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Eastern Washington Orienteering
EWOC
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Eastern Washington Orienteering

Finch Arboretum — Event and Classes

April 12
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On April 12th we're offering a couple of classes in combination with an orienteering event open to anyone.

The Intro To The Sport of Orienteering Class, from 9:30 AM-11:00, will explain the sport and the basics of using your compass in combination with a map. The class wraps up just in time for you to try out the Beginner course at today's orienteering event in the arboretum. The Intro class is $15, and includes the Event, below. (There's a $5 discount if you also sign up for the Intermediate Skills Class.)

The Orienteering Event, itself, will be open for anyone to start a course anytime between 11 and noon. There will be a Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced course to choose from. None of them will be terribly long, and the arboretum has well-defined borders, so this might be a good day to try a harder course level than you've done before.

An Intermediate Orienteering Skills Class will start at 1:00 PM. This class is meant to follow the morning's intro, but it might be fine for you if you're already familiar with using topographic maps in conjunction with a compass. The class will go over some of the additional skills that orienteers use to navigate courses more efficiently, like using catching features and counting your paces to estimate distance. After a little while in the classroom you'll get back outdoors to measure your own paces and then practice your new skills on a more challenging orienteering course than the morning's class did. The Intermediate Skills Class is $15 and includes your choice of the same Intermediate or Advanced course that's offered at the club event that day.

Register for the classes through Spokane Parks and Recreation.

Saltese Uplands

April 27
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(Note that this event has been moved to Sunday, April 27th)

The Saltese Uplands is an interesting hilly area between Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley. Orienteering here is a little more challenging than our usual city park events 1) because it's pretty hilly, and 2) because there's fewer definitive point features to refer to on the map. Still — you should be fine if you've orienteered before. We'll have the usual selection of courses: Intermediate and Advanced, plus Novice for first-timers.
  • Parking: 1305 S Henry RD, Spokane Valley
  • Start: Any time 1:00-2:00 PM
  • Course closes: 4:00 PM

EWU Campus

May 17
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May's first event in Cheney is your chance to do some relatively easy navigation. Our map of the EWU campus is made to the "sprint" standard for orienteering maps. That means it's drawn at a high level of detail (1:4000 scale), and the symbol set relates more to features of an urban area than a forested one.

Try your hand at the intermediate or advanced course. There will also be a novice course for kids. We're hoping to see some more Eastern students this time around. Race with or against some friends!
  • Parking (free): Lot 12 west of the football stadium
  • Start: Any time 10-noon
  • Course closes: 1:00 PM

Cheney Wetlands (New Map!)

May 31
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This is our second event in Cheney this month. Explore this beautiful area just northeast of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. This brand new map covers about 370 acres of wetlands — but unless it rains you shouldn't get your feet wet.

Courses will wend around habitat for geese, ducks, and trumpeter swans. Navigation will be of average difficulty, but with a low chance of getting very lost. You will need to display a Washington Discover Pass in your vehicle to park at the meet-up point.

Street Scramble Sandpoint

July 19
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We moved this year's Street Scramble to the summer because it seems like an excellent time to visit this resort town on scenic Lake Pend Oreille. Unlike our usual events, this one will be navigated on a city street map (with actual labels!). Prove you've found a control point by answering a multiple choice question about what's there. For example: what state license plate is not represented in the wall of license plates at the corner?

You'll have 3 hours to explore Sandpoint and it's quirky neighborhoods. If you want to maximize how much territory you cover you can do the event by bicycle. (Please wear a helmet.) Everyone will start at 10:00 and need to be return to the start before 1:00.

Maps will be handed out at 9:45 so you can start planning an efficient route before the start. Please arrive early enough to get registered and organized ahead of the start.

  • Meet: Litehouse YMCA, Sandpoint, ID
  • Note: Please park at the church lot on the north side of Pine
  • Registration: 9:00 AM
  • Mass Start: 10:00 AM
  • Course closes: 1:00 PM sharp

Vampire O

October 18
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It's Year Eighteen for EWOC's Vampire Orienteering at Manito Park, and it's become the best-attended event we do all year. The fun starts after dark, so bring your headlamp for this one.

Your map of Manito Park will show the locations of 30 controls, with point values that reflect how hard they'll be to reach quickly. From 6:30 to 7:30 (sharp!) everyone will be trying to score points by visiting as many controls as they can, in any order. You'll get a chance to look the map over before the start so you can plan a route that'll maximize the points you score, suited to how much distance you think you can cover in one hour.

Oh yeah, and one among the group will secretly be a vampire at the start. When they fake-bite someone, their victim will lose points and take a turn as the vampire. You can avoid vampire bites by avoiding everyone. You might also find talismans that can protect you from vampires. Those include the giant crucifix, a large jug of holy water, and a long wooden stake.

This event is outdoors at night, and vaguely Halloween themed, but only about as scary as trick-or-treating. Costumes are encouraged. Bring the family!

Like maps?

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We could use your help improving our maps. Let us know what areas you want to explore. We'll provide the training and equipment. Send us your info through the contact page form.