Ski O Stake Lake
March 17th 2013 11:00am
Organizers: Wade Tokarek (Organizer), Jackie Bonn (Event Director)
If you've been skiing at Stake this year you will be ready for this event.
At 11am we'll set at course that will test your knowledge of the ski trails at Stake and your ability to figure out the fastest way between the markers that mark the ski orienteering course. The fastest skiers will take 25-30 minutes to complete this middle course.
Immediately following, about 1pm, we will have a club relay. Teams of two people ski twice each on courses.
Location / Registration Meet inside ski shelter at main entrance.
What should I bring? Wear normal cross country ski gear. Also bring a lanyard to hold the map - one with a end that twists completely around is ideal. A compass is optional - and a little bit tricky to carry while skiing ;-)
Will I enjoy this? Probably. Most people do. Partly it is the novelty of skiing trails in an unusual order, partly it is the challenge of picking a better (i.e. shorter, less climb, easier to navigate) route to a control, and partly it is the joy of a "treasure hunt" with lots of orange & white 'treasures'.
I've never done this before A number of orienteering gurus will be on-call before the race starts to give a brief introductory clinic, explaining the way the sport works and all you need to know to successfully have fun on these courses.
How is a ski orienteering map different from normal orienteering map Ski-O maps show the contours (5m increments) and the trails. Trails are shown in green and the thicker the line, the wider the trail.
Does the map reflect current grooming conditions Nope - this is too low key an event for that! There is a chance you will choose a track that looks as if it should be fast, but is ungroomed.
Grooming depends on the weather. With either a small accumulation of snow or none at all, all of the ski trails should be groomed.
Can I ski on ungroomed trails? Yes.
Can I go off the trails? Yes.