2026 Wednesday Evening #2 – South Seattle College
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Wednesday, June 3 at South Seattle College in Seattle, WA
Meet Director: Will Enger
The second event in the 2026 Wednesday Evening Series will be held at South Seattle College! The Wednesday Evening Series is our most relaxed, casual set of navigation events, held in local parks once the weather (hopefully) warms up. These events are a little more low-key than those in the Winter League, and we typically offer a barbeque afterward for all participants.
Events in the Wednesday Evening Series are generally less challenging (both physically and navigationally) than many of our other events, and are therefore great for beginners and those less experienced with orienteering – while also offering a challenge to longtime participants of the sport.
We will be offering day-of event registration in addition to preregistration. There will be no start time pre-signup.
COURSES
Course designer(s): Will Enger
Course 1 (Beginner): 1.0 km, 9 controls, 10m climb
Course 2 (Intermediate): 2.0 km, 10 controls, 45m climb
Course 3 (Advanced): 2.8 km, 18 controls, 30m climb
Course 4 (2+3): 4.8 km, 28 controls, 75m 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 up to 5 miles.
COURSE NOTES
Welcome back to South Seattle College! For this event, Course 2 will primarily traverse the trails in the park to the south of campus. This area is accessed via a gate in the campus perimeter fence as well as via the road on the west side of campus; the courses will use both of these access points.
Meanwhile, Course 3 will primarily take participants throughout campus, including the complex Arboretum at the north end. While not as complicated as other area campuses such as North Seattle College or Bellevue College, South Seattle College does have a few funky-shaped buildings and nooks and crannies of its own.
One other note – the grass in most of the meadow areas of campus (especially on the south side of campus) has evidently not been cut for some time, and has grown quite tall in many places. As such, it may be slower and more difficult to move through than expected. In addition, blackberry has taken root in some places – these patches have generally not been mapped, but should be easily avoidable. Still, leg covering is advisable if your skin is sensitive to contact with meadow grasses.
SCHEDULE
5:00 pm – Registration and starts open.
7:00 pm – Registration and starts close.
8:00 pm – Course closure.
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
$22 base price
– subtract $5 for CascadeOC members
– subtract $5 for using your own e-punch
DAY-OF-EVENT REGISTRATION
$25 base price
– subtract $5 for CascadeOC members
– subtract $5 for using your own e-punch
Participating as a group? Just $5 for each additional adult (18+) group
member, no cost for additional minors.
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:
Day-of-event registration is available by cash or check, made payable to Cascade Orienteering Club.
LOCATION
PARKING
The event center will be located at the *south* end of campus near the OLY building; please park in the adjacent lots.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the club email group and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
Sitting atop the east side of the West Seattle plateau, South Seattle College features a dense college campus, parkland with scattered trees, an arboretum with a maze of trails, and a forested old quarry with a small trail network.
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.
