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Stream bend

Monday I took my first orienteering adventure. I went with my dad to Chestnut Ridge Park and found seven out of 25 checkpoints. Wednesday I went back with my Mom. At this point, I figured that I alone could find the rest of the checkpoints in three hours. With my mom, we would probably find only five to seven, I figured.

We found two in two and a half hours. It was complete BS. One that we didn't find was at a stream bend. I looked around every place that the stream bent and found nothing. Later on I looked for a reentrant in some slow forest. Honestly, if that forest was slow, I can't wait to see what difficult and fight forests are. Fight must have rancor running around.

Today I went back with my mom and sister. We found four in one hour. This is why I thought I could find the remaining 18 in three hours (of course, even at one control every 15 minutes, it would have taken four and a half hours to find the rest). Anyway, things were going great until we arrived at our fifth control, another stream bend.

On the way to the stream bend, I became a little disoriented, but I (am pretty sure that I) figured things out. This stream was pretty well defined, unlike other so-called streams that are little more than dry cracks in the dirt. I found the exact place that this stream bent; right by a trail, as denoted on the map. Thirty minutes later we headed back to our car, dejected and out of (a) control.

In conclusion, what is it with stream bends? What the hell?

Update (8-21): I found the first stream-bend control and another, The second stream-bend control has eluded me yet again. My dad thinks I have the wrong stream (or at least the wrong part of the stream). He might be right; this stream bend is loaded with trash and broken glass...not exactly the kind of place you want to highlight. Most controls are in far less objectionable locations.

Update (8-22): I found the final stream bend, which was very easy, and the mystery stream bend. The real shame is that I walked behind it at least four times without seeing it. Oh well. What's important is that I found all the controls.