This weekend, we had a brand new adventure. Mick was looking for something to do this weekend that would get us out and moving and something new. She found out about The Columbia River Orienteering Club. This is an organization that involves the sport of orienteering. To summarize the sport in a paragraph (there are lots of websites with more info if you want - here, here, here, and - or use your friend Google) the goal is usually to get a map of your course, visit all the control points on your map, punch a card with the card puncher located at the control point, then return to the start. You can do this as fast as you can - or you can just go out and enjoy the day and the course someone else has created.
This Saturday, the club was having an event at the Champoeg State Park. South of the Portland metro area, and less than 20 miles away - we decided to make this our next adventure. The weather forecasts were predicting rain and snow and cold weather, so we dressed up warm and dry. We arrived and headed to the meeting location. While we got registered and orienteered - it began to snow and hail. Soon it turned into a light rain. After a quick intro to the sport and directions given by one of the club members, we began the course.
We found our 1st control point with no problems. The control points are white/orange triangle flag type things. There was also an old CD in the flag with the control point number. Good thing too....because that 2nd point - well - Brian blew it. We took the wrong trail off the end of a parking lot, and ended up going and finding the 9th control point by accident. After a little better reading of the map - we found the 2nd point.
Soon the weather began to change for the better. The sun came out and we had a nice walk. Our course was a beginner level, or White course. So we could complete the course by staying on or near a walking path. Good thing too... since the course was just over two miles long, and the ground was wet and muddy. We saw lots of other people following their maps (the more difficult courses might not follow the paths) and they were often quite wet. We stopped for lunch near the halfway point.
Tegan checking out punch card
Brian with the map - the sun came out!
We found all the control points and had the proof! At the end of the course you MUST check back in with the organizers. If you don't - they assume you are lost on the course and send out the helicopters and the search teams. Not a good thing when you are sitting at home watching TV and see the newsbreak "Some lost participants at an orienteering event - news at 11".
Tegan with our finished card
While this was not a biking event for us - we considered it training for the Tour de Cure. We were building our endurance and stretching muscles.
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