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!

Start Times

Please sign up for start times using these links to Signup Genius (after you have registered). The signup will close on Wed 6/21 at noon.

Thursday, Forest Sprints, Bowl & Pitcher

Friday, Classic, Camp Seven Mile

Saturday Marmot O’ Cup Day 1

Sunday Marmot O’ Cup Day 2

Location

You can use Fishtrap Lake South Loop Trailhead as a waypoint.

Turn-by-turn directions:

FROM SPOKANE:

Take I-90 West
Take exit 254, turn left to go under the freeway onto Sprague Hwy. Rd. E.
Continue for about 3.9 miles. Turn left onto Miller Ranch Rd. E.

FROM SEATTLE:

Take I-90 East
Take exit 245 onto WA-23
Turn right onto Poplar St.
Turn left at the first cross street onto N B St.
Turn left onto the cross street onto W 1st St.
Continue onto Sprague Hwy. for approx. 6.6 miles
Turn right onto Miller Ranch Rd. E.

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 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 Barrelhouse Pub & Pizza (122 College Ave, Cheney), 5:30pm
Sun June 25 Marmot Middle distance Fishtrap Lake

Map

The map for all courses will be printed at 1:10,000 with 5m contour interval, mapped to ISOM 2017-2 standard.

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 as long as the maps last.

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; rental epunch $5
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; rental epunch  $5
**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
  • Ultimate Orienteer – the Marmot races are the final two events (#7 and #8) in the 2023 Ultimate Orienteer Series. Awards will be presented to the top 3 who have participated in at least 5 races in each Ultimate class based on your best 5 scores for the season.

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: Peter Golde, Dave Tallent
Land Permission: Jennifer Castelluccio
Registrar: Debbie Newell
Epunch: Debbie Newell

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+, F60+, F65+, 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)

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 – On-site registration (while map supplies last) open
  • 9:00-11:00a – starts
  • 2:00p – courses close
  • 5:30p – Social gathering (see location above), includes “presentation of the pig”

Courses

Course Controls Length
Beginner 9 2.5 km
Intermediate 13 4.1 km
Short Adv 14 4.7 km
Medium Adv 17 7.0 km
Long Adv 22 10.4 km

Course setter notes (apply to both days)

Starts

All courses except Beginner have a 1.5km flat walk along an old dirt road to the start. Please leave enough time to get to the start. For the Beginner start, please ask at the registration table and they will start you.

Safety

There is no shade on the course and the sun can be very hot and intense. There is no water along the courses. For this reason, it is highly encouraged to take water on the course with you. Dehydration is no joke and you may be several kilometers from the finish in places. There are many good hydration packs available at sport and outdoors stores. Whistles are required; get one at registration if you don’t have one. Use three blasts in a row if you need assistance. If you give up or get hopelessly lost, the safety bearing on the Long Courses on Saturday it to go north, which will generally get you back to the same road you walked to the start on, then head west along the road to the Download tent by the parking lot. On the Middle Courses on Sunday, the safety bearing is to go west until you get to the road, then head south to the Download tent by the parking lot. You must check in at the Download tent, even if you do not complete the course.

Map

The map is 1:10,000 with 5m contours. The map is generally very good. However, small paths (especially those marked with the double-dash “intermittent trail” symbol) may be very light or completely missing in places. In general, following cliffs or the edges of lakes will be easier and more reliable than trails. Some trees may have fallen over since the map was made. The brown triangle symbol denotes a rootstock. The water level here can vary significantly; the water level on race day is expected to be a little bit lower than denoted on the map.

Wildlife

You will see lots and lots of cows; this is grazing land. They are large but won’t hurt you. Deer and coyote are also abundant.

Fences: You will likely need to cross a barbed wire fence or two; they are clearly marked on the map. Going under on your back is usually the best way; in places you can step over if you are tall. Please take care not to damage or break the fences.

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 – Marmot Cup and Ultimate Series awards

Courses

Course Controls Length
Beginner 7 1.7 km
Intermediate 8 2.4 km
Short Adv 10 3.9 km
Medium Adv 12 4.3 km
Long Adv 12 5.3 km

Course Notes

See notes for Saturday above.

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