Ultimate Orienteer #1 – Lynndale Park (Night-O)
ULTIMATE ORIENTEER
Saturday, March 7 at Lynndale Park in Lynnwood, WA
Event #1/8 in the Ultimate Orienteer Series!
Let’s kick off the 2020 Ultimate Orienteer Series in the dark! Get out your headlamps and join us for this fun event at Lynndale Park in Lynnwood. Even if you’ve been to a park many times, things look different in the dark.
COURSES
Course designer(s): Ing Uhlin
Course Details
- Beginner – 0.9k, 10 controls, 40 climb
- Intermediate – 1.6k, 12 controls, 85m climb
- Short Advanced – 2.2k, 15 controls
- Long Advanced – 2.7k, 15 controls
What is my age class?
Night-O 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. Find your age class in the left column, then follow the row across to the right until you find the dark orange cell. That is your “assigned” category.
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 on the Short Advanced course, or F-20 or F-21+ on the Long Advanced course. Just keep in mind that other courses are more difficult, both navigationally and physically. Also keep in mind that you’ll be earning points only in the class you sign up for.
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 Designer Notes
–Ing Uhlin
- Lynndale Park is a small park and the map scale is 1:4,000 with contours of 2.5 m, so it is easy to “over-run” your attack point.
- The courses have many cross-over legs and controls close together, so pay attention to the control number, control codes, and descriptions.
- There is a web of many smaller social trails between the main paths in the park. Many of these smaller trails are not mapped. The contours are more reliable for navigation than the trails and vegetation.
- The paved paths and areas can be very slippery when wet, as well as any logs crossing trails. Be careful.
SCHEDULE
6:30-8:00 pm – Registration
6:30-7:30 pm – Newcomer instruction
7:00-8:30 pm – Start
9:15 pm – 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
$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:
Day-of-event registration is available by cash or check, made payable to Cascade Orienteering Club
LOCATION
PARKING
Parking is available in the Lynndale Park lot.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the Yahoo listserv and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
Lynndale Park is a 1:4,000-scale map with a lot happening in it. You’ll find rolling hills, runnable forest, and a complex trail network bounded by open areas with buildings. This is where the school league training is held each fall.
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.
