2014 Cleman Mountain Navigation Race

09/27/2014

Checkpoints are marked on a topographic map. How many can you and your team find using only map and compass before time runs out? Whether you treat it as a leisurely hike or a test of stamina is up to you. The adventure lies in your hands!

Cleman Mountain Navigation Race is a favorite among navigation racers, thanks to its high quality custom map, passable Eastern Washington terrain, and expansive pine scenery.

This year, we are pleased to present Cleman Mountain Navigation Race as a 2-day event, featuring a Precision Compass Course and a Classic Orienteering Course on Saturday, and a 4-hour and 8-hour navigation race (also known as a “rogaine”) on Sunday. To accommodate those with long drives, the 4 and 8-hour event is also available on Saturday.

Are you new to navigation racing?
Could your skills use a refresher? Sign up for our Intro & Intermediate Navigation Clinic on August 24th at Woodland Park! Our unique curriculum features several hands-on practice courses to try each new concept.

Also, read the First Time? section on this website, which will acquaint you with all the details on how nav races work.

Results
Race Notes
Schedule
SATURDAY Training
SATURDAY Classic
SUNDAY 4 & 8-hour nav race
SAT-SUN 24-hour "Clean the Course" Nav Race
T-shirt Design
Registration
Terrain
Map
Water
Categories
Required Equipment
Driving Directions & Lodging
Special Notes
Safety
Rules

Results

Thank you for joining us! It was a beautiful weekend to be exploring Cleman Mountain. The nav race results are below and classic results are coming soon.

2014 Cleman Mountain Nav Race and Classic Results

Mark your calendars for our next event: Rock Creek Ramble 4, 7, and 10-hour Navigation Race on April 11-12, 2015!

Race Notes

Online pre-registration is closed, but you may still register at the event.

Please note that the Compass Course has been CANCELLED.

View registration prices below.

RACE NOTES (added 9/26):

DRIVING (Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/SzUN2)
A reminder: the start location is different than it was in 2012. It is at the top of NF-1701 (Maloy Road), where it comes out of the valley and levels off.

From Seattle, if you take WA-169 S to Enumclaw, then WA-410 EAST to Yakima County– the turn-off to the start is signed from 410 Eastbound as BALD MOUNTAIN ROAD (Maloy Road on Google Maps). It is across the highway from Jim Sprick Community Park, which is a grassy park with some buildings, which you can see in Google Street View, if you’re curious.

Alternatively, Google Maps also suggests taking I-90 E and I-82 E/US-97 to Yakima, then taking US-12 W, WA-410 West, and a right onto Maloy Rd/NF-1701. The road may potentially be signed as BALD MOUNTAIN ROAD from this side as well. You can also use your odometer from this direction (driving west on 410), as the turn-off is approximately 13 miles from the intersection where Hwy 12 turns south while you continue on to 410 East.

There will also be a sandwich board sign at the road, but please note that sandwich boards are sometimes stolen or fall over, so keep your eyes peeled as you approach the turn-off.

There will be single orange streamers indicating which road to take at a couple of the junctions on Bald Mountain Road on the way up the hill to the start.

COURSE CHANGES
Due to low sign-ups, the Compass Course has been cancelled. Anyone that has signed up will be receiving a refund.

Due to limited sign-ups for the Classic Course, only the 7.4km and 5.2km courses will be available. The 10.9km course will not be set.

VENUE
There is rocky footing in many areas, especially areas without trees. What looks like grass from a distance is actually packed with small, sharp stones. Imagine a cupcake with sprinkles, then lightly tapping it so that the sprinkles embed themselves into the frosting. You may wish to opt for cushier footwear, as the ground is actually quite hard in many places. The classic course traverses Rocky Flat, which is aptly named.

There has been logging (thinning) in many areas, and the forest often feels semi-open in these parts. There is also varying amounts of logging debris.

FORECAST
Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid to lower 70s, with overnight lows in the lower 50s and 0% chance of precipitation. Woo hoo! Though it is fall, so remember that mornings and evenings will be cool, closer to the 50s than 70s.

CAMPING
There is free primitive camping at the event start/finish- meaning that there will be no running water. Please bring your own ample supply of water for cooking, drinking, and bathing. There will be porta-potties.

No open fires are permitted at Cleman Mountain, but camp stoves are permitted.

QUESTIONS?
Contact Race Director, Mark Taylor, at mark@mergeo.com or (206) 200-2840.

It’s going to be a great weekend!

Schedule

SATURDAY: Classic Orienteering Course, 24-hour Clean the Course

9:00am-12:00pm – Morning check-in is open
9:30am-2:00pm – Classic start is open, interval start (participants spaced 1-2 minutes apart)
12:00pm – 24-hour Map Handout
1:50pm – 24-hour pre-event briefing
2:00pm – 24-hour Clean the Course Start
3:00pm – Classic course closed, please return to finish by this time. Control pick-up begins, volunteers welcome!
7:00pm-9:00pm – Evening check-in open

For those wishing to do the 4 or 8-hour navigation race on Saturday instead of Sunday, this is the schedule:
9:20am – 4 & 8-hour Map Handout
10:20am – Pre-event briefing
10:30am – 4 & 8-hour Start
2:30pm – 4-hour Finish
6:30pm – 8-hour Finish
4 & 8 Awards will happen on Sunday

*Participants may opt to do the 4 & 8-hour navigation race on Saturday instead of Sunday. Please contact Mark Taylor and Eric Bone at events@mergeo.com if you intend to do the navigation race on Saturday.

SUNDAY: 4 & 8-hour navigation race*

6:30am – Morning check-in & registration opens
7:50am – Map Handout
8:50am – Pre-event briefing
9:00am – Start for 8-hour & 4-hour AM starters
1:00pm – 4-hour AM starters Finish
2:00pm – 24-hour Clean the Course Finish
2:45pm – 24-hour Awards
5:00pm – 8-hour Finish
5:45pm – 4 & 8-hour Awards

For those wishing to start the 4-hour event on Sunday at a later time (making it easier to drive to the venue the same morning), this is the schedule:
11:20pm – 4-hour PM starters Map Handout
12:20pm – 4-hour PM starters pre-event briefing
12:30pm – 4-hour PM Start
4:30pm – 4-hour PM starters Finish

SATURDAY Training

Due to lack of sign-ups, the Precision Compass Course has been CANCELLED.

PRECISION COMPASS COURSE (2km, 270m climb, 11 controls, 1:5000 map scale) CANCELLED

While much navigation can be done by map reading and “rough compassing” (using the map and compass to go in the desired general direction), learning to shoot a precise bearing is a powerful skill to have in one’s navigation toolbox. Precision compass, or “shooting a bearing,” is the art of traveling in a straight a line by sighting objects with the compass and pace counting distance. Precision compass is most useful in topographically bland areas, where there are few distinct map features to guide you.

There will be an opportunity to measure your pace count and an instructor at the start of the course.

The course will be short in length, 2km as the crow flies, with 11 controls (checkpoints) and 270 meters of climb (elevation gain) over an optimal route. The course is purposefully in a topographically bland area, so that you will need to rely on your compass to find the next checkpoint. To practice your precision, you will likely want to complete the course at a hiking pace.

The course will be point-to-point, meaning that you must find the checkpoints in order (though it will finish at or near the start).

SATURDAY Classic

CLASSIC ORIENTEERING COURSE (1:15000 map scale)

Short: 5.2km, 270m climb, 11 controls
Medium: 7.4km, 520m climb, 16 controls
Long: 10.9km, 680m climb, 22 controls CANCELLED

The longest distance of the Classic Course will not be set. Only the 7.4km and 5.2km courses will be set.

Distance is as the crow flies, expect to travel farther than the listed distance. Climb is the amount of elevation gain over a reasonable route. “Control” is an orienteering term for “checkpoint.”

A fantastic warm-up to the map and the terrain before Sunday’s long event, or simply a fun event in its own right. The Classic will be a point-to-point course, meaning that you must find the controls (checkpoints) in order. ~~The longest option will be approximately 10.9km as the crow flies~~ (expect to travel farther, unless you have wings), with two shorter options at 7.7km and 5.2km that cut parts of the longer course off. This means that you can start on a longer course, then take a shortcut marked on the map to shorten your course. Conversely, you can also start on a shorter course, then decide to keep going on a longer course.

The map will be 1:15000 scale, unless announced otherwise. Thanks to LIDAR data, the contours on the map are quite good, but the area has not been field-checked to orienteering standards to include point features, several grades of vegetation, etc. However, the vegetation is fairly predictable in this area, and it is either forested or open, with the forest being fairly passable for Washington standards (no blackberries!). White has been used to indicate open land and green to indicate forest cover.

SUNDAY 4 & 8-hour nav race

4 AND 8-HOUR NAV RACE (rogaine)

Checkpoints of varying point values and navigational difficulty are marked on a specially prepared topographic map. How many can you find on foot using only map and compass before time runs out? The adventure is in your hands!

You’ll have 1 hour before the start to spend on strategizing an optimal route. Pacing and planning is important, since 10 points are lost for every minute you’re late, and all points will be lost if you’re more than 30 minutes late.

Nav racing can be a test of mental and physical stamina, a social hike with a fun twist, or a chance to practice and sharpen practical navigation skills.

Participate in teams of 2-5 people in the 4 or 8-hour event, or solo in the 4-hour.

For more information on how the event works, including how to punch controls, how point values work, and more, visit the First Time? page.

SAT-SUN 24-hour "Clean the Course" Nav Race

24-HOUR CLEAN THE COURSE NAV RACE (rogaine)

In a typical navigation race, there are enough checkpoints set so that it is unlikely that any team will be able to find all the checkpoints within the stated time limit. This 24-hour version we are presenting is a bit different. The course is set for a typical 8-hour event with more checkpoints than 8-hour participants would find, but we are challenging you to find them all within 24 hours, or to “Clean the Course!”

An average team should expect to be on the course for the better part of 24 hours and may or may not actually find all the checkpoints, but will at least maximally enjoy this great terrain. Faster and experienced competitors may indeed, Clean the Course and receive a soapy prize for their accomplishment!

You must have a teammate to participate in this event, and should be an experienced navigator.

T-shirt Design

Display your love of nav racing and add an event tee to your registration for 18.00! The thumb compass design is printed on a quality Gildan SoftStyle cotton tee, in heather navy. Available by pre-order only.

Registration

Online pre-registration is closed, but you may still register at the event.

Please note that the Compass Course has been CANCELLED.

Cleman Mountain Mail-in Form

Price deadlines:
Early by 8-12 / Regular by 9-16 / Under-the-wire through 9-24 / Event-day by 9-27, 28

SATURDAY
Classic Race & Compass Course BUNDLE prices:
Age 22+: $27/32/36/45
Youth 13-21: $17/17/21/25
Child 12/under: $11/11/15/20

Classic Race ONLY:
Age 22+: $21/25/29/35
Youth 13-21: $13/13/17/20
Child 12/under: $9/9/12/15

~~Compass Course ONLY:~~
Age 22+: $8/10/12/15
Youth 13-21: $5/5/7/10
Child 12/under: $4/4/5/8

SUNDAY
4-Hour Nav Race:
Age 22+: $42/46/52/60
Youth 13-21: $32/32/37/45
Child 12/under: $20/20/24/30

8-Hour Nav Race:
Age 22+: $62/66/73/85
Youth 13-21: $44/44/49/60
Child 12/under: $31/31/36/45

24-hour Clean the Course:
Age 22+: $82/86/93
Age 22+ accompanying child 12/under: $72/76/83
Youth 13-21: $59/59/64
Child 12/under: $41/41/46

DISCOUNTS
Discounts apply to the 4 & 8-hour navigation race only and are available by mail-in registration only.

Adults 22+ on a team with at least one child 12 or under may deduct $10
Orienteering club or WTA members may deduct $5
Search & Rescue or first-responder personnel may deduct $10

Discounts may not be combined.

Terrain

We love orienteering on the east side of the Cascades!

VEGETATION
On the whole, Cleman Mountain is home to some delightfully passable terrain, thanks to large swaths of rough open land and dry pine forests with limited undergrowth. There are denser areas, deadfall, and rocky ground to negotiate, but hardly anything to rival the blackberries of Western Washington. Dense growth tends to occur in valley bottoms, or areas that were harvested and are regrowing. Open areas can be rocky and grassy or filled with sage brush.

STEEPNESS
The course area consists of moderate to steep slopes and some flat or rolling areas. The topography is dominated by Cleman Mountain and the ridges and valleys fanning out along its flanks.

ROAD NETWORK
There is a moderately developed network of backcountry roads throughout most of the terrain. The majority of roads and trails are logging/vehicle tracks, and they may be either very distinct or overgrown and indistinct, depending on how long ago they were made and whether they are open to continuing use.

Map

The map is custom made for this event from high quality lidar data and recent aerial photography. The scale is 1:30,000*, with 10 meter contour intervals. The map will show topography (contours), open and forested areas, roads and trails of various sizes, and major water and cultural features. Magnetic North lines are also printed on the map, to aid compass use.

The map will be printed by high-quality laser printer on one sheet of paper. Plastic map cases (open at one end and non-sealing) will be provided, however you may wish to bring your own, if you have one you like to use or want a greater level of waterproofness.

*For comparison, orienteering maps are more “zoomed in” with scales ranging from 1:5000 to 1:15000 and 5m contours. Hiking maps are more “zoomed out” with Green Trail maps typically using a scale of 1:69500 and 80 foot contours.

Water

Water will be available on the course at several checkpoints and/or intersections. These locations are marked on the map either by a cup symbol or the letter ‘W’ after a checkpoint number, if at a checkpoint. There will be several water jugs at these stops, from which you can refill your water containers.

Participants must carry containers that can hold at least 0.5 liters of water per person, although you likely will want to carry more capacity than that.

Required Equipment

This list may be edited up to one week before the event.

Each participant must wear or carry:

At least 400 square inches (0.26 square meters) of orange clothing for safety around hunters. The organizers will have breathable, mesh orange safety vests that participants may borrow.
Bottles or other containers able to carry at least 0.5 liters of water per team member, although you will likely want more capacity than that.
A whistle for signaling in case of emergency (three short blasts).
A compass
A light (24-hour participants, bring extra batteries and/or an additional light)
A watch (or other time-telling device)
A writing utensil (pencil works best) to mark the checkpoint intention sheets
Enough emergency blankets (mylar or tyvek wrap or similar) to provide emergency shelter for the entire team

Each participant should have:

Clothing appropriate to the weather, accounting for the possibility of injury or exhaustion

The above list is not meant to be comprehensive. Participants will want to carry other gear (for example, extra batteries, additional water carrying capacity, food, cell phone), as they determine necessary.

Driving Directions & Lodging

LODGING

There is free primitive camping (no running water) at the start/finish area. There will be porta potties.

If you prefer sleeping indoors, there nearest hotel is Natchez Hotel in Naches, WA and many more in Yakima.

DIRECTIONS

The start location is different than 2012 and is easily drivable.

It is at the top of NF-1701 (Maloy Road), where it comes out of the valley and levels off.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/SzUN2

From Seattle:

I-90 East
I-82/US-97 S
US-12 W in Yakima
Continue WA-410 W
Right onto Maloy Rd/NF-1701 (look for an orange orienteering flag)
Continue for approx. 3.6 miles

I-5 South
WA-164 E/Auburn Way S
Continue WA-410 East to Yakima County
Continue over Chinook Pass Hwy and stay on 410
Left onto Maloy Rd/NF-1701 (look for an orange orienteering flag)
Continue for approx. 3.6 miles

From Portland:

I-84 East
I-82 W/US-97 N
Continue to Yakima
Exit 31, take US-12
WA-410 West
Right on Maloy Rd/NF-1701 (look for an orange orienteering flag)
Continue for approx. 3.6 miles

Special Notes

Currently, no open fires are allowed at Cleman Mountain. Camp stoves are ok. Please see this Forest Service document for clarification.

Safety

RISK
Participants will be responsible for their own safety while taking part.

Of course event staff will try to help you if we learn that you are seriously injured or otherwise need assistance, but there is a good chance you would be waiting a long time for help, and we don’t have the level of staffing or expertise necessary to quickly and expertly handle many emergency situations that might arise, so your best bet is to be very careful to avoid serious injury.

If you are not comfortable assuming the risks involved in prolonged exertion while traveling through rugged terrain under various and possibly unexpected conditions, then you should not take part in the event.

HUNTING
Three different hunting seasons will be open during the event, however the event takes place outside the busiest modern firearm deer and elk seasons, so there will likely not be too many hunters in the area. However, if you hear shooting or see hunters, then it is still a good idea to present yourself as a human, for example by talking, announcing your presence.

While it is unlikely that any participant would be mistaken for game and shot at or scoped by a hunter, as an additional safety precaution, all participants must wear orange that is visible from all sides, to enhance visibility (as a human) to hunters. If you do not have orange, the organizers will loan you a safety vest for use while you participate.

TERRAIN
Parts of the terrain are steep and have cliffs or rocky and possibly unstable slopes. These potentially dangerous areas are not explicitly delineated on the maps, so you will need to determine the safety of traversing a prospective route for yourself.
Each person will be required to sign a liability waiver upon checking in for the event. A parent or guardian must sign for each participating minor.

Rules

International Rogaining Rules will be in effect, but this is not a championship event, so we are modifying a few rules.

Here are few rule highlights:

Team members must stay together (within unaided verbal contact) the whole time they are on the course (IRF rule B10)
All team members must go to each checkpoint visited by the team, meaning all must simultaneously approach within 20 meters (IRF rule B15)
All participants are required to respond to a distress signal and to assist a competitor who is injured and needs assistance (elaboration on IRF rule B30)
All participants are responsible for their own safety while they participate, and participants should make themselves aware of the hazards associated with traffic, weather, rugged terrain, livestock, health risks of extreme exertion, equipment malfunction, and remoteness from emergency assistance
Except in case of emergency, all participants must check in with event staff before leaving the area; in case of emergency, an evacuated participant or his/her team members should notify event staff of the situation as soon as possible after attending to the emergency
Teams must refrain from disturbing or removing any cultural artifacts, including any ruins, any flagging tape (used to blaze future hiking and biking trails), or trail features/improvements
Points will be deducted from the scores of late returning teams, and the per-minute point penalty will be announced at the event; teams finishing more than 30 minutes late will receive a score of zero (IRF rule B27)
Points may be deducted from the scores of teams that repeatedly fail to record their visits on the checkpoint log sheets (up to 10 point deduction per checkpoint is possible)
A team may be assessed point penalties or be disqualified, at the discretion of the organizer, for infringing these rules (modification of IRF rule B23)
Solo participants are allowed in the 4-hour event (exception to IRF rule B1)
Minimum age for a participant not accompanied by an adult is 16 in the 8-hour event, and 14 in the 4-hour event. Parents wishing an exception to these minimum ages may apply to the organizers, including evidence of exceptional navigation skills, judgment, and self-reliance. (exception to IRF rule B2)
GPS devices and altimeters (such as GPS tracking watches) may be carried on the course (to allow tracking analysis afterward) but not used for navigation by teams competing for an official result and awards. (exception to IRF rule B7)
Teams that wish to use additional navigation aids are welcome to do so if they notify the organizer, but their results will be listed separately and they may not be considered for awards (exception to IRF rule B7)
Following another team is allowed if consent is secured from the followed team (exception to IRF rule B12)