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WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to live orienteering with FLO's season opener event this Saturday 9/17

Venue Notes
RSRSR - This is the first event right after the summer growing season, so while the grass might be mowed around the staging area, expect grass and other undergrowth to be high over most of the map. In some areas, the grass is thigh-high and briars are abundant, so leg protection is STRONGLY recommended. Prickly Pear cactus are also plentiful here, and they sport spines that can go clean through the toe or upper of a shoe if accidentally kicked, so wear tough shoes and watch where you step. Another recommendation is to treat your shoes, socks, and pants with insect repellent containing DEET or Permethrin, as the ticks and chiggers are open for business. Treating your clothing up to the waist with repellent is good protection against such nuisances.

Animal life is also plentiful in the park. We encountered deer, turkeys, gopher tortoises, and various birds while doing the prep work leading up to this event. Also, please note that there is horseback riding in RSRSR, and you may encounter riders while out in the park. Running toward or past a horse can spook it, leading to highly unfortunate events (or at the very least, angry riders who will complain to park officials). If you encounter horses, STOP RUNNING, verbally announce your presence so that horses and riders know you're there, yield right-of-way, and be courteous. Play nice in the sandbox.

As of this writing, the forecast for this Saturday looks quite nice, with an unseasonably cool high of 83! It will still be humid though, so you should plan ahead and carry plenty of water for hydration. Bottles of water or sports drinks work, but hydration packs worn on the back are best because they carry more volume and leave your hands free. Carry more liquid than you think you will need because you may be out on your course longer than you expect. Also plan to have more to drink when you return from your course.

Directions:
The construction on SR 46 seems to finally be settling, and the official RSR entrance has finally been moved to the new paved road off Wekiva River Rd. The bad news is that the changes are recent enough that not all routing apps seem to be fully aware of the current conditions, so be wary about using past directions, GPS targets, or addresses and blindly following your GPS. In particular, be warned that the new 429 extension now has on/off ramps on 46, and some routing apps seem to want incorrectly route you onto 429 very near the park. This is WRONG - do NOT get onto 429! Stay on 46 through the roundabouts to get to Wekiva River Rd and follow it south to the park entrance at what3words address

///chef.alias.alcoves

Plug that address into the w3w app, tap "Navigate", and pick your favorite navigation app to get turn-by turn directions to that intersection, then turn right onto the new paved road and follow it to the end. It will dump you out at the Horse Barn. Turn right there to get to our staging/parking area.

Note that since the official park entrance has now been moved to the new paved road, we can't be sure whether the gate at the old dirt road entrance on the north side of the park will be open or locked. We recommend that you do not try to come in the old way.

SUMMARY OF COURSES

White - suitable for absolute beginners. Course is on trails and/or fields. Length 2.5 km.
Yellow - for slightly more advanced beginners. Course is mostly on trails and fields with control points a short distance into the woods. There may be opportunities for those who feel able to take short cuts through the woods. Length 2.9 km.
Orange - intermediate difficulty. Mix of on- trail and off-trail, generally relying on the more obvious mapped features. Length 3.8 km.
Green - an advanced course off trail and reliant on the subtler features of the terrain. Length 4.9 km.
Blue - the longest advanced course, not always offered in smaller parks. Length 7.1 km.

Note that the course lengths mentioned above are measured straight-line from point to point to point. Your actual route on the ground will often be on more winding trails or diverted around obstacles like ponds or dense tickets, so your actual distance traveled will often be 25-50% longer than the stated course length.

If you are new and/or unsure of which course is right for you, ask us at registration and we will be happy to advise you. Precise course lengths will be on display at registration to give you an idea of how far you'll be travelling to complete a course. When in doubt, choose an easier course. If you complete that one too fast and haven't had enough fun yet, you can trade up to the next harder map and go out again!

As usual, there is a 3 hour time limit on all FLO courses, and all courses close at 3:00 pm (1500 hours). JROTC time limits will be 2 hours Yellow, 2.5 hours Orange, and 3 hours Green.

Safety Bearing: NORTHEAST to Ethel Rd.

Typical FLO registration fees are in effect: $7 per Map for FLO members, $9 per Map for non-members and $6 per Map for Groups such as JROTC and Scouts whose leaders register, and pay for, all their groups at once (this group rate minimizes the crowd and the confusion at the registration table and is well worth the discount to FLO registration volunteers!). In addition, registration will collect the park's $2/person day use fee.

The Map

The map has been updated in various ways, mostly east of CR 433 and in the vicinity of controls. The elevation contours were redrawn last year from LIDAR data at 1m intervals, providing a bit more topographical detail than we had previously.

Misc Notes:
In the event you choose to spend your post-orienteering time horseback riding, It’s only a short walk, but of course there is an extra charge for the rides because they are a commercial enterprise.

We hope you all enjoy the day and this lovely venue. Thanks for coming out, and Bring A Friend!