I hope that by now everyone has received a punch card for each of their children. Orienteering adds a different element to Nordic skiing.While my children and I were at Notchview on Monday after school we met up with two other Bill Koch families who were Orienteering too! So what exactly is Orienteering? Basically, it is an adventure that requires using a map to locate different 'control points' which are placed along different trails. Nordic Orienteering competitions combine the challenges of Nordic skiing, reading a map, and reaching the finish line first. In these competitions, the control points are often set in remote, off trail areas. The racers aren't required to stay on a particular course, but rather they take the risks involved with finding the many control points. While the Bill Koch skiers aren't racing to punch each box on their card and cross a finish line, the challenge of finding the boxes is still alot of fun.
This red and white box is the International Orienteering symbol...
I'm sure you've seen these boxes located along the different trails at Notchview. Some of them are on the easier trails, like Circuit or Whitestone. Others are on more difficult trails. Whether you have young or new skiers that are more comfortable on the easier trails, or if you have advanced skiers who enjoy the challenge of the more difficult trails, there are orienteering boxes for you to find. Our first time out we sort just 'found' the two boxes on our trail, but the second time we consulted our trusty map and set out with several boxes in mind. What a great way to teach our kids some important map reading skills! Who knew that Nordic skiing could be educational too!
Here's Becky punching her card at one of the boxes on Circuit Trail...
