Beech Hill, Westminster, MA
November 14, 2010
Meet Director: Tim Parson

The Beech Hill map was made for the U.S. Relay Championships back in 2000 and since then had been used just once, for a meet directed by J-J eight years ago that was part of the club’s 30th anniversary celebration. I had pleasant memories of the place, of high meadows and a burbling brook … and running downhill in the relay with the wrong map, then having to run back up for the right one with everyone watching. Well, most of the memories were pleasant.

Wanting to put some variety into the club schedule, dog Tess and I did some prospecting last spring to see if the map and woods were still in shape for a local meet. We decided they were. There was moderate deadfall from a bad ice storm, but I felt it was spotty and passable (Tess, being short, just went under it.) Overall, the most striking characteristic of the place was the feeling of abandonment. There’s a locked-up farmhouse at its center, and tar roads that are gradually disappearing. Most of the other buildings that were on the map when it was made are gone, and few trails remain. The main meadows are mowed, at least, though thorn patches are expanding along their sides. Over the course of several visits, we took notes for rough map corrections and, thankfully, Ben knew enough about OCAD to implement them.

Those attending the meet had the unique experience of driving through the grounds of the abutting prison, with its razor wire and guard towers, then winding through fields to the collapsing barn that was our base. We shared the barn area with the Wachusett Barnstormers, a radio-controlled model airplane group that provided diversionary entertainment. The comments on the orienteering were mixed. Numerous upper-course people emerged wet to the knees (or higher) thanks to recent beaver activity on a seemingly good route, and there was apparently a burr patch in there too. (But no poison ivy, Aims!) The deadfall did slow down speed and reduce visibility in spots. But many people were enthusiastic about the meadows, the views and areas of open woods, and some good times were turned in on all the courses.

Even more than usual, I owe thanks to others for helping me on this meet. Jim Paschetto put up with many tech questions before the meet and worked from early ‘til late on-site. Ben Parson patiently translated my scribblings and gesticulations into OCAD edits, and played several roles at the meet as well. Ross Smith basically ran the Red a second time, collecting the toughest controls. Other helpers included Meg Parson, Dean Sturtevant, Bill Pullman, Joanne Sankus, and Magnus Bjorkman (and Jeff Tingle and Sam Levitin were willing). Finally, my wife Elizabeth has my deep gratitude for putting up with all this nonsense on her birthday!


Photos from the day are in the Galleries.

Split times available here (courtesy of Winsplits).

Use RouteGadget (in the "Results" menu above) to draw your route and see others' routes.

White 2.0k 50m


Name Club Time
1
Spencer Tingle NEOC 17:02





Yellow 3.4k 90m


Name Club Time
1
Jim Paschetto NEOC 36:18
2
John Underwood NEOC/UNO 38:47
3
Trisha Underwood NEOC/UNO 47:59
4
Scott Manchuso +1
58:26
5
Faucher Family (2)
61:39
6
Kathy Kelley NEOC 73:33
7
Patricia Moran
90:15
8
Robert & Barbara Peary
94:36





Orange 4.6k 175m


Name Club Time
1
Michael Dwyer
80:27
2
Jeffrey Tingle NEOC 81:30
3
Michael Tollefson NEOC 90:50
4
Andy McIlvaine NEOC 93:23
5
Bill Binette NEOC 103:04
6
Terry Keegan NEOC-RI 104:55
7
Tom Moran
114:15
8
Terry Myers Coney NEOC 131:19
9
David Penfield
144:10
10
Paula Crock
152:58
11
Karl Stephens NEOC-RI 156:58


Caroline Fleming NEOC DNF





Green 5.1k 245m


Name Club Time
1
Ben Parson NEOC 53:44
2
Bill Pullman NEOC 57:25
3
Gary Gallagher NEOC 74:18
4
Chris Sherwood NEOC 76:51
5
Aims Coney NEOC 83:11
6
Jakob Haldorsen NEOC 85:25
7
Pelle Wåhlström NEOC 92:30
8
Jim Crawford NEOC 99:51
9
Izhar Sharon
103:59
10
Caroline Luis NEOC 104:56
11
Dorina Nimigean NEOC 105:19
12
Martin Kessel NEOC 126:17
13
Sara Bellini NEOC 161:49


Laszlo Uray
DNF


Meg Parson NEOC DNF





Red 6.8k 295m


Name Club Time
1
Ross Smith CSU 59:55
2
Carl Underwood NEOC/UNO 66:55
3
Adam Caplan-Bricker NEOC 78:55
4
Jeff Schapiro NEOC 84:10
5
Magnus Bjorkman NEOC 86:31
6
Dean Sturtevant NEOC 91:56
7
Darrell Scott NEOC/UNO 93:25
8
Ken Walker Sr. CSU 115:12
9
Camille & Robert Galejs
119:42
10
Phil Bricker NEOC 123:19
11
Sam Levitin NEOC 156:29


Alison Crocker CSU DNF