Blue Mountain Orienteering Free Member Score-O

Join us for a free Score-O event for GrizO members at Blue Mountain Recreation Area in Missoula!

Date and Time

The event will take place Sunday, April 19 between 10:00am-2:00pm.  Courses will close at 2pm. If you are doing the 3-Hour Score-O, you must start by 11am. If you are doing the 2-Hour Score-O, you must start by 12pm. If you are doing the 1-Hour Score-O, you must start by 1pm.

Location

The event will be staged at this parking lot (the sledding hill) off the side of Forest Service Road 365.

What is a Score-O? In a Score-O, you choose your own adventure: get as many controls in ay order you want within a specified time. For this event, we will have 1-hour, 2-hour, and 3-hour categories available. The controls will be of a mixture of difficulty levels, so there will be something available for everyone from complete beginners to advanced racers.

Note: Please be very cautious if your route crosses Blue Mountain Road, where traffic can be very fast-moving!

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.

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 .

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!