2020 Nav-X Challenge @ Cache Creek

UPDATE 3-17-2020: Event Cancelled to comply with Shelter in Place Order (due to Covid-19 pandemic)

Quick Info

• Date: Saturday, April 4th, 2020

• Location: Cache Creek Natural Area

• Event Director: Andrew Peterson (contact)

• Course Director: Heidi & Bill Cusworth, Vicki Woolworth

• Courses: 4 & 8h Map Trek

List of Registered Entrants

Follow this link to an updated list of entrants.

Event Summary

Our second event of the 2020 NAV-X Challenge series takes us to the secluded, hilly expanse of oak woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral of Cache Creek. The Natural Area is traversed by Cache Creek, with its year-round water flow. Elevation ranges from 3200 feet atop Brushy Sky High, down to 600 feet in the eastern end of Cache Creek along State Route 16. This is the second event for NAV-X at this location and which features an improved topo map with orienteering symbols. Heidi Cusworth has designed a challenging course, with 4 or 8 hour options, that will really allow you to get deep into the park. It's possible to make a weekend out of it and camp at Cowboy Camp (the event location) for free (pit toilets and group/dispersed camping), or just South at Cache Creek Regional Park Campground (pay sites with facilities).

Schedule

New to Map Trekking or Rogaining?

Map Trekking is a “Navigation Sport” that has elements of a few other sports and activities like Trail Running, Fell Running (XC hill running), Hiking, Orienteering and Geo Caching.  More specifically, Map Trekking is a time-based challenge, 2 hrs or more in length, where participants try to score as many points as possible within the time allowed, by visiting checkpoints scattered across a vast, wild landscape.  Participants are free to decide which checkpoints to visit, and in what order.  Typically, a set time is allowed before the start for participants to study the map, and determine their route.  Participants travel on foot and navigate their chosen route using the map and a compass (No GPS allowed except for recording your track).  A late finish comes with point penalties, adding another layer of challenge to the sport.  Checkpoints vary in difficulty and the point value reflects the same, so that easy ones yield a lower point value than difficult ones.  To encourage beginners, course setters typically provide plenty of easy checkpoints near the start and finish location.

Venue / Park Info

This secluded, hilly expanse of oak woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral is a combination of over 70,000 acres of BLM managed lands and 4,700 acres of State and County lands. The Natural Area is traversed by Cache Creek, with its year-round water flow. Elevation ranges from 3200 feet atop Brushy Sky High, down to 600 feet in the eastern end of Cache Creek along State Route 16. Showcasing the area is about 35 miles of the main fork of Cache Creek and 2.5 miles of the north fork. Also present are several tributary creeks that contain permanent water. The park is home to tule elk, deer, bobcat, coyote, fox, several hawks, golden eagles and many other smaller animals. Sheep often graze in the park as well.

The Cache Creek Natural Area is closed to motorized vehicles. There are no developed campgrounds or facilities. The area is managed to improve habitat for wildlife and rare plants, to protect cultural resource values, and to offer primitive recreation opportunities, including wildlife viewing, river running, hiking, equestrian use, hunting and fishing.

About the Map

The map for this race will be an improved topo using orienteering symbols put together by our own Bill Cusworth. There are 6 vegetation symbols drawn on top of the USGS contours, using Google aerial imagery. The vegetation types are open forest (white), open land (dark yellow), rough open land (light yellow), rough open land with scattered trees (light yellow with white dots), rough open land with scattered bushes (light yellow with green dots), and thick vegetation (dark green). The entire area was burned in a 2015 wildfire. The rough open land with scattered bushes symbol is used to represent chaparral that was burned in the fire while thick vegetation symbol is used to represent unburned chaparral. The map will be printed at 1:15,000 scale with 5 meter contours on 2 overlapping sheets.

Courses & Divisions

There will be two courses offered:

• 4 hr Map Trek

• 8 hr Map Trek

Participants can compete in the following divisions:

• Junior (19 & Under, 1-5 person teams)

• Open Female (20-49, 1-5 person teams, All-female)

• Open Male (20-49, 1-5 person teams, All-male)

• Open Mixed (20-49, 2-5 person teams, mixed Male-Female)

• Masters Female (50 and up, 1-5 person teams, All-female)

• Masters Male or Mixed (50 and up, 1-5 person teams, All-male)

• Masters Mixed (50 and up, 2-5 person teams, mixed Male-Female)

• Family - Adults (20+) + children (12 & under)

Results from this event count toward the 2020 Series Championship.

PRICE

Early fees (20% off) through Mar 21st (via online registration).  Regular fee is Mar 22nd - April 1st (via online registration).  Day of Event Registration is cash or check only.

Discounts for orienteering club members (BAOC/GCO/etc...), $3 for adults (no member discount for juniors).  Discount applied during online registration process.

For family teams (4-hr course only), it is required to have at least one adult (20 & over) and at least one child (12 & under).  Children 12 & under race free.  Children must be registered and accompanied by an adult.

Additional fees to rent an e-punch ($5) and/or compass ($2).  Only one e-punch number or rental request is required per team.  On the registration page, please enter "0" for e-punch number if you are not the first person registering for your team.

REFUND POLICY

Refund policy: 100% refund up to 10 days before event. Future race credit 1-9 days before event. No refunds for no-show.

WHAT TO BRING

This event is a little different then most of our events, as there is some required, mandatory equipment everyone needs to have for the entire time on the course:

• Whistle

• Headlamp (8h contestants only)

• First Aid Kit (all teams are required to carry)

In addition, wear what you would normally wear for a strenuous hike in Northern California.  Here are some tips:

• Sturdy shoes with a good tread

• Long pants or gaiters

• Visor hat

• Compass (you may rent one for $2)

• ePunch (SI stick with 50 control capacity - you may rent one for $5 if you don’t have one)

• Pen and maybe a highlighter marker (for marking up your map and making notes)

• Water (enough for the time you will be out on the course)

• On the go snacks (energy bar, gel, etc.)

MAP AND DIRECTIONS

From most of the Bay Area: Take US I-80 East to I-505 North, then to Exit 21 to get onto CA-16. Follow CA-16 past the Cache Creek Casino about 30mins until you find Cowboy Camp on your left (a large open space with group camping and day parking). From points further east (Central Valley, Sacramento, Livermore, Antioch): Take Interstate 5 North to Highway 20 West in Williams. Follow CA-20 for 10mi, then turn left onto CA-16 South, Cowboy Camp will be on your right in 1mi (a large open space with group camping and day parking).