Maclay Flats Orienteering Free Member Event

Join us for a free event for GrizO members at Maclay Flats Nature Trail in Missoula!

Date and Time

The event will take place Monday, July 17, with a mass start at 6:30pm. 

Location

The event will be staged here.

Courses (NOTE: Special Mass Start Format!)

We will be offering a Beginner course, as well as several loops of Intermediate-Advanced diffculty levels. If you sign up for "Short", you will do one loop; "Medium" - two; and "Long" - three. None of them will be very long, as Maclay Flats is a pretty small area.

Everyone will start at the same time: 6:30pm, to create more of a head-to-head atmosphere for this event. Participants on the Medium and Long courses will be assigned their loops in different orders, so don't follow anyone else if you don't want to end up at the wrong control!

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. A limited supply  of single-serving snacks will be provided, but due to Covid-19  precautions, selection and supply will be limited. Also due to Covid-19  precautions, water will NOT be provided. Please bring an adequate  supply of liquid.

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!

Covid-19 Precautions We recommend wearing masks the entire time you are in the registration, start, and finish areas. Hand sanitizer will be available at check-in. For the purposes of beginner instruction, you will be assigned to one  of our experienced volunteers. Please respect their space and maintain  proper social distancing.