So many things happen at FLO events lately. Nothing is routine. Wekiwa Springs was no exception.
The weather was nearly perfect but that's not at all unusual is it? The forest was in tip-top form and though we don't often use the word "blazing" to describe seasonably brown grass, in this case, it was truly remarkable! You should have seen that grass-carpeted forest. And if you were among the 126 FLO'ers attending, you did.
If you were among the 60+ JROTC'ers up at Kelly Park using the same piece of forest, you did too. A huge congratulations must go to the administration, rangers and biologists of Wekiwa Springs State Park for their restoration efforts, chiefly through controlled burning, making the portions of the forest we happen to use for orienteering look absolutely beautiful. This is what controlled burning is all about - restoration to pre-European conditions. We are now beginning to see, and to appreciate, how it was. So mention it to a ranger next chance you get.
I have learned, by the way, that the majority of that golden grass we saw is not wiregrass as I had mistakenly told you before, but if someone knows what it is please let us know. Such an insanely beautiful forest qualifies as 'different', don't you agree?
Another one of the things that made this event different was the JROTC/civilian split. The Park asked us to divide ourselves after last year's overflow crowds at the Wekiwa Youth camp. Our orders were to allow no JROTC into the 'main' event, only civilians. So we suggested the easiest solution. JROTC would use Kelly Park, simply accessing Wekiwa from the opposite end. Everyone was happy, but I'm very much afraid that all our advance warnings of such complications, and Looong Walks, prompted many to stay away, since our total attendance of about 200 was well below average turnout.
Another difference was that remote location of the start/finish table, 1.3 miles from registration. This could have been a really big problem, as nice as it is to use the picnic pavilions adjacent to the 72F Spring boil. But you were all wonderfully tolerant. Thank you, all. Ray Bruneau and Walenty Prytulo volunteered their vehicles as shuttles to and from the remote start. Lots of folks were thus spared the trek, but alas, not all.
Another 'difference' was the news, just as we entered the park to set up that morning, that we had to move Start/Finish. Imagine my surprise. A convenient site was available in this case, but ordinarily such a change would be closer to disastrous.
What was not different was the ready availability of volunteers, from Janet Putnam, John Ide and Arild Orsleie on Registration, to Russ Stienke on everything from To-Start-sign-making to shuttle-bike to Start/finish table, and to Jonathan Linforth for whipping out pre-printed maps at the last minute because I couldn't get him control locations on time, and then driving them down to the Park Friday PM for me to pick up at the gate as I entered Sat AM. Andy Holman ran Start/Finish to the bitter end of the day, along with Derek Bohn. I mentioned Ray & Walenty's shuttle service. And then Joe Maliszewski, Jerry Sirmans and Lori Yost retrieved controls. If I've forgotten someone, I apologize. Know that you are appreciated nonetheless.
We had visitors from upstate New York, Ottawa Canada, Ohio (although Lori Yost from OH, says she's staying here awhile), and maybe we'll count as visitors the snowbird-Fluegels, here from CT for their first event of the season. Our Canadian visitor, and Green course winner, Gord Hunter, has shared an article he prepared for his own club's newsletter, so that you can read of the fun he had next month in our FLO N/L.
I have to comment a little on the map and its most recent updating. We challenged Dick Detweiler, from the Rochester NY club, to come to FL last November for 5 days of mapping and to completely remap all 5 square kilometers of Wekiwa Springs. Anyone who has spent more than a few minutes trying to correct or update a map knows this is impossible. Yet, Dick did a remarkable job in the time he had, allowing us to confidently re-use Wekiwa areas for both the December and January events and we owe him a debt of thanks. Still, there is more to do, as those of you on the advanced courses who wandered through the seemingly endless sea of dead and fallen trees searching for the "two distinct dead trees", well know. We know you were thinking "what were they thinking?" (mostly we were thinking: 'this would be 'fun'...in its own peculiar way.').
I must apologize profusely for screwing up several control description sheets. I failed to pick up a last minute change on Green, so left the inapplicable code and description for WF (distinct tree, south side) where JM should have been. On Brown I flipped descriptions for #5 and #6 for no apparent reason apart from budding senility. And on orange, someone told me another erroneous description was given. Ah, me! Everyone coming out of the woods with smiles and assurances that they had great time is sometimes mystifying to me, but appreciated.
Until next time then: Keep that map oriented and keep track of where you are! Words to live life by.
Name | Time |
Patti Phillips (3) | 50:00 |
Jose Cruz (2) | 65:55 |
Zahrt | 96:15 |
Name | Time |
Tasing | 67:15 |
Kelly Green | 76:09 |
Lindauer | 77:00 |
Koerner | 84:20 |
Ginsburg | 123:04 |
Name | Time |
Prytulo | 52:22 |
Sampoux | 54:00 |
Steinke | 59:00 |
Metallo | 60:41 |
Hemness | 64:40 |
Brown | 79:30 |
Schmid | 84:17 |
Wright | 85:35 |
Mahnken | 86:07 |
Jeff Keil (3) | 100:40 |
Outdoors & Active 1 | 101:25 |
Worischeck | 102:43 |
Outdoors & Active 2 | 103:25 |
Outdoors & Active 3 | 109:30 |
Laughridge | 125:55 |
Jones | 131:05 |
Faith,Julie,Rebecca | 150:48 |
Sypolt | 162:06 |
Durjan | DNF |
Quintero | OT |
Name | Time |
Akers | 65:30 |
Barker | 73:52 |
Schmidt | 102:50 |
Collins | 140:24 |
Myler | 145:22 |
G Poolle | 161:30 |
Name | Time |
Gord Hunter | 55:00 |
Ray Bruneau | 95:22 |
Lori Yost | 96:09 |
Joe Maliszewski | 131:46 |
John Ide | 144:01 |
Alicia Bates | 144:20 |
Pridemore | 153:03 |
Feudner | 171:05 |
Dennis Carolyn | OT |
Bates | OT |
Name | Time | |
Arild Orsleie | 75:42 | |
Derek Bohn | 93:31 | |
Ron Eaglin | 98:40 | |
DirtyFish | 115:30 | |
Andrea Holman | 121:55 | |
Shuman | 137:12 | |
Jenkins | 153:40 | |
Donna Fluegal | 161:00 | |
Barolet | 162:31 | |
C Wright | 171:00 | |
Jamie Sheriff | DNF | |
Jerry Sirmans | OT |
DNF | Did Not Finish |
DQ | Disqualified (Missed Controls) |
OT | Over 3 Hour Time Limit |