The summer series events have seen some interesting weather. This time it was Hurricane Beryl. After making landfall on the Texas cost on Monday, the remnants passed through southeastern Missouri on Tuesday, bringing 3.25″ of rain to Laumeier. The trails became streams, the stream a river, and the normally empty pool ruin was filled to the brim. An event at the sculpture park is always quirky, but the rain made it quirky and mystical.

Those that braved the weather had the choice of an 18 checkpoint score O course (any order) or a 3.1 km point-to-point course. Nice to see both the regulars and several beginners. Thanks for coming out and hope you enjoyed the unusual clues!

Thanks also to Josh Borgmeyer, Nathan Graves, Eric Buckley, Manoj Sood, and Steve Mueller for picking up controls and carrying equipment.

It was a dark and stormy night… Well, actually it wasn’t night (because it was one of the longest days of the year). And it wasn’t that stormy (there were storms all around us but we were lucky). Still, there were gusty winds, occasional showers, and lightning in the distance. And the high power lines directly overhead buzzed loudly – with the sound changing whenever there was a flash of lightning. It was eerie!

The registration and finish table were moved inside the back of a car (to keep the electronics safe from wind and rain). But despite the weather, the turnout was good. The 3.1 km course crisscrossed the Marquette High School campus and included navigation choices, potential creek crossings, and the obligatory climb to the top of the stadium bleachers.

Thanks to Terri Zuber for working the registration/start/finish and Mary Piper for control pickup. And thanks to all the attendees that braved the storm!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the first SLOC summer sprint for 2024! We lucked out with beautiful weather, great trail conditions and the cicadas weren’t too loud…

We had two courses to choose from – a 2.0k shorter/beginner course with 12 controls and a 2.8k longer/harder course with 9 controls.

Short – Individual

Dennis Yurkuns – 16:04

Myles Kelley – 19:35

Brian Gibson – 40:39

Vladimir Yurkuns – 9 controls

Short – Group

Marquette High School Team Emerald – 23:53

Gervais Family – 30:46

Hey Family – 32:01

Team Nat Lost – 43:46

The B Team – 44:49

Thomson Family – 11 controls

Long – Individual

Ukranian – 20:01

Bryan Niehaus – 21:48

Scott Kelley – 24:18

Melissa Kelley – 28:03

Mark Geldmeier – 31:21

Eric Buckley – 32:36

Vladimir Yurkuns – 34:06

Heidi Abbott – 47:02

Mary Piper – 1:02:25

Patty Muenks – 1:10:47

Roy Muenks – 1:10:49

Long – Group

Jerry Young – 41:58

What a great time at the Kress Farm Nature Preserve! Thanks to the board members for inviting us out to enjoy their scenic property, thanks to Dennis Brinkley and Troop 778 for making the maps, scout Mason Thayer for building the permanent course, and thanks to long-time SLOC member, Rick Armstrong for designing the courses. Abby Wilde was your race day registration volunteer. Rick, Nathan Graves, myself and others answered questions and gave beginner briefings.

Except for a quick downpour and a bit of wind, the weather was great for late April. Muted sunshine highlighted the variety of trees and fields of wildflowers. Some people spent extra time exploring those fields of wildflowers…unexpectedly (by going off the eastern side of the map). Oops!

Note: If you didn’t get enough or were not able to make it, the hiking trails and the permanent orienteering course at Kress Farm are always available to the public during the hours the preserve is open (a map can be borrowed). Native trees and plants, homegrown vegetables, as well as seasonal annuals are available for sale regularly and especially during their plant sale events. Check their website and FB page.

Thanks to all the participants! We had a great turnout for a Tuesday evening event. Laumeier Sculpture Park is definitely a treasure. Thank you for allowing me to indulge in a bit of whimsy…I doubt you’ve seen “crack in the Earth”, or “watch for deer poop” as control point clues before. Also thanks to the Brennan family for reminding me that this location was their first orienteering experience… A class given in partnership with the Saint Louis County Parks (where I was the instructor)…oh and that was in 2007…yikes! Finally, a big thanks to Jeff and Tom Ryan for the control pickup.