Wednesday Evening #5
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 lengths:
Course 1 – 1.2 km; 9 controls
Course 2 – 2.0 km; 13 controls
Course 3 – 2.9 km; 15 controls
Course 4* – 4.9 km; 28 controls
*Course 4 is a combination of course 2 and 3, with a map exchange in between. If you are running Course 4, you will NOT punch the finish after completing Course 2; rather, simply drop your Course 2 map, pick up a Course 3 map, and continue navigation. You will then punch the finish after completing Course 3.
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.
North Seattle College is a unique venue in that it combines fairly simple areas of park and woods with a very complex urban campus. Transitioning from one to the other is often tricky, as is deciphering which vertical level controls within the building complex are located on (tip – use your control descriptions!)
Due to the complexity of the campus, this map also uses several special symbols which are either not normally seen on orienteering maps, or are used here in a different way than normal. There are explanations of these symbols in the map legend – feel free to check it out beforehand (the map is available further down this page). Courses 2 and 3 will both feature multiple controls within the campus.
NOTE – Course 3 (and therefore also Course 4) will send runners across College Way and two blocks west of the campus to Licton Springs Park. Please be careful when crossing the road, and follow all traffic laws. We will not have anyone posted at the crosswalks.
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. When you arrive at the start tent, find the chute for your course and follow the start volunteer’s instructions.
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 Tuesday, September 6.
Day-of-event registration is available by cash or check, made payable to Cascade Orienteering Club
LOCATION
PARKING
Turn into the college at N 100th St and park in the northern parking lot.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the Yahoo listserv and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
Which way is up and which way is down? North Seattle College will have you asking this question. Featuring the unique opportunity to figure out whether you need to be “upstairs” or “downstairs,” and wonder whether there will be a wall or a pass-through when you turn the corner.
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.
