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THE NIAGARA FALLS SPRINTS Tuesday, October 12,
2010 Hosted by the Buffalo
Orienteering Club 
Check this page on
the BFLO web site
@ http:\\www.buffalo-orienteering.org/2010NiagaraFallsSprints.htm for periodic updates
and additional information. This page was originally posted on July 24,
2010. A final bulletin with specific race information will be issued one month before the event. Septmber 5, 2010 Update - The Directions section has new parking options and a more exact meet location description.
Welcome ------ The
Buffalo Orienteering Club invites you to enjoy the 2010 Niagara Falls
Sprints. Two separate sprint events,
one in afternoon daylight, the other in the evening dark,
will be held at one of the world's most unique
venues. Goat Island, part of the Niagara Falls State Park,
is
located between the American and Horseshoe Falls, collectively known throughout
the world
as
the
Niagara Falls.
Join us in one of these events for an adrenalin-rushing time. History
– Fred Stedman, an early pioneer and miller, kept a herd of goats on
the island. Upon returning to the island after the terrible winter of 1780, Stedman
found all but one of the goats had died; thus giving the island its name. The
preservation of the island as parkland is due to the early efforts of Augustus
Porter, who in the middle 19th century recognized the long-term value of the
falls as a tourist attraction. Porter purchased the island and later allowed
a group of Tuscarora Native Americans to live on the island and sell their crafts
to the tourists who came to the falls by stagecoach and early railroads. In spite
of pressure, Porter refused to tame the environment on the island. In 1817, he
built a toll bridge to the island for tourists. It was swept away by ice, so
another was built the following year downstream. Basil Hall called it "one of
the most singular pieces of engineering in the world".
Almost seven hundred feet long, it soon became the best-travelled walkway in
the region. In 1885 the island was included in the Niagara Falls State Park which
is the oldest state park in the U.S. Help us celebrate the 125th anniversary
of the park. Geology
– The island was formed geologically during the recent retreat of the falls as it cuts inward (upstream) through the Niagara Escarpment.
The channel of the Niagara River splits in two above the falls, creating two sets of falls, one on either side of the island. In 1959-60,
the eastern side of the island was extended about 8.5 acres (34,000 m2) for additional parking and a helicopter pad.
Fill was provided from excavation for the construction of the Robert Moses State Parkway.
The western end of the island is slowly being eroded by the falls and the entire island will eventually disappear as the falls erode further upstream.
The waters immediately around Goat Island are relatively shallow and studded with islets and rocks, many of them scenes of dramatic rescues and rescue attempts. Botany
– In 1879 landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, wrote that he had travelled four thousand miles throughout the
continent "without finding elsewhere the same quality of forest beauty which was once abundant about the falls, and which is still
to be observed in those parts of
Goat Island where the original growth of trees and shrubs had not been disturbed..."
Olmsted concluded that the spray from the Falls created a natural nursery for indigenous plant life.
Since that time, regular mowing of the Goat Island meadow, heavy foot traffic, and the incursion of invasive species have significantly altered the floral landscape of the island. Map
– Newly drawn at a scale of 1:5,000 to ISSOM standards with the exception of the contour interval which is 5m.
The map is an update of a 1984 map drawn by Dick de St. Croix. On-line Registration – Only on-line registrations will be accepted. Due to concerns about the impact of the event on other park visitors, park authorities have limited each sprint to a maximum of 35 competitors. Because of this limitation, we can only allow competitiors to participate in one of the two events. The registrar will close registration for each event when it reaches 35. If capacity is not reached, on-line registrations will be accepted until 11:59 PM EDT Monday, October 4th, 2010. If capacity is reached, please email the registrar if you wish to be added to our reserve list. Tuesday afternoon October 12
– Packet pickup at the park 2:00-2:45 PM, first start 3:01 PM, awards approx. 4:15 PM. Tuesday night October
12
– Packet pickup at the park 6:00-6:45 PM, first start 7:01 PM, awards approx.
8:15 PM. Seven Days of Orienteering ------ The
Niagara Falls Sprints are just part of seven days of Orienteering in southern Ontario and upstate New York. October 9-11
– The Golden Leaf Orienteering Festival in Ancaster, Ontario near Hamilton. Hosted by the Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club. October 12
– The Niagara Falls Sprints hosted by the Buffalo Orienteering Club. October 13
– Webster Park "B" local meet in Webster, NY hosted by the Rochester Orienteering Club. October 16-17
– The US Classic Championships at Moreau Lake State Park near Albany, NY hosted by the Empire Orienteering Club. Electronic Punching ---------- SportIdent electronic punching
will be used on for both events. Competitors
must either own an e-card or rent one for $3.00 per event. Classes & Courses ---------- A single sprint course will be available for all competitors in each event. The winning times are expected to be 12 - 15 minutes. Directions ---------- Goat
Island / Niagara Falls State Park – Goat Island
is located in Niagara Falls, NY, USA. Use the Mapquest link below for directions.
Once you cross the bridge onto the island, traffic flows in a one-way direction
towards the western end near the Falls. Follow signs to parking lot #2.
Up until 5 PM there is a parking charge of $10 per car. (NYS residents over 62
park for free.) To avoid the parking charge, keep to the left to bypass lot #2
and proceed to lot #3 where parking is free. It is a 10 minute walk back to the
registration area. Meet registration will be in the grove of trees to the south
of the Top of the Falls restaurant.
Mapquest map. Preview Maps ---------- Preview
maps – A limited number of copies of the original map, drawn in 1984 by Dick de St. Croix,
are available for $10 each which includes mailing. The map will be folded. If the limited supply is used up, color copies of the relevant portion of the map will be made available
for the same price. If we receive your request by Thursday, September 30th,
your map will be mailed to a USA address. Otherwise, they will be
included in your packet.
Accommodations & Things To Do ---------- Numerous
hotels/motels
in every price range in both Niagara Falls, NY and Niagara Falls, Ontario are within minutes of the event site. Here's a tourism
site for Niagara Falls, NY. The Niagara Wine Trail
is a great activity for Wednesday as you drive to Rochester for their "B" meet or head to Albany for the US Classic Champs. The typical winery charges $3 for a sampling of four or five wines of your choice. Camping:
There is no camping available on Goat Island. Distances ---------- To assist competitors on deciding where to
stay or how long a drive it is between specific venues, the following are given
as an estimate of driving distances and approximate times with normal traffic.
Buffalo-Niagara
International Airport to Goat Island – 26 miles, 34 minutes Awards ---------- Awards will be presented to the first overall male and female and the first male and female in the following classes:
16 and under, 17-39, 40-59, and 60 and over. No duplicate awards. REGISTER EARLY-EACH EVENT IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 35 ENTRIES Meet Fees ----------
Register On-line Here -
No
Mail-Ins Due to Size Limits
Register On-line:
complete the on-line forms to register electronically. Then, execute payment using one of two options. Make an on-line payment
using a credit card or PayPal account and sign our waiver
form on-site prior to competition. Or, print the waiver and mail to the registrar with your check payable to the Buffalo Orienteering Club. Individuals not residing in the United
States must also
register on-line and may pay on-line or on-site. We would prefer on-line payment. The registrar will close registration for each event when it reaches 35.
If capacity is not reached, online registrations will be accepted until 11:59
PM EDT Monday, October 4th, 2010. If capacity is reached, please email the registrar if you wish to be added to our reserve list.
Due to the event entry restrictions, refunds of entry
fees cannot
be
given. Afternoon Sprint: $15 Night Sprint: $15 Questions? Email: NFsprints@Buffalo-Orienteering.org or
phone: 716-479-9431.
Please limit calls to reasonable times. People ---------- Meet
Director: David Cady,
Treasurer@Buffalo-Orienteering.org, 716-837-3737, 148 W Humboldt Parkway, Buffalo NY 14214. Meet
Registrar: Lincoln Blaisdell,
NFsprints@Buffalo-Orienteering.org, 716-479-9431, 4715 Ransom Road, Clarence NY 14031. |