Notes from the field #2

Well I was out placing flags last weekend and had to alter the course. The nice clearing where I was going to place a CP is now covered by five to six foot tall plants. Not really a clearing any longer. So what would a true evil race director do? Make the course shorter? Not sure that’s a good idea. Make the new CP at the top of a large steep clear-cut with only knee high plant growth? Why that sounded like a good idea. I guess you will have to validate the decision if you decide to hit CP12.

I plotted and printed the maps today. Since we have no sponsors to print our stuff on nice water proof folding maps, they will likely all end up on 8.5 x 11 or legal size paper. That being said, you should probably think about bringing something to carry them in. Also a second word of advice, if you happen to own or want to buy the Green Trails maps for Tiger mountain and/or Cougar mountain you might want to think about bringing them. That is because at least sometime during the race you will be on one or the other map. You will also be on other maps, so don’t assume you know all the trails. If there happens to be someone who has already done the entire course and been on all the trails, then as Race Management we feel we have not done our job and will refund you your wallet breaking entry fee.

Current forecast says hot and sunny, but who really knows. Plan accordingly and plan for travelling for multiple hours without being able to refill your water unless from a stream, which are pretty full right now.

Now the big question- where to start:

Plan to have the pre-race meeting at Issaquah highlands park and ride at 8 am.
Issaquah Highlands P&R1755 Highlands Dr NE Highlands Dr NE & NE High St

Optional prologue to happen shortly after that.

I would follow PQ’s lead and make you go get a GPS as mandatory gear, but then you would know where you are at all times and could yell at me if I miss placed a CP, so no GPS’s on the course since I didn’t use one to set it. But you do need a writing utensil or two for filling out the passport unless you want to remember and make up answers at the finish line.

The post below shows Rick doing some course vetting.

Now get back to watching PQ. DART is in top 5 as of this mail going out.

Later,
The slightly scraped up Evil Race Director