Race Instructions
Fall Challenge 6-Hour Adventure Race
Bald Mountain Recreation Area, Sept 10, 2016
· The object of the race is to get to as many of the control points (CPs) as you can, and cross the finish line before others with the same number of control points, and before time expires.
· Each team will have a “passport” and will be required to punch the passport in the appropriate location with the punch for each control point. Each punch is unique to the control point.
· No GPS enabled devices are allowed. Phones must be turned off during the race.
· Your finish time will be when both teammates reach the finish table and you turn in your “passport”.
· Teams must take the route specified below. Use trail marker signs to navigate the mountain bike trails.
· Teammates must stay within 50 feet, and within sight, of each other. A 15 minute penalty will be assessed for blatant violations.
Types of control points:
· Bike Nav: Navigation points are 5 to 150 meters from trail or roadway. It is up to racers to determine where and when to drop their bikes. For safety reasons, no part of any bike may be less than four feet from the centerline of any path, or completely off of any road.
· Bike Drop & Navigation: The 6-hour course has only two bike drops. Navigation points must be gathered while bikes are at the bike drop. Points may be gathered in any order.
· Paddle: All points can be reached from within the canoe.
Control Points and Time Cutoff: There are 38 control points. The fastest teams will likely collect all of them. All points are optional, unless stated. Teams should finish in 6 hours or under. Teams finishing past the cutoff up to 5 minutes will be ranked, but will have a CP penalty equal to the number of minutes that they finished over the time limit. Teams finishing 6 or more minutes over the cutoff will be unranked.
The Race, Step-by-Step:
CP1 (required point) Start just outside of the shelter. Wear your helmet. Your team will navigate to the old swing set, collect the control point and go back to the bike corral, and begin the bike.
Bike Nav: Points CP2 – CP3
Bike from the bike staging area carefully through the picnic area and through the parking lot to Greenshield Rd, East on Greenshield Rd to TM16 (not posted, at small roadside parking area). Bike/Navigate to the following control points:
CP2 – On a South facing hillside, overlooking a pond.
CP3 – On the South shore of a pond.
Bike Drop & Nav: CP4 – CP8
Drop your bike, punch in, and check in at CP4 (mandatory). Collect CP5 – 8 while bikes are at bike drop.
CP4 – At trail marker 4 CP5 – Hilltop CP6 – On small hill near stream
CP7 – On small hill CP8 – In a deep reentrant
Bike Nav: Points CP9 – CP23
Note: A volunteer, and an Oakland County Sheriff, are positioned at Kern Rd. and Orion Rd. for the first crossing, and at Stoney Creek Rd. and Orion Rd. for the second crossing.
Racers must cross Orion in cooperation with them, in both directions. Orion Rd is off-limits except for the portion between Kern Rd and Stoney Creek Rd, where you must ride on the shoulder.
CP10 – CP21 may be obtained in any order. CP9 must be obtained first. CP22 – CP23 must be obtained after.
Bald Mountain North Trail points: You may travel only clockwise on the loops both East and West of Harmon Roads.
Harmon Road, South of trail crossing, and Stoney Creek Rd East of trail from CP17are off limits.
On Stoney Creek Rd., ride on the shoulder.
CP9 – Edge of swamp, bottom of steep hillside (hint: Take faint path down steep hill from park bench)
CP10 – At a distinct “swoop” and bend in the Paint Creek. North side of Creek. Take trails to find bend in creek.
CP11 – SW edge of hilltop, high above Clarkston Rd. (hint: The most direct route is not the best)
CP12 – North East of clearing and dead Sumac
CP13 –South side of a broad hilltop. CP14 – Dry stream bed
CP15 – North facing hillside CP16 – On a tree North of overgrown parking lot
CP17 – East of Access trail to Stoney Creek Rd CP18 – Second hilltop S of main trail. Bushwack from main trail.
CP19 – Clearing Hint: A trail leads to the clearing CP20 – Hilltop/Ridge North of Prince Lake Parking area
You may not travel between CP20 and Indian Lake Rd. Access CP20 via Indianside Rd only.
CP21 – Near Addison Oaks walk-in entrance CP22 – Second hilltop South of main trail
CP23 - Hilltop
Bike back to the Start/Finish
Bike Drop, Paddle, and Final Nav:
Drop your bike in the 6-hour bike corral.
CP31 - Punch in and check in at the start/finish table (mandatory).
Paddle: CP24 – 30 Points must be collected in order and may only be collected by canoe.
Check in at the canoe put-in, CP24. Points 24-27 are mandatory.
You may check in any time after 1:00. It is recommended that you gather some final nav points before the paddle in order to avoid waiting for a canoe.
After the paddle, canoes must be returned to CP24.
Final Nav: CP32 – CP38
CP32 – North of small green pond CP33 – On peninsula, accessed by fisherman’s trail
CP34 – On old gate post, just North of trail CP35 – Near shore, 15 m West of beach.
CP36 – Hilltop CP37 – Small depression at hilltop
CP38 – Hillside, East of trail
Check in at the Start / Finish Table and turn in your passport to the finish line volunteer. Your time will be marked when both members of your team arrive at the finisher’s table and your passport is turned in. Congratulations! You have finished the Fall Challenge Adventure Race!