PROGRAM
2005 Canadian
Orienteering Championships
and
The Gold Rush Trail 3
Day
WELCOME
The City of Williams Lake welcomes you to the Gold Rush
Trail Orienteering Event and the 2005 Canadian Orienteering Championships!
We are thrilled to be hosting this event and to see
participation from so many different countries.
What a great opportunity we all have to exchange cultural experiences
over the next few days.
I would like to say “thank you” to the Orienteering
Association of BC and the organizing Clubs; Williams Lake Orienteering Club,
the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club, Victorienteers (Victoria), Sage
Orienteering Club of Kamloops, and Kootenay Orienteering Club. It is a fantastic opportunity for us to show
the world what a great place
Have a great time orienteering in our region! We trust you will enjoy the time you spend in
our City, make some new friends and are inspired to return again in the future.
Mayor Rick Gibson
Welcome from BC’s Orienteers
The Orienteering Association of British Columbia and the
participating clubs, Greater Vancouver, SAGE, Victorienteers, Kootenay and
For visitors, who are interested in more that just some
excellent orienteering, there is lots to see in and around Williams Lake, from
ospreys fishing near Scout Island in the middle of the town, to Likely, one of
the few remaining gold rush settlements, and to Farwell Canyon, reputed to be
one of the most breathtaking spots in the entire Cariboo.
As I mentioned above, orienteering is relatively new to the
Cariboo, and we hope that the two maps produced for the Championships will
provide the base to grow the sport in this beautiful area. The Williams Lake Club, at this stage in its
development, is very small, so the bulk of the volunteer help is coming from
the Greater Vancouver Club.
To all the competitors, particularly those from overseas,
we greatly appreciate you making the trek to the interior of
Alex Kerr,
Meet Director
Acknowledgements
On behalf of the Williams Lake
Orienteering Club, I'd like to thank all who helped make this event
possible. Our Club is still small, but I
see orienteering as a sport especially suited to the Cariboo and its residents.
The Orienteering Association of BC's positive response to a request to hold a
major event in the Cariboo has resulted in a substantial investment in the
production of orienteering maps. This
legacy can now be used for local events, training, teaching and the co-hosting
of future provincial meets.
A Championship event requires
major officials and I'd especially like to thank Short distance Course planner
Alan Vyse, Controllers Charlie Fox and Scott Donald, and Meet Director Alex
Kerr, all who made trips to the Cariboo over the last few months in the course
of their duties, and registrar Jeremy Gordon, who has made dozens of virtual
trips to the Cariboo and world wide over the past few months.
We also appreciate the support
of Orienteering Clubs in
I'd also like to thank the many
volunteers and sponsors and hosts from the local community and organisations
who have been eager to assist. I hope
you enjoy meeting all our visitors. Perhaps they will even talk you into getting
out to try a course yourself.
City of
Mr Leo Bacon at
Mapping for Orienteering events
is a huge expense, and we would like to acknowledge the funding assistance
provided by the Provincial Government through
Lastly, and most
importantly........ a big thanks to
all the landowners, leaseholders and managers who have provided access to their
land, and who, without exception, have been very accommodating and a pleasure
to deal with. For the Classic event at Knife Creek, I'd especially like to
thank John Miller and Mabel Cornwall at Jones Lake Ranch, Clint and Karen
Thompson of San Jose Cattle Company, and Ken Day, Mircea Rau, and Cathy Koot at
the Alex Fraser Research Forest, as well as Chad Jackson at Duke Energy for
marking the pipeline and allowing us to use the R/W for our finish area.
Bryan Chubb
Williams
NOTES ON THE LANDSCAPE
The
landscape around
Since the
ice age, first grasslands, and then forest, have established across the area.
Remnant grasslands are found along SW facing slopes and are well represented on
the Classic event map. More extensive grasslands are found along the Fraser
valley to the west of
Forests
occupy the plateau lands and north facing slopes and you will experience this
on the Short event map. The forests are typically composed of a mixture of
conifer and broadleaved species, but Douglas-fir (of the interior as opposed to
the coastal variety), is by far the most dominant species on both map areas.
Lodgepole pine is more prevalent at higher elevations. This species is
currently suffering dramatic and widespread mortality as a result of a bark
beetle epidemic. You will see many trees with dark red foliage that were attacked
two years ago. In many cases their bark has been stripped in patches by
woodpeckers seeking the developing larvae of the beetle. Further expansion of
the beetle is expected this year. Douglas-fir trees are also undergoing attacks
from a caterpillar that eats the fresh needles just as the buds burst in the
spring. Both of these insects have been influenced by local climate change.
They are more damaging, in the case of the pine beetle, and much further north,
in the case of the Douglas-fir insect, than has been recorded in the last one
hundred years.
If you
want to learn more about the natural history of the area, and where to go to
best experience its natural wonders, take an hour or two to visit the Scout
Island Nature Centre. Run by the local naturalist group, it is well worth a
visit. The Centre is on an island at the west end of
Enjoy your
stay in Willy’s Puddle, as the locals affectionately refer to their city!
Alan Vyse
PROGRAM OF EVENTS
Saturday, July 16th Canadian
Orienteering Championships Classic, Day 1
Sunday, July 17th Canadian
Orienteering Championships Classic, Day 2
GENERAL INFORMATION
Registration
Registration
will be available at the Event Centre in
- Race bib
- SPORTident finger stick (if
rented)
- T shirt (if ordered)
- Copy of the Program
- Model Event map (if ordered)
- Banquet tickets (if ordered)
- City of
Any money
owing must be paid before you receive your registration package. Please make sure that your SPORTident finger
stick has the same number as on your bib.
If not, please notify Registration immediately.
Event Centre
The Event
Centre is located at
Weather
The
average temperature in July in
Emergency Telephone Numbers and
Addresses
Emergency:
911.
Police: 392-6211
Hospital 392-4411 (
Ambulance 392-5402
Facilities in
Food:
Save-On-Foods on
Restaurants:
The Red Dog Roadhouse pub is on the Short map and the owner is allowing
us to use his land for parking. It is a
good spot for after race nutrition and hydration! In
Public
toilets: Cariboo
Memorial Complex,
SOCIAL EVENTS
Civic Reception and Western
Barbecue, Friday, July 15th,
TECHNICAL
Principal Meet Officials
Event Director Alex Kerr, GVOC
Assistant Event Director John
Rance, GVOC
Planner, Short Race Alan
Vyse, SAGE
Controller, Short Race Charlie
Fox, GVOC
Planner, Classic Races Bryan
Chubb, WLOC
Controller, Classic Races Scott Donald, KOC
Mapper Bryan
Chubb, WLOC
Start Chief Bruce
Inglis, GVOC
Finish and Results Chief Marg Ellis, GVOC
Registrar Jeremy
Gordon, GVOC
Race Bibs
Bibs must
be worn and visible during all three days of competition. Failure to do so may result in
disqualification.
SPORTident – Electronic Punching
System
The
SPORTident electronic punching system will be used at all competitive events,
and all competitors are required to carry a SPORTident finger stick (SI
stick). If a rented stick is lost, the
competitor will be charged the replacement cost of $40. Competitors losing their personal SI sticks
can rent one from the organizers for $3/day.
Note that
the number on the SI stick is your personal identification number for the
various events. Therefore you must use
the SI stick assigned to you, and competitors with the wrong stick (husband’s,
wife’s, sister’s, brother’s, etc.) will not be allowed to start. If your stick number has changed, please
notify Registration before you run.
At the
Start please make sure that you Clear
and Check your SI stick. Once on course, if you find that an SI unit
at a control is not working (no light, no beep), please make sure that you use
the pin punch attached to the control to mark your map. Failure
to do so will result in your disqualification.
All competitors must download their
SI sticks at the Download Station whether you finish your course or not – this
is our main way of determining which runners are still on the course. Failure to do so, for reasons other than
being lost or injured, can results in considerable unnecessary aggravation for
the Meet Officials.
Courses and Classes
Course 1 M11 W11 Open 1
Course 2 M13 W13
Course
3 M15 W15 Open
2
Course 4 M75+ W65,
W70, W75+
Course 5 W55,
W60 Open 3
Course 6 M65, M70 W45, W50, W17_____________
Course 7 M55, M60 W35, W40
Course 8 M45, 50, M17 Open 4
Course
9 M35, M40 W20______________________
Course 10 M20
Canadian
competitors please note that the above are the Gold Rush Trail classes. To be eligible for the Canadian
Championships, competitors must run in M/W11, M/W13, M/W15, M/W17, M/W20,
M/W35, M/W45, M/W55 and M/W65. Canadians
will, of course, be eligible for Gold Rush medals in these classes.
Controls
The flags
are hung from a metal post with the SI unit on top. The control number is taped horizontally to
the top of the SI unit.
Control Descriptions
Control
Descriptions will be printed on the map, and available in the pre-start area.
Start Procedure
There will
be a three line start; -2 minutes, -1 minute and the Start line. Call up at -3 minutes. At all Starts there will be a mandatory taped
route from the Start line (map pickup) to the Start Triangle. The Start Triangle is at the end of the
marked route, and indicated by a control flag.
This is NOT a control.
Course Closure: Courses will close 3 hours after the last start. The actual time will be posted at the
Start. The approximate times are noted
above.
Note: All competitors will have a maximum allowed
time of 3 hours to complete their course.
All competitors must report to the Finish after this time even if they
have not completed the course. You do
not have to cross the Finish line, but all competitors MUST report to the Finish officials and download their SI
stick. Course times over 3 hours will be
marked as uncompleted.
Toilets: Toilets will be provided in the Assembly Area. There will be no toilets at the starts.
Protests and Problems
After
downloading, competitors with problems will be directed to the appropriate
Finish Official and given a Problem form to complete. The same applies to competitors, who wish to
file an official protest. They will be
given a Protest form and directions, if required, on how to fill it out. A fee of $30 will be charged, which will be
refunded if the protest is upheld.
First Aid
A First
Aid tent will be located close to the Finish.
Awards
Medals
will be awarded to the first three eligible Canadian finishers at the
To be
eligible for the Canadian Championships, competitors have to be full members of
the Canadian Orienteering Federation, and Canadian citizens or persons with
Permanent Resident status as defined by
the Department of Citizenship & Immigration.
Results
Results
will be posted during the competition days and at the Event Centre. In due time, the results and split times will
be posted on the OABC website, www.orienteeringbc.ca/coc2005/.
Recreational Orienteering
We
will also be offering “Recreational” courses with on–the-day registration at
all three events. These will be
informal, untimed courses suitable for complete newcomers, non-competitive
types, or anyone who'd just like to give the sport a try without being
timed. These courses will be similar
to a course you would run in an Open class, but without timing and electronic
punching. A separate start and finish
area will be used.
MODEL EVENT
Location:
Esler Sport
Field Complex,
Directions:
From the
junction of Highway 97 and Chilcotin Highway 20 (near the Stampede Grounds),
take Highway 20 South for 8.8kms and turn right on
Terrain: Similar to the Short Race Area (see below)
Start:
Competitors
can start at their own time between
Map:
Esler
Sport fields, 1:10,000.
Course Closure:
The Model
Event closes at
Canadian Orienteering
Championships, Short Distance
Friday, July 15th
Location:
Directions:
From the
Junction of Highway 97 and 20, take 20 2.6 kms. Turn left onto
Map:
Planner’s Comments:
The
Your map
will reveal an intricate network of trails, with complex contour detail in
patches, boulders, pits, and earth banks. There are also rocks in profusion in
one corner of the map. Sharp vegetation boundaries indicate patches of
broadleaved trees, whether aspen or birch, and different ages of conifers.
Parts of the map were logged 40 years ago, and there are stumps and old
overgrown trails from those days.
The map is
very compact. There are many controls to meet the criteria for each course, so
take care to check your control codes. Course distances have been set to keep
winning
Alan Vyse
Start:
The Start
is 2 minutes from the car park, and 5 minutes from the Event Centre and the Finish
area.
Safety Bearing:
North (to
Course Closure:
Courses
will close at approximately
Food:
Snacks
will be available at the Finish and food and liquid refreshments at the pub
next to the Finish. (Note: Minors, under 19 years old, are not permitted in the
Pub.)
Awards:
Canadian
Short Race Championship awards will be held as close to
Canadian Orienteering Championships
Classic Distance
Saturday, July 16th and
Sunday July 17th
Location:
Directions:
From the
junction of Highway 97 and Highway 20 (Stampede Campground) take 97 south 21.3
kms and turn left onto
Map:
Knife
Creek, Courses 1-8 1:10,000, Courses 9,10 1:15,000
Planner’s Comments:
The
attraction in selecting Knife Creek area for this event is the variety of
terrain and forest, from managed and natural forest to forested and open ranch
land.
Much of
the area is managed forest, with selective logging on an ongoing basis
resulting in the regular appearance of new skid trails (forest extraction tracks)
and openings in the forest. Some blocks have been thinned, resulting in very
good visibility, but slower running with small trees and branches on the
ground. There will be a section of this on Day 1 for courses 8-10 and Day 2 for
most courses. Other areas, which have been logged over the past decades, still
show traces of old logging roads and skid trails. These are mapped variously as
“vehicle tracks”, “trails”, “small paths”, “indistinct small paths” or “rides”,
depending on their age, appearance and runability. Some large areas of “white”
forest have mature trees, little grass or ground cover, and will be quite fast
running, noticeably on most Day 2 courses.
Private
ranch land is quite attractive for orienteering, often with fast running in and
near the open meadows. Though most of
the forest is coniferous, there are areas of aspen as well.
Cattle
grazing is a factor on all areas of the map, including the managed forest, with
cattle being moved from month to month. Recently grazed blocks will have short
grass with highly visible paths and fast running in the meadows and in the
forest, while areas not recently grazed will have high grass, resulting in
slower running with less visible paths, trails, and dead fall. The grass is
especially high this year because of a very wet May and June. Early runners may
encounter cattle on the course, but most are expected to be in other areas
during the competition (the cattle that is).
There are
some small long and winding trails, which were flagged with pink/orange tape
for
Of special
note is vegetation mapping, particularly, the green and rough open areas as
shown on the map. Indistinct vegetation boundaries in the forest are just
that.... indistinct. Though there are areas where the green is
more distinct, and may be useful for map reading, expect the green areas to be
patchy and often generalized with indistinct edges.
The
terrain itself is variable as well, with some areas of complex contour detail
on the more advanced courses. Higher
areas of the map include long side hills with small spur/reentrant
combinations, to large, less featureless ravines. Most courses avoid the
steepest areas. The flatter areas around the meadows include areas of knolls
and depressions, and occasionally combinations of both types of terrain.
The area
is generally dry with few water features on the courses, though on Day 2, the
planner couldn't resist sending courses 2 and 3 across a small, muddy trickle
of water. This will mostly affect runners in a hurry.......
Rock
features are occasionally used as control features, but, in general, rocky
ground or rock features appear only occasionally in the area.
Course specific notes:
Day 1 Course 1
There is an area where the trail has been obliterated by some new
logging. We have used
Day 1 Course 2 There will be a short flagged
section after control 8. Follow
If trails
have become indistinct in the high grass, and require marking for course 1 and
2,
Day 2, Courses 9 and 10
go near an out of bounds area which is marked on the edge of the map and
bounded by a barbed wire fence. Please
do not enter this area.
Our requests:
UBC research forest has plots marked in various
ways throughout much of the forest.
Please do not disturb or damage posts, flagging tape, or other markings
on the ground or on trees.
There will
be fences to cross on most courses. Some
are quite new and strong, but many are old.
Please use care when crossing, by going under the fence, or over by
using a fence post for support. Please report any broken or damaged fences,
so they may be repaired. All gates should be left open or closed, as you
found them. Open gates/crossing points will be marked with a crossing symbol on
the map.
Runners
crossing the main access road may be encountered while on your way to the
parking area. Please use caution.
Bryan
Chubb
Start:
Day
Day 2:
Safety Bearing:
North East
to the
Course Closure:
Courses
will close at approximately
Food:
Snacks
will be available at the Finish.
Awards:
Canadian
Championship and Gold Rush Trail awards will be held as close to
OUR
THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS
Central Cariboo Tourism
City of
