Pattee Canyon: FREE Intro / Beginner Event

Join us for a free event where you will be introduced to the sport of orienteering at Pattee Canyon recreation area in Missoula! No prior experience is required. Experienced orienteers are also very welcome! 

Date and Time

The event will take place Saturday, September 24th between 10:00am-2:00pm. Starting time slots will be between 10am-1pm. Please arrive at your assigned time slot in order to help us run things smoothly and safely.

Location

The event will be staged at the main Pattee Canyon trailhead. 

Beginner Instruction Beginner instruction will be provided by several experienced orienteers. There will be an opportunity to go out on a short orienteering course together with an instructor, who will explain the basics of map reading and compass use, as well as provide you with strategies and tips for succeeding in terrain navigation. To get an idea of what to expect, take a look at the "Newcomers" section of our website: https://www.grizzlyorienteering.org/newcomers .

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. 

Courses You will be able to select from four different maps (courses):  Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced 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.

Registration This event is free, but registration is still required. Please use the "Registration" button above.

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 suggest 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.