Event Details
Overview
Orienteer on foot, snowshoe, fat tire bike, ski or any combination! There won’t be any special fat tire bike controls, but Lake Elmo has several multi-use packed and/or plowed trails that we are using. Many of the controls are within 75 meters of these packed down trails; those that are more remote (and harder to get to because of snow depth) will have high bonus point values. A combination of equipment to go fast on the trails (fat tire bike or running shoes or skis) with snowshoes or back country skis for the deeper snow might be a winning combination to score maximum points. Rental Snowshoes are available (first come first served $10 for 3 hrs) at the park entrance office.
The course will be a 90-minute Score-O with a mass-start at 11:00 am. To find out more about orienteering courses, see our Event Types page.
Schedule
NOTE Early Start Time: 11:00 am mass start to avoid a conflict with a X-C ski event. See important details below:
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Preregistration closes Friday Jan 13 at midnight.
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Check in/ Day of registration (EXACT cash or check only) 10:10 to 10:40 am (if you are late, day of registration will reopen at 11:05)
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Gather as a group outside the Nordic Center at 10:45. Walk to the start (approx 200 m) together where maps will be laid out by last name and/or by JROTC school.
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10:50 - 11:00 course announcements and planning time at start
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Race mass start: 11:00 AM
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Course Closure: 12:30 PM sharp!
The after-event gathering spot (1:15 pm onwards) will be at the Wild Boar Bar and Grill, Helena Ave, Oakdale, MN.
Note: it's winter so allow extra time for winter road conditions and also to get your hat/gloves/mitts and other gear (snow shoes/skis/fat tire bike/boots etc) sorted. We will start on time ... even if you are not ready.
Cold Weather Policy
If the national weather forecast office in Twin Cities projects a -20 deg F or below windchill for 11:00 AM at Lake Elmo we will cancel per MNOC winter policy: Meets are only canceled for extreme weather conditions in winter. A meet will be canceled if the wind chill is a sustained -20°F or below at the start time of the event.
Start Location
Lake Elmo Park Reserve is located 1 mile North of I-94 and 2.5 miles east of I-694 at the intersection of County Road 19 (Keats Ave.) and County Road 10 (10th St.). Take I-94 to County Road 19 and head North 1 mile. Once inside the park. Watch for orange and white directional signs. Start/Finish will be at the Nordic Center (first right inside the park)
Volunteer
See task descriptions here. The signup sheet will be available as soon as the previous meet has been completed. Stay tuned. It takes a handful of volunteers to make each of our events successful! And, if you volunteer, you can still enjoy participating in the full 90 minute Score-O!
Pricing
Advance On-line Registration
$11: Adults
$10: Juniors**
Day-Of Pricing:*
$15: Adults
$13: Juniors**
*$3 discount for orienteering club members
**Juniors are 19 years old and under
Pre-registration is available up to 48 hours before the meet.
Come Clean, Leave Clean
The Minnesota Orienteering Club practices a Come Clean, Leave Clean policy. This helps us maintain a good relationship with the parks we utilize, sets a good example for other users, and limits the transfer and spread of many of the plants that make our venues less enjoyable.
Race Results
Race results are usually published within 24 hours of the event. View our Race Results page to see the results.
Race Management
Race Director: Ian Harding
Setter: Kathy Sanville, Carol Shield
Vetter: Ian Harding
Questions
If you have questions or comments about this event, please feel free to Contact Us.
Orienteering Etiquette
Here are a few tips to make orienteering enjoyable for all:
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Stand Back: Move at least 5 meters away from check-points after you've punched. Doing so 1) allows other competitors easy access to punch, and 2) doesn't give away the control location to other competitors.
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Seal the Lips: Do not shout to others in the woods. Especially avoid shouting "it's over here!" - that's not fair to others on the course who want to find the control themselves. So if you are in a group, stay within speaking distance.
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Encourage Participation: If you are in a group with less skilled orienteers, let them navigate to every other control in order to practice their skills.
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Don't Follow: Don't follow other orienteers on the course (except when specifically allowed in Minnegoats and other special events). Run your own course and refine your orienteering skills. Besides, they may be running a different course or may be making an error.
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Keep It Clean: The park should be left in better condition than you found it. Be aware of, and cautious not to cause damage in, sensitive areas such as wet spots and steep slopes. Also, artifacts in the woods should be left as you found them, and don't damage trees or plants. And please do your part to pick up trash and leave the park cleaner than you found it.
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Keep It Clean #2: Please avoid profanity and adult topics. Small children are typically present at almost all MNOC meets. Help us create a fun and family-friendly environment enjoyable for all.
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Share The Trails: Be courteous and respectful to other park users and be sure to yield right-of-way when on trails. The city and state park departments are kind enough to let us hold events in their parks, so please help in retaining that valuable relationship.
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Be Courteous: Please be nice to our volunteers. Everyone working at a meet is volunteering their time. Volunteers are often trying to do two or more things at once, so be patient.
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Control Retrieval: If you can, please stick around until the event is done to help with control retrieval. This simply entails going around the park and collecting the check-point flags that were used for the event. We like to have 6-8 volunteers help with this at the end of every event.
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Volunteer: Orienteering events, along with the entire MNOC club, is run by volunteers. We'd love for your help in running the events, so please sign up to be a volunteer if you have a few hours to spare. We'd greatly appreciate it.