Wednesday Evening #3
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Wednesday, July 20 at Big Finn Hill – parking at Finn Hill in Kirkland, WA
Meet Director: Will Enger
The Wednesday Evening series is our most relaxed, casual set of navigation events, held in local parks once the weather warms up. The BBQ will be fired up, so come and enjoy a night off from cooking, do a bit of orienteering, and finish up with frisbee on the lawn.
Parks chosen for the monthly Wednesday Evening Series events tend to be open, accessible parks with easier features that are perfect for newcomers. As with all Cascade Orienteering Club events, there is beginner instruction. Starts are casual, anytime between 5:00-7:00 PM. Groups welcome.
COURSES
Course designer(s): Will Enger
Course details:
Course 1 – 1.6 km, 9 controls, 25 meters climb
Course 2 – 2.7 km, 10 controls, 65 meters climb
Course 3 – 3.9 km, 14 controls, 105 meters climb
Course 4 – 5.3 km, 17 controls, 140 meters climb
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 about 5 miles.
Big Finn Hill is a heavily forested park with an extensive network of trails crisscrossing throughout. Off-trail travel is not prohibited, but it will be slower than taking the trails in the vast majority of cases – if you should choose to venture into the forest, chances are you’ll regret your decision. Having said that, the trail network presents its own challenge, and indeed can sometimes seem maze-like. Successful navigation will require quick thinking, careful focus, and accurate map-reading.
Other assorted notes:
— Courses 3 and 4 will cross Juanita Drive twice, in order to access the most interesting areas of the park. Juanita Drive is a busy arterial street and vehicles will be traveling at high speeds – PLEASE STOP, LOOK BOTH WAYS, AND BE CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING THE ROAD!
— Big Finn Hill is a popular destination for mountain bikers; as such, it’s possible that you may encounter one or two new unmapped trails – there are some areas of the park which were not field-checked for this event. However, any changes will not be in the vicinity of control locations and as such should not interfere with navigation.
— Note that, unlike many Wednesday Evening Series events, this event will feature a stand-alone Course 4. That is, Course 4 will not be a combination of Courses 2 and 3.
SCHEDULE
5:00pm – Registration & Start opens
7:00pm – Registration & Start closes
8:00pm – Course closes
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.
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: at 9pm on Monday, July 18
Day-of-event registration is available by cash or check, made payable to Cascade Orienteering Club
LOCATION
PARKING
Parking is off of NE 138th St, in the paved lot across from the ballfields.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the Yahoo listserv and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
There are delights here for beginners and advanced orienteers alike. Buildings, ballfields, and trails provide a great beginner and intermediate area, while the forest is a giant knot of trails that can terrorize any advanced orienteer who becomes lazy about reading contours or using their compass to check the direction of the trail.
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.
