Forest Training 3 - Sumas Mountain Why Just Run Plus!

Organizers: Stan Woods (Event Director), Joanne Woods (Membership), Victoria Cote (Coach), Mike Rascher (Controller), Trevor Siemens (Assistant), Adam Woods (Coach), Scott Muma (Assistant), Ingrid Weisenbach (Permit), Bill Harrower (Assistant), Stan Woods (Course Planner)

Map: Sumas Mountain

Training - This is the third of four sessions of forest training that we are offering this spring. Each session will focus on one or more different skills which are required for orienteering in a forest environment. In this session, we will offer four courses.

Much of Sumas Mountain is runnable open forested terrain, with rich contour, marsh and rock features. A very enjoyable area to orienteer, a map not to be missed.

Starts available between 10:00am and 11:00am. If possible, we would like people running longer courses to start early. For Safety reasons, course closes at 1:30 pm. Spikes, or good trail runners are recommended.

Training resources: http://www.learnorienteering.com/index.htm We suggest you read the pages on "Understanding Contours" and "IOF symbols".

Courses - all courses will have SI air timing. There will be SI sticks available at registration for those who do not own one. Separate control descriptions will be available for all courses.

Due to the remote location, the relative lack of trails, and the complexity of the terrain there is NO course offered for Solo beginners or groups of children. The Intermediate course is the ‘easiest’ course and is only suitable for beginners in groups of two or more, including an adult.

Intermediate course - 2000m in length, 85m climb, 9 controls - suitable for groups of children accompanied by adults, families, or groups of adults new to orienteering. Mostly on trail and flagged routes. Participants in the OAK program can use this course, if accompanied by an adult.

Short course 1:7500 scale - 2400m in length, 145m climb, 12 controls - suitable for experienced orienteers. This course is printed at a map scale of 1:7500. This course is also offered at a 1:5000 scale. Please choose your map scale when you register.

Short course 1:5000 scale - 2400m in length, 145m climb, 12 controls - suitable for experienced orienteers. Same course as the ‘Short course 1:7500 scale’ course except the map is printed at 1:5000 scale to improve map readability for older eyes.

5km course - 4800m in length, 300m climb, 18 controls - more physical, longer, and much more elevation gain than the short.

Long course - 6300m in length, 360m climb, 24 controls – the longest, most physical course. Suitable for fit experienced orienteers.

Map: All of the courses, except the ‘Intermediate’ course visit an area that has not been used in the last 15 years. All course maps are on letter size paper with 5m contours. To improve the readability of the courses, the courses are printed at the following map scales and map formats:

• Intermediate course: 1:7500 scale, landscape format
• Short course 1:7500 scale: 1:7500 scale; landscape format
• Short course 1:5000 scale: Short course at 1:5000 scale; landscape format
• 5 km course: 1:7500 scale, portrait format
• Long course: 1:10,000 scale; landscape format

Directions and Parking

There is a limited parking at the event site, so please carpool as much as safe/possible. To get to the Event area take exit 95 from Hwy1 and go east 2 km on North Parallel Road and then turn west and follow Lower Sumas Mountain Rd North (it turns into Upper Sumas Mountain Road) and follow for a total of about 18km from this point to the Event site. Follow signs for Sumas Mountain Regional Park that direct you to turn right at Batt Road. Then after 1 km on Batt Road turn right again at Taggart Road. After 0.5 km there is a right turn-off to the Sumas Mountain Staging Area parking lot if you want to use the washroom. From this Staging Area keep on the main gravel road about another 4 km, until you reach the Chadsey Lake Trail Parking Lot at about 4.8 km on the km markers. There is a washroom about 30 meters down the trail to Chadsey Lake. This is the closest washroom to the event area, which is about 500 meters further up the road. Continue up the road to the Upper Gate about 450 m past the Chadsey Lake parking lot. There is room for 5 or 6 cars to park near the gate, so please park here if there is room. The event site is about 70 m past the Upper Gate (the pin on the google map below is the event site). Someone will be at the Upper gate to let vehicles past to park along the side of the road. For safety reasons, it is critical, that you park so you do not block the road.

Event check in: 9:45 am - 10:30am

Starts: 10:00am - 11:00am

Courses close at 1:30pm

Time Start and Start Triangle at Sumas Mtn

Sumas will use a separate ‘Time Start’ located about 50 m before the ‘Start Triangle’. This is different than at the Burke Mtn or Cypress Falls orienteering events where the ‘Time Start’ and the ‘Start Triangle’ were located at the same point. People waiting in the start queue will pick up their control descriptions, and map, and then the Starting Official will tell people when they can start. People will then start their time with the ‘Start’ SI unit (on a stand but with NO control flag) and run 50 meters up a road toward the ‘Start Triangle’. The ‘Start Triangle’ is shown on the map, as usual, but will have NO SI unit (a control flag on a stand but with NO SI unit). Separating the ‘Time Start’ and the ‘Start Triangle’ is normal at higher level orienteering events, such as the Canadian Orienteering Championships.

Why the ‘Time Start’ is Separate from the Start Triangle

The ‘Time Start” should be located so that people waiting in the start queue can not see the ‘Start Triangle” or in which direction previous starters leave the ‘Start Triangle’. This keeps the initial navigation direction/decision from the ‘Start Triangle’ to control 1 an unknown.

Usually the route from the ‘Time Start’ to the ‘Start Triangle’ is flagged, and if so, all runners must follow the flagged route. To save on flagging, the route from the ‘Time Start’ to the ‘Start Triangle’ is not flagged at Sumas, but we ask that everyone run along the road to the ‘Start Triangle’ . From the 'Start Triangle you make your route choice to your first control.

You can see who has signed up here Sumas Mtn Sign Ups

Location