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Update 5/11/11:  The recent fire burned parts of the event area.  Some courses might pass through areas of dry ash and charred vegetation.  Don't wear your best Sunday shoes and fancy hiking duds, if you want them to stay clean.  Stage II fire restrictions are in effect. 

The start/finish for this Sunday May 15, 2011 event, will be just up-hill from the historic grave site of the now mostly vanished boom-bust town of Greaterville.  Five classic courses for orienteers of all skill levels and an adventure race motala are planned through interesting mining terrain in this Coronado National Forest area in the eastern foothills of the picturesque Santa Rita mountains.

Go Control at Last Year's Greaterville Event (Photo by Ludwig Hill)

The White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Red, and Tucson Motala courses will traverse through grassy open and lightly forested rolling terrain that in some places has the broken ground typical of the placer gold mining of by-gone days.  Practically all of the grass seeds will be gone by this time of the year, so the running through undergrowth should be pleasant and the visibility good.  The color map for all courses will be 1:10,000 scale with a 5 m contour interval.

Club members will be able to register through express check-in.  There will be a free beginner’s clinic at 8:30 a.m. which lasts about 30 minutes.

The meet directors are Margrit McIntosh & Pat Penn.  Call Margrit at (520) 326-2339 or email memcinto (-at-) gmail (-dot-) com if you have questions about this meet.  Please offer to help out with registration, timing, or control retrieval.  The fees collected at each event only cover the costs for permits, insurance, transportation, map printing, supplies, and equipment used at the event.  They don’t cover planning, organizing, or running the event.   It is only through the generous volunteer effort of us club members by which these events can happen!

Motala:  The Tucson Motala is a three-stage course that will test and develop both your navigation and endurance skills.  The stages may be run in any order desired and consist of a ~3-4k on/off trail loop (or “Yellow” loop), a more navigationally challenging ~4-5k off trail loop (Orange) and a more difficult ~5-6k off trail loop (Red).  We recommend that you start the first stage by 9:15 a.m.  The latest time to start the last stage is 11:15 a.m. (Red loop), 12:00 a.m. (Orange), or 12:15 p.m. (Yellow).  Motala fees for members of the Tucson or other recognized orienteering club are $10/person + $5/each additional team member for each event.  Nonmember fees are $15/individual + $10/each additional team member for each event.

Fees:  Classic courses:  $5/individual, $8/team for members of any recognized orienteering club.  $10/individual, $15/team for nonmembers.  For motala fees, see the special section above.  Compasses rent for $1.  Safety whistles sell for $1.  Every person, all courses, all meets is required to carry some type of safety whistle.

Friend-For-Free:  Members may invite one guest for free to this event.  To print a voucher and for details and restrictions, click here.

Schedule:
8:30 a.m. Beginners’ clinic starts.
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  Registration.
9:00 a.m.  Courses open.
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Route choice reviews.
1:00 p.m.  Courses close.  Everyone must be back by then.  Begin control retrieval (orienteering practice).

Check-In:  To insure that all are safe, everyone, whether finished with the course or not, must check in formally at Start/Finish before courses close and before leaving the meet site.

Newcomers:  Go directly to Registration.  Ask for instructions and introductory information.  To attend the free beginners’ clinic, arrive between 8:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

Route Choice Reviews:  Orienteers love to talk about alternate routes and their advantages and disadvantages.  If you would like to discuss your choices after you do the course, there will be advanced orienteers near the Start/Finish area who would enjoy going over your route with you.