Greenbelt

Note: the following notes were written pre-snowstorm!
First, comments on the map. I found the map to be very good, the terrain features that are mapped are there and correct. Warning, ALL the rootstocks are mapped, large and small. In fact a special symbol, a brown X with a circle around it is present on the map and represents a rootstock 2.5 m or larger in size - you can’t miss these. If I use a rootstock as a control location (and I do), the rootstock will be one of the larger ones with dirt still present on the rootball. The black Xs on the map when present along a trail are usually permanent benches or signs indicating stops along an exercise trail route. The black circles are usually manhole covers. At this time of the year the vegetation is somewhat less than what is mapped, but not much, i.e. the slash (predominately downed trees) is still there. All the courses from Orange through Blue will experience some degree of the nasty vegetation that Greenbelt so amply offers, but I tried to design the courses such that judicious route choice will substantially mitigate the runner’s actual exposure to these areas. If there is precipitation prior to the meet, expect the streams to be high, the dry ditches wet and lots of unmapped standing water along the courses. Dry crossings (i.e. bridges) of the streams are indicated on the map by the OCAD bridge symbol (parallel lavender lines). Generally the courses were designed to take advantage of these dry crossings. All the courses will either cross the park roads or use the park roads as route choices on some legs. While there is little traffic on these roads, please be careful. The Brown and Blue courses will cross the road leading into the Sweetgum parking lot where people will be driving in and out during the meet, please be careful, look before you run. Finally, the Green, Red and Blue courses will cross the campground area, while most campground loops are closed, there may be some campers present, so please be respectful.