Marmot O’ Cup – June 24/25, 2023

Notice: Because of permitting problems, we are moving this year’s Marmot O’ Cup from Fisk State Park to Fishtrap Lake. We have submitted a permit for Fisk for next June. Since we received notification from the park about our permit in late May, there was no time to design the courses required for a National Ranking Event. We’ll have 5 courses each day but neither day will be a sanctioned NRE.

Terrain | Location | Program | Map | Registration/Prices | Volunteer | Timing

Start Times | Awards | Refund Policy | Race Details | Accommodations | Emergency

Join us in celebrating the final two events of this year’s Ultimate Orienteer Series!

This year we’ll be finishing the season with two exciting events at Fishtrap Lake near Spokane. In addition, Saturday’s races will comprise the Pig War Challenge, a semi-annual competition between British Columbia and Washington. Come out and Defend the Pig!

Location

Fishtrap Lake (driving info coming soon).

Terrain

Experience the unique scabland terrain of Fishtrap Lake, where the vistas are expansive but details are plentiful. There are few trails in this area, so you’ll  appreciate the plethora of contour and rock details as you traverse this beautiful desert area. June is a great time of year for wildflowers here, so you might want to take a moment to enjoy them.

Out of Bounds areas

Most of the area we’re using belongs to the Bureau of Land Management. They have identified several sensitive areas, which are out of bounds for our competition. These areas are clearly marked on the map with vertical purple lines. The courses have been designed to avoid them, so make sure your route choice does not include travel through ANY out of bounds areas!

A portion of the venue is owned by local rancher Rex Harder, who has generously allowed us to use his land for several years. Please patronize his friends who own businesses in Sprague if possible.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is only allowed for control pickup, so if you want to ride your bike, please volunteer to pick up controls after the event is over.

Dogs

Per our permit agreement with the BLM, your dog is not allowed to accompany you on the course. Please respect this restriction.

Program

Thu June 22 Warmup – Sprint (Beginner, Short, and Long courses) Riverside State Park, Bowl & Pitcher, hosted by Eastern Washington O’ Club, 4:30-6:30pm
Fri June 23 Warmup – Classic (Beginner, Orange, Green, Red courses) Riverside State Park, Camp Seven Mile, hosted by Eastern Washington O’ Club, 1:30-4:30pm
Marmot check-in and late registration (while map quantities last) Riverside State Park, Camp Seven Mile, 1:30-4:30pm
Sat June 24 Marmot Long distance Fishtrap Lake
Social event/pig presentation TBD
Sun June 25 Marmot Middle distance Fishtrap Lake

Map

Scale: 1:10,000, contour interval 5m, mapped to ISOM 2017-2 standard. Map may be printed at a larger scale for specific courses.

Registration/Prices

Registration is open! Registration is through OUSA’s EventReg.

Find out who’s registered.

Online pre-registration closes Tuesday, June 20 at midnight Pacific Time. A limited number of on-site signups may be available.

Race Online pre-registration On-site registration (limited to map supply on hand)
Thursday Warmup Sprint $10 ($8 beginner course) TBD
Friday Warmup Classic $10 ($8 beginner course) TBD
Saturday, June 24 – Long $25– individual $35– individual
$25 – groups (+ $5 for each additional adult** group member); group size limit 4 $35 – groups (+ $5 for each additional adult** group member); group size limit 4
Sunday, June 25 – Middle $25– individual $35 – individual
$25 – groups (+ $5 for each additional adult** group member); group size limit 4 $35 – groups (+ $5 for each additional adult** group member); group size limit 4
**18 and over; youth under 18 are free with an adult group leader

COC members – register using volunteer points

COC members may use volunteer points (5/day) to pay for a portion of their entry fee (online pre-registration, Fishtrap Lake only). Email marmot@cascadeoc.org and ask for a discount code, specifying one event day or both.

Volunteer

All our events operate on volunteer power. If you’d like to help out at Fishtrap Lake (either or both days), check out what’s available and sign up here.

Timing system

We will use the SPORTident electronic timing and punching system for all events. All competitors are required to use an SI-Card to participate. If you don’t own your own, sign up to rent one when you register. Contactless (Air+) punching will NOT be used.

Malfunction

If the SI unit fails (you don’t hear a beep or see a flash), use the manual pin punch to punch your map. Before downloading, let the volunteer know what happened.

Start times

All events will have individual pre-assigned start times. You will be able to sign up for a start time approximately one week before the event.

Awards

  • Marmot Cup (2-day total time; must participate in both events in the same class) – 1st place in all competitive classes

Refund Policy

You may receive a full refund (minus fees) if you cancel by June 10. No refunds will be given after this date.

Tourist activities

The Spokane area has activities for just about everyone. From hiking, biking, and water sports to art galleries, shopping, golf, and more. Below are just a few suggestions. Get details and more ideas at VisitSpokane.com.

  • Kayaking on the Spokane River
  • Hiking at Mount Spokane State Park
  • Biking on the Centennial Trail
  • Forest Fire Lookout Museum
  • Manito Park’s Duncan Gardens
  • Spokane Falls

Parking

There is parking by the event staging area, where the restroom is also located. The parking is somewhat limited but if we park close to the next car, there should be enough spots. Please do not camp in the parking lot.

Carpooling

We encourage carpooling to alleviate traffic congestion.

Race details

Marmot Volunteers

Ultimate Orienteer Series Directors: Debbie Newell, Ing Uhlin
Marmot Event Director: Ing Uhlin
Course Designers: Dave Tallent, Peter Golde
Land Permission: Jennifer Castelluccio
Registrar: Debbie Newell
Epunch: Debbie Newell
Vetters: TBD

Courses/Classes

Classes with fewer than 3 participants may be combined with another class(es) on the same course

Course OUSA Equivalent Marmot Cup Classes Ultimate Series Classes
Beginner White Beginner (solo or group)
F-10, M-10, F-12, M-12		 N/A
Intermediate Yellow/Orange Intermediate (solo or group)
F-14, F-16, M-14, M-16		 F-16, M-16
Short Advanced Brown/Green Short Advanced (solo or group)
F-18, F-20, F35+, F40+, F45+, F50+, F55+, F70+, F75+, F80+, F85+, F90+
M-18, M50+, M55+, M60+, M65+, M70+, M75+, M80+, M85+, M90+		 F-18, F-20, F50+, F70+
M-18, M50+, M70+
Medium Advanced Red Medium Advanced (solo or group)
F-21+
M-20, M35+, M40+, M45+		 F-21+, M-20
Long Advanced Blue Long Advanced (group)
M-21+		 M-21+

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

Schedule (preliminary)

  • 1:30-4:30p – Marmot check-in and late registration (while map supplies last) at EWOC’s Camp Seven Mile event

SATURDAY, JUNE 24 – LONG DISTANCE

   Event #7/8 in the Ultimate Orienteer Series!

Saturday’s races will also comprise the Pig War Challenge. The “presentation of the pig” will occur at Saturday night’s social gathering.

Schedule (preliminary)

  • 8:00-10:45a – Check-in and on-site registration (while map supplies last) open
  • 9:00-11:00a – starts
  • 2:00p – courses close
  • 5:30p – Social gathering (location TBA), includes “presentation of the pig”

Courses

Preliminary course details are below.

Course notes will be provided when available.

Course Controls Length
Beginner 9 2.5 km
Intermediate 12 4.1 km
Short Adv 14 4.7 km
Medium Adv 17 7.0 km
Long Adv 22 10.4 km

Starts

Beginner course

The start for the beginner course is near the parking area.

All other courses

The start for all other courses is approximately 1.4km walk from the parking area. Please plan accordingly.

Time Limit

There is no time limit. However, all participants must be off the course and check in at the finish by course closure time.

SUNDAY, JUNE 25 – MIDDLE DISTANCE

   Event #8/8 in the Ultimate Orienteer Series!

Schedule (preliminary)

  • 8:00-10:45a – Check-in and on-site registration (while map supplies last) open
  • 9:00-11:00a – starts
  • 1:30p – courses close
  • 2:00p – Middle, Marmot Cup, and Ultimate Series awards

Course Notes

Course notes will be provided when available.

Time Limit

There is no time limit. However, all participants must be off the course and check in at the finish by course closure time.

Accommodations

Camping

Camping areas near Fishtrap:

Lodging

Below are just a few lodging possibilities in the general vicinity of Fishtrap Lake. There could be others. This list is provided as information only and does not imply that we recommend any particular location.

EMERGENCY/FIRST AID

If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Cell reception is not guaranteed at the event site. You may have to drive 4 or 5 miles north to get reception.

Closest emergency facility

Providence Holy Family Hospital (37 miles)
5633 Lidgerwood St
Spokane WA 99208
509.482.0111
emergency room open 24/7