May 4, 2025

May the Course Be With You

On a surprisingly cool and breezy Sunday morning in May, the orienteers descended upon Reid Park. Our inaugural Reid Park Cellphone-O was by all accounts a success, although not without challenges.

In bad news, control unit 115 was forcibly decommissioned by what we can only assume was an agent of the Empire. In good news, MVP of the day Amelia Holmes saved control unit 120 from a similar fate. In other good news, no one got divorced on a Cellphone-O which included legs described by at least one Jeff as "diabolical."

The following is a perspective from a reluctant Cellphone-O participant: 

"Though the concept was intriguing, I was fairly hesitant to undertake the endeavor with anyone other than my significant other, who was unavailable. He, at least, is used to me saying north when I mean south or left when I mean right. But on Sunday, I observed enough eye rolls and sighs from participants to conclude that I am not the only one blessed with that trait. Still, all marriages and relationships appear to have survived the event.

From my perspective, I was more anxious about giving directions than receiving them. If we had been out in the wild, I could have really gotten someone lost. But in the confines of Reid Park, anyone attempting to heed my instructions couldn't stray too far. It was fairly amusing when about halfway through my partner's course, I was so into reading the map that I didn't realize (until it was pointed out to me) that if I looked up, I would physically see my partner looking for the control I was attempting to direct him to. Plus, I could also see the control he was looking for. Then it just became a matter of yelling, which takes no orienteering skill at all."

Thanks to all the control pickup volunteers, including John, Marcy, Jeff B., Jeff C., Nancy, Gavin, Katy, Cristina, Annie, and Avery. Thanks Annie and Alan for manning finish and downloads, Melissa for registration at some point, and special shoutout to Nicole Traicoff for getting there early to help with setup and registration!

Until next time...