Took a walk today

rhjanes wrote:

Our 2023/24 Orienteering season opened on Saturday September 23 at Fort Worth's Gateway city park. We had a Score-O event (mass start, find what you can within your chosen time limit and return on time). There was a Heat Advisory in North Texas. My buddy and I did OK for the first hour, finding one control that was miss placed (about 30 meters off, NOT at the "Western Fence End"). Two very nice high school men decided to orienteer with us and we figured Strength in Number on the sweltering day. We were all really struggling with the elevations, sun exposure and HEAT by 11:30 AM (we were on the three hour course after the mass start at 10). It was already in the 90's by then. But we were across one of only two river crossings and half way around that so just keep going in the remote part of the park. My buddy had to take a knee several times. He'd not carried enough water and I was almost empty on my 1.5 liters. I think the youth were also out as they asked a few times where the closest water stop would be (a long way....north end of the park at a road) We'd stop and my world would spin. A few times it seemed dim even. We got in a snails pace and once we were out on a trail that went to a road, I told the youth about water ahead. They politely asked if we'd be OK and if they could head back as the couch would be concerned. SURE head back. When we reached that trailhead with water, another youth was being assisted into a car by his friends. I check my phone weather and found it was 96 with a THI of 103. We took an hour to just walk back. I lost my GPS track but took some 16,000 steps and 7 stories of elevation change on the part that did record (less than half). Once we were back we heard of the casualty lists. At least three kids barfing from heat illnesses at the finish / HQ area. ONE other youth transported by ambulance. Several very excellent orienteer's that I always loose to, had quit the event and were sitting in their vehicles with the AC on HIGH, and sucking cool water while trying not to barf. We did the same for about 30 minutes just to begin to recover. Given the heat and casualty list, I wound up with a first place in the Male, Long course an Old-Farts division.

Traffic Jam wrote:

rhjanes wrote:

Our 2023/24 Orienteering season opened on Saturday September 23 at Fort Worth's Gateway city park. We had a Score-O event (mass start, find what you can within your chosen time limit and return on time). There was a Heat Advisory in North Texas. My buddy and I did OK for the first hour, finding one control that was miss placed (about 30 meters off, NOT at the "Western Fence End"). Two very nice high school men decided to orienteer with us and we figured Strength in Number on the sweltering day. We were all really struggling with the elevations, sun exposure and HEAT by 11:30 AM (we were on the three hour course after the mass start at 10). It was already in the 90's by then. But we were across one of only two river crossings and half way around that so just keep going in the remote part of the park. My buddy had to take a knee several times. He'd not carried enough water and I was almost empty on my 1.5 liters. I think the youth were also out as they asked a few times where the closest water stop would be (a long way....north end of the park at a road) We'd stop and my world would spin. A few times it seemed dim even. We got in a snails pace and once we were out on a trail that went to a road, I told the youth about water ahead. They politely asked if we'd be OK and if they could head back as the couch would be concerned. SURE head back. When we reached that trailhead with water, another youth was being assisted into a car by his friends. I check my phone weather and found it was 96 with a THI of 103. We took an hour to just walk back. I lost my GPS track but took some 16,000 steps and 7 stories of elevation change on the part that did record (less than half). Once we were back we heard of the casualty lists. At least three kids barfing from heat illnesses at the finish / HQ area. ONE other youth transported by ambulance. Several very excellent orienteer's that I always loose to, had quit the event and were sitting in their vehicles with the AC on HIGH, and sucking cool water while trying not to barf. We did the same for about 30 minutes just to begin to recover. Given the heat and casualty list, I wound up with a first place in the Male, Long course and Old-Farts division.

wow, sounds like the event should have been canceled.