Competitors mingling at the Start/Finish area. Photo by Karen Kendall

Winter Orienteering on Valles Caldera National Preserve

The New Mexico Orienteers will hold a ski and snowshoe orienteering meet on Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 from 11 AM to 3 PM, with starts from 11 AM to 1 PM.  Short, medium, and long ski O' courses and short and medium snowshoe O' courses will be offered. The start and finish will be at the Valles staging area about 2 miles in from the main entrance, which also has a warming hut, porta-pottys and hot drinks.

Orienteering is a sport of finding a series of markers scattered over the landscape using   a map, a compass and your wits.  Each person chooses the course he/she wants to do, gets the appropriate map and receives a start time. Competitors navigate their way across the Valles Grande to find markers as quickly as possible.  It’s a fun activity that provides great exercise for all ages and abilities. Participants may go out as individuals, families or in small teams.  Newcomers to orienteering are welcome, and instruction will be provided.

Since this is a National Preserve, all participants must pay the Preserve entry fee ($10/adult, $8 for seniors, and $5 for children 6-18, under 6 free), plus there is a $5 map fee for each individual or team.  (Compasses can be rented for $1.) You may pre-register on the Valles Caldera Preserve website (www.vallescaldera.gov). Last minute registrations at the meet will be accepted.  Pre-registration will cover the Valles Caldera Preserve entry fee only. All participants in the meet will pay an additional $5 per orienteering course map at the meet. The charge is $5/per map whether one goes out as an individual, a couple of friends together, or a family group. 

The main gate to the Valles Caldera National Preserve is located on State Highway 4 at mile marker 39 (39.2), between Jemez Springs and Los Alamos. Enter the main gate and proceed down the dirt/snow packed road approximately two miles to the staging area. The north-facing entrance road is plowed, snow packed and often icy. Four wheel drive or chains may be required depending on conditions. Be prepared for winter driving conditions.  No pets, other than registered assistance dogs, are permitted on the Preserve. Please do not plan on leaving pets in vehicles at parking area. Bring plenty of appropriate layered clothing, water and snacks. It can get cold up there!  More information is available at www.nmorienteers.org or call Judy Opsahl at 662-9404.

Map from Albuquerque, NM
Map from Los Alamos, NM

Valles Grande late afternoon Snow Shoe & Cross County Ski Tracts. Photo by Karen Kendall

Questions and Answers:

What should I bring?

Bring layers of warm clothing, good gloves and thick socks. The Preserve can get cold, especially late in the day. Bring plenty of water that you can carry. Snowshoes or XC Skies would be good. Some snacks you can eat on the course would be wise, such as some kind of energy bars. A cell phone is a nice emergency tool. (Verizon service is known to work in many areas of the Valles Grande, especially in sight of Pajarito Mountain. We aren't sure about others services signal strength.) Sunglasses, suntan lotion (the sun is damaging at this elevation) would both be useful. A whistle is a good emergency tool as well as one of those small space blankets, just in case.

Can I get my car to the start/finish area?

If you have four wheel drive or all wheel drive you should have no problem (providing it doesn't snow like crazy). The road will be plowed but it is a dirt road that will be hard packed with snow/ice. There could be major bumps and holes in the road as it is a ranch road after all, so be prepared. It's always handy to carry a small shovel and a bag of kitty litter to provide needed traction in a pinch.

Do I have to be competitve to join in the fun?

No. All levels of participation are welcome from rank beginners to nationally ranked champions. The New Mexico Orienteers will have someone available to fill you in on the basics of Orienteering. Bring a Compass if you have access to one or you can rent one at the start/finish. In order to get an official ranking in the competition you must find all the flags on your course, but if your just out for a little fun, exersize and awesome views, you may find as many flags as you choose and then return to the start/finish. We just ask that you don't wander off course and that you're back at the start/finish by 3pm. Kids love orienteering. No pets are allowed on the Preserve, so leave Fido & Fefe at home!

Why are there two fees?

There is an entry fee for the Valles Caldera National Preserve that is always charged by the Preserve and there is a Map fee charged by the New Mexico Orienteers that goes toward paying for the production of new maps and for general administrative expensives that the club incurs for things such as equipment and website fees. The Valles Caldera National Preserve is an incredible place to do Orienteering and we believe it is well worth the cost. Each group only needs one Map (you can purchase more if you would like, if more then one person would like one) so if you go out as a family you only need one map. (Kids tend to want their own copy.) Orienteering maps are very detailed and have colors and symbols that show how fast you can go through an area and so they are very different from normal maps.