Midnight Score Orienteering Course

    New Year's Eve was sunny, with temperatures climbing above 50 degrees F (10 C).  A clear night brought temperatures quickly plunging into the upper twenties F (below 0 C).  A cold, star-strewn midnight sky saw 8 groups, and a total of 15 orienteers streaming from the doors of the Murnstein Hostel into the forest, in search of the 20 reflective control markers scattered around Governor Bebb Preserve.  With only one exception, all groups returned before time expired.  Euki & Dargi paid a hefty penalty for their 1 minute and 45 second tardiness.  Only one person, Matthew Robbins, managed to reach them all.
    As finishers returned, they were greeted by bottles of sparkling grape juice, bowls of steaming chili, a huge sheet cake, a heaping platter of shrimp, steaming mugs of coffee, tea and chocolate, and hot dogs and mashmallows ready for roasting over the roaring fire.  The fire itself was another sight, topped by an enormous 200+ pound (90+ kg) log, which had been wrestled into the cabin by Kyle Tyler, Chris and TJ.
    Scoring:
        90 minute time limit., mass start at midnight
        20 controls worth 10 points each.
        1 point per minute bonus for returning each full minute before 1:30 am.
        10 points penalty for each minute (or part of a minute) late.

Total      Scoring       Names
209        200 + 9        Matthew Robbins (OCIN)
168        160 + 8        Dick Arnett (OCIN)
155        150 + 5        Max Thorne (SLOC)
152        140 + 12      David Dewitt, Keally Dewitt, Hill Anderson
136        110 + 26      Marge Vanderman, Kristen Lear, Cindy Lear
130        150 - 20       Euki Binns, Dargi Anderson
130        120 + 10      Tanya Kitchen
123        100 + 23      Chris Fairchild & TJ Dickenson
Fire tenders                John Thorne, Kyle Hertel, Tyler Hertel

New Year's Day Orienteering

    A frosty morning quickly warmed to another balmy 50 degree F (10 C) day.  Orienteers who stayed overnight rose to a bountiful array of breakfast choices.  Chris and TJ, eager to get started, were off over the frosty ground before 9:30, but most orienteers waited for the day to warm.  Four courses were offered.

white course, 2.48 km, 50 m. climb, 11 controls

    White started with a fairly steep climb, but then was a relatively level to downhill course.  A memorable control was the one inside the covered bridge near the park entrance.

  1      35:55    Katie & David Williams
  2      46:25    Tyler Hertel
  3      57:58    Tom Wray
  4      60:54    Ben Bond (with Sharon)
  found 4         John Thorne

yellow course, 3.33 km, 150 m. climb, 13 controls

  1      32:13    Kyle Hertel
  2      46:22    Greg Sack
  3      58:50    Karen & Kevin Mitchell
  4      64:06    TJ Dickenson & Chris Fairchild
  5      72:20    Marge Vanderman, Cindy & Kristen Lear
  6      72:37    Susan L Smith, Melanie Miles
  7      83:14    Kim & Kaitlin Jennings
  8      95:09    Jason Horn
  9    117:04    Joe McMillen
  found 11       Dennis & Audrey Jennings
  found 6         Tom Wray

orange / green course, 5.18 km, 175 m. climb, 18 controls

    With the many trails and other linear features, it is virtually impossible to design a course in this park that truely exceeds orange difficulty.  But, the newly acquired hundred acres provided an opportunity to get greater length than was previously possible without crossing Dry Fork Creek.  Orienteers on this course got a good intoduction to the new part of the park.

  1      54:04    Warren Mandrell
  2      67:47    Tom Svobodny
  3      82:05    Gabe Svobodny
  4      94:07    Michael Huseman
  5    102:49    Mike & Teresa Kelley
  6    117:11    Claire Dell
  7    119:35    Tanya Kitchen
  8    139:55    Victoria Huseman
  9    153:12    John L Blocher
  found 10       Kyle & Tyler Hertel, TJ Dickenson
  lost card        Bobbi Sack

red course, 7.15 km, 225 m. climb, 25 controls

    This was the longest course we've ever offered at Governor Bebb.  In addition to a thorough tour of the new 100 acres, red runners got their feet wet with a double crossing of Dry Fork Creek.  The creek was relatively low, and I don't think anyone went deeper than their knees.

  1      74:38    Carl Sack
  2      78:23    Matt Bond
  3      82:51    Steve Barnhart
  4      83:34    Bill Swift
  5      90:55    Jon Rauschenbach
  6      97:39    Larry Berna
  7    101:35    Dave Weber
 8t    143:06    Dick Arnett
 8t    143:06    Bob Frey
10    178:12    Brian Thiessen
found 22         Max Thorne
found 21         Michelle Daschkiewich, Mimi Ruwe

    Thanks to Chris Fairchild and TJ Dickenson for picking up night course controls, Kyle Hertel and Chris for sweeping and mopping the cabin, TJ for helping pick up signs and water controls, Susan L Smith & Melanie Miles for helping clean up the cabin, Cindy Lear and family for bringing lots of extra good food and helping with clean-up.

results of previous event (Indian Creek, November 30, 2003)

results of next event (Sharon Woods, January 24, 2004)

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