Beaver Lakes Orienteering Event: Brand-New Map!

Join us for an orienteering event in partnership with Whitefish Legacy Partners at the Whitefish Legacy Center (formerly Whitefish Bike Retreat) trailhead in Whitefish!

Date and Time

The event will take place Saturday, September 12. All levels of course difficulty will be provided. Participants can start any time between 10am-1pm. Everyone must be out of the woods by 2pm.

Location

The event will be staged at the Whitefish Legacy Center (formerly Whitefish Bike Retreat) trailhead in the Beaver Lakes Recreation Area in Whitefish.

Directions: The Event will begin near the parking lot at the Whitefish Legacy Center (Not the Beaver Lakes Trailhead). 

From US-93 west turn right onto Beaver Lake Rd. 

In 1.3 miles turn right at the (small) Whitefish Legacy Center sign.

In 0.3 miles you will see the parking lot on your left. 

Please do not drive up to the Whitefish Legacy Center. Thanks!

There is construction on US-93 between Whitefish and The Whitefish Legacy Center with waits up to 30 minutes. If coming from the south it is recommended to take the KM Ranch Rd (off of US-93 heading north toward Whitefish) to Twin Bridges Rd back to US-93 West. 

Registration and Fees:

First-timers: $5, First-time groups: $10 (If first-timers wish to purchase memberships after the event, the cost of the event will be subtracted from the membership fee)

Standard event entry fee: $15 per individual; maximum of $30 for group

GrizO Member event entry fee: $8 for members; maximum of $15 for member group

Junior entry fee: $5 for youth aged 12-20

Kid entry fee: Free for kids under 12

Volunteer discount: Free for anyone who volunteers at a given event

Extra map for any additional group member who wants one: $2

Second course: Free

Compass rental: Free

Equipment  We will provide specially created maps with pre-printed courses for each participant. We will also provide loaner compasses. Please return these when you are done. The compasses will be sanitized after each use. Wear clothing that is comfortable for activities in the woods and  off-trail and appropriate for the expected temperatures. Please bring your own snacks and hydration. Limited snacks and refreshments will be provided at the finish.

Beginner Instruction Beginner instruction will be provided by several experienced orienteers. If this is your first event, take a look at the "Newcomers" section of our website to get an idea of what to expect: https://www.grizzlyorienteering.org/newcomers .

Courses You will be able to select from five different maps (courses):  Beginner (~2km), Advanced Beginner(~3km), Intermediate (~4km), Advanced (~5km), and Long Advanced (~7km) courses. The distances indicate the shortest, straight-line  distance for visiting all the controls and returning to the finish. You  will certainly cover more distance than that. Besides differing in length, courses differ in difficulty levels -  the beginner course stays exclusively on trails; advanced beginner  offers opportunities to take some shortcuts and shorter off-trail  excursions; the intermediate course requires some traversing of the  terrain off-trail; and the advanced courses often do not have trail  options for some of the route choices. We recommend that you pick a relatively easy course if this is your  first event. If it goes quickly and you enjoy it, you can try another,  more difficult course, right away. We recommend going out individually  or in groups of no more than 2-3 so that everyone is able to get the  hang of map reading and navigation.

Start and Finish You will need to check in with one of our volunteers at registration  before proceeding to the start. Our volunteers will provide you with the  appropriate map, a loaner compass if needed, and a loaner electronic  timing chip and will keep track of  who is out and doing which course. When you have found all the controls  on your course, return to the finish and check in with a volunteer  there. Even if you decide to quit your course before finding all the  controls, please check in at the finish so we do not go out searching for you.

Electronic "punching"

An e-punch records your race. At each control, you’ll dip the e-punch  into an electronic box, which will beep and flash as confirmation.  After you finish, you’ll download the e-punch at the download tent and  get a receipt that shows which controls you visited and how long you took  between each; these are your “splits.”

Part of the fun of orienteering is comparing your splits with people  who completed the same course, and discussing the routes you took!