Winter Series / WIOL #3
WINTER LEAGUEWINTER SERIES
Saturday, December 2 at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore, WA
Welcome to the Winter and School League (WIOL) Series!
ABOUT THE SERIES
These concurrent and popular series run from November through February. The Winter Series is open to all, while WIOL (Washington Interscholastic Orienteering League) is designed for students from Elementary-age through High School.
Events in the first half of the season are held in beginner-friendly venues, some of which are trails-only, while events in the second half move to more forested and challenging venues. The season is capped off with a championship event and an awards ceremony to recognize top participants and school teams in both the series overall and championship event.
As with all of Cascade OC’s series events, while it is fun to participate in the entire series, it is not required. Each event is a stand-alone event and open to all!
- Register for WINTER SERIES (open to both kids and adults) at the link below or at the event!
COURSES
Course designer(s): David Vaiser & Don Atkinson
| Course | Length (km) | Controls | Climb (meters) |
| Beginner/Elementary | 1.3 | 9 | 10 |
| Middle School | 2.2 | 9 | 80 |
| Intermediate/JV Girls | 2.4 | 8 | 100 |
| JV Boys North | 2.5 | 8 | 95 |
| JV Boys South | 2.4 | 8 | 75 |
| Varsity | 3.4 | 10 | 150 |
| Short Advanced | 4.3 | 11 | 175 |
| Long Advanced | 6.0 | 14 | 250 |
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
Remember that this is a TRAILS ONLY event, and if we want to have future events at St. Edwards Park we need to make sure that everybody follows this rule (no matter how tempting a cross-country short cut may be).
Please make sure to note the out of bounds areas around the North-East side of Bastyr University (marked with orange streamers) and of the out of bounds trails to the East of Bastyr (marked with orange streamers) and in few other less significant places.
There are a few areas where there are controls relatively close to each other, double-check control codes and descriptions to avoid mispunching.
The map was updated recently but there are areas of high complexity namely around the North side of Bastyr university and along the lake. Therefore, in these areas there might be additional unmapped features.
Note that the fallen leaves and some fallen branches make some trails less distinct then mapped. Also, the leaves make slopes very slippery.
Please watch out for cyclists around the East side of the park and around Bastyr U.
In general Saint Edwards Park courses tend to be more demanding because of many ravines and this year is not an exception. For the participants considering the long advanced, the course is on the longer side with a trip to the lake adding elevation and the course is overall more physically demanding then the previous two events of this year’s WIOL series. The short Advanced and Intermediate course are an excellent option for those who are looking for a navigational challenge but with shorter less demanding distances in this physically demanding park.
SCHEDULE
9:30am – Registration opens & Newcomer instruction available
10:00am – Start opens
11:00am – Newcomer instruction ends
11:30am – Registration closes
Noon – Start closes
3:00pm – 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 $5 for using your own e-punch
What’s an e-punch?
An e-punch records your race. At each control, you’ll dip the e-punch into an electronic box, which will beep and flash as confirmation. After you finish, you’ll download the e-punch at the download tent and get a receipt that show which controls you visited and how long you took between each; these are your “splits.”
Part of the fun of orienteering is comparing your splits with people who completed the same course, and discussing the routes you took!
SIGN UP
Online pre-registration closes at 9 pm, Thursday, November 30th:
Day-of-event registration is available by cash or check, made payable to Cascade Orienteering Club.
SCHOOL LEAGUE (WIOL)
For information on registration for the School League, visit the School League (WIOL) page.
LOCATION
PARKING – Please park at Saint Edwards State Park not at Bastyr University and remember to bring the Discover pass (state park pass). You can also buy it on-site (10$ daily) or (30$ annual). Please restrict warm up to the road between the registration and the start. Registration (WIOL and public) is located by the boulder in the southeast corner of the second parking lot on the left as you arrive at St. Edwards.
CARPOOL
Looking for a carpool? Join the Yahoo listserv and share your request to find a ride.
THE MAP
Many of our venues are built on hills. St Edward Park is the hilliest of them all! It is also among the first maps that this club created, more than 30 years ago.
This map combines two open and developed campuses with a complex trail network behind the college and another, simple set of trails going down the steep, steep slopes from the St. Edward historic seminary building to the water.
When used with adjacent land, this park provides enough geographic range that it has been used with a mountain bike orienteering course. Even without that section, it is routinely part of the large meets in the winter series and student league.
Read more on the map pageEMBARGO NOTICE
To ensure a fair competition among all student league participants, participants are not allowed to visit each event venue for the two weeks prior to the event being held there. In orienteering, this is known as an “embargo”.
SAFETY & 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.
