Possum Trot V Meet Report

Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area

December 2, 2001

By Dick Neuburger

Possum Trot V had the best weather yet for a Possum Trot. We can't imagine that the weather on the first weekend of December will ever be any better that the 50 to 60 degree temperature and clear skies that existed for this year's running of the Possum Trot--a 16-km goat style race in the Kansas City area. We also had the best facilities so far, but didn't even use the beautiful Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area Visitor Center because it was so nice outside.

Burr Oak Woods is a little urban park inside the city limits of Blue Springs, Missouri. It features some open fields and woods, steep gullies, nice trails, thorny and thick vegetation and many other challenges for orienteers. Mike Shifman, course setter, designed a 3-loop course with 2 map exchanges. Competitors were allowed to skip 1 control per loop. The field was divided into two groups: half did Loop A first, followed by Loop B and then C. The other half did Loop B first, followed by Loop A and then Loop C.

Mark Everett of Orienteer Kansas had the fastest time on all 3 loops and won his second "dead possum" easily. Dan Meenehan (OK) was second, almost 20 minutes behind Everett. David Frei (SLOC) was 9 minutes ahead of archrival Eric Buckley (SLOC) for 3rd place. Sharon Crawford (RMOC) also won her second possum; she was 13th overall and 25 minutes ahead of 2nd place female Julia Bohnen (MNOC).

You can check the race reports of some of the competitors on the Possum Trot Orienteering Club website: http://home.att.net/~ptoc/PTVhome.htm

Plan now to join us next year, first weekend in December for the 6th annual Possum Trot Weekend, including the Kansas Orienteering Champs, PTOC Christmas Party, and Possum Trot VI.

Thank you to the following volunteers: the staff of Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area; Mike Shifman, course setter; Dick Luckerman, fieldwork, cartography, road signs; Steve and Mary Brown, Kevin Shipley, Nick Hockman, registration, start, finish, results; Mike Edwards, refreshments; Jane Betros, T-shirts; Nancy Neuburger, refreshments and vetting; Mary Jones, radio control; Sharon Crawford, Dick Luckerman, Steve Brown, Nick Hockman, control pickup.