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Saturday, February 13th is NMO's annual meeting in the meeting room of REI. We have the room from 10 AM to 1PM. Judy Opsahl will hold a training tutorial on course setting from 10- 11:30, followed by the annual meeting at 11:30, ending by 1:00PM. Bring a sandwich or snack since the meeting will run through the noon hour.
Course setting tutorial: This tutorial not only teaches you how to set courses at all levels, but also will improve your map reading and navigational skills. There is no fee for the class or materials. Let Judy Opsahl <opsahlr@mac.com> know if you plan to attend, so she knows how many sets of materials to print. You should be orienteering at least at the orange level to set a course, but if you're not at that level and just want to sit in on the class, you'll learn something. When you sign up for the class let Judy know at what level you usually orienteer.
Annual meeting: Every year we have a meeting to elect officers, plan meets and other activities for the club, plan new maps, and also inform members of other orienteering meets and activities in other clubs in the Southwest. The input of all members is valuable. {Jerry, you might want to included something here about the slate of officers}
Those coming from Albuquerque contact Jerry Boyd <wb8wfk@att.net> about car pooling or riding the train together. Those in Los Alamos contact Judy Opsahl to set up carpooling. Since she will be going down about 9:00 to teach the tutorial, anyone from Los Alamos wanting to attend both meetings can ride down with her.
Some 60 people attended last Saturday's (Oct 24) mini-rogaine, including three JROTC groups. The weather co-operated wonderfully, the controls were well set, offering a variety of options for two and four hour orienteers, and the only glich was that a mother bear and cubs decided to hang out near one of the controls, significantly reducing the number of people who went to that control. Adam Talmage Neill and Peter Stillwell were the top scorers with 880 points. Kudos to them, but extra special kudos also to the second highest scorers, Bear and Timo Schacht, ages 14 and 10, respectively, who racked up 550 points. Full results will be on the website, www.nm-orienteers.org, soon.
The success of the meet was due to efforts of a number of members who did yeoman work despite having many other demands on their time. Special thanks to all of them. Controls were set by Garth Reader, meet director, Una Smith, Dick Opsahl, and Judy Opsahl. Control hangers were Don Siebe, co-meet director and hampered by a pulled Achilles tendon, Garth Reader, Dick Opsahl, and Judy Opsahl. Rick Kelley took all the information, GPS and other, about the location of 49 controls, and deciphered it and placed each accurately on the three maps we used. Several volunteers form RSVP helped with registration and with reading punch cards at the finish, Nan Saponara, Janet Harris, and Ted and Joan Williams. Their help was invaluable, as was that of control picker uppers, Steve Cave, David Siebe, Garth Reader, Dick Opsahl, and Judy Opsahl.
Plans are in the works for a ski O' this winter in the Valles. A notice will go out as soon as we have a date.
Judy Opsahl
In Wyoming, at the US Classic O' Championships, Dick Opsahl came in third in the US Champs Men 75-79, and Judy Opsahl is the US Champ in Females 70-74. Congratulations to them both!
We will be developing our 2010 event schedule soon. Help make 2010 our best season ever by volunteering to be a Meet Director or Co-meet director. Contact Jerry Boyd at wb8wfk@worldnet.att.net
When attending a Los Alamos meet, if you need to find a local place to stay, here are some links:
Lodging
Juniper Campground at Bandelier National Monument
Camp May County Campground
Other nearby camping
Bandelier has a group campground called Ponderosa. If you scrap a group together, you can contact Judy Opsahl and she can reserve the group space for you.
From Club Presiden, Jerry Boyd:
Here is a nice introductory video on orienteering from USOF: YOUTUBE VIDEO
Check out our Blog with photos from last Winter's O' at the Valles Caldera.
WHAT IS ORIENTEERING? (from RMOC web page)
In orienteering, you use a map and compass to locate a series of
checkpoints shown on a specialized topographic map. You choose the
route, either on or off trail, that will help you find all the
checkpoints and get to the finish line in the shortest amount of
time. Each checkpoint, or "control," is a distinct mapped feature
such as a trail junction, a boulder, a hilltop, etc. The controls are
marked with orange-and-white flags.
Orienteering is often called "the thinking sport" because it requires map reading, problem solving, and quick decision-making skills in addition to athletic ability and general physical fitness.
WHO IS NMO?
New Mexico Orienteers is a new club based out of Los Alamos, New
Mexico. We held our first meet on June 7, 2003. We have drawn participants from various
parts of Central and Northern New Mexico, and neighboring states, and
participants have ranged in age from 5 to the 70's.
Meets are open to members and non-members alike, and training can usually be
provided for newcomers who come along.
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