2021-22 Winter League #3 – Green River College
WINTER LEAGUE
Saturday, December 4 at Green River College in Auburn, WA
The 2021-22 Winter League Series Rules and Information have changed due to COVID. Please read all the important information
for the Public Procedures/Rules here and for the WIOL Procedures/Rules here.
**THERE IS NO DAY OF MEET REGISTRATION**
Green River Meet Documents:
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): Chris Cooper
WIOL Courses:
| Length | Climb | Controls | |
| Elementary | 1.3 km | 5 m | 11 |
| Middle School | 1.9 km | 10 m | 13 |
| JV Rookie | 2.1 km | 10 m | 13 |
| JV Female | 2.9 km | 45 m | 15 |
| JV Male | 2.8 km | 45 m | 15 |
| Varsity | 3.5 km | 85 m | 16 |
| Intercollegiate – JV | 2.8 km | 45 m | 15 |
| Intercollegiate – Varsity | 4.5 km | 95 m | 20 |
Public Courses:
| Length | Climb | Controls | |
| Beginner | 1.3 km | 5 m | 11 |
| Advanced Beginner | 2.1 km | 10 m | 13 |
| Intermediate | 2.9 km | 45 m | 15 |
| Short Advanced | 3.5 km | 85 m | 17 |
| Long Advanced | 4.5 km | 95 m | 20 |
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
Map Scale: 1:4,000 Contours: 5m
Green River College is one of those rare gems that is capable of mixing campus sprint racing with forested orienteering. The more advanced courses have the potential to alternate between campus and forest multiple times. The courses will be short and fast so early identification of obstructing features will be critical to a clean race.
Unfortunately, the forested undergrowth (So many blackberries….) has become much denser over the past several years. There are several possible off-trail routes but expect the vegetation to be on the more challenging end of the vegetation symbol’s spectrum. Off-trail controls have been placed in areas with the fewest discernable thorny encumbrances. However, the number of thorny bushes in a given area in Western Washington is never zero. Clothing that covers a runner’s legs is strongly advised for the JV/Intermediate courses and above.
There are a number of smaller unmarked trails within the forested areas of the map. These trails are often times choked with dense vegetation and become impassable after a short distance of travel. All trails marked on the map are free and clear of blackberries and can be navigated at a jogger’s pace. If you encounter blackberries on the trail you are on, you have strayed from a marked trail.
As in years past, landscaped areas are permanently out of bounds and are marked with olive-green symbol. Any entry into an olive-green area is grounds for disqualification. Damage to plants and landscaping could result in the loss of future venue permitting so please help us maintain a positive relationship with Green River College. Orienteering through grass and gravel areas is permissible and these areas are marked with the yellow symbol. When in doubt, go around!
In addition to the landscaped areas, there are three new locations marked with the purple cross hatch Out-Of-Bounds symbol. All hatched out-of-bounds areas are completely fenced off or have construction tape around them. There should be no mistaking where these areas are and what their limits may be.
SCHEDULE
**Due to COVID – ALL Public and WIOL participants will have assigned start times**
9:45 am – Assigned starts begin
12:45 pm – Last possible assigned start time
2:30 pm – Course closes
PRICES
PUBLIC COURSE PRE-REGISTRATION PRICES
$22 base price
– subtract $5 for CascadeOC members
– subtract $5 for using your own e-punch
-running as a group? Add $5 for each additional adult (16+) group member, no charge for additional children. Max group size is 3 due to COVID restrictions.
Become a member here.
**Due to COVID, there will be no day of meet registration.
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 RSVP dates:
- The deadline for Meet Registration for public that wants to request a start time is Tuesday pre-meet at Noon.
- The deadline for Meet Registration for public not requesting a specific start time is Wednesday pre-meet at 9pm.
- Friday evening pre-meet at 7pm all COVID attestation forms are due.
LOCATION
PARKING:
Please Park in lots P-7 and P-8 and follow site map instructions to walk to the start area.
THE MAP
Green River College is almost like two venues–a dense college campus surrounded by thick forest and undergrowth with infrequent trails, some of which are prone to winter flooding. Over time, Cascade Orienteering Club has focused more on the campus, expanding that portion into a 1:4000 sprint map.
As with any campus map, good awareness of building shapes, size, and direction–and the fact that you’re on a 1:4000 map–help with navigation. Note that the underground garage in the large, northeastern-most building is out of bounds and cannot be used for navigation. Other out-of-bounds areas are fenced. And as always, look both ways when crossing a road; there are lots of parking lots here!
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.
