Notes for all events
ISCD 2004 Control Description Symbols will be used on all courses. White and Yellow courses will have text descriptions written in English.

Embargo Information
The following areas may not be used for orienteering or orienteering training prior to Flying Pig XIII.
    Mt Airy Forest, Cincinnati City Park, Hamilton County, Ohio.  This includes all parts of the park including the area south and west of I-74 known locally as McFarlan Woods.
    Burnet Woods, Cincinnati City Park, Hamilton County, Ohio.
 
 

    Map 1:10,000, 5m contour.
    Walk to the start - 1 km
    Restrooms - indoor lodge at parking/registration/finish area.
    Warm up - You may enter the woods on the right-hand side of the walk to the start.  Please stay within 50 m of the path and do not enter woods to the left of the marked route.
    Clothing Return - Any warm-ups or jackets you wish to leave at the start will be returned to the finish, however since this is a middle distance course, you might finish before your clothing gets back. Please do not leave valuable or heavy items (eg half--full drink bottles), as it is a long, steep walk for the volunteers who will be bringing back these items.
    Terrain  - McFarlan Woods features steep ridge and valley terrain, with some areas of intricate depressions (karst).  There is an extensive network of horse and hiking trails.  The area is bisected by a large stream and smaller tributaries which can generally be crossed with dry feet, but can become rushing torrents during heavy rain.  McFarlan and Mt Airy have more exposed rock than most Cincinnati area parks.  Although there are few rocks and cliffs large enough to map, there are areas where you will find rocky footing (at least relative to other OCIN venues).

    There is a chance of meeting horses and riders.  Please show them courtesy.

    Course Setter's Notes

    Special Symbols
 Rootstocks are shown with a brown X. Some of the older ones are very deteriorated. There is definite overlap in size between new rootstocks which were deemed to small to map, and old remnant ones that were left on. I don't guarantee that I have found every new roostock that others would deem worth of mapping.
 A blue O, generally along streams, represents a sewer cover. Some of these are very visible, rising 2 meters above the stream and some are surrounded by shiny metal and concrete. Others are nearly flush with the ground. On the map, they look the same.
 A green O is a distinct single tree.
 There are a few black X's on the map, which may be signs, picnic tables (only in the forest, not in picnic areas), miscellaneous manmade objects, or a couple small deer-exclusion fenced areas.
 There are one or two black O's, one of which is a campfire circle, used as a control site.
 There are a few blue X's near parking areas which may be fire hydrants or water pumps.
 
 

    Map - One of OCIN's original maps, this area was originally mapped in 1984 by Torbjorn Stenbeck and Joe Harris.  It was completely remapped in 2001 by Alexei Redkozubov, with updates in 2002 by Mike Minium.  It was updated for a Flying Pig XI sprint event by Mike Minium in 2007.  Mike Minium and Vladimir Gusiatnikov have done some 2009 updating specifically for this event.    The map is 1:4000 scale with 3 meter contours.  Map is 8.5 x 11 inches portrait, with control descriptions on the front.
    Walk to the start - less than 500 meters, although it depends where you park. 100 m from event center.
    Restrooms - indoor Nature Center near parking/registration/finish area.
    Warm up - open field around the finish are only, please.
    Clothing Return - None
    Terrain - This is an urban park with a mix of woods, open areas and meadows.  There are several roads and paths and numerous cultural features.  The area is rolling terrain, with a few steep spots.

    Course Setter's Notes

    information coming soon.
 

NOTES FROM 2007 Sprint in this park:  (These will likely be changed or updated to reflect current conditions).   Walk to the start depends where you find parking.  This is an urban area.  Lock your cars.  Be sure to place valuables out-of-sight.
    In general,  ISSOM 2007 symbols are used.  Pavement and buildings are on the darker side, since they only cover a small percentage of the map.  Note the following special symbols.
        Green X - single tree, needle-leaved
        Green O - single tree, broad leaved
        Green dot - small tree or shrub
        Brown X - rootstock
        Black O - picnic grill
        Black X - frisbee golf target, playground equipment, 1 m. concrete planters, junk, birdhouses on posts, debris huts
        Blue X - sewer hole
        Blue O - fountain, drinking fountain or pump
        Permanent picnic tables, benches and light posts are not mapped.
        There are a couple uncrossable walls and fences, which must not be crossed.  The lake may not be crossed.  Use caution if you run the lakeside trail.  If you slip in, there are deep areas and the water is very cold (still partial ice cover as of March 6).
        A few single trees are mapped within the forest.  Single pines (X) are very visible in the otherwise deciduous forest.  Single broad-leaved trees (O) are simply trees with a significantly wider trunk diameter than others in the area (about 1 meter thick).
    Spiked shoes are probably a good idea. You will do some running on paved roads, but mostly you'll be on grass or in woods.  Most of the park is on slopes.  There is very little completely flat area, and unless temperatures have been well below freezing, you can expect muddy and slippery conditions.
    There will be traffic allowed on the park roads, although it should be light.  Please use care when crossing.
    There has been some recent removal of honeysuckle bushes in sections of the park  These formerly green areas are now mapped mostly as white forest.  But, beware of stumps, generally 0.3 m. high or less... low enough that they can be hard to see among leaves and debris, but solid enough to send you sprawling.  There is very little thorny stuff on this map, although you'll probably push through some medium green areas of honeysuckle bushes, and it is possible to find a briar patch or two.
 
 
 
 

    Map 1:10,000, 5m contour. Junior/Junior relay map will be 1:5000.
    Walk to the start - tba
    Restrooms - portable toilets at parking/registration/finish area.
    Warm up - along the road and parking area only.
    Clothing Return - none; start and finish are close together.
    Terrain - Mt Airy consists mainly of steep wooded hillsides, some areas of intricate sinkholes and depressions (karst), several roads and an extensive network of trails.  You'll find open, parklike areas with single trees, copses, and a frisbee golf course which will make for good spectating around the relay start/finish/exchange area.  McFarlan and Mt Airy have more exposed rock than most Cincinnati area parks.  Although there are few rocks and cliffs large enough to map, there are areas where you will find rocky footing (at least relative to other OCIN venues).  Streams can generally be crossed with dry feet, except during or immediately following heavy rain.  You will cross park roads which are open to public traffic.

      Mapper's Notes

    These notes also apply to Sunday's event.

    Courses will cross the frisbee golf course.  Please try not to interfere with golfers.

    There are no mapped rootstocks on the Mt. Airy map.  There are very few in the terrain as well, although I saw one 2m one that I would have added to most other maps.

    There should be no horses in Mt. Airy, but there may be many hikers, frisbee golfers, and other park users who should be treated with courtesy.

    On two recent days, I have observed an apparently sick raccoon wandering along the park roads.  I've also observed a very scruffy looking feral cat.  Avoid contact with animals.  Warn children that it is not normal behavior for raccoons and other animals to be out by day and approach people.  Leave them alone as they may carry disease.  I'm sure these critters have gotten handouts from other park visitors, but they do not look healthy and I would give them a wide berth.

    There has been some clearing of honeysuckle bushes in several parts of the park, which is not reflected in the mapping. Although this made some areas, especially near roads, more open than mapped, it also adds a couple problems. First, stumps of .1 to .5 m were left in many places, making trip hazards. Cuttings in most cases were thrown randomly, so again, you may have to pick up your feet or go around. In general, the net impact on runnability is a wash. I hope that as the cuttings and stumps rot, things will continue to improve, but honeysuckle stumps must either be dug out or treated immediately after cutting with very powerful herbicides, and unfortunately many are surviving and sprouting new growth.

    Special Symbols: Black O' generally represents a sign post at trailheads or trail junctions, or frisbee golf targets. Black X in an open area is generally a bat house on a tall pole, although there are a few miscellaneous ones that could be junk piles or other unique objects. A black X surrounded by a very distinct vegetation boundary (thin black line) is generally a playground.
 

Course Setter's Notes

    information coming soon.
 
 
 

    Map 1:10,000, 5m contour. Caution: Sunday maps were printed and say "3 meter contour interval" in big letters. They are not. They are really 5 meter.
    Walk to the start - less than 500 m, depending on where you park.
    Restrooms - indoor lodge at parking/registration/finish area.
    Warm up - Please confine warm-ups to the grassy area along the park road.You may enter the woods within 20 m on either side of the trail between the parking lot and the start.
    Clothing Return  - none. start will be reasonably close to parking and finish.
    Terrain - Mt Airy consists mainly of steep wooded hillsides, some areas of intricate sinkholes and depressions (karst), several roads and an extensive network of trails.  You'll also find some open, parklike areas with single trees, copses, a frisbee golf course, and an arboretum area.  McFarlan and Mt Airy have more exposed rock than most Cincinnati area parks.  Although there are few rocks and cliffs large enough to map, there are areas where you will find rocky footing (at least relative to other OCIN venues).  Streams can generally be crossed with dry feet, except during or immediately following heavy rain.  All courses will cross park roads which are open to public traffic.

    Course Setter's Notes

    See mapper's notes for the Relay.

    If it is a nice day, the park will be packed with people out to see the spring wildflowers, and otherwise enjoying the park.  Expect heavy traffic on roads and trails.

    Red and blue courses will pass through an arboretum area.  On your map, you'll see several small fenced areas enclosing  yellow-green "out-of-bounds" symbol.  These fences were put up to keep deer out of the plantings.  Over the winter, hungry deer have knocked down many of these fences.  They may no longer be exactly as mapped.  In this area, there are many mulched beds with plantings of various flowers.   Please do not cross any of these mulched beds, even if flowers have not yet visibly emerged.  All of these beds are small and easily avoided at a cost of no more than a couple seconds.  It is important to our future access to this area that we not be seen as possibly damaging any of the plantings.  The arboretum area is also frequently used for weddings and receptions, so please avoid running thru the middle of any obvious ceremonies!

    As you are waiting to start, please be alert and courteous to runners who may be passing back thru the start area later in their courses.  They will be easily distinguished from those who are waiting to start or warming up by their deathly appearance: mouths open and gasping for air, tounges lolling, eyes glazed and fixed in the distance, crumpled maps clutched in their sweaty fingers.
 

    Vetter's Notes

    by Pat Meehan (minor edits by Mike Minium)
    Mt. Airy Forest was the first map produced by OCIN. It was prepared by Joe Harris, OCIN’s founding father, just in time for the club’s inaugural Spring season in 1984. Shades of black and brown on white, it surprisingly depicted the lay of the land in adequate detail. It has, going through a couple of iterations over the years, been revised with the current Vladimir Zherdev version yet unused. I saw it for the first time the weekend before The Pig. While test running several of the courses I made some observations that may be of interest to some folks.
    On the lighter side, as I was jogging to the start in a light rain I moved from the paved road to the turf. Instinctively, I adjusted my footfall to avoid what appeared to be a cluster of tiny dog droppings glistening in the grass. I missed the shiny little cylinders but immediately realized there were more. My goodness, I had visions of a very busy K9 metabolism and a poorly trained owner. I believed there was just no end of this stuff. It reminded me of the goose droppings frequently seen along the river banks. But that would not make sense here. Then I saw a pattern. So, if you might care to know, the park staff has recently aerated the soil, leaving the plugs all about. However, that does not mean there is nothing else out there.
    I remember Mt. Airy being thicker, less runnable than it is today. There is still green, but the course setter has obviously gone to great effort to avoid it where possible and use the choice sections of the map. 15 years ago you might have found yourself running around and climbing over deadfall, logs, and rootstocks. Today, there are so few rootstocks that the mapper chose not to show any of them. The terrain has many other useful features which are much more reliable to navigate with than temporary decaying cellulose matter. Also unmapped are the remains of once massive rootstocks. Now just a dot knoll and tiny depression, you may notice their absence from your map.
    There are logs. But they are most all easily crossed. At a half to a quarter meter off the ground, a single step over or a jump will do. In September of 2008, a wind storm (Hurricane Ike came through Cincinnati) snapped from trees large branches fully laden with leaves. You will see a few of these and will recognize them as large globules of dead brown leaves from the ground to 2 to 3 meters above. Sometimes it is an entire tree and others just a branch. Several more storms have travelled through the park in recent months. Many of the remains are mapped as a shade of green; but not the more recent ones. They are easy to see. Run around them. They are not a real factor.
    There is one natural hazard that I repeatedly encountered. The park abounds of small sticks lying in wait on the forest floor. These are branches and limbs less than 1½ inches in diameter and anywhere from a couple to many feet long. Most of them you will step on or pass over without notice. However, you will on occasion catch the broken end of one on the front of your shoe or in your laces. The other end of the stick is firmly embedded in the earth and ground cover. What next occurs can be described as a micro-catapulting action. You may find yourself an inch or two in the air, this way or that, but not the way you intended. I never fell, but it certainly seemed possible. What always occurred was a break of stride and an instinctive reaction to catch myself, which at my age enhances the risk of injury. The Minium theory is that the sticks exist due to two natural events. First, the 17-year Cicadas damaged the poor branches several years ago during their reproduction stage in 2004. Second, this winter’s storms off broke the limbs, now with 4 years of healthy growth, at their weakest points. Unlike normal deadfall that has died on the tree and begun to deteriorate before it falls, tehse tend to be solid and not break as easily as you would expect from sticks of simlar thickness. Larger limbs were spared. Many areas mapped as white will have perfect visibility but your speed may be affected by these sticks. Short of walking, there may be nothing you can do to avoid this obstacle. But forewarned is forearmed.
    Mike has done a great job routing the courses around the honeysuckled hill sides. Yet there is no reasonable way to avoid it all. You will cross a patch here and there. It is very well mapped. Runability is slow. Visibility was good one week ago, but the leaves where already ½ to 1 inch long.
    Over the past 25 years, even with the revisions and updates, the one thing that has not changed is the climb. The park consists of long ridges and deep reentrant valleys. You will cross them; many of them. I found myself micro-adjusting my routes just after two controls, trading for more runnable but longer distance to avoid some climb. The last control is uphill. There may be no avoiding the steepest terrain in the park. It will be a test to see if you can run into the finish.
    Some of the hillsides have many parallel erosion ditches. One such hillside with about two dozen ditches has short manmade stone walls crossing each ditch two and three times as it drains down the hill. These particular ditch-dams are not mapped. That’s probably a good thing. Otherwise there would have been 60 to 80 little black lines crossing the 25 parallel lines of brown dots. Heaven forbid that being a control choice. Other parts of the park have small stone walls that are mapped. In retrospect I believe that this makes sense. It is all relative and a matter of usefulness.
    Many, but not all trail signs are mapped with a black O. The trail signs appear to be rather new and I found them quite useful. They are well placed at trail junctions and trailheads. And they can be visible from quite a distance.
    Mt. Airy consists of karst limestone erosion topography. There are many small natural depressions. All, within reason, are mapped. They generally are a part of a reentrant feature. Often they appear in groups of twos and threes. The placement and sizes of the depressions makes each grouping unique and determinable. The careful navigator will catch on to this, and although pulled into a designed trap will easily recover.
 

    In early April, we typically get rain about one day in three.  Snow is possible, but usually melts quickly.  Sunrise is about 7:20 am.  Sunset is about 8:05 pm.

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updated 9:55 am on 2 April 2009