From: mvm@caesun6.harris-atd.com (Matt Mahoney)
Subject: Orienteering
Reply-To: mvm@epg.harris.com (Matt Mahoney)
Organization: CAE Design Center, Harris Corp., Melbourne, Fl.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 20:50:17 GMT

I wrote this for the Aug. 92 issue of the Space Coast Runners
newsletter.  Enjoy...


                    Orienteering
                   By Matt Mahoney

Orienteering is called the "thinking sport"
because it involves two skills -- running and
map reading.  The object is to run to a series of
markers in the woods, along any path you want. 
The hard part is finding the markers with the aid
of a map and a compass.

Orienteering events are held about once a month
in the state parks across Florida.  I went to my
first event at Wekiwa state park, which is about
30 miles north of Orlando, not knowing much
about the sport.

There were 5 trails to choose from, called
White, Yellow, Orange, Green, and Red.  This
had nothing to do with the colors of the markers
(which are orange and white and look like
lanterns hanging from trees).  It had to do with
level of difficulty, like belts in karate.  The
white course was the easiest, about a mile, with
the markers clearly visible from roads or trails. 
The red course was 3.6 miles (measured along
straight lines) with markers way back in the
woods away from any trails.

Competitors were started at 2 minute intervals. 
You could arrive anytime between 10:00 and
12:00 and start whenever you were ready.  I
decided to run an easy trail first to see how it
worked, and then try a harder one.  The first
course cost $5 ($1 off for FLOC members), and
each additional course cost $2.  You could
compete as a group for the same cost if you
wanted to.  Many families with children simply
walked the course and didn't compete for time. 
I had planned to use the sun to navigate, but it
was overcast so I bought a keychain compass at
the race for $2 (a good investment).

The color map was incredibly detailed, showing
trails, elevation profile (there are small hills
even in Florida), different kinds of forest,
buildings, fences, even clumps of bushes.  An
experienced orienteer gave me some good
advice: fold the map so it's easy to carry, and
hold it so north points north.

I thought orienteering would be like hashing, so
I wore my oldest running shoes, prepared to
wade through swamp and mud, swim scum-
covered canals, and thrash my way through
impenetrable jungles of palmetto scrub and
thorns.  All this proved unnecessary.  Even the
most difficult trail was entirely on dry ground
through open forest and on dirt trails.  (Later
that afternoon, I went hashing, pursuing the hare
through swamp, mud, scum-covered canals, and
impenetrable jungles of palmetto scrub and
thorns).

I ran the yellow trail in about 20 minutes.  I
spent about half of that time looking for the
second of the eight markers.  I probably ran
twice the advertised one mile distance.  Each
marker had a 2-letter code (to distinguish it from
markers on other trails) which you match up
with a code sheet that you carry with your map. 
There, you stamp your card in the appropriate
numbered spot.  Each stamp produced a distinct
pattern of holes in the card.

I had time for another trail, so I ran the red
(most difficult) one.  Again, I probably ran (and
walked while lost) twice the advertised 3.6 miles
in taking non-straight-line paths and looking for
the markers.  These were usually a few hundred
yards from the nearest trail, so I spent a lot of
time looking at the map figuring out where I
was.  I ran that one in 76 minutes, which was
still one of the faster times.

--------------------------------        _\/_
Matt Mahoney, mvm@epg.harris.com       |(TV)|  Drug of the Nation
#include <disclaimer.h>                |____|

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