Get Lost!! in Henry Coe

In the backyard of Silicon Valley, there's a special place called Henry Coe State Park. Tens of thousands of acres of beautiful wilderness—oak forest, pine forest, grasslands, and some chapparal. Trails, major and minor. Prominent peaks and long, meandering valleys.

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This event has been made possible by the following businesses and organizations. We are delighted to offer a sampling of their products as prizes for this event. Please patronize their offerings and services, and contribute to their programs:

• Event description
  • SPORTident
• Staff
• Terrain
• Hazards
• Safety
• The map
• Course specifics
  • Water stations
  • Reflectors
• Aid station

• Classes and categories
• Scoring and awards
• Weather and clothing
• Directions
• Rules
  • Allowed equipment
  • Required equipment
• Suggested equipment
• Future park closure

1. Event description

Get Lost!! in Henry Coe is a rogaine. About 62 checkpoints scattered over the southern part of Henry Coe State Park will be circled on a map and marked on the ground by orange and white orienteering markers with SPORTident stations which create a record of your visit on a small electronic card each participant will carry.

Each checkpoint has a point value, which is equal to the checkpoint number rounded down to the tens. For example, Checkpoint 68 would be worth 60 points. The objective is to score as many points as you can within the time limit by visiting checkpoints along your planned route. There are point penalties for returning late. Maps are issued well before the start, so that teams have time to plan their route.

2. Event staff

Event Director:          Rex Winterbottom

Event Consultant:        Peg Davis

Course Designer:         Vladimir Gusiatnikov

Course Consultant:       Bill Cusworth

Map Consultant:          Eddie Bergeron

Course Setters:          Alexei Azarov, Bill Cusworth, Heidi Cusworth,

                         Mike Minium, Eric Bone, George Minarik

Cartographers:           Vladimir Kozlov, Vladimir Gusiatnikov

Safety Coordinator:      Vladimir Gusiatnikov

Food Chief, Base Camp:   Lani Schreibstein

Food Chief, Aid Station: Nadezhda Popova

Communications Chief:    Bob Cooley

We will provide an expanded staff listing closer to the event.

3. The terrain

The terrain of Henry Coe State Park is hundreds of square kilometers (tens of thousands of acres) of gorgeous central coast wilderness. An equal mix of grassland and oak forest, most—but not all—of the acreage allows for rapid movement. That is, the main obstacle is the grade of the hillsides, not disagreeable vegetation.

What makes route planning interesting is steep—sometimes super steep—hills and deep erosion features. There is some poison oak and chapparal, and expanses of each are mapped. The elevation is 260 to 810 meters—in the higher reaches you may encounter pine forest. There are some well-maintained roads and trails. Views are out to the Pacific Ocean on a clear day.

A team's successful strategy will minimize traversing the steepest sections. It is always faster in this park to go up-and-over or take a trail with some detour; contouring (maintaining elevation) on hillsides is slow. The terrain in the western and the southern reaches of the mapped area is the steepest, and is perhaps at its most steepest right by the start/finish. If your team manages to get up to one of the ridges that tower above Hunting Hollow, what lies to the east and north is less steep, although also quite steep.

The slowest parts of the map are the canyons that empty into Coyote Creek and into Hunting Hollow (itself) near the start/finish. Their north-facing sides are full of poison oak, south-facing sides are high in chaparral, walls are riddled with cliffs, and to go along streams that run down the canyons frequently means climbing over car-size boulders. You really don't want to be in these canyons. Other places your team won't want to be in are where contour lines run close to each other.

As to wildlife, deer and newts are abundant. Wild turkeys are frequently spotted. This park doesn't have cows, so ground is soft and unbroken. Grass is typically low in November, although given one of the rainiest years on record, it may be taller than usual.

4. Potential hazards

Hazards present in the terrain include:

• steep, loose slopes;
• mountain lions;
• poison oak;
• and ticks.

In addition, there is a small chance of hypothermia at this time of the year. The chance of heat-related problems is exceedingly small.

Henry Coe is mountain lion habitat. Chances of encountering the reclusive cat are very low. If you do, follow this protocol. If you turn around and run, the cat's mind will more likely identify you as prey.

Poison oak produces an oil which may cause a delayed skin irritation reaction. Know what it looks like, avoid contact, and wash exposed skin areas with a detergent such as Tecnu®. We have attempted to map continuous, extended areas of poison oak that significantly impede movement. There is more of it than is mapped. This plant strongly prefers north-facing slopes.

Ticks, if attached, are best removed by yanking out firmly with tweezers. If you later develop a rash, get tested for Lyme disease. Keep the offending tick in a plastic bag for the doctor if it managed to stay with you after the event. Usually ticks take more than several hours to transmit any diseases such as Lyme through their mouthparts into your bloodstream.

The percent of ticks that can carry Lyme among all ticks in coastal California is low; the incidence of Lyme among these ticks is also low. Lyme is effectively treated with antibiotics. If left untreated, Lyme can evolve into a serious systemic disease that often leads to disability; fortunately, many of its effects are reversible with treatment.

5. Participant safety

Participants will be responsible for their own safety while taking part. Of course, event staff will try to help you if we learn that you are seriously injured or otherwise need assistance, but there is a good chance you would be waiting a long time for help, and we don't have the level of staffing or expertise necessary to quickly and expertly handle many emergency situations that might arise, so your best bet is to be very careful not to get injured. If you are not comfortable assuming the risks involved in prolonged exertion while traveling through rugged terrain under various and possibly unexpected conditions, then you should not take part in the event.

The terrain has steep, and some possibly unstable, slopes. These potentially dangerous areas are not explicitly delineated on the maps, so you will need to determine the safety of traversing a prospective route for yourself. Close contours indicate treacherous terrain.

Each person will be required to sign a liability waiver when registering online or upon checking in for the event. A parent or guardian must sign for a minor.

The organizers are not in a position to review each participant's preparedness to participate and will not do so. However, if it comes to the organizers' attention that a person or a team is poorly prepared for the event, the organizers may deny entry to that person or team in the interest of the safety of all the participants and staff of the event.

The team aspect of the event is perhaps the best safety instrument. Team members must stay together within unaided voice distance, and must punch together at checkpoints. Not staying together will yield disqualification.

There is some cell phone coverage on ridgetops, and at the aid station. We will provide a map that shows the approximate extent of the coverage. Participants are advised to carry cell phones. If there is an emergency, call 911 and also notify the organizers. At least one of our cell phones will be reachable at the aid station; this number will be on the front of the competition map. We plan to have communications between the start/finish and the outside world via a radio link between the start/finish and the aid station.

If a team has indicated an emergency, it is the duty of all other teams who are nearby and hear the distress signal to help the team or participant in distress.

There will be at least a licensed EMT, and quite possibly one or more medical doctors, among the participants.

Each team will be required to fill out an intention sheet, which is a copy of the competition map, with their intended route. The actual route taken does not have to exactly match the intended route. Intention sheets are due at the briefing 15 minutes before the respective start.

The two main dangers that exist for participants of an ultralong endurance event are dehydration and hyponatremia. We will provide water on the course. However, to be on the safe side, teams may wish to carry a water purification device, such as a portable filter or iodine tabs. This late summer has been quite dry. There is not a lot of water in the creeks, some are completely dry; water in ponds is stagnant, but should be safe to drink after filtering. There are no water fountains/treated water sources/running water at the park bathrooms. All teams should carry reservoirs that are large enough to sustain the team members between water stations.

Consuming enough salt will mean the difference between being sluggish and not thinking clearly, and being sharp and enjoying the experience throughout the whole duration of the event. Take salt pills or eat salty food starting at 3 hours into the event at the latest; 200–400 milligrams of sodium ion per hour are advised. Drinking only plain water depletes sodium in your body. Other electrolytes may also help prevent cramps. We suggest carrying electrolyte pills if you plan on doing the 8 hours or the 24 hours.

The safety bearing is west to Gilroy Hot Springs Road or Cañada Road; this will be noted on the competition maps.

We have a safety and search/rescue plan you may peruse. Information on this webpage supercedes the Safety Plan, where contradictory. If you have any questions about information in this section, please contact our safety coordinator.

6. The competition map

The map will be 1:20,000 with 10 m contours. We will offer high-legibility printing. The whole area will be on a single map sheet. We do not feel that waterproof paper is needed for this event. We will provide plastic map cases of appropriate thickness.

The primary source of data for this map is Santa Clara County lidar survey done in 2008. Raw data from this survey has been provided by the USGS. The USGS processed this data into a digital elevation model, which we used for the elevation contours. Raw lidar data has been processed by our bivariate kernel density estimator in search for vegetation classification and boundaries. Where results have been satisfactory, our duo of cartographers is now striving to bring you the best possible standard of vegetation depiction.

For about half of the area used at our 2010 event, we determined vegetation boundaries from high-resolution photos. For most of the rest of the 2011 area, vegetation boundaries and density are digitally derived from the lidar data, with some human oversight. Where this has not been possible (a minority of the map), vegetation will be simplified.

The size of the mapped area will be between 70 km² and 75 km².

The symbols we use on this map will be largely the same as those we used on last year's map. Maps will be printed to magnetic north, and will have a UTM grid (no indication of true north).

A. CONTOURS: The contours are the most reliable and consistent component of the map. The quality of the contour base is uniform throughout the map, and the absolute accuracy is better than ±10 m lateral, ±2 m vertical. What this means is that each and every single-contour reentrant is there. The contours are unaltered by field survey, which could only make them worse.

Unlike the 2010 version, the 2011 map will have index contours and spot heights.

B. TRAILS AND PONDS: All trails and ponds are from high-resolution aerial photos, complemented by GPS survey in the field. Their accuracy is such that you won't be disappointed. All official park trails are shown, plus others in various states of disuse. Mapped trails can be used for navigation without reservations.

C. VEGETATION: The positional accuracy is better than ±10 m lateral, referenced to the contours or to UTM. All distinct single trees and bushes are shown. We use the following grades of vegetation:

• "Normal forest" (light green): Areas with continuous canopy cover. They usually consist of nice, runnable oak forest, but some may have undergrowth of chaparral and/or poison oak. All of this grade should be passable, some of it slower than the rest, especially on north-facing slopes.
• Open land with scattered trees (light green dots): Areas where canopy cover is not continuous, i.e. ground can be seen in aerial photos.
• Chaparral (dark green): Thick, mostly impassable or very slow.
• "Low chaparral" (vertical green lines): Areas of bush/thickets in which ground is visible in the photo. These most typically/likely contain passable bushes that are less than waist high.
• "Poison oak" (yucky-olive green): Large expanses of thick vegetation on north-facing slopes. Where we mapped it, you perhaps can go through, but if you are susceptible, you are guaranteed a serious post-event rash absent treatment.
• Open land (white): Fast. May have moderately high grass.

We use a vegetation boundary symbol (a solid green line) between all areas of different types to aid readability. This does not mean that all of these boundaries are distinct. We also use a symbol for a gap that looks like a trail, but is skinnier and has longer dashes. This symbol denotes long and narrow breaks in the canopy; there is almost certainly no matching trail on the ground.

The use of color on this map is not the same as it is on an orienteering map; all of the vegetation symbols are green or white. We feel that the two-color scheme is most appropriate for low-light map reading.

D. STREAMS: The streams are from USGS quad data.

E. ROCK AND FENCES: There are some spectacular, towering rock features, and in general quite a bit of rock in this terrain. There are many fences; all of them are of the regular five-strand barbed wire variety, dating back to when the park was an active ranch. Most of these fences are well on their way to decomposition, and are easy to climb over.

We made a decision not to extensively survey the cliffs or the boulders, only putting in what was immediately apparent in the photo and/or gigantic in the terrain. No fences have been surveyed or shown.

The official park map can be obtained from many outdoor stores: ISBN 0-9700007-9-0. This map does not depict vegetation. Its contour base appears directly inherited from USGS 1:24,000 data. The trail network on this map was GPS'ed by park volunteers, and is exquisitely accurate and complete as far as the official trails.

7. Course specifics

There will be about 62 checkpoints, totaling 3600 points. The optimum distance to get them all and to stop at all water stations and the aid station will be between 70 and 75 km along straight lines. Climb on this route will be between 7% and 8% of the actual distance traveled. This course is enough to keep even the World Champion rogainers awake for the full 24 hours.

The number of points awarded for visiting a checkpoint is the first digit of the checkpoint's code, times 10; for example, Checkpoint 68 is worth 60 points. The penalty for being late is 10 points per minute, or fraction thereof. Teams finishing more than 30 minutes after the deadline will be disqualified and will get a score of 0.

Most locations are technically easy to moderate, while a small number are hard or very hard. We will assign values to checkpoints based on their combined navigational and physical difficulty. In other words, don't expect a gimme from an 80-pointer.

The orienteering marker may have a number/code that will not match the checkpoint code. The correct code is shown on the SPORTident station. To punch, put the SPORTident tag through the opening. If there is no confirmation beep nor a light flash, use a paper punch attached to the control marker to punch your map. If you are unable to find the checkpoint but think you are in the right location, take a picture. All locations will have been verified with GPS.

All team members must punch the SPORTident station within 60 seconds (first to last) in order to claim credit for the checkpoint.

8. Aid station

Because the staging area at Hunting Hollow is not central to the course, there will be an additional staffed aid station at Willson Camp with hot food service. This is the location marked with a bucket on the 2010 map. There is a bathroom at this location, but no other permanent facilities.

The aid station will be open, and food will be served, as specified in the event schedule. The menu will be the same as at Hunting Hollow. The aid station will also feature a supply of energy gels by GU Energy.

Because we believe a rogaine should test the ability of a team to navigate long distances, not to haul sizeable backpacks, we are offering all teams the opportunity to transport their gear to the aid station, and to set up their tents. The equipment will depart Hunting Hollow promptly after the start with most of the aid station's staff and supplies, and will return before the 24 hour finish. The park has a limit on the number of vehicles we are allowed to drive. Consequentially, the weight limit for this equipment is 10 kg/22 lbs per team.

We will only charge for this service if we have to set up a tent, or do something involving a similar amount of labor. Reasonably-sized drop bags are free and encouraged, and will be available at the aid station per the schedule.

The aid station opens up a number of possibilities for teams. The top teams will undoubtedly spend the whole 24 hours on their feet, perhaps stopping at the aid station, perhaps not. Those less competitive may enjoy crashing at the aid station for a few hours; it is a lot more welcoming plan than to rest back at Hunting Hollow, the lowest point of the course. Teams out to enjoy themselves, and perhaps competitive 8 hour teams, may want to use the aid station as a destination.

There will be a SPORTident station at the aid station, however its use is not mandatory and is for route analysis purposes only. Visits to the aid station will not earn points.

9. Classes and categories

There will be three event divisions, the 4 hour, the 8 hour, and the 24 hour (the Saturday and Sunday 4 hour competitions will not be scored separately). Solo competitors are allowed in the 4 hour division, but not in the longer divisions. The maximum team size is 5 members. A team that has a member born after 1997 must also have a member born in 1993 or earlier.

There will be the following gender classes:

• Men;
• Mixed; and
• Women.

A mixed team is one that has members of both genders.

There will be the following age categories:

• Open;
• Juniors (each team member born in 1993 or later);
• Masters (each team member born in 1971 or earlier); and
• Supervets (each team member born in 1956 or earlier).

You may notice that these categories are slightly different from what Orienteering USA Rules for Rogaine Competition state. These Rules, and the International Rules of Rogaining, categorize teams by age on the first day of the event, not on 31 December 2011. A small number of teams may be affected by this distinction. If your team is, please contact us and we will ask Orienteering USA for clarification. The age on 31 December 2011 is what the rest of Orienteering USA Rules use.

Every team is eligible for awards in the Open category. Some teams may fall into multiple age categories. In this case the team is eligible for awards in all categories in which they meet the criteria.

Logical combinations of the above classifications will constitute awardable categories, for example, "24 hour Supervet Women" or "4 hour Junior Mixed". Categories with few teams will not be consolidated for the purposes of awards.

10. Scoring, results, and awards

All teammates must stay within unaided voice distance and all must punch at a checkpoint in order to claim credit, within 60 seconds (first to last). If one team member is unable to continue, the whole team must report to the start/finish. A new team may be formed and it may then go on the course, but it will be unable to claim credit for checkpoints already visited.

The number of points awarded for visiting a checkpoint is the first digit of the checkpoint's code, times 10; for example, Checkpoint 68 is worth 60 points. The penalty for being late is 10 points per minute, or fraction thereof. Teams finishing more than 30 minutes after the deadline will be disqualified and will get a score of 0.

Teams will be ranked within their division, age, and gender categories according to their total score. Among teams with identical scores, the earliest finishing team will be ranked highest. Teams that are disqualified or do not finish do not get a place.

(Every team that finishes within 30 minutes of the time limit, and does not break certain rules, gets a score. You don't have to stay out for the full 4, 8, or 24 hours! You can finish earlier if you feel like it.)

Upon finishing, teams should proceed to a SPORTident download station. Points will be tallied, and each team will receive a copy of their score sheet that will contain checkpoint-by-checkpoint split times, the total straight-line distance traveled, and the approximate climb.

U.S. Championship medals will be given at the award ceremony to all members of the top 3 eligible teams in each category of the 24 hour division. The eligibility criteria are quite simple:

• Each member of the team must be a member of USOF; and
• No member of the team may compete in the same calendar year for the same category of championship in any other national championships.

So, why not join Orienteering USA?

Top teams in all divisions, classes, and categories, whether eligible for U.S. Championship or not, will also get prizes from our sponsors. Event results, splits, and RouteGadget will be promptly made available online.

11. Weather and recommended clothing

"Late summer" in the Bay Area sometimes creeps into early November, or the rainy season may get an early start. Typically, the weather is quite perfect for a long endurance event—sunny with highs in the 60s (+16– +21 °C) and overnight lows in the high 40s (+8– +10 °C). In the unlikely situation of "late summer", highs could be in the 80s or 90s (up to +35 °C). The chance of any rain showers during the event is probably at most 10%. There has not been any rain during the first week of November in each of the past 7 years. On the colder extreme, daytime highs could be in the low 50s (as low as +10 °C) and overnight lows in the high 30s (just above freezing).

Layers are advised. Remember, we can transport your stuff up to the aid station.

12. The rules

Orienteering USA Rules for Rogaine Competition and the International Rogaining Federation Rules of Rogaining will be in effect, supplemented by this information (which includes some Rules deviations, subject to approval by our Event Consultant). When there is a conflict between the two sets of Rules, U.S. Rules take precedence.

Here are a few rules highlights:

1. Team members must stay together (within unaided verbal contact) the whole time they are on the course (Orienteering USA Rule 5.5).
2. All team members must go to each checkpoint visited by the team, meaning all must punch within 60 seconds (IRF Rule B16). (This rule is why each team member must carry a SPORTident card.)
3. All participants are required to respond to a distress signal and to assist a participant who is injured and needs assistance (Orienteering USA Rule 10.2).
4. All participants are responsible for their own safety while they participate, and participants should make themselves aware of the hazards associated with the weather, rugged terrain, health risks of extreme exertion, equipment malfunction, and remoteness from emergency assistance.
5. Except in case of emergency, all participants must check in with event staff before leaving the area; in case of emergency, an evacuated participant or her/his team members should notify event staff of the situation as soon as possible after attending to the emergency.
6. Points will be deducted from the scores of late returning teams, and teams finishing more than 30 minutes late will receive a score of zero (Orienteering USA Rule 9.1).
7. A team may be disqualified for infringing these rules (Orienteering USA Rule 8.1).
8. Solo participants are allowed in the 4 hour events (exception to Orienteering USA Rule 3.1 and IRF Rule B1).
9. GPS devices and altimeters (such as GPS tracking watches) may be carried on the course (to allow tracking analysis afterward) but not used for navigation by teams. If carried, any such devices that have a display must be presented to race officals to be sealed (after tracking is activated, if desired) before the start. Without going into the details of the sealing method, we can say that participants with GPS watches and altimeters should plan to carry them, not wear them. This is an exception to Orienteering USA Rule 5.2 and IRF Rule B7.
10. We will transport your stuff to the aid station. We only charge for it if we have to set up a tent, or do something involving a similar amount of labor. Drop bags are free and encouraged, and will be available per the schedule. This is an exception to Orienteering USA Rule 5.8 and IRF Rule B13.
11. Gas burners are OK, but open fires are not allowed in this park.

13. Suggested equipment

Each team should have a compass, shoes with treads appropriate for the steep slopes, salt tablets, food, blister tape, a first aid kit, and a space blanket.

14. Future closure of Henry Coe State Park

The park was scheduled to close to the public sometime between September of 2011 and July of 2012, but the eventuality has been averted. Many thanks go out to Coe Park Preservation Fund, an arm of Pine Ridge Association, and personally to Daniel McCranie for making this possible. Get Lost!! hopes to hold rogaines and mountain marathon-like events at Coe Park for years to come.

Just wanted to say thank you guys for such a fun event. It was a great navigation exercise and an awesome workout. I have also never been at an event with such great food! I don't even eat that well at home!

—Stephanie, Team Racing With Giants

As of 27 October, T shirts are sold out. Teams and individuals who register after this date will automatically receive the no-shirt discount.

All food during and after the event is included in the registration price, as is SPORTident rental for each team member.

The T shirt is a high-quality o21e production; the sides will be rockin' black and the front and back, grey with the cougar design.

Discounts!!

Orienteering USA is offering $20 off the entry fee for the 24 hour Championship division, per person, for first-time A event attendees. If you have never participated in a sanctioned Championship rogaine nor in national-level orienteering A event, simply print out the coupon, have it endorsed by us at the event, and mail it in. This is a rebate—you will pay the regular entry fee during our registration process.