For the few of you who may be new to the Billygoat, there are a few unique aspects which should be appreciated. First, the Billygoat is a mass start event. As such, following is explicitly allowed, and has in fact been used in the past by some as an integral part of their strategy. The Billygoat also allows competitors to skip one control of their choice. Finally, T-shirts will be earned exclusively by those competitors finishing under 3:30.00. This time limit is ruthlessly enforced, per tradition.
The terrain is essentially free of snow. There is some standing water in a few low-lying areas. This is of particular concern in the first open area south of the quarry and on several of the smaller trails accessing the power line to the southeast of the open area. Competitors are advised to take this into consideration in choosing their routes. A few of the trails have some running water, but it generally should not interfere with route selections.
This Billygoat strikes me as among the more difficult in recent years. Some of this is due to some less well documented areas of thick vegetation, especially on the east side of the map south of Mt. Norwottuck. The north side of the mountain generally has more open terrain and more accurately depicted vegetation. However, of particular concern today is the leaf cover. The slopes have a surprising volume of thick fallen leaves which I have found to be rather more slippery than anticipated. There is also an associated inability to gauge the evenness of the footing. Competitors are urged to keep these concerns in mind. Spikes are advised for those who have them.
The weather is anticipated to be fairly warm. There are 3 water stops with 10 gallons each available and a manned checkpoint with 16 gallons and fresh fruit. It is hoped that this will be sufficient for the roughly 100 competitors.