Beech Hill, Westminster, MA
November 14, 2010
Meet Director: Tim Parson
The Beech Hill map was made for the U.S. Relay Championships back in 2000 and since then had been used just once, for a meet directed by J-J eight years ago that was part of the club’s 30th anniversary celebration. I had pleasant memories of the place, of high meadows and a burbling brook … and running downhill in the relay with the wrong map, then having to run back up for the right one with everyone watching. Well, most of the memories were pleasant.
Wanting to put some variety into the club schedule, dog Tess and I did some prospecting last spring to see if the map and woods were still in shape for a local meet. We decided they were. There was moderate deadfall from a bad ice storm, but I felt it was spotty and passable (Tess, being short, just went under it.) Overall, the most striking characteristic of the place was the feeling of abandonment. There’s a locked-up farmhouse at its center, and tar roads that are gradually disappearing. Most of the other buildings that were on the map when it was made are gone, and few trails remain. The main meadows are mowed, at least, though thorn patches are expanding along their sides. Over the course of several visits, we took notes for rough map corrections and, thankfully, Ben knew enough about OCAD to implement them.
Those attending the meet had the unique experience of driving through the grounds of the abutting prison, with its razor wire and guard towers, then winding through fields to the collapsing barn that was our base. We shared the barn area with the Wachusett Barnstormers, a radio-controlled model airplane group that provided diversionary entertainment. The comments on the orienteering were mixed. Numerous upper-course people emerged wet to the knees (or higher) thanks to recent beaver activity on a seemingly good route, and there was apparently a burr patch in there too. (But no poison ivy, Aims!) The deadfall did slow down speed and reduce visibility in spots. But many people were enthusiastic about the meadows, the views and areas of open woods, and some good times were turned in on all the courses.
Even more than usual, I owe thanks to others for helping me on this meet. Jim Paschetto put up with many tech questions before the meet and worked from early ‘til late on-site. Ben Parson patiently translated my scribblings and gesticulations into OCAD edits, and played several roles at the meet as well. Ross Smith basically ran the Red a second time, collecting the toughest controls. Other helpers included Meg Parson, Dean Sturtevant, Bill Pullman, Joanne Sankus, and Magnus Bjorkman (and Jeff Tingle and Sam Levitin were willing). Finally, my wife Elizabeth has my deep gratitude for putting up with all this nonsense on her birthday!
Photos from the day are in the Galleries.
Split times available here (courtesy of Winsplits).
Use RouteGadget (in the "Results" menu above) to draw your route and see others' routes.
White 2.0k 50m | ||||
Name | Club | Time | ||
1 | Spencer Tingle | NEOC | 17:02 | |
Yellow 3.4k 90m | ||||
Name | Club | Time | ||
1 | Jim Paschetto | NEOC | 36:18 | |
2 | John Underwood | NEOC/UNO | 38:47 | |
3 | Trisha Underwood | NEOC/UNO | 47:59 | |
4 | Scott Manchuso +1 | 58:26 | ||
5 | Faucher Family (2) | 61:39 | ||
6 | Kathy Kelley | NEOC | 73:33 | |
7 | Patricia Moran | 90:15 | ||
8 | Robert & Barbara Peary | 94:36 | ||
Orange 4.6k 175m | ||||
Name | Club | Time | ||
1 | Michael Dwyer | 80:27 | ||
2 | Jeffrey Tingle | NEOC | 81:30 | |
3 | Michael Tollefson | NEOC | 90:50 | |
4 | Andy McIlvaine | NEOC | 93:23 | |
5 | Bill Binette | NEOC | 103:04 | |
6 | Terry Keegan | NEOC-RI | 104:55 | |
7 | Tom Moran | 114:15 | ||
8 | Terry Myers Coney | NEOC | 131:19 | |
9 | David Penfield | 144:10 | ||
10 | Paula Crock | 152:58 | ||
11 | Karl Stephens | NEOC-RI | 156:58 | |
Caroline Fleming | NEOC | DNF | ||
Green 5.1k 245m | ||||
Name | Club | Time | ||
1 | Ben Parson | NEOC | 53:44 | |
2 | Bill Pullman | NEOC | 57:25 | |
3 | Gary Gallagher | NEOC | 74:18 | |
4 | Chris Sherwood | NEOC | 76:51 | |
5 | Aims Coney | NEOC | 83:11 | |
6 | Jakob Haldorsen | NEOC | 85:25 | |
7 | Pelle Wåhlström | NEOC | 92:30 | |
8 | Jim Crawford | NEOC | 99:51 | |
9 | Izhar Sharon | 103:59 | ||
10 | Caroline Luis | NEOC | 104:56 | |
11 | Dorina Nimigean | NEOC | 105:19 | |
12 | Martin Kessel | NEOC | 126:17 | |
13 | Sara Bellini | NEOC | 161:49 | |
Laszlo Uray | DNF | |||
Meg Parson | NEOC | DNF | ||
Red 6.8k 295m | ||||
Name | Club | Time | ||
1 | Ross Smith | CSU | 59:55 | |
2 | Carl Underwood | NEOC/UNO | 66:55 | |
3 | Adam Caplan-Bricker | NEOC | 78:55 | |
4 | Jeff Schapiro | NEOC | 84:10 | |
5 | Magnus Bjorkman | NEOC | 86:31 | |
6 | Dean Sturtevant | NEOC | 91:56 | |
7 | Darrell Scott | NEOC/UNO | 93:25 | |
8 | Ken Walker Sr. | CSU | 115:12 | |
9 | Camille & Robert Galejs | 119:42 | ||
10 | Phil Bricker | NEOC | 123:19 | |
11 | Sam Levitin | NEOC | 156:29 | |
Alison Crocker | CSU | DNF |