3 hr, 6 hr map adventure trek - near Mojave, CA - Sunday, November 17, 2013
Enjoy the rugged desert wilds of Red Rock Canyon near Mojave, CA. Spectacular rock formations and beautiful desert vistas await. In teams of 1 to 5, find up to 26 checkpoints as you can in the surrounding terrain with enhanced USGS topographic maps. Trails and some significant features are added to the maps, and there will be two refreshment stations on the course. Upon returning from your course, enjoy some hearty refreshments and share awesome stories.
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| last year day 2 | last year on course | last year day 2 map |
Location: Red Rock Canyon State Park, north of Mojave and California City, CA
08:00 Checkin and Registration, course maps available
08:30 Course briefing
08:45 Carpool 1.5 miles to remote start
09:00 Start, all courses
12:00 Finish, 3 hour course
03:00 Finish, 6 hour course
Course Details
Length: Up to 30 miles to get all checkpoints
Duration: 3 hours or 6 hours
Gender Divisions: Women, Men, Mixed
Age Divisions: Family, Junior (17 and under), Open, Masters (any team member is 40+)
Team Size: 1 to 5
Aid stations: 2, one staffed, one unstaffed, with water, electrolyte drink, and snacks.
Completing the course: The course checkpoints will be shown with circles on the map. Find your way to the place at the center of each circle, and you will see an orange and white flag with an attached punching grip. Punch your card to record that you visited the checkpoint.
The courses offer "easier to get to" but interesting checkpoints, as well as "difficult to navigate to" checkpoints, so experienced navigators will be challenged to get them all in the time limit, but developing navigators will be also find the right level of challenge.
Highway 14 will divide the course in half - half of the checkpoints will be on the west side, half on the east side. We will start on the east side. There is a mandatory crossing underneath Highway 14, if your team does not visit the checkpoint there, you will be disqualified. It will also be a staffed aid station. It is recommended that you reach the aid station about halfway through your course. The finish is back at the visitor's center.
What's the area like?
Sandy, rocky, desert terrain with washes, and some rugged cliffs. Some spiky vegetation to avoid, but no huge swaths of it.
Map information
Slightly modified USGS 1:24000 topo quad, rendered at 1:15000 scale. The 20 or 40 foot elevation difference between contours does not capture all the topographical detail of the terrain. However, when the lines are close, slopes can be uncrossably steep or just plain sheer. Large, prominent hilltops and deeper valleys are easy to identify, but subtler features are not always visible.
Useful Strategies
Know how to take compass bearings, and pick out a far away feature that's on the bearing to make it easier to follow. We will have an instruction clinic and cover the bearing technique. You'll need to bring your own compass.
Scoring
Checkpoints numbers will indicate the score attained by finding them; simply round the number down to the nearest 10. Checkpoint 83 would be 80 points, a lot of points, so it must be challenging to find, or far from the start / finish. There is a penalty for every minute (and fraction thereof) overtime of 25 points a minute. So if you're 4 hour time is 4 hours and 1 second, then your score is reduced by 25 points.
What to bring - Gear
Required:
1. Compass
2. Clothing appropriate to weather conditions (expected to be in the 60s or 70s)
3. 1 to 2 liters of water carrying capacity
4. First aid kit (min. one per team)
5. Watch
6. Shoes should have good grip / traction
Recommended:
1. Blister tape
2. Salt tablets or electrolyte powder to mix with your water
Optional gear:
1. GPS device (for tracking; coordinates of checkpoints will not be provided.)
Hazards
It's exposed, so sunscreen and body cover are needed. Conditions can be significantly windy. You will be dealing with rocks and scattered prickly vegetation. There are steep drops in the terrain... be smart about your routes. Known hazardous areas of the map will be marked using the "dangerous area" symbol (purple lines) you would see on an orienteering map. Sometimes better to go around than try to go over. "OHVs," which are off-highway vehicles, may be encountered either day, although traffic should not be high.
Participants' Manual with Emergency and Safety Information
Link to manual
Entry Fees
There is no prepayment. Preregistering ahead of time guarantees you a discounted price if you show up at the event. (Preregister here.) Forms of payment accepted are cash and check.
| Prereg. by Nov. 10 | Prereg. by Nov. 13 | Day of entry | |
Regular cost, per person
| 3 hr = $25 6 hr = $50 | 3 hr = $30 6 hr = $55 | 3 hr = $40 6 hr = $65 |
Students and juniors, per person
| 3 hr = $12 6 hr = $25 | 3 hr = $15 6 hr = $27 | 3 hr = $20 6 hr = $32 |
10% discount for members of CARA, BAOC, or any orienteering club or federation.
Directions
Location: Red Rock Canyon State Park, north of Mojave and California City, CA
Red Rock Canyon State Park is located north of the town of Mojave on State Highway 14, about a 2 hours' drive from Los Angeles. Traveling north on 14, you will see a sign that you are entering the state park just north of California City. About 3 miles after that point, there's a clearly labeled left turn into the park's visitor center. Make that left turn and follow the road to the entrance booth, where you will pay $6 per vehicle (unless you are camping, payment includes parking for the first vehicle.) Make an immediate left after the booth into the vistior's center parking lot.
Each day, registration and check-in will be at the visitor's center. You must be on time, because we will caravan in our vehicles to remote starting locations. Note that there will not be running water or toilet facilities at the remote start. The visitor's center has those facilities. (But there will be drinking water at the remote start.)
Map link
Accommodations
Camping: First come, first serve camping is available within the park, at $25 per campsite per night, for up to 8 people. Extra vehicles are $6 each. Average low temperature is in the high 30's, but could be as low as the teens.
I encourage you to share sites so that we can accommodate the event campers and not crowd out other groups. Indicate your interest in camping when preregistering so we are aware of the camping numbers.
Note: Camping at Red Rock Canyon State Park is only allowed in designated sites in the Ricardo Campground - you are not allowed to set up camp elsewhere within the state park. North of the park boundary is BLM land where you are allowed to camp, check the BLM website for information about backcountry camping.
Nearby towns like Mojave and Lancaster have motels and hotels.
Links
Red Rock Canyon State Park - State of California
Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association
Event Contact
Rex Winterbottom, 510-681-6181, rex@terraloco.com