Event Course Info

Point to point courses (our usual). How to tell if a course is point to point? If the circles are connected by lines, you should go in the sequence (1, 2, 3, 4 etc) and try to get them all, unless you'll get back after 3 pm when we start picking up flags. The descriptions will tell you want flag is at what sequence number, as they are shared (for example, White #3 might be flag #57, and this might be Yellow's second flag).

White: 1-2 miles, takes 45-60 minutes walking. Points are almost all right on the trail, and most decision points have a flag (minimal chance of getting lost)

Yellow: 2-3 miles, takes 60-90 minutes walking. Points are generally visible from the trail. Navigation will be primarily based on trails (without flags at the decision points), although there may be some temptation to do some cross country shortcuts here or there - they are not mandatory.

Orange: 3-5 miles, take 90-180 minutes walking. Some points might be as easy as yellow; some may be heading towards Brown/Green/Red difficulty. Sometimes it will be all on larger off trail features - big hills, big depressions, big marshes, etc. Navigation and travel will be primarily cross country.

Brown/Green/Red: These are all the same technical difficulty - as hard as possible. Small, technical features in the most technical terrain. Navigation will be primary off trail, with as few large features nearby as possible. Expect tremendous route choice. If we are nice, Brown may be a little less steep than Green or Red.

Brown: 3-5 miles, takes 90-150 minutes walking

Green: 4-6 miles, takes 120-180 minutes walking

Red: 5-8 miles, takes most of 180 minutes walking assuming you don't make any mistakes. Honestly it make take nearly 180 minutes running if you aren't clean - that happens all of the time!

Score Orienteering

We sometimes offer score courses - these will have a range of difficulties, from white through yellow through orange through brown/green/red. If you new and aren't sure what to go for, you can ask anyone at the registration area and they will help. Generally, the easier/closer points are worth fewer points. For most of our score o events, the points are the tens column - eg, 35 is worth 30, 78 is worth 70. We usually have an overtime penalty, generally of a middle checkpoint in value (50 or 60 points), and that's per partial minute - for example, arrive two seconds over, lose 50 points, arrive 72 seconds over, lose 100 points. Try to maximize your points by having options so you can bail or add points depending on how you are doing. You'll know it's a score o course if there are no lines connecting the circles, and if the circles have a control code (eg, 56) next to them rather than a sequence (1, 2, 3, etc).