What is Orienteering?

Events

Maps

About Us

Presidio of San Francisco

Fort Winfield Scott area

Event #1 of 6 in the BAOC 2024 Summer Series

Date: (Sun.) Jun. 2, 2024
Location: San Francisco, CA
Event Director: - 415.531.3627
Course Setter: Deron van Hoff
Type: C; This is the first event of the 2024 Summer Series. Everyone is welcome, including beginners, with free short clinics to explain orienteering.

For the first event in the 2024 Summer Series, we are pleased to present another event at the popular Presidio of San Francisco. This year we will be back at the Fort Winfield Scott area, which we have visited in the past. We have put together three courses that will be fun for beginners to try and for advanced orienteers to cruise through.

The weather should be sunny, but cool​—​very nice for orienteering.

You can read here (https://presidio.gov/) about the Presidio of San Francisco, which is a National Park site and a National Historic Landmark.

What is Orienteering?

An adventure! Discover the outdoors and discover yourself! Teams of 1 to 5 find checkpoints in wilderness venues or urban areas using specially-produced maps.

Beginners

Beginner Clinics will be available to introduce orienteering. They are short, repeating sessions that explain orienteering maps and the process for completing a course. Of course, it's up to the participants to be able to read their map and navigate to the controls on their course. That should not be too difficult at this feature-rich venue.

"Experienced Beginners" & Beyond

A special, infrequent, feature of this event is the availability of Intermediate Clinics, which will present orienteering techniques beyond the basics. The topics could include things like attack points, following a bearing, aiming off, and relocation. The specific topics will be based mainly on where the attendees are in learning orienteering. These will still be fairly short clinics.

Out-of-Bounds Areas

Please respect all the out-of-bounds areas indicated on the map. Our permit requires that we not enter these areas.

Two map symbols are used to designate out-of-bounds areas:

• Olive-green areas indicate private residential yards (aka "settlement" as indicated on the legend). It is very important the we not enter those areas.

• Purple cross-hatching indicates environmentally sensitive areas and other sites where we are not allowed.

You may run on public sidewalks, but don't step on people's lawns. The rule of thumb is that if something looks like a private residence, avoid stepping on the property. This is an important condition of our permit.

Schedule

The standard BAOC event schedule will be followed:

  9:00 AM – noon:       Registration open

  9:30 AM – noon:       Beginner Clinics instruction (free)

10:00 AM – noon:       Intermediate Clinics instruction (free)

  9:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Starts are open for all the courses

                  2:00 PM: Courses close, checkpoint control pick-up begins

Note that you can register and start on the courses anytime during the open times 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).

Beginner Clinics are 15–20 minute, repeating sessions that introduce the sport of orienteering, and provide enough instruction to be able to complete the Beginner course. (The final Beginner Clinic will start around 11:40, ending with time to get to the Start before it closes.)

Intermediate Clinics are also short, repeating sessions, which will provide instruction on more-advanced orienteering techniques (see above). (The final Intermediate Clinic will start around 11:30, ending with time to get to the Start before it closes.)

Note that you must return to the Finish by 2:00 PM, and then go to the download tent, even if you have not finished your course. Please do not leave without checking in! If there are unaccounted people after 2:00, we must initiate a search for them.

Costs & Registration

The following fees apply for this event:

  $3 for each junior on the Beginner course

  $8 for each adult on the Beginner course

  $5 for each junior on the Short or Long course  

$15 for each adult member on the Short or Long course

$20 for each adult non-member on the Short or Long course

  $1 for a compass rental (optional)  

  $5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (if you don’t own one; each group will need one to complete their course)

$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)  

More information about event pricing is available in the club FAQ. All the prices are also shown on the standard entry form (12KB PDF), 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.)

Online Registration

Online registration has closed. You can register at the event.

What to Bring

For the Beginner course, comfortable outdoors attire and shoes are fine.

For the longer courses, although it's not an absolute requirement, long pants may give you comfort when running on narrow, overgrown trails, and occasionally stepping off-road. You might also want shoes with some extra grip on the soles (but be aware that you will probably be running on roads and sidewalks a lot).

Please be aware that dogs are not allowed on the courses, because this is the middle of coyote-pupping season. (Yes, coyotes have been seen by the course setter.)

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 a SPORTident fingerstick is required for each team​—​they rent for $5. (Use of the "E-punch" system is easy. You can learn how at the event, or read about it here.)

We might, or might not, offer snacks for after your course(s) — check back here closer to the date. If we don't, you might want to bring snacks/lunch to eat while you enjoy the views and comradery.

Restrooms

There are restrooms near the assembly area.

Location Within the Park

The event will be at the Fort Scott area of the Presidio, which is in the northwest portion of the park. See the Driving Directions below for details.

Courses

As usual for the Summer Series events, we will have three courses, with the following details:

    Course      Length    Climb   Controls
    Beginner    2.1 km     45 m       9  
    Short       3.0 km     80 m       9  
    Long        4.6 km    140 m      14

The Beginner course is for beginners and young children. This is a great warmup if you're trying orienteering for the first time. You get to see the map before the start and experience how everything works.

Participants can choose either the Short or Long course to earn points for the Summer Series (see below).

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

Map

The map scale is 1:7500. The contour interval is 20 feet.

Bill Cusworth has spent many hours updating the map over the last two weeks. However, the map is still not perfect and will take many more hours to update completely in this part of the Presidio.

Please pay attention to out-of-bounds areas, and be especially respectful not to intrude on residential property within the park.

Hazards

Always be aware of other Park users​—​there are many. (They are not hazards, but you might be a hazard to them if you don't pay attention.)

Car and bicycle traffic may get quite heavy in the afternoon. So, please pay attention when crossing streets and parking lots. You will have to do it several times.

There is poison oak in the park, although you will not need to go through it. Please be familiar with the appearance of this three-leafed plant. (See the Course Setter's Notes for more comments.)

The course setter removed a tick after one day of vetting, so make sure to check after your run. (Some information about ticks is here.)

2024 Summer Series

Points for the Summer Series will be awarded to all the individuals (not groups or teams) who complete either the Short or Long course as their first course of the day (i.e., not after the Beginner course). The results for the two courses will begin the standings in the Summer Series.

Details of the Summer Series scoring system are available here. (Note that we need your birth year if you want to be scored properly.)

Request for Volunteers

I am asking for your assistance during the first of six Summer Series events at the Presidio of San Francisco, a beautiful section of our beloved City by the Bay with grand homes, parade grounds, and remnants of shoreline battlements constructed during World War II.

Thank you to all who have already reached out to offer support unsolicited. There are many more slots to fill, so please let me know your availability. Lots of volunteers leads to less work for all. The plan is to set the controls at daybreak, and then meet the volunteer setup crew at Fort Scott parade grounds at 8:30 AM. We need assistance with the following tasks:

• Event-center setup – 1 more needed
• Registration (covered)
• E-punch check-in and download – 1 or 2 more needed
• Beginner Clinics (covered)
• Starts – 45- to 60-minute shifts needed from 10:15 to 12:30
• Finishes – help needed (or we'll have an unstaffed Finish)
• Event-center takedown – help needed
• Control pickup – more needed (everybody's favorite 😉).

If somebody wants to offer refreshments (with reimbursement for the cost), I will announce that snacks will also be provided, otherwise, it will be bring your own snacks. (I will bring water jugs and paper cups for Start/Finish.)

Please let me know if and how you would like to help, and I will organize the crew.

– Deron van Hoff, Event Director ().

Driving Directions

Note: Read the directions carefully, as no signs will be provided because of park rules.

All the action will start from the west part of Fort Winfield Scott (near Building 1205). This is the location we've used in past years. The approximate coordinates are 37.802,-122.4753.

Coming from the South or East: Head to the Golden Gate Bridge. Take the last SF exit (#439; "VIEW AREA/San Francisco Presidio/Golden Gate NRA/Fort Point") just before the toll plaza. After a short distance, bear right, and then turn right onto Lincoln Blvd. Continue under the overpass to a STOP sign at Merchant Rd/Storey Ave. The parking lot is shortly after that intersection, on the left. Be sure to purchase a parking permit at a kiosk in that lot (see below). Walk east, between the large buildings to the assembly area.

Coming from Marin: After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, exit immediately after the toll plaza onto Merchant Road. Turn right onto Lincoln Blvd; the parking lot will be on your left shortly after that turn. Be sure to purchase a parking permit at a kiosk in that lot (see below). Walk east, between the large buildings to the assembly area.

Parking

Note: Please do not park near the Log Cabin! Those spaces are reserved for events at the Log Cabin.

No matter where you park at the Presidio, you must purchase a parking permit on Sunday, even if there is no sign saying so near the place that you park. There are many kiosks with automated machines where you can purchase a permit (with coins or credit/debit card). Rates are $2.50–$3.00 per hour and between $12.50–$15.00 all day (prices differ by location and day of the week; more information is here (https://presidio.gov/visit/getting-to-and-around-the-park/how-to-pay-for-parking)). Be sure to place the permit on the dash with the date and time visible through the windshield.

The recommended parking lot is next to Lincoln Blvd (between Lincoln and Ralston), about 150 m south of the intersection of Lincoln Blvd and Merchant Rd/Storey Ave. (There is also a small parking lot at the intersection of Lincoln Blvd and Storey Ave, and another lot on the other side of Lincoln Blvd.)

Wherever you park, please be mindful of conserving space so we can fit in everyone's cars, and consider the affect your car might have on traffic, pedestrians, etc. (Also, be aware that the park police office is nearby, so there's a good chance they will see your car.)