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Huddart Park

Date: (Sun.) Nov. 4, 2018
Location: Woodside, CA
Event Director: - 650.906.9672
Course Setters: Matthias Kohler, Nick Corsano
Type: B; Standard 7-course B-meet in this beautiful redwood park

Related Event Information

Course Setters' Notes Last Year's Score-O Event 2016 B-meet Event Event Results

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


BAOC returns to the dramatic redwood forests of Huddart Park (http://parks.smcgov.org/huddart-park) on the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains above Woodside. We will offer all seven standard courses, so there will be something for everyone from beginners to advanced orienteers. The usual event schedule and fees will be in effect, and electronic punching will be used.

Huddart is a steep park. The club map from the 1990s had a contour interval of 7.5 meters, and suffered from some imprecision in contour lines (typical of redwood forest). We now have a new map that is based on 5-meter LIDAR data! That makes the map more precise, but unfortunately does not make the slopes any less steep.

We will be based at the Werder Shelter. Parking, registration, the Finish, picnic tables, restrooms, and a kids’ playground are all nearby.

All the courses will use a remote Start. For the White and Yellow courses, it will be a fairly level 10- to 15-minute walk from Werder. All others will continue past the White/Yellow Start, for a total of 25- to 30-minute walk from Werder with a moderate elevation gain.

Huddart is popular with equestrians, and it is mandatory that all runners yield the right of way to horses. If you encounter people on horseback, you must stand by the side of the trail and let them go by. It has been suggested that when approaching a horse and rider, say "Hello" to the rider at a distance so that the horse knows you are a human being, and so will not be spooked. If you are about to emerge from the woods onto a trail, look and listen for horses first, and wait if they are nearby. The worst thing you could do is burst out of the woods onto a trail near a horse.

There are likely to be hikers and other group events in the area. Please be considerate of them, too.

No dogs are allowed in the park.

Remember that Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM the day of this event (i.e., "fall back").

In addition to the information below, be sure to read the Course Setters' Notes.

For more information, or to volunteer to help, please contact the Event Director (). We need a couple more people to help at the Starts, and are especially in need of help with control pickup!

Schedule

  9:00 AM – 11:59 AM: Registration open
  9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Beginners' clinic instruction (free)
 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Starts open
           2:00 PM: Courses close, checkpoint control 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)).

Note that you can register and start on courses anytime during the open periods above. Thus, for example, you do not need to be "punctual" at 9:00 (but you can if you want, but please don't show up earlier and expect to be served).

Note that there is a walk from the assembly/parking area to the Start, as noted elsewhere on this page. Be sure to plan on time to get there.

Beginners' clinics are short, repeating sessions that introduce the sport of orienteering, and provide enough instruction to be able to complete the beginner (White) course.

Please note that 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.

After you finish, enjoy free snacks and refreshments, stick around and socialize with other participants!

Costs

The following fees apply at this event:

  $3 for juniors (age 8 through 20) on beginner's (White) and advanced beginner's (Yellow) courses
  $8 for adults on beginner's and advanced beginner's courses
  $5 for juniors on intermediate (Orange) and advanced (Brown, Green, Red, Blue) courses  
$12 member price for intermediate and advanced courses
$18 non-member price for intermediate and advanced courses
  $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, add $5 per adult on beginners' courses or $7 per adult on intermediate and advanced courses (with lower prices for juniors).

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. (You will need one entry form for each group of people going on a course together.) Please note that the form has a second page for signatures of group members.

What to Bring

For the beginner (White) course, comfortable outdoors attire is fine, but you should wear sturdy running or hiking shoes. Hiking boots with an aggressive tread are recommended for the advanced beginner (Yellow) course.

Due to the dry weather, matted leaves, and loose soils, we recommend O-shoes or shoes with cleats on the intermediate (Orange) and advanced (Brown through Blue) courses.

We recommend long pants and gaiters on all the courses, except White.

A compass is not necessary, but can be helpful. We have compasses available for a $1 rental fee.

We time the courses with the SPORTident system, so each entry/team needs to have a SPORTident fingerstick. If you don't have your own, you can rent one at registration for $5. (Use of the "E-punch" system is easy. You can learn how at the event, or read about it here.)

Courses

Here are the details of the courses: 

    Course     Length     Climb   Controls  Navigation
    White      2.2 km      90 m      10     Beginner  
    Yellow     2.4 km     130 m      11     Advanced Beginner
    Orange     3.9 km     205 m      15     Intermediate
    Brown      2.9 km     195 m      15     Advanced
    Green      3.6 km     285 m      14     Advanced
    Red        4.9 km     410 m      23     Advanced
    Blue       5.7 km     505 m      25     Advanced

Beginners should be aware that the distances shown are the cumulative straight-line distances between controls. Your actual distance will be somewhat longer. For a rough estimate of how far you will actually go, mentally change "km" to "mi" (e.g., for a "2.2 km" course, you might travel about "2.2 mi"). The climb numbers represent the amount of ascending that would be done on the "optimum route" (in the Course Setter's opinion), without regard for any descending.

All the courses will use a remote Start. For the White and Yellow courses, it will be a fairly level 10- to 15-minute walk from Werder. All others will continue past the White/Yellow Start, for a total of 25- to 30-minute walk from Werder with a moderate elevation gain.

Be sure to read the Course Setters' Notes for more information about the courses.

Driving Directions

From the Bayshore Freeway (US 101) or Interstate 280 on the Peninsula, go west on Highway 84 (Woodside Road). About a mile past 280, you will come to a stop sign at the intersection of Mountain Home, Cañada Road, and Woodside Road (near Roberts Market). (Heed the 25 mph speed limit in Woodside!) Continue straight for 0.7 miles to Kings Mountain Road. Turn right (northwest) and follow Kings Mountain Road for 2.1 miles to the park entrance. Pay your fee at the entrance station and follow the park signs to the TBD area. Park in any of the designated areas along the road.

There is a park entry fee of $6 per vehicle. If the entry kiosk is not staffed, you must use a self-service process nearby (which involves putting exact cash in an envelope).

There's a map here that shows the location of the event.