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Golden Gate Park

Old Speedway Meadow Picnic Area

Event #4 of 4 in the BAOC 2017 Summer Series

Date: (Sun.) Aug. 27, 2017
Location: San Francisco, CA
Event Director:
Course Setter: Steve Gregg
Type: C; One advanced course with short options, total distance 2–5 km; Beginner Clinics will be available—beginners can run the first loop (or more) of the course

Related Event Information

Course Setter's Notes Last Year's Event 2017 Summer Series Summer Series Standings Event Results

Please note that fees and time limits apply. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Note: The August 27th date has been confirmed. (It was previously uncertain.) 

Last-Minute Course Change

When I visited the park Thursday afternoon to check control sites for the final time before the event, I discovered that a large, new, homeless encampment had sprung up, very close to control #10 on the course. Deron just confirmed for me that it is still there today.
I would feel very uncomfortable keeping that control on the course, since it feels unsafe to run competitors through there now, and also since the unit could well be stolen at that location. So I'm going to remove it, which will compromise the course somewhat, but I don't see a better alternative. Runners will go from control #9 straight to control #11, skipping #10 completely.
The maps have already been printed, so Saturday evening I will cross control #10 off all the maps by hand, as well as crossing it off the clue sheets. I'll also print out a few signs to display at the staging area. I hope that with all this advance warning, no one will be confused by what will happen tomorrow. See you then!
Steve
(Aug. 26, 2017)

Request From The Course Setter

I'm concerned about putting out controls the morning of the event. There are 30 distinct control locations, and it will probably take me 2 hours or more to get all the controls out by myself on Sunday morning. Which leaves the earlier-placed controls very much at risk of being vandalized, it seems to me. Have we ever had an E-punch event at GGP when at least one control has not been moved or stolen? I can't think of one.
So I propose that we try to find 4–5 volunteers willing to meet me at the park around 9 AM, at which time we would all go out to hang 5 to 6 controls each. That shouldn't take long, and would greatly reduce the possibility of vandalized controls. We would still let you run the course later! Getting to see the map ahead of time would be your reward for volunteering for this task. So if your Summer Series points are not quite as high as you would like them to be, show up a little early on Sunday to help with this task, and perhaps then run the real course a little more quickly than you might have otherwise. ☺
If anyone thinks this is a really bad idea, I'd be happy to hear from you, but these summer events are supposed to be fun, and everyone's fun will be greatly reduced if a control goes missing. In any case, let know if you'd be interested in helping me put out controls Sunday morning.
I hope to see many of you at the event!


This is the fourth (and final) event in the BAOC 2017 Summer Series. The current Summer Series standings are available here.

Schedule

  9:00 AM – Registration opens; you can register anytime until noon (no latecomers please!)
  9:30 AM – Beginners' clinic instruction available (free)
10:00 AM – Starts open, you can start on courses anytime until 12:30
 2:00 PM – Courses close, checkpoint pick-up begins

At registration, all juniors must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians, or bring with them a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian (the registration form is available here (PDF/100KB)).

Beginners' clinics are short, repeating introductions to orienteering that provide enough information to be able to complete a beginner course. Although there is no specific beginner course at this event, the nature of the park makes navigation fairly easy and safe, so beginners should be able to complete one or more of the loops on the course map (that is, after completing the first loop, they can go to the Finish or continue to the second loop). Beginners' clinics will continue until about 10:30 (they could stop earlier if there is no more demand).

Everyone must return to the Finish by 2:00 PM, and check in at E-punch, even if you don't complete your course. We need to account for all participants, because otherwise we must organize a search party for you. At 2:00 PM we will also start taking down controls, so there's no point in staying out longer (other than to cause us worry).

After you finish, stick around to socialize with other participants!

Costs

The following fees apply at this event:

  $5 for juniors (age 8 through 20; under 8 is free)
$12 for adult members
$18 for adult non-members
  $1 for a compass rental (optional)  
  $5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (if you don't own one, you'll need one to complete the course)
$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)  

Note: We are able to accept payment only by cash or check​—​no credit cards or electronic payments.

For extra people on a team (i.e., completing the course together), add $7 per adult or $3 per junior.

More information about event pricing is available in the club FAQ. All the prices are also shown on the standard entry form (PDF/100KB), which you can print and fill out in advance to save some time at the event (use the "INTER/ADV COURSE" section). You will need one entry form for each group of people going on the course together. Please note that the form has a second page for signatures of group members.

Course

Note: See the comments about a last-minute course change above.

The course consists of three loops totaling 4.6 km. The first loop includes a butterfly-loop control pattern. However, unlike "traditional" butterfly loops, all the competitors will visit the controls in the same order.

Like the other Summer Series events, competitors can complete one, two, or all three loops, heading directly to the Finish after they complete their final desired loop. (Note that Summer Series points will be earned only by people who complete all three loops.)

Note: The full three-loop course has 34 controls, so as usual, a high-capacity E-stick is required if you do all three loops. You can rent one, or temporarily exchange yours, at Registration. (Specifically, you cannot use an SI-5 [1–499999] or SI-8 [2xxxxxx] E-stick on that course.)

Unlike the previous events in the Summer Series, this event will have only one map. That is, there will not be a map exchange, since the three loops cover different parts of the map.

Be sure to read the Course Setter's Notes for more information.

2017 Summer Series

Points for the Summer Series will be awarded to everyone who completes the whole three-loop course (and for whom we know their birth year). Details of the scoring system are available here. The current Summer Series standings are available here.

Driving Directions

The approximate coordinates are 37.7662, -122.4990

There's a map here that shows the location of the event. To use that map, drag it to center San Francisco in the panel, then use the "+" button to zoom in. Repeat dragging and zooming to get the desired area shown. You can click on the Satellite button to see an aerial view.

Coming from the Bay Bridge: After crossing the bridge, take exit 1B to merge onto US-101 N toward the Golden Gate Bridge and continue onto Octavia Blvd. Use any lane to turn left onto Fell St. At the west end of the Golden Gate Park "Panhandle", turn slightly left to stay on Fell St. Shortly after entering Golden Gate Park, turn left onto Kezar Dr. That road merges into Lincoln Way. Continue on Lincoln Way to 41st Ave (on the left) and Chain of Lakes Dr E (on the right). Turn right onto the latter. Just past the second stop sign, there is a parking lot on the right. This is where you should park.

Coming from the South: From I-280, take the (left) exit (49B) to 19th Ave. After 0.3 mile, exit onto Brotherhood Way heading west. At the "T" intersection with Lake Merced Blvd, turn right. Stay on Lake Merced Blvd until it becomes Sunset Blvd. Continue on Sunset Blvd into Golden Gate Park, and turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Dr. Turn right onto Chain of Lakes Dr E. Just past the first stop sign, there is a parking lot on the right. This is where you should park.

Coming from Marin: After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, exit shortly after the toll plaza onto 19th Avenue. Continue on 19th Ave through Golden Gate Park. At the south edge of the Park, turn right onto Lincoln Way. Continue on Lincoln Way to 41st Ave (on the left) and Chain of Lakes Dr E (on the right). Turn right onto the latter. Just past the second stop sign, there is a parking lot on the right. This is where you should park.