CROC Winter Mini-convention (Sat Feb 3, 2001)
  by John Bartholomew

What a great way to start the 2001 CROC meet season - our very own
club mini-convention! Andy Dale presented nearly three hours of sage
advice and great examples of course design to seventeen
attendees. Everything from white course through advanced course
features and routes were covered, complete with examples of the good,
the bad and the truly ugly. Overhead slides and a set of course notes
complete with map examples underscored the points Andy made.

After a potluck lunch break, many participants tried their hand at
"Orienteer At Home", a computer game by Dennis Wildfogel, a long-time
BAOC veteran. (Free demo versions for both Mac and PC are available at
www.dennisw.com - download it and give it a try!) More than half a
dozen folks tried the demo version only, including two Scouts from
Chehalis, WA.  [This group has about a two hour travel time to attend
either a Portland or Seattle orienteering meet...!] Two folks also
tried the special (not publicly available) competition course that
Dennis allowed our club to use just for this meet. Jeff Watson also
demonstrated his copy of "Lost in Forest", another O-game for PCs
developed in Sweden (for more information, check out
www.efd.lth.se/~e96pd/Losteng.html). While newer members liked the
simplicity of O-At-Home, several of the more experienced orienteers
said they preferred the more realistic nature of Lost in Forest
(rotatable map, moving compass needle, 3-D view with contour detail,
etc.).

Overall, it was a great day of learning, socializing and "virtual
orienteering". I would hope that we can create other such "off season"
combined events in the coming years to increase our newer members'
knowledge and keep our "old hands" involved in new and interesting
ways.

- John Bart.