Beaver Brook – December 7, 2019

Forty-three people, many new to orienteering, participated in this event which took place on a sunny day with snow-packed trails and deep snow off trails. Five days before this event, we received over 20” of snow. Needless to say, having a regular foot-O event, with many courses off trails, would have been no fun. So, with only a few days to go, the courses needed to be changed. In the end, we offered some routine orienteering courses. Short White and White could be done on foot. Yellow could be done on foot or snowshoes (with any off-trail travel met with sinking into snow). Orange (with a few controls moved, a few deleted) was best done on snowshoes. Tan (unchanged from planned course) required snow shoes. We had 2 ski-O courses, mostly on trails (but not ski trails!). The longer course was described by some as intense but awesome.

When picking up the controls, it was interesting to see all the different route choices, as evidenced by tracks in the snow.

Thanks to Liz Kotowski for helping with registration; Ed Kotowski and Paul Regan for instruction (Paul even shadowed a group on the short white course); Ernst Linder and Dorina Nimigean for picking up controls; Alar Ruutopold for streamering controls (many of which we unfortunately could not use due to the snow conditions); and Pete Bundschuh for all around support.

Thanks also to Beaver Brook Association for allowing us to use Maple Hill Barn and trails and forests of Beaver Brook.

– Lex Bundschuh, Event Director