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Help Wanted HVO-DVOA Dual O Meet Wanaque Ridge 14 October
  • Topic created by BRycharski on Wed Oct 3, 2018 at 10:27 pm
    Bob Rycharski (BRycharski)
    BRycharski
    Num Posts: 198
    Primary Club: DVOA
    Fav map: Rutgers Preserve
    First O: 1976
    Greetings, DVOA members and All O club friends!
    It's only 12 days until HVO's second ever event at Wanaque Ridge in NJ -- our newest map!  And to boot its a friendly DVOA - HVO Dual Club Competition event.  However...
    Bob Rycharski, the Event Director, is very concerned that only five (5) persons have stepped up to help with this event, which, between heavy promotion to scouts & at least 2 JROTC units, and being the 2018 HVO/DVOA Dual Club Event, could easily see attendance of well over 160!  To make volunteering easier, Bob has defined specific tasks and shifts; these are the ones for which he still needs people…                                                   0/2  = (Have, Need)
    • Parking lot attendant    11:00am-12:00pm: 2 persons.  0/2
    • Beginner trainer           10:00am-11:30pm: 2 persons   1/2
    • Beginner trainer           11:30am-12:30pm: 1 person.   0/1
    • Start official                   9:50am-11:15pm: 1 person.    1/1  filled
    • Start official                  11:15am-12:30pm: 1 person.   0/1
    • E-punching master       10:00am-1:00?pm:   1 person.    1/1? filled
    • E-punching helper        11:30am-1:00pm:   1 person.    0/1
    • Registrar helpers          10:00am-11:30am: 2 persons (0/2) /  11:30am-1:00pm: 1 person.
    • Event Director helper    11:00am-12:00pm: 1 person.   0/1  (Crowd Control)
    • Control pick-up              4:00pm or earlier:  3 persons (have 1, need 3 more).   1/4
    Please contact Bob, at     rrycharski345@optonline.net   ,  the event director
    if you think you could help me with any of these jobs (or need more details).
    For more details on the overall event --including the Harry Potter Trivia-O -- please visit the Wanaque Ridge HVO event webpage.   (<17 Yr (with an Age Line) on Yellow Long.)
    Thanks for any Walk On or Firebolt Fly Ons - help also,  
    Bob Rycharski  a Dual HVO and DVOA member
  • Reply by camperpat on Thu Oct 4, 2018 at 7:36 am
    Pat Burton (camperpat)
    camperpat
    Num Posts: 352
    Primary Club: DVOA
    Fav map: Hibernia
    First O: 1999
    Sorry.   But.  we are away that week.   the burtons
  • Reply by Guy-O on Fri Oct 5, 2018 at 7:46 am
    Guy Olsen (Guy-O)
    Guy-O
    Num Posts: 356
    Primary Club: HVO
    Fav map: Spackman Creek
    First O: 1982
    Early (10-11:30) registrar helper spots are now filled.
  • Reply by BRycharski on Fri Oct 5, 2018 at 9:50 pm
    Bob Rycharski (BRycharski)
    BRycharski
    Num Posts: 198
    Primary Club: DVOA
    Fav map: Rutgers Preserve
    First O: 1976
    Advanced Course setter (UNOFFICIAL) notes Wanaque (WQ) Ridge O map from the HVO Event Director

    To Entice and Pique your Oct 14th interest to possibly attend the UpComing Annual Dual Orienteering meet, I am providing the following general notes.  For Course lengths and climb, see the WQ meet Postings at www.hvorienteering.com  (seek the HVO shedule page )

    The Wanaque Back Beach Park is a small Local , in my Hometown (FYI I live 1/4 mile away from the parks entrance) - that said, welcome to the park where I do 75% of my local training Orienteering runs. After Your Orun on 14 Oct, I do recommend a hike up the Red Triangle Blazed trail, a 1/2 mile up hill hike or run.  From there there are to options to go Clockwize or Counterclockwise around Ramapo Mountain State Park Lake on a mostly level gravel based jeep trail.  as a bonus ask me before your O run where Katniss Point (a nice lake vista viewpoint, Hunger Games 2014 movie 2nd unit site) is, its easy to find on the o map but has no signs.

    Course and park notes:
    The HVO older analog Ramapo Mountains map (over 20 years old) was out of print, and was a larger HVO map. About 1/4 of that old map has been digitized by Paul Bennett (CS) and in general partly field checked into a IMO a Good Enough O map.  In the trail area, the main trails we remapped by me/bob, in 2017 (whole sections of Wanaque West part of map) town trails were originaly just missing). Most trails are small unimproved foot trails but are maintained by locals and the NJ/NY trail conference.  Dominating the Park is a wide Right of Way Gas Line (buried, NW and SE directions). This ROW trail is sometimes total gravel and other times dirt and rock easy walking.  But as this is the end of Summer, the right of way is clear on the trail, but is sometimes filled with 3 or 4 feet tall weeds and brambles, and meanders a bit.

    Park starts as a Valley Floor with the Wanaque River and a small foot bridge to cross.  Once in the main  park, one has either foot trails or ATV weathered foot trails to take, some of which are unblazed.  There are Orange bazes on relatively new loop trails to points of interest (Like Viewpoints on top of Wanaque Ridge).  There are trails to the North West that go near the new Condos, but these are in general signed as Private property, keep out, but the Town of Wanaque leases back the Undeveloped and mostly rocky forest parts as public, Hiking access is permited as a part of the condo permit to build years ago. 

    General Course notes from the 2017 course setter (me)

    *  as you are starting at the bottom of a medium river, all courses start walking uphill somehow.  Climb is moderate to easy but can be tough in the Advanced courses (short steep mini-climbs)
    *  ATV's sometimes share the paths (not to often), if they are about step to the side and let them pass
    * Ocassional hunter stands are well hidden, but are unmapped.  Hunting is not permitted in NJ on Sundays.
    Forest is a climax 2nd growth forest, as most of the original hardwood were cut down ages ago.  Oak, Sassafrass and maples dominate with rare pine trees on hill tops.  Under story is from clear run (some) and mostly Mtn Laurel and some ferns and bluberry bushes (latter 1 foot high).  Fight is in general moderately accurate but there is a large Dark green section (300 square feet oval) on the Gasline hill (west side) that is not accurately mapped.  Lets just say I hope Paul has noted its general location and its not a route choice factor.
    * Streams and swamps are Filled from a 29 sept 2 inch major storm in NJ.  We are monitoring the 2 streams on the white and yellow courses, but they are receding from the noisey rush to the ocean (upper valley drainage) , and are easily crossed. As an example that storm caused the Wanaque River (just a wide ditch) to raise up about 1 foot, from its normal 6 inches below the foot bridge trail level to covering the bridge with 6 inches or more of storm surge/drainage (4 to 5 hours later the bridge re-emerged washed and undamaged.) 
    *  Bridge across the river (river depth 2 feet deep normally at most) is a concrete and Stone Bridge built by the recently deceased Mr 'Ace' Tachine (an avid deer hunter), a casual park friend of mine for years (he reached 91, RIP Mr. Ace, we are using your Bridge for the second time to go Orienteering, well done sir).
    * Otherwise, the park is a hill complex, general forest and occasional swamp mix, with random boulders and moderate to very large cliffs.  Most trails run either N/S or East/West.  there is some Highway noise in the south due to a major US Route 287 bridge which is noted to have some great Local graffetti artists on the 20 plus bottom bridge columns, and some of the larger portraits (cartoons) are quite good IMO.
    * This land was originally owned by first the Rand Munitions Company and then DuPont.  Occassional large and small ruins are found and mapped on the orienteering map.  the best is the Old railroad stone beam Bridge that is on the map but has fallen partly down.

    * I like it (Wanaque Ridge) , its a challenge to hike and occassionally old unused/ruined (unmapped) trails are interesting to explore.  I hope you can visit and possibly volunteer to run the meet as I need volunteers to step forward, a bit to help me at the 14 Oct Sunday DVOA/HVO O meet.

    Bob Rycharski  Meet Director  October 2018

    PS.  During the Event, there are Soccer games ongoing (WQ youth). From 12 noon on, the Town sponsored Soccer Grill willl be open for Hotdogs, Nacos, eggs and cheese sandwitches, and pretzles/snacks/candy and soda and coffee/tea and grill orders.  Near the Picnic tables it will be obvious.  Great Place to grab a bite if you are waiting others in your car to hike back in.  Please car pool as much as possible.
    PPS After the Orienteering is done there are a good Chinese take out (Chens) diner and the nicer but informal Il Pallazo Italian and Pizza diners, both just 1/2 mile north of the Park on the main drag (Ringwood Ave) .  Also in the south of the park, a Burger King and Stop and Shop food store near the Westbound entrance to route 287.
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