Event Details

April 9, 2011 — Escure Ranch, Sprague, WA

Quick links to info on this page:

Event description:

The Rock Creek Ramble is a rogaining event. About 45 checkpoints scattered over a large area of open basalt channeled scablands terrain will be circled on a map and marked on the ground by orange and white orienteering markers. Each checkpoint has a point value, which is equal to the checkpoint number rounded down to the tens place. For example, a checkpoint numbered 68 would be worth 60 points. The object is to score as many points as possible within the time limit by visiting checkpoints on foot. There are point penalties for returning late. Maps are issued before the start, so that teams have time to plan their route. At each checkpoint visited, a team must do two things to record their visit: 1. punch the team's scorecard using the plastic pin punch attached to the checkpoint marker, and 2. write the team number, time visited and next checkpoint number the team intends to visit on the log sheet.

Practice controls:  Three practice controls will be set near the start/finish.  Eric Bone and Mike Schuh will offer a pre-clinic before the 4 hour noon start for those interested in practicing before heading out.  Fabulous chance to get tutoring from two great navigators!

Terrain:

UPDATE from the field:  Moving through the area will require a lot of fence crossings.  Bring a glove or something to help cross the barbed wire fencing. 

The course area is mostly within Escure Ranch, a former cattle and sheep ranch between about 1300 and 1800 feet in elevation and consisting of flat to rolling grasslands punctuated by basalt canyons, steep-sided mesas, lakes and marshes. Steep slopes are often rocky and the many large and small basalt cliffs present a route choice challenge. Most of the topographic features are small-to-medium in size, however there are some larger hills/ridges and valleys. Rock Creek runs through the area, and limited creek crossing possibilities will likely be an element to consider in route planning.

Some parts of the terrain have a moderate network of roads and trails, while other parts have few such routes. There may be cattle trails in parts of the area, due to grazing leases, however these come and go with the cow traffic. They are generally not mapped, but they can be useful when they go the direction you want.

The area is open, not forested, so visibility will be limited only by topography and weather. Much of the area is grassy, and the grasses vary in height. There are some areas of scrub/bushes.

You can view some excellent photos of this breathtaking landscape on our photos page, as well as here and here.

Map:

The map will be composed of parts of four USGS 7.5' topographic series maps: Benge, Honn Lakes, Macall, and Revere. The northern two of these maps have a 10 foot contour interval, while the southern two have a 5 meter interval. Limited updates (mostly significant roads and trails) are made to the map where it is important for navigating to and between the checkpoints on the course. The printed map scale will most likely be 1:30,000 or 1:25,000.

Here are samples of the map:


The above map shows the terrain immediately to the West of the start location.

This map shows the transition from a 10 foot contour interval in the North to a 5 meter (16.4 foot) contour interval in the South.

Water:

Drinking water will be available at or near several checkpoints on the course. It will also be provided at the start/finish area. Participants should have enough water carrying capacity to go for 3-4 hours between refills, and since there is no potable water source onsite, each person should bring enough water with them to take care of their needs before and after the event.

Hash House:

Bring your own camp chair! 

Food and beverage service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, in time to greet the first wave of 4 hour finishers.  The menu accommodates omnivores, vegetarians (lacto-ovo) and vegans.  If you have other nutritional needs, such as gluten-free, please pack accordingly.  Also, recommend packing extra food if you are an early finisher and waiting on others in a longer option.

Weather:

The average high for Benge (the nearest town) on April 9 is 61F, and the average low is 35F. Here are links to daily averages for April and a weather station in the event area.

April is an average month for precipitation here, however the average is low in this semi-arid location, just 1.21 inches for the month. (See the monthly average precipitation totals.)

Divisions and Ranking:

There is just one division:

• Foot: teams hiking or running
• There is no biking division in this event

Teams are ranked according to their total score. Among teams with identical scores, the earliest finishing team will be ranked highest.

There are three event time-limit choices:

• 4-hour: start either at 7:30 AM or Noon, and finish by 11:30 AM or 4:00 PM
• 8-hour: start at 7:30 AM, and finish by 3:30 PM
• 12-hour: start at 7:30 AM, and finish by 7:30 PM

Rules:

International rogaining rules will be in effect, but this is not a championship event, so we're modifying a few rules. Here are a few rules highlights:

• Team members must stay together (within unaided verbal contact) the whole time they are on the course (IRF rule B10)
• All team members must go to each checkpoint visited by the team, meaning all must simultaneously approach within 20 meters (IRF rule B15)
• All participants are required to respond to a distress signal and to assist a competitor who is injured and needs assistance (elaboration on IRF rule B30)
• All participants are responsible for their own safety while they participate, and participants should make themselves aware of the hazards associated with traffic, weather, rugged terrain, health risks of extreme exertion, equipment malfunction, and remoteness from emergency assistance
• Except in case of emergency, all participants must check in with event staff before leaving the area; in case of emergency, an evacuated participant or his/her team members should notify event staff of the situation as soon as possible after attending to the emergency
• Points will be deducted from the scores of late returning teams, and the per-minute point penalty will be announced at the event; teams finishing more than 40 minutes late will receive a score of zero (exception to IRF rule B27)
• Points may be deducted from the scores of teams that repeatedly fail to record their visits on the checkpoint log sheets (up to 10 point deduction per checkpoint is possible)
• A team may be assessed point penalties or be disqualified, at the discretion of the organizer, for infringing these rules (modification of IRF rule B23)
• Solo participants are allowed in the 4-hour event (exception to IRF rule B1)
• Minimum age for a participant not accompanied by an adult is 16 in the 8-hour and longer events, and 14 in the 4-hour event (exception to IRF rule B2)
• Dogs may accompany a team on the course, but they must be under close control and not be allowed to harass wildlife or people (exception to IRF rule B5h)
• GPS devices and altimeters (such as GPS tracking watches) may be carried on the course (to allow tracking analysis afterward) but not used for navigation by teams competing for an official result and awards. If carried, any such devices that have a display must be presented to race officals to be sealed (after tracking is activated, if desired) before the start. Without going into the details of the sealing method, we can say that participants with GPS watches should plan to carry them, not wear them. (exception to IRF rule B7)
• Teams that wish to use additional navigation aids are welcome to do so if they notify the organizer, but their results will be listed separately and they may not be considered for awards (exception to IRF rule B7)
• Following another team is allowed if consent is secured from the followed team (exception to IRF rule B12)

Safety:

• Participants will be responsible for their own safety while taking part. Of course event staff will try to help you if we learn that you are seriously injured or otherwise need assistance, but there is a good chance you would be waiting a long time for help, and we don't have the level of staffing or expertise necessary to quickly and expertly handle many emergency situations that might arise, so your best bet is to be very careful to avoid serious injury. If you are not comfortable assuming the risks involved in prolonged exertion while traveling through rugged terrain under various and possibly unexpected conditions, then you should not take part in the event.
• Parts of the terrain are steep and have cliffs and steep and possibly unstable slopes. These potentially dangerous areas are not explicitly delineated on the maps, so you will need to determine the safety of traversing a prospective route for yourself.
• Each person will be required to sign a liability waiver upon checking in for the event. A parent or guardian must sign for each participating minor.

Required equipment: (we may modify this list up to one week before the event)

• Each team must have bottles or other containers able to carry at least 0.5 liters of water per team member
• Each participant must carry a whistle for signaling in case of emergency (three short blasts)
• Each team must have a compass
• Each team must have a watch (or other time-telling device)
• Each team must carry a writing utensil (pencil works best) to mark the checkpoint intention sheets
• Each team must carry enough emergency blankets (mylar or tyvek wrap or similar) to provide emergency shelter for the entire team
• Each individual should have clothing appropriate to the weather, accounting for the possibility of injury or exhaustion

The above list is not meant to be comprehensive. Participants will want to carry other gear (for example, an emergency headlamp, additional water carrying capacity, food), as they determine necessary.

UPDATE: 12 hour teams should bring at least one headlamp or flashlight per team.  If you take longer than 12 hours to return to the finish you will be in the dark.  Bring a light source to help insure your safe return.

Awards info:

• awards may be given in the following categories: women, men, mixed, child team (teams with members 12 & under), junior team (teams with all members 13-21), open (avg. age less than 45, but not child or junior team), masters (avg. age 45+), and supervet (avg. age 60+)
• logical combinations of some of the above classifications will constitute categories, for example, "Supervet Women" or "Junior Mixed"
• categories with few teams may be consolidated for the purposes of awards, at the discretion of the organizer
• because there are two start and finish times for the 4-hour event, there may not be awards given for the 4-hour, depending on the presence of high-placing teams in the afternoon, following the later finish

Driving and Lodging Info:

Allow about 5 hours driving time from SeaTac Airport or Seattle (more during heavy traffic times or poor weather), 1.5 hours from Spokane, 6 hours from Portland, or 7 hours from Vancouver, BC. Here are links to weather conditions along I-90, the Snoqualmie Pass (on I-90) report, and Seattle-area traffic.

• Follow I-90 to Sprague, WA
• Take exit 245, and go South on State Route 23
• After 12.3 miles (after mile marker 32), turn right at Davis Road (turn is marked with road sign)
• After 7 miles, turn left onto Jordan Knott Road (about 0.5 miles after passing big grain silo on the right))
• After 2.2 miles, take the right fork (at the Rock Creek Management Area sign) to leave Jordan Knott Road as it veers left
• Go 2.5 miles, following the road down the hill to the Rock Creek Recreation Site, adjacent to Rock Creek
• Park according to the pre-event bulletin or as directed by staff or event signs

Parking, check-in, start, and finish will be at Rock Creek Recreation site. We will probably send specific parking information to you shortly before the event, but otherwise park as directed by staff or signs when you arrive. Here is a link to a map of the location. There are pit toilets but no running water, so please bring your own for before and after the event.

Camping

There is primitive camping space on-site (pit toilets; bring your own water) at Rock Creek Recreation Site, the start/finish location. Bring extra cushion as the ground is very bumpy. Here are other nearby options:
• Sprague Motel & RV Park: $20 (includes tax) per tent site with two people (additional fee for extra people), includes restrooms with shower, about 47 minutes drive from the event site
• Sprague Lake Resort: $24.50 + tax per two people tenting, about 50 minutes drive from the event site
• Four Seasons Campground and Resort: $21 per tent site for up to four people, cabins for $75 or $85 per night, about 64 minutes drive from the event site &ndash Call in mid-to-late March to confirm opening date for camping (depends on weather)

Hotels and B&Bs

• Creekside Farm B & B, 509-648-4042) in the nearby town of St. John, ~40 minutes drive from the event site
• Sprague Motel & RV Park offers clean, updated rooms with Wi-Fi, DirecTV, and coffee, as well as camping (see above); room rates (including tax) from $58/single, $65/double, $75+ per 5-7 person suite; kitchenette rooms available; about 47 minutes drive from the event site
• Purple Sage Motel has themed rooms with Wi-Fi, DirecTV, and coffee; five of the seven rooms have microwave and refrigerator; room rates from $40-$70 plus tax (depending on room and number of people staying); about 47 minutes drive from the event site
• You can get a discounted rate at Motel 6 in Spokane (West-Airport, location #137) or Moses Lake (location #4365) using the Orienteering USA Corporate Plus discount: current room rates are $37-$46 plus tax; Spokane location is 74 minutes drive from the event site, and Moses Lake location is 115 minutes drive from the event site
• There are numerous other lodging establishments in the nearby cities along I-90