2023 Ultimate Orienteer #4 – Camp Hamilton (Freestyle)
The parking is very limited at Camp Hamilton. Please find someone, or preferably two or three, to carpool with. Here is a list of who is registered. (Something is wrong with the classes and courses listed so please just ignore that part, people’s names should be correct.)
Event #4/8 in the Ultimate Orienteer Series!
Join us at a new venue for Event #4: Camp Hamilton outside Duvall! Be one of the first to try out our new map, freshly field-checked in 2022 by Bill Cusworth using a brand new John Brady base map.
We’re giving the Freestyle format another try this year. Freestyle is perfect for people who don’t like course designers telling them where to go. You must visit all the controls on your course but you choose the order. Unlike a score course, there are no time limits (except course closure time) and no points or penalties, just elapsed time.
Note: the Beginner course will be a standard point-to-point course (follow the controls in the order indicated on your map).
COURSES
Course designer(s): Vicki Morella, Debbie Newell, Dave Tallent
Course Details
The following distances are the course designers’ estimates based on their assessment of the optimal control order. They are straight-line distance between controls, not actual routes on the ground. Your results may vary.
| Course | Length | # controls |
| Beginner | 1.4k | 10 |
| Intermediate | 2.8k | 11 |
| Short Adv | 3.0k | 13 |
| Medium Adv | 4.0k | 15 |
| Long Adv | 4.9k | 19 |
What is my age class?
Freestyle Course/Class Assignments for Ultimate points
If you want to earn Ultimate points, check the table below to see which category you should sign up for.
For example, if you’re a female 16 or under, your Ultimate age class is F-16 and, for this event, is assigned to the Intermediate course. If you are up for a more challenging course, you can also earn points in F-18 or F-20 on the Short Advanced course, or F-21+ on the Medium course. Just keep in mind that other courses are more difficult, both navigationally and physically, and that you’ll be earning points only in the class you sign up for.
| Age Class | Intermediate | Short Adv | Medium Adv | Long Adv |
| F-16, M-16 | ||||
| F-18, M-18, F-20 | ||||
| M-20, F-21+ | ||||
| M-21+ | ||||
| F50+, M50+ | ||||
| F70+, M70+ |
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
- Please carpool as parking is limited at Camp Hamilton; follow directions from the parking attendants
- Plan an extra 10 – 15 minutes to get to check-in from the parking lot – please stay on the road
- Map scales
- Beginner – 1:5,000
- All others – 1:10,000
- The Beginner course is NOT freestyle; follow the controls in the order shown on the map
- Intermediate and Advanced courses: your route planning is part of your elapsed time
Camp Hamilton is nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains with 570 acres of a dense, old rain forest. Varying levels of vegetation surround the property, including some areas that have been logged, so be prepared. Dark green areas are best to avoid.
A favorite of the PNW Forest (besides the lovely green ferns and blackberry bushes) is the Devil’s Club plant, which seems to be growing in many areas. Be careful of those irritating, needle-like spines.
Trails have not been maintained for a while, so be prepared for vegetation debris on some trails. Some hazards include slippery trails, fallen logs, or old wooden planks.
This is a family camp like Camp River Ranch and Fire Mountain Scout Camp, so enjoy running through the cabin clusters and other infrastructure that dot the venue.
All courses will run through the “challenge course” area. There are “No Trespassing” signs in this area. You may enter, but do not touch any of the equipment, and keep your head up to watch for cables between trees just off the trails.
Have fun choosing your own control order!
–Course Designers (Vicki Morrella, Debbie Newell, Dave Tallent)
SCHEDULE
Pre-registration only!
We will NOT have day-of-race registration, so make sure you register before the deadline (Thursday, April 20 @ 9pm).
Check-in and start are approximately 15 minutes walk from the parking area. Be sure you leave enough time to get to your start time.
9:00am-12:15pm – Check-in
9:30am-12:30pm – Starts (start times are pre-assigned; sign up for a start time here before Thursday at 9pm; if you don’t, you’ll have to wait for an available spot)
9:30am-10:30am – Newcomer instruction
2:30pm – Courses close*
*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
$22 base price
– subtract $5 for CascadeOC members
– subtract $5 for using your own e-punch
Participating as a group? Just $5 for each additional adult (16+) group
member, no cost for additional minors.
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 April 20 @ 9pm Pacific time.
Remember to also sign up for a start time at Signup Genius.
LOCATION
DO NOT use Google maps to navigate to Camp Hamilton. It will give you incorrect directions.
Below is a map showing the best way to get to Camp Hamilton. Click on the map to view the Caltopo map.
PARKING
Please carpool! Parking is limited. Follow parking attendant’s directions.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the club email group and share your request to find a ride.
SAFETY & 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.
