Bald Mountain Rogaine
The 1995 North American Championships
19-20, August, 1995

Columbia River Orienteering Club (CROC)'s first major "O-vent" was an outstanding success with extensive, detailed planning, deep staff support from several clubs, a well-designed course and map, fantastic food, incredible scenery (sunrise on Mt. Rainier was especially spectacular) and even perfect weather! 73 enthusiastic participants formed 33 teams quite evenly split between the 24-hour and 12-hour sections. As much work as the staff put into this event, it was the participants that made it happen!

The 1995 North American Championship title went to the Canadian 24MM [Men/Masters] team of Bryan Chubb and Allan Stradeski of Kamloops, BC [SAGE].
Complete Results of the 24 Hour Section. (SORRY, NOT YET)

Placing second overall, by a narrow margin [but First Place in 24M], was a UK team, John Britton and Mark Seddon. John is currently "on loan" to CROC from Manchester OC. The North American Championships were very nearly awarded to a European Team! Check out the story they wrote about their experience with our Rogaine. (NOT AVAILABLE YET)

We would also like to applaud those teams who made long trips to attend the Rogaine.

Participants came from as far as:

• • Belgium
  • UK
  • New York
  • Maryland/Virginia
  • Louisville, Kentucky
  • Indiana
  • Idaho
  • Medford Oregon
  • Point Mugu & San Diego California
  • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • British Columbia
  • Australia

The course itself was well-designed, providing many different route choices; nothing was really obvious. As a safety precaution, all teams left a copy of their planned route on a copy of the course map. There were a total of 48 controls ranging from 20 points to 100 points. Point values were determined by difficulty, distance and point density. The Britton/Seddon team came closest, at 41, to getting them all. Two controls were especially difficult: #32 on a spur and Boulder Cave. Credit was given to all who reported the Cave control "missing"; actually the marker was simply "offset", which should have been noted on the description sheet. Although all of the participants at the pre-start briefing loudly expressed their goal of having a FUN Rogaine, most were also quite serious about finding controls! The most competitive teams [elite] averaged nearly 100 points per hour, experienced teams - 60 points per hour, and beginner teams - 30 points per hour. This was nearly the same in both the 12 and 24 hour sections.

The 12-Hour Section was ANY 12 hours out of the noon Saturday to noon Sunday time period (also known as 12-in-24-Hour). To gain night navigation experience, the 12-Hour Teams were also offered a "freebie": they could go out after dark and find one control and return while "off the clock" - not using any of their allotted 12 hours. Four teams took advantage of their offer and enjoyed 'Real Rogaining'! Most were too tired from traversing the rigorous terrain.

The Awards Ceremony contained a rather rushed version of staff recognition, we'll try to do better here.

Terradan Landchild (CROC)

Benevolent Almighty Event Director.
What more needs to be said, Terradan did his job and some of everyone else's.

Bob Reddick (SAMM)

The Rogaine-Meister.
Bob sparked the original inspiration and gave yeoman service. He was a consultant, field-checker, Timer & Results Coordinator, control pickup, ...

Les Stark (CROC)

Course Designer, cartographer, field-checker, control setter, water crew chief, control pickup, T-Shirt design and ordering. A special thanks to his wife Beth.

Mal Harding (CROC)

Field-checking, control setting & pickup, checking the Boulder Cave control at midnight, traffic control.

Linda & Carl Moore (CROC)

Vetters & course setters.

Ken Lew (SAMM)

Assistant timer & Results

Crystal Parks (CROC)

Traffic control

Matt Boser (CROC)

Water crew

Don Atkinson (COC)

Porta-potty procurement, Assistant timer

Craig Webster (CROC)

Photographer, Assistant timer, Internet consultant

Kent Verbeck (+ his helpers) (EOC)

A Special Appreciation Award for the fantastic food service! Not only wonderful food, but enough quantity to leave once-starving Rogainers groaning when he offered thirds & fourths of an incredible post event BBQ.

Jill Maryse Miller (CROC)

As wife of the Benevolent Almighty Event Director Jill deserves the Ultimate Special Appreciation Award for her infinite patience with a self-described anxious, inexperienced and NUTS Event Director during the past year of planning and development. She was even willing to sacrifice her vacation time to help set up camp the week before the event, at a time that should have been their 1st anniversary honeymoon trip!

The Rogaine was officially a joint effort of CROC and SAMM clubs, but members of EOC, NISQ and COC were also on staff. It just goes to show what cooperation can accomplish.

• • CROC - Columbia River OC
  • SAMM - Sammamish OC
  • EOC - Ellensburg OC
  • COC - Cascade OC
  • NISQ - Nisqualy OC

Thanks also go out to our sponsors:

• • REI
  • Powerbar
  • Biozone
  • Naches District of the Wenatchee National Forest

Thanks also to the Internet, without which such a long distance cooperative effort would have been prohibitively expensive if not impossible.
About half of the initial inquiries for information came through the Internet as well.

The Bald Mountain Rogaine was a perfect finale to the 1995 "Washington State Orienteering Summertime Festival" which began with the Bullfrog Flat A-Meet and included Canoe-O, Poker-O, a Mt. Rainier area hike led by John Sincock and a Mt. Saint Helens 'hike' led by Dave Tallent. Concentrating such a variety of O-related activities into 9 days of late July and early August's usually dependable summertime will continue to attract worldwide visitors!

Congratulations and Thanks to all who participated!