Wow, what a difference a week makes! Totally difference experience than last week. Things made much more sense today. Also, I think the fall back hour helped a lot. The furnace being dead did not help, and I almost didn't go.
QuickRoute1 - trivial route, straight across the valley. Went through #1, figuring that would make it easier
2 - Caught up to Cooper as he exited #2, made for some excitement. He exited south, and I started to, but reconsidered and went north to the trail
3 - Some luck here - I was trying to roughly follow a bearing while dodging thicker clumps, hoping to see the swamp, nearly tripped on it. Amazingly, given the company, very briefly had the lead by six seconds. Ego pumped.
4 - On my route I saw a sweet fat raccoon just a dozen feet away. It stared, then did that fat raccoon scamper off to a tree. Paused for a bearing at the trail bend, and managed to hold it
5 - wanted the west trail, but didn't see it so I took the east trail, then followed a bearing and was trying to count hill/depressions, and nearly tripped over it again
6 - I will be practicing rough speed bearing running in the off season! Not sure why I got sucked west. And doing so, I should've just gone to the trail, and I wasn't running that fast off trail, and the exit to the trail was bad, some fight. Line of rocks was hardly visible on the approach, but the woods were open so I chanced moving south, hoping to spot the swamp at the end, and did.
7 - should been more confident - features made sense but I checked and hesitated a little. I have not been drinking, but I did stop for some water since I was dehydrated a little coming in (furnace debacle, skipped lunch)
8 - Had a hard time moving fast north from 7. The trail I picked up between the two swamps is pretty hard to see! I thought I bore more NE from the trail bend, and then was struggling to make sense of the hills, and was getting ready to look east a bit and then Igor passed and helped me out.
9 - very educational to watch Igor - I assumed he always ran, but he checked up more often than I would've guessed. It makes sense though, and I should maybe do that as well. I was happy that I read the last reentrant and then contoured around and hit it.
10 - almost a big mistake, was on a good line then fell off. Heard Igor and saw two people at the control so I ran over. Doh.
11 - Not a clean exit, and I'm wondering if through the campground isn't faster because of all the climb over that peak on the trails.
12 - the features just made complete sense. I was jumping logs, crashing through the woods, and having a blast
13 - the trail looked faster. I almost think 100% trail would be the fastest - I cut up through the valley but it was a little slow and steep. Saw Igor again converging.
14 - Hard to choose a good line, finally saw the big reentrant, dropped over, a little help from Igor again
15 - Mostly what I wanted, certainly not hurt by Igor's presence.
16 - Dropped immediately to trail, off trail was probably okay, but it seems to have worked.
Finish - Gave all I had, lost maybe 1 second dodging people crowding the table. Missed the win by 3 seconds to Tom - he must've been flying!
Such an awesome time. Mixing it up with Igor was fun - makes me wonder about making a goat event for my spring meet.