It appears our yahoo group NMOrienteers@yahoogroups.com deletes the
attached PDF.  Anyone wanting the PDF please e-mail me for it, and
my apologies for the inconvenience.

Thanks,

	 Una Smith
	 New Mexico

New Mexico Orienteers are having trouble getting our website updated.
So attached is a PDF of the September meet results.

	 Una Smith
	 Los Alamos

Hey, all you potential mini-rogainers,

The website, www.nm-orienteers.org, can now accept pre-registrations
for the mini-rogaine. You don't want to miss this event, but you do
have to pre-register in order to get a pre-printed map. We need your
registration by Thursday night, Oct 22, at the very latest. If you've
never done a rogaine event, come try it. It's fun. If you are
concerned about your skill level, be assured that most of the controls
are at the intermediate level (which means they are at not difficult
to find features), but some will be at the beginning level, and some
will be more challenging aimed at advanced orienteers. We're putting
more controls in areas with few downed trees and fewer controls in
area of considerable downed trees. You can pre-register on the
website, but there isn't time to get payments in advance, so you will
pay at the meet.

BTW all participants need to arrive at the start at least 1/2 hour
(that is, at least 30 minutes) before their start to sign waivers (I
will try to send all pre-registrants a waiver attached to an e-mail,
but may not get everyone), and to pay, and then get your map in time
to study it and plan your route.

As always, we can't do a meet of this scale without people pitching in
to help. We need several people to help set up (which will NOT
interfere with your participating in the meet), several more to help
with check-in, taking payments, and handing out maps. If some who are
doing the two hour rogaine can come help with check-in of the four
hour rogainers, and then can help with tallying finish points. We can
arrange that you get your map at 10:30, go out at 11:00, and be back
at 1:00 PM, so you can both help and do the rogaine. Consider that
possibility. We can use the help, and you can still go out for two
hours. Helpers will need to pre-register, because otherwise we won't
have a map for you. E-mail meet director, Garth Reader,
<ger@...>, or <lisaandgarth@...> if you can lend a hand in any
capacity.

Judy Opsahl

Just a reminder to you all that our mini-rogaine will be Saturday,
October 24 at the Pajarito Trailhead parking lot (just west of the
Sportsman's Club. Directions are on the Website).  For those who don't
know a rogaine is a form of orienteering where there are no set
courses, but each control has a point value. Participants go out for a
set period of time (in this meet for 2 hours or 4 hours) and get as
many points as they can. You lose points for each minute you are back
late, so planning your route so you get back on time are important.
The four hour rogaine will begin at 10 AM and the 2 hour rogaine will
begin at 12 noon. All participants must be back by 2PM (or you lose
points). There will be coffee, ERG, water, and snacks and sandwich
makings at the start throughout the meet, so people can drop by the
start on their route to another section of the map and grab something
to eat.

Fees are $20 per person/2 member team/family group. PREREGISTRATION IS
REQUIRED, since we need to know how many maps to pre-print (You really
don't want to have to copy 50 controls on the map in the time between
when you get your map and when you have to start). The website will
have a pre-registration form in a day or so, but in the meantime you
can e-mail me the data: name(s) address(es), age(s) gender, and course
you will be on.

This year we will use the Rendija South, Lower Rendija, and Bayo
Canyon maps. We've added Bayo Canyon and eliminated and area of
particularly dense downed trees. :-)

If anyone would like to hang controls where the control setter has put
out ribbons, let me or Garth Reader, lisaandgarth@...,  or ger@...
, know. If someone can't make the mini-rogaine but has time ahead of
time, this would be a good way to experience part of the controls. We
also will need help with check in and handing out maps (we may have
three different JROTC groups here for the meet) and at 2Pm checking
everyone's control cards. And, of course, at the end picking up
controls. Many thanks in advance to all who volunteer to help.

Judy Opsahl

About 60 people participated in last Saturday's meet, including 33
JROTC cadets from Moriarty, the weather cooperated, and everyone
enjoyed their courses. Kudos to Una Smith, who did a fantastic job of
setting up the complex combination of regular beginning and
intermediate courses plus a score O'. Judy Opsahl held a tutorial on
how to orienteer cross country, and the participants all successfully
completed the orange course. Kudos to Bear and Timo Schacht, ages 13
and 9, respectively, who completed the orange course on their own
after the tutorial. Several participants came quite a distance for the
meet; Robert and Edna Schwartz from Bushland, TX, and John Pascal from
Farmington.

As always it takes many helpers to run a successful meet. We are
always grateful for people who volunteer to help. Una set the white
and yellow courses with the help of Bear and Timo Schacht and Una also
set the Score O'. Judy Opsahl set the orange course. Vetters were Tami
and Drew Martenson, who also helped with set up, Dick Opsahl, who also
helped with set up, and Judy Opsahl. Luis Aguirre and Laura Nunez  and
Judy Opsahl helped with starts and finishes, and Robi Mulford, Steve
Cave, and Jeff Hunker and Kelly Ray helped pick up controls. Many
thanks to all.

A number of new members joined at the meet. We want to welcome back
Steve Cave, returning after being sidelined from back surgery. It's
good to see you back, Steve. We also welcome new members Laura Nunez
from Albuquerque and the Justin Torgerson family from Los Alamos. A
hearty welcome to you all.

Our next meet is the mini-rogaine on Oct 24th. For those who don't
know, a mini-rogaine is a form of score orienteering in which there
are no set courses, but controls are scattered throughout the map,
each with a point value. Participants go out for a set period of time
(for the Oct 24 meet, for 2 hours or for 4 hours) and get as many
points as they can in that time period. There are penalties for
getting back late. Controls will be set at various degrees of
difficulty, so that inexperienced as well as experienced orienteers
can take part. PREREGISTRATION WILL BE REQUIRED. Further details will
be forthcoming soon, and you will be notified when preregistration is
open. Meanwhile, save the date. This is a popular event, and you don't
want to miss it.

Judy Opsahl

We are in great need of volunteers to vet courses and hang controls.
Vetting and hanging can be done together, on the Orange course and
Score O.  The White and Yellow courses are set already, but because
they are on trails we hang the control flags late Friday or first
thing Saturday.  And to allow time to make corrections, it is best
if those courses are vetted in advance.

If you are willing and able to vet and/or hang controls on Thursday,
Friday, or Saturday morning, please e-mail me.

Course setting has been done by myself, Judy Opsahl, Timo Schacht,
and Bear Schacht.  Laura Nunez and Luis Pedro Aguirre will help run
the meet on Saturday.  Judy will be teaching orienteers how to move
up from White and Yellow (beginner) to Orange (intermediate) level
orienteering.  I will direct the meet.  Jerry Boyd (NMO president)
will bring a box of new cool stuff for prizes.  Tami Martinson will
deliver our bulky equipment.

Judging by e-mail queries I have received so far, this meet will
have a large turnout, including more than usual numbers of visiting
orienteers from out of town and out of state.  Please do what you
can to help to make Saturday a great success for everyone.

Thanks!

	 Una

Hello, fellow orienteers! We have an exciting day planned for
Saturday, Sept 19th.

1. Una Smith is planning an interesting O' meet. She will have a
regular meet, with white, yellow, and orange courses, and a
simultaneous Score O'. A Score O', for those who don't know is a form
of orienteering where, rather than going out on a set course, you go
out for a set period of time (in this meet, 90 minutes). Each control
has a point value, and the person who gets the most points in the
least amount of time wins. The Score O will have staggered starts,
just as the regular orienteering will have. The Score O' controls will
have varying degrees of difficulty, but most will emphasize technical
rather than physical challenge. The 90 minute time limit is generous,
to allow slower runners/walkers to have a good chance of getting all
the controls. This is excellent preparation for the Mini-Rogaine in
October, so come and sharpen your skills in control finding.

The meet will be on Sept 19th, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Pajarito
Trailhead Parking lot (west of the Sportsman's Club--directions on the
website, www.nm-orienteers.org), with starts for both the regular
courses and the Score O' from 10 AM to 12 noon.  Instruction will be
offered to all newcomers, so come and bring someone you would like to
introduce to orienteering.

2. Judy Opsahl is offering a tutorial on how to orienteer cross
country. It is designed for people who have done beginning courses
(white and yellow) and would like to move up to intermediate and
advanced courses. The tutorial will be from 9 AM to 11AM on Sept 19th
in the Opsahl home on Barranca Mesa. This will allow participants to
then go to meet, getting there in plenty of time to go out on the
orange (intermediate) course or try the Score O', using your new-found
skills. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. The tutorial is limited to 10
persons, and there is a $5 fee for materials. Participants are
requested to bring a compass if they have one, a hat, walking or
running shoes, and a snack. Those going on to the meet will need to
bring water. Pre-register by e-mailing Una Smith, una.smith@....
She will collect the pre-registrations and forward them to Judy.
Please state on your pre-registration whether you will go to the O'
meet after the class.

To do all this requires some help. A meet cannot be run without
helpers. Please contact Una (una.smith@...) if you can help with
control hanging or vetting (ahead of time), or registration, starts,
instruction, or finish results (at the meet). No matter what task you
help with, you will still be able to orienteer, and your time helping
is you meet fee payment. if everyone pitches in doing something, we
have a successful meet.

Judy Opsahl

On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 02:57:10AM +0000, Greg Kendall wrote:
>I proposed it at the annual meeting two years ago in Santa fe and it was
defeated. Una lead the charge to crush the idea.

That's not what I remember.  Who has the minutes from that meeting?

I guess the first question about maps is are they to be purchased
or free?  If printed maps are to be purchased, I recommend selling
them to the visitor center, and letting the visitor center sell
them on to visitors.  Just as Dorothy Hoard's LA Jeep Trails map
is sold there.  The advantage of the visitor center over the pool
is the visitor center gets far more visits from people looking for
something to do, and the visitor center has more display space.
They also have the town maps, so can show a visitor how to get to
Bayo Canyon.  The pool would work only for people who go there
already knowing they want to try orienteering the permanent course
and need a map.  They could be sent there from our website or a
poster at the trailhead.

Maps free online works for me, since the one who downloads it then
pays the cost of color printing and has the option of B&W printing.
And there are costs involved in collecting payment online, even
when PayPal is working well for us.  Keep it simple.

Location.  Bayo Canyon has a kiosk at the trailhead, which helps
a lot to get the word out.  But the trails from the pool into and
across the top of Pueblo Canyon are very heavily used, especially
by kids getting around town.  That would be a good place to draw
people into trying the permanent O course.  We locals know Bayo
Canyon is way cool, but to someone from out of town Pueblo Canyon
has higher interest.  That has been my experience with visitors;
they *see* Pueblo Canyon as they enter town, and they can see it
as they drive on Canyon Road and Diamond Drive.  The footbridges
are a draw too.

Type of course.  Do you want a trail-O or a foot-O?  If foot-O,
could it be designed to be done also on mountain bike or horseback?
MBT-O design criteria would work for MTB and horse.  What technical
difficulty?  A trail-O could have stations of variable difficulty,
yet being a trail-O the visitor encountering a stumper could still
go on to the next station.

Apart from all the above, I think an important requirement is that
there be a kiosk at the trailhead where a copy of the map can be
posted.  I would like the map to have a place at the side where the
user can punch or (in the case of trail-O) mark the control code.
And the back should have printed instructions for how to use the
map, do the course, and further info about NMO.

	 Una

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

I think a permanent course could be a great recruiting tool and learning
tool as well.  But I do have one concern:  I have heard so many comments
about permanent courses being boring.  I suspect the courses in question
are WHITE level courses.  Would it be necessary to have more than one
course on the same map?

Another possible location is the area around the Santa Fe headquarters
of New Mexico Game and Fish.  That is west of Santa Fe, near the growing
municipal outdoor recreation area on Caja del Rio road.  NMG&F has a
huge PR machine:  magazine insert in local newspapers statewide, TV
program, display ads on the sides of city busses, school program, and
point of sale marketing opportunities.  (Last year they told me they
would be holding an expo there this September, but I have heard nothing
more from them.)

	 Una