Orienteering at Cook Park

This Saturday (4/12) we took part in an Orienteering meet at Cook Park near Tigard High School. Orienteering is a competitive sport involving navigation with a map and compass. The map provided is very detailed. It will oftentimes show individual trees, rocks, and manmade objects (like lampposts). Above is an example.

Illustrated on the map are control points where unique paper punches are located (more like hidden). As a competitor, you must navigate the landscape to punch a tally card to prove that you have completed the course.

There is a lot of strategy involved due to the fact that you want to navigate the course as easily and quickly as possible. You don't have to visit the control points in any particular order, just as long as you visit each and every one. Also, you can take almost any path you please through the landscape to arrive at the control points. How critical your strategy is becomes more apparent the more tired you get.

All the while you must not get lost by keeping your location on the map in mind as well as your destination. It starts to get get quite complicated later on in the event when you, like me, might start suffering hypoxia. The hypoxia I refer to is situation where your body is directing all your oxegenated blood to your overworked leg muscles instead of your brain. It's amazing how hard it is to do anything more complicated than breathing, for example, after running several miles through rough terrain.

This particular event was put on by Columbia River Orienteering Club for Cub, Boy, and Girl Scouts. Tim, Tom, and Ben were participating members of our Boy Scout Troop. Joe and Dan were participating members of our Cub Scout Pack. There was an adult from the Pack (Thank you, Tom!) who kept track of the twins for us, which left Renee and I to compete on a course individually.

The results aren't posted, yet, but a fun time was had by all. It helped that it was an absolutely gorgeous day. I can use about 100 more of those.

I hope to post pictures of the event, soon.

- Big Daddy Andy