Empire Orienteering (EMPO) invites you to Billygoat XXIX on Sunday, May 20th at John Boyd Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, NY (west of Albany). The race will mass start at 11:00 am. There will be a walk to start (about 10 minutes), with a mandatory briefing session to follow. T-shirts and bragging rights are awarded to all competitors who finish in 3 hours, 30 minutes or less.
Two sprints are planned for Saturday, May 19th, to be held at Camp Pinnacle adjacent to Thacher Park (see below).
Send your Name, Gender, Date of birth, T-shirt size, O-club, Address, Phone number, E-mail, and a check payable to Empire Orienteering Club, to Janet Tryson, 1052 County Route 32, Malden Bridge, NY 12115 (trysonjn [at] aol.com). 518.766.3648. (You may use the entry form provided, if you wish.)
Billygoat Fees: $18 if postmarked by May 5; $25 if postmarked later; $35 day of event if maps are available. Receipt of registration will be provided by e-mail on or before May 14.
Recreational courses (White/Yellow) will be available on Sunday; no pre-registration required for recreational courses.
From Interstate 90 in Albany, take exit 4 onto New York State Rt. 85 west. Continue on Rt. 85 through the villages of New Scotland and New Salem. Turn right onto NY Rt. 157. Albany to Thacher road map
Registration at Knowles Flat picnic area from 9:00–10:30 am to pick up your bib number, punch card, and Billygoat information sheet(s); and for last-minute registrants (if maps are available).
Walk to start begins at 10:40, with a briefing session to follow. Mass Start at 11:00 am.
The map will include parts of Thacher State Park and Camp Pinnacle (private camp located adjacent to Thacher Park on south side). Both maps, drawn by Mark Dominie, were used in 2006 for the US Middle and Long Distance Championships. There will be the usual Billygoat rules with one control that can be skipped and this year's course will include a forked control. A manned aid/refreshment station is also on the course. Standard pin-punches and punch cards will be used.
EMPO is planning two Billygoat Sprints on Saturday afternoon with starts between 2 and 4 pm at Camp Pinnacle, adjacent to Thacher Park. Accommodations (camping and/or dorms) and meals are available at Camp Pinnacle (see directions above).
Both sprints are part of the 2007 Sprint Series, worth 40 points each for the winners.
At this time we may use SportIdent electronic punching for the Sprints only (not the Billygoat). Therefore, when you register for the sprints, please provide your e-card number (if you have one), or indicate whether you would need to borrow one for the sprints (you will need to sign a release form stating you will be responsible for a $35 charge if you lose the rental e-card).
Pre-registration is requested (see Entry above) -- $12 covers both sprints if postmarked by May 5; $15 if postmarked later; $20 day of event.
Orienteers signing up for both the sprints and the Billygoat may wish to stay at Camp Pinnacle, site of the sprints and adjacent to Thacher Park. Camp Pinnacle, a private church camp, offers heated dorm accommodations with bunk beds for $10/person (linen package available for an extra $5/person), and tent or RV accommodation (no hookups) for $6/site. Both dorm and tent sites have access to heated shared bathrooms.
A full hot breakfast is available for $6/adult. If enough people are interested, we can also offer a dinner for $12/adult. Contact Sue Hawkes-Teeter (sueht [at] nycap.rr.com) for more information about the Camp Pinnacle accommodations (and prices for children if needed), 518-872-1993.
Include your accommodation request with your Billygoat registration and send to the Billygoat registrar, Janet Tryson, address given above. If you wish, you may use the Entry Form provided.
Thompson's Lake State Park may also have camping available. It's located a few miles outside of Thacher Park (on the west side). For further accommodation ideas visit our 2006 A-meet page.
Last updated 29 Mar 2007. (added accommodations & entry form)