Ultimate Orienteer #6 – Middle
Part of the Ultimate Orienteer Series, COC’s variety pack of orienteering events.
We’ll be using Forest Runs’ Jack & Indian Creek map for Day 1 of a 2-day weekend in Eastern Washington. Stay for Sunday’s Goat at the legendary Salmon La Sac.
COURSES
Course designer(s): Ott Toomet
We’ll have 4 courses.
Advanced Beginner – 1.8 km, 65 m climb, 9 controls
Intermediate – 2.5 km, 120 m climb, 11 controls
Short Advanced – Ultimate Jr (20 and under) and Masters (50+) – 4.1 km, 205 m climb, 18 controls
Long Advanced – Ultimate Open – 6.1 km, 280 m climb, 25 controls
How are courses measured?
Courses are measured as the crow flies, in a direct line from control to control. Unless you have wings, you will travel farther than this distance! Courses are measured in kilometers, so a good rule of thumb is to simply round up to miles to estimate how far you will go. So in a 5 kilometer race, you’ll likely travel up to 5 miles.
COURSE NOTES
The Indian/Jack Creek map covers lower hills in Eastern Cascades north of Cle Elum. Further north, the hills quickly turn into steep mountains, culminating with Mount Stuart roughly half the way between Cle Elum and Leavenworth.
The map terrain is similar to Teanaway but hillier, and all the courses have quite a bit of climb, most of it in the first 1/3 of the courses. After that, it is more downhill navigation with occasional upward legs. The hilliness makes the terrain physically demanding, and numerous valleys, spurs, and a few ancient landslides also offer quite a bit of navigational challenge. You have to traverse slopes broken with numerous valleys, slow down to fine-read pockets of complex terrain, and recognize features in green (dense) forests.
All the courses stay in forest, ranging from wide open pine forests, offering gorgeous views, till hard-to-penetrate undergrowth on watercourses and humid valleys. Parts of the area has been logged a decade or so ago, resulting in grassy open landscape. The former logging roads and tracks are partly overgrown. These are mostly mapped and offer quite a bit of help in moving across the terrain, but smaller, indistinct trails may be hard to recognize. There are also a large number of animal tracks, not mapped in most cases, but will help you quite a bit if you hit one that moves in the right direction. Root-stocks are mapped as green X (not brown).
There is usually a myriad of narrow passes in-between brush and undergrowth, so dry green areas are typically not hard to get through. (This may not be true for humid green areas!) There is a larger crossable marsh near the start, and several small marshy spots in the valleys.
Safety bearing: move west until you hit the paved road (North Fork Teanaway Road). Then head north to the campground.
None of the map terrain is open to motorized vehicles, so there is no traffic. But be careful with fallen sharp dry trees and check yourself for ticks afterwards!
There will be some water at one control on the advanced courses. There will not be cups at the water control so please bring your own container. Please bring your own additional water if the weather gets warm.
There are several controls that are close to each other so make sure to check the control codes.
SCHEDULE
Registration: 9:00-11:15am
Starts: 9:15-11:30am
Course closure: 2:30pm*
Newcomer instruction: 9:00-10:00am
*If you think you might take a long time on the course, start early in the start window. Also, wear a watch to ensure that you return to the finish by course closure time, even if you have to abandon your course to do so. Those returning after course closure will be disqualified and will make the volunteer staff very grumpy.
Why is there a start window?
This event uses an interval start, which means that participants are started in waves instead of all at once. When you arrive at the start tent, find the chute for your course and follow the start volunteer’s instructions.
PRICES
PRE-REGISTRATION PRICES
$17 base price
– subtract $5 for CascadeOC members
– subtract $5 for using your own e-punch
DAY-OF-EVENT REGISTRATION
$20 base price
– subtract $5 for CascadeOC members
– subtract $5 for using your own e-punch
What’s an e-punch?
An e-punch records your race. At each control, you’ll dip the e-punch into an electronic box, which will beep and flash as confirmation. After you finish, you’ll download the e-punch at the download tent and get a receipt that show which controls you visited and how long you took between each; these are your “splits.”
Part of the fun of orienteering is comparing your splits with people who completed the same course, and discussing the routes you took!
SIGN UP
Online pre-registration closes: Thursday, June 7 at 9pm
Day-of-event registration is available by cash or check, made payable to Cascade Orienteering Club
LOCATION
PARKING
Parking is at 29 Pines Campground. This is a small campground with limited parking, so PLEASE CARPOOL. An excellent meeting location for carpooling is near the Teanaway Campground on W. Fork Teanaway Rd. This is about a 15-minute drive from 29 Pines.
DISCOVER PASS
A Discover Pass is required to park at 29 Pines (and anywhere in the Teanaway Forest), and there is no on-site pay station. You can purchase a Discover Pass online and print a temporary pass until your pass arrives in the mail. You can also purchase a pass in-person at various retail locations. One-day and annual passes are available.
Registration/Start/Finish Locations
The Registration area will be approximately 1k walk from the parking at 29 Pines and will be flagged (Start and Finish will be an additional walk). Please allow extra time for this. A portion of the route is along a fairly busy road, so please pay attention.
There are outhouses at 29 Pines Campground and there will be a portable toilet at the registration area.
Camping
Free camping is available at 3 nearby campgrounds: 29 Pines, Teanaway, and Indian Camp. See the Teanaway Community Forest website for details.
Lodging
The nearest town is Cle Elum, where there are numerous lodging opportunities. Cle Elum is approximately 30 minutes drive from the meet site.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the Yahoo listserv and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
The Jack & Indian map was created and is owned by Forest Runs, who have generously allowed us to use it for our event.
Read more on the map pageSAFETY & ETIQUETTE
Return to the Finish
All participants MUST return to the finish and download their e-punch or turn in their punch card.
Even if you have not finished your course, you must still return to the the finish and confirm with event staff that you have returned safely.
Out of Bounds
Some areas may be marked out of bounds. It is imperative to respect these boundaries to maintain our relationships with land managers. Participants MUST NOT go out of bounds. Any participant caught going out of bounds will be disqualified.
Course Closure
All participants MUST return to the finish by course closure time. If a participant does not return by course closure, event volunteers will begin coordinating a search party.
If you need a long time on the course, start as early in the start window as possible, wear a watch, and be prepared to cut your course short to make it back by the course closure time.
Whistle
All participants MUST carry a whistle on the course. Complimentary whistles are available at the start tent (please only take one).
If you are injured on the course and need assistance, blow three long blasts to call for help.
If you hear a call for help, abandon your course to find the person in distress.
Voices
Part of the fun and fairness of orienteering is navigating your own course, so please be polite when you find a checkpoint and don’t holler that you’ve found it.
