A nice group of ROTC folks were crouched in the streambed to my left, giving me an idea of which way to go.

To 8 2.47.59 73.11 315 m 08.52 min/km Plan: Rough compass and map reading. Execution: SE into clearing, then along creekbed.

To 9 2.05.05 75.16 255 m 08.10 min/km Plan: Back to the powerline pole that I had seen already twice today. Execution: Angled SW up the hill, with the last 50 to 100 meters on the jeep trail.

To end 0.57.61 76.13 240 m 04.00 min/km Plan: Run hard, catch that fellow who is already halfway to the finish and have some words with Paul. Execution: Didn't catch the fellow.

NEXT EVENT: Plan: READ THE INSTUCTION SHEET! ("The yellow vegetation is misrepresentative of the actual surface... There is a new sewer line...")

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), November 08, 1999.

Fritz,

Ouch...two big mistakes right in the beginning (the first two controls).

I have had some problems in the last few meets with missing the first control (the long O and the day after the long O). Things went better in Texas. Missing the first control is a classic orienteering mistake. It is sometimes difficult to really be "thinking orienteering" right in the beginning. Kent Olsson (former World Champ) says that he tells himself to walk to the first control. He says that missing the first control makes running the rest of the course like running with a backpack...

-- Spike (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), November 08, 1999.

Mike A large part of the two mistakes was believing that the map was an accurate representation of the terrain. I've always been intrigued by the concept of orienteering on a bad map. How to quickly figure out what features are mapped validly and what features are not.

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), November 09, 1999.