Courses: Day 1:
Saturday’s event is based at McGill campground just north of the campground registration sign. The start is a 15 minute walk from the event registration / finish. Look for the "To Start" sign and ribbon flagging.
The safety bearing for all courses is south to the road or campground.
|
Course |
Navigational Level |
Length |
Controls |
Climb |
|
White 1 |
Beginner |
2.3 km |
9 |
30 m |
|
Yellow 1 |
Novice |
2.9 km |
10 |
60 m |
|
Orange 1 |
Intermediate |
4.2 km |
15 |
160 m |
|
Long Orange 1 |
Intermediate |
6.5 km |
18 |
240 m |
|
Brown 1 |
Advanced |
4.1 km |
12 |
170 m |
|
Green 1 |
Advanced |
6.2 km |
14 |
240 m |
|
Red 1 |
Advanced |
7.5 km |
17 |
325 m |
|
Blue 1 |
Advanced |
9.2 km |
18 |
340 m |
Courses: Day 2:
Sunday’s event is based at the northern end of the parking lot near the Nordic center at the end of the road. The start is a 10 minute walk up from the event registration / finish. Look for the "To Start" sign and ribbon flagging. The safety bearing is towards the road. It really depends on where you think you might be at the time you decide to re-locate. Determine a route that cannot possibly miss the road and follow the route.
|
Course |
Navigational Level |
Length |
Controls |
Climb |
|
White 2 |
Beginner |
2.2 km |
8 |
60 m |
|
Yellow 2 |
Novice |
2.9 km |
11 |
100 m |
|
Orange 2 |
Intermediate |
4.5 km |
15 |
210 m |
|
Long Orange 2 |
Intermediate |
7.9 km |
21 |
360 m |
|
Brown 2 |
Advanced |
4.1 km |
12 |
135 m |
|
Green 2 |
Advanced |
5.5 km |
12 |
250 m |
|
Red 2 |
Advanced |
6.5 km |
15 |
305 m |
|
Blue 2 |
Advanced |
7.0 km |
15 |
310 m |
Special Note to Intermediate Runners:
The courses have been specifically designed to the appropriate skill level. It is especially important for intermediate runners to understand that their courses will require following linear natural features such as re-entrants, ridges, vegetation boundaries and slope change lines. Do not just head out. Look at the map, look for those "handrails" and follow the plan. Re-locate and try a different approach if it doesn’t work. Do not wander.
Maps:
The map scale is 1:10,000 with a 5 meter contour interval.
Almost all the courses are on 8.5 by 11 inch paper, with the exception of Blue Day 2, which is on 8.5 x 14 inch paper.
Control Descriptions:
In order to fit (almost) all the courses on the (8.5 x 11 inch) layout, we have moved control descriptions of some of the advanced courses to the back of the map. In these cases, we have left a small section of the control descriptions on the front of the map to indicate the course printed on the map.
Extra control descriptions for all courses will also be available at the start. Tape and a stapler will be available at the start.
Legend:
Legends are on White, Yellow, Orange, Long Orange, and Brown, Green 2 and Blue 2 maps.
Separate legends will be available at the start for the other courses, but you’ll need to ask.
Terrain:
Mt. Pinos consists of open forest of mostly Jeffrey pines and white firs at elevations around 7500 to 8000 feet. The terrain consists of mostly gentle slopes and runnable forest with intersecting gorges that are steep but usually crossable.
Hazards:
Runners will be slowed by the 25% reduction in air (and oxygen) pressure at 8000 feet. There is no poison oak but there is a hazard in the form of a low-lying shrub known as creeping snowberry that attaches itself to the ground in multiple places forming loops like croquet wickets that can easily trip a runner. Also there are a lot of downed trees in the area.
You may be going around or climbing over some pretty hefty logs, so take care. Pinecones have become particularly numerous in places and it is easy to turn an ankle if you step on them incorrectly. And you will find that a thick build up of pine needles is as slippery as oil, especially on steep slopes. Another possible hazard, although not common, is the Pacific rattlesnake which ranges up to 11,000 feet elevation. Bears and mountain lions are possible but rare in the area. Whitethorn is about waist high.
Leg covering is recommended for the Orange course and above.
The terrain beyond the map to the northwest and southwest is steep downhill. A clue that you have gone beyond the map is the steepness of the terrain (even steeper than what you face on the courses).
Map features:
The map has lots of rock features labeled variously as small, medium, and large boulders, boulder groups, and stony ground. The symbols used on the map are not the same as those normally used on clue sheets. On the map a boulder is a black dot and on the clue sheet a boulder is a triangle. On the map a cluster of boulders is indicated by a triangle and on the clue sheet by a pair of triangles.
There are some trails mapped as indistinct that are present in the form of bulldozer tracks from the long distant past. Some of these tracks have almost reverted back to the forest and may only be visible as a sparse line of knolls. Some trails on the day 1 courses might better be mapped in some cases as rides which are apparent as gaps in the forest.
Light green on the map indicates areas that have denser trees. These areas are usually quite runnable; only the visibility is reduced. Vertical cross-hatched green areas indicate undergrowth which, near the McGill Campground, consists mostly of chaparral whitethorn which can be very difficult to cross. At higher elevations and on north facing slopes the thickets are mostly wax current and gooseberry shrubs which are somewhat easier to cross, but not easily runnable. Both the whitethorn and the wax current thickets have thorns. There are lots of areas of thickets that are not mapped.
Sensitive Areas - Out of Bounds The meadows near the top of the 8800 foot summit of Mt. Pinos are a botanical area with sensitive plants. This area is out of bounds and is shown as a red cross-hatched area on the map. None of the courses go near this area.
The map indicates numerous seasonal marshes. These marsh areas may be covered with wild irises, lupine, corn lilies, and other attractive plants. These are sensitive areas. Please do not walk or run on them.
Course Setters
Joel and Bridget Thomson
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