2023-24 Winter League #5 – Putney Woods
WINTER LEAGUE
Saturday, January 6 at Putney Woods in Whidbey Island, WA
- Pre-registration is required for ALL Winter League Events. There is NO day-of-event registration.
- Public Reg will close on 1/3 at 11:59 p.m. for this meet.
- PUBLIC start time sign-ups are here, they are open from Dec 16th at 3 pm to Jan. 3rd at 11:59 pm.
- ALL runners will be called to enter the start procedure line 8 minutes prior to their assigned/picked start time. Please be race-ready when your name is called.
- 2023-24 Start Procedures are here.
- Read the 2023-24 WIOL Rules here and the 2023-24 Public Rules here.
- Site map is here.
- Start list is here (list updated Fri 12:13 pm).
Winter League is the Pacific Northwest’s premier competitive orienteering series for all ages.
- Elementary, Middle School, High School and College students compete under the banner of the Washington Interscholastic Orienteering League (WIOL).
- Winter League public courses offer a range of categories from a competitive long advanced category to non-competitive beginner-friendly categories at every event!
COURSES
Course designer(s): Vicki Morella & Brett Anibali
PUBLIC COURSES
| Course | Controls | Length | Climb |
| Beginner | 9 | 2.1 km | 17 m |
| Advanced Beginner | 10 | 3.1 km | 32 m |
| Intermediate | 11 | 3.8 km | 62 m |
| Short Advanced | 14 | 4.3 km | 67 m |
| Long Advanced | 15 | 5.3 km | 75 m |
WIOL COURSES
| Course | Controls | Length | Climb |
| Elementary | 9 | 2.1 km | 17 m |
| Middle School | 8 | 2.6 km | 22 m |
| JV Rookie Female | 10 | 3.1 km | 32 m |
| JV Rookie Male | 9 | 3.1 km | 47 m |
| JV Female | 11 | 3.8 km | 62 m |
| JV Male / JV College | 12 | 3.7 km | 68 m |
| Varsity | 13 | 4.3 km | 68 m |
| College Varsity | 15 | 5.3 km | 75 m |
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
DRIVING NOTES
Give yourself plenty of time to travel to Putney Woods as you’ll need to take the Mukilteo Ferry to Whidbey Island. The park is 15 minutes from the Clinton Ferry Terminal.
Parking will be tight as it’s a small parking lot, so please try to carpool if you can. You may park on the side of the road before the entrance of the park, please watch for traffic. Do not walk on any trails if you end up parking outside the park.
To stay up to date on the latest ferry schedules, click here: online.
Side Note: Enjoy the day while visiting Whidbey Island. Check out Langley as it’s quite close to the park.
Hungry:
· Whidbey Donuts (on the way to the park) – breakfast stop. Good donuts & hot beverages. https://whidbeydoughnuts.com
· Flower House Café (next to Whidbey donuts) – good stop for breakfast & lunch. https://www.flowerhousecafe.com
· Pickles Deli (Kens Korner Shopping Plaza) – great big sandwiches & cookies. http://picklesdeliwhidbey.com
COURSE NOTES
Be prepared as the trials will be muddy at this time of year!
Off-trail choices are allowed in Putney Woods except for areas marked as private property on the map where one must stay on the trails.
Putney Woods has some areas that are “runnable”, but most areas have either heavy undergrowth or have a lot of fallen trees and debris, which often makes the trails the most attractive route choice.
Over the years, the park has developed more rootstocks, depressions, & knolls, so not all have been updated on this map.
The lightest green has become thicker over the years (“greener” than mapped) but may still be walkable. Medium green intensifies due to more deadfall, more depressions, and other less friendly brushes (tangling vines, prickly bushes) that will slow you down or might not be as passable as you think. Dark green should generally be avoided.
This park could be challenging in some areas with an extensive network of trails & the density of vegetation. Remember FOOT -> 1) Fold map, 2) Orient yourself, 3) Observe your surroundings, & 4) Thumb your map. Usage of the compass could help your bearing. Pay attention to the curvature of the trails as the park is mostly flat, so contour lines will not be your friend on these courses.
At this time of the year, the dense forest gets darker early in the afternoon, so please start earlier in the morning, if possible, so that you finish before course closure at 2:30 pm, which is greatly appreciated by the control pickup team.
The northern part of the map does not have a distinct border, and is adjacent to Saratoga Woods Park, making it possible to end up off the map. Safety bearing is south-west.
The controls are close together in some areas so check that the feature and the control code match your course.
A green X on the map is a stump and it is represented by a circle on the control description. A brown triangle on the map is a rootstock and it is represented by an X in a circle on the control description.
SCHEDULE
This event is Pre-Registration Only.
Schedule:
9 am – Info Tent and Newcomer Instruction Opens
9:38 am – Start process begins
9:46 am – First start
12:15 pm – Last Start
2:15 pm – Course Closure
Why is there a start window?
This event uses an interval start, meaning participants are started in waves instead of all at once. Winter League uses an expanded National Meet style start. You will be called to the first start tent 8 minutes prior to your assigned/picked start time. You will proceed through a series of start tents where you will verify your epunch and course, drop your coat, receive short essential course notes, get your control description sheets, clear and check, and receive your map. Please be race ready when your name is called.
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
There is no Day-of-Event registration. Pre-registration will close Wednesday 1/3/2024 at 11:59:00 PM.
Remember to also sign up for a start time for public runners here. Start time sign-ups for WL #5 will be open from Dec 16th at 3 pm to Jan. 3rd at 11:59 pm.
LOCATION
PARKING
Parking will be in the lot until it is full then on the east side of the street. Carpooling is highly recommended. Please follow the parking attendant’s instructions. Busses and oversize vehicles are NOT allowed in the parking lot. See site map here.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the club email group and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
The Putney Woods map is all woodsy trails, with widespread underbrush alongside, reminiscent of Bridle Trails. But there are several key differences. First, there are areas of lighter vegetation in light-green areas that are accessible off-trail, offering a wider degree of navigational options, especially for more advanced navigators.
Novice orienteers should be aware that the northern part of the map doe not have a street border; it is directly adjacent to Saratoga Woods park, making it possible to end up off-map with a single turn onto the (one and only) wrong trail. (Note to course-setters: This is a good place for an out-of-bounds sign during the event).
Many trails follow an almost grid-like patterns, making parallel feature errors possible, while others in hilly areas wind almost randomly up and down terrain. There are plenty of areas to practice contour recognition. One area to watch out for is the center-south part of the map; several trails lead into this open, appealing navigational area–but it is private property and should be avoided! (Note to course setters: Another good place for out-of-bounds signs).
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.
