Winter League Championships – Point Defiance Park

COURSE NOTES

General information:

• The map had a major update last winter, especially of point features and trails. However, when we visited this winter, we noticed several new smaller trails of which many are not mapped.
  • The map scale is 1:10,000 and the contours are 5 m. 
  • The vegetation has been updated. However, boundaries between dark and lighter green may not be totally accurate. Light green is walkable. The white areas are open and do offer enjoyable and fast routes. But the basic advice is, if it’s dark green, stay out.
  • Many of the previously mapped knolls are in fact stumps.
  • Stumps and root stocks have the same symbol in the control description.
  • On the map, green X is a stump, brown X is a root stock, and green O is a distinct tree.
  • Recent windstorms have created unmapped rootstocks.
• Courses routes
  • There are several opportunities to choose an off-trail route.
  • Legs were chosen to avoid unfriendly bush whacking.
  • We encourage you to avoid roads and use parallel trail routes.
  • We have designed the courses to emphasize a fun experience, but also to test your orienteering skills: compass; handrails and catching feature; attack points; pace counting; aiming off; using vegetation boundaries as handrails; and control extensions. Do you know your pace count for 100 m?
• Mandatory Crossing Points
  • All courses except Long Advanced have one or two crossing points on the control description or course map – these crossing points are MANDATORY.  Not using a mandatory crossing point may result in a DQ.

• Five Mile Drive (on the western part of the peninsula) will open to motor vehicles at 1 pm so you may encounter cars if you have a later start. But be diligent and observant when crossing any road at any time.
• This is a national ranking event recognized by OUSA. If you have not already reviewed the class/course table to make sure that you are registered for the correct course to give you ranking points for your age and gender, please take a moment to review the table and change your registration if needed.

Beginner/Elementary

Course 1 is a loop trail run. Apart from the manned pedestrian road crossing, there are no further road crossings. Safety was our first priority. The first leg is flagged and must be followed. Along the course there will be plenty of opportunity to observe point features located along the trails: stumps; rootstocks; and fire hydrants. Familiarize yourself with these symbols

Placements of controls are visible from the expected direction of travel, and the placement “pulls” participants onto the next handrail (trail). Control markers have been placed at every decision point (except the final two legs) and hence there is only one route-choice, one decision point. The final two legs, a route choice must be made. This will prepare participants for the next level, where route choice will be the norm.

Skills: direction of travel, handrails and catching feature (which will be another trail)

Middle School and JV-Rookie

These two courses are trail runs but with several route options for most legs.

Control placements are a few meters off the trail but visible from the trail and direction of travel. However, near the end of the course, the controls, although very close to the trails, will not be visible. Also, very short forest travel will be an option. This will prepare participants for the next level, where route choice, controls not visible, and off-trail will be the norm.

Skills: direction of travel, handrails and catching feature. Picking the safest route. Keen observation. The marker is often placed behind the feature. Read control description for control placement.

Intermediate/JV Girls

This course offers several opportunities to go off-trail. However, there are two legs when one will be on a road. Not fun. Some trails have fallen branches and downed trees.

Control placements are a few meters off the trail but not visible. Read your control description.

Skills: direction of travel, handrails, catching feature, pace counting (do you know how many steps it takes you to run 100 m?) and looking for definite attack points. Picking the safest route and keen observation are essential. The markers are often placed behind the feature. Read the control description for control placement.

JV Boys

This course offers multiple route choices and opportunities to run off-trail. One leg has eight micro routes! But which is the safest? Some trails have fallen branches and downed trees.

Control placements are a few meters off the trail but not visible. Read your control description.

Skills: direction of travel; handrails; catching feature; pace counting (do you know how many steps it takes you to run 100 m?) and looking for definite attack points. Picking the safest route and keen observation are essential. The marker is often placed behind the feature. Read the control description for control placement.

Varsity, Short Advanced and Long Advanced

These courses offer fast trail running, route choices, and opportunity to go off-trail, even for a short distance. Courses 6 and 8 are physical. Considering the audience for course 7, we have erred on the side of less physical and a tad easier. These courses have controls that are on the “outside” of the south side of the Five Mile Rd, but with route choices that avoid the cliffs. The Parks Dept. has fenced off dangerous trails and marked them as closed. Do not cross these boundaries in the unlikelihood that you find yourself in these locations.

Control placements are several meters off the trail but not visible. Read your control description.

Skills: direction of travel, handrails; catching feature; pace counting; looking for definite attack points; aiming off; control extension and picking the fastest but safest route.

A few words about Point Defiance Park: In addition to the old growth forest where most of our event will be held, Point Defiance offer many other attractions, please see https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/place/point-defiance-park/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Defiance_Park.