Caledon Navigators

Our annual Thomass Caledon fun winter orienteering race will be held on January 29, 2012 at Glen Haffy Conservation Area. Click here for all the details!

All good things must come to an end, and so it is with the Caledon Navigators orienteering club. As a small town club, we worked hard to host a number of successful events – summer and winter, on foot and on bike. We've taken pride in serving the best post-race food anywhere.

Unfortunately, the club didn't have the critical mass of volunteers needed to continue operating, so at the 2011 AGM, members voted to dissolve the club at the end of 2011. This does not mean the end of orienteering in Caledon. The maps we've used most often – Glen Haffy, Palgrave East and West, Albion Hills, the Humber Valley, Forks of the Credit – are all owned by other orienteering clubs who will continue to host events in our neighbourhood. Orienteering events are held on many weekends in various locations around central Ontario, and everyone is welcome to take part. There are clubs nearby based in Toronto, Guelph, Waterloo and Hamilton for those who wish to join another club. Please write info@orienteeringontario.ca if you have any questions. Thanks for your past support of the Caledon Navigators and we look forward to seeing you in the woods soon!

THOMASS Caledon, Sunday, January 30

Humber Valley, Bolton, ON

Directions from Bolton (eg. Intersection of HWY 50 and King Rd.)

Travel generally west along King Rd for roughly 2.4 km.  Duffy's Lane will be on your right.  Travel generally northwest on Duffy's Lane for roughly 2 km until you see the Salomon flags.  This is where the Humber Valley Heritage Trail crosses the road.  Parking is along either side of Duffy's Lane but no further north than the registration area for reasons of safety.

9:00-9:45 a.m. Check-in.  Please register in advance to reserve a map.  We will be able to accept a few race day registrations at $20/person + $2 for SI rental if needed, but we will only print a few extra maps.

ONLINE REGISTRATION  $15 Adult, $7.50 Junior, Free for 2011 members of the Caledon Navigators.  Become a Member.  Racers will be given up to 3 tickets in our prize draw if they show the registration volunteer that they brought their own:  (1) Map case, (2) Reusable Mug for post-race drinks, (3) Bowl and spoon for chili.  Don't worry if you forget – we have it all if you need it.  We're just trying to be kind to the environment!

10 a.m.  Race Start.

Maximum time limit is 2 hours from the race start.  All participants must return to the parking lot by that time or else the organizers will need to start planning a search – and we would much rather be in our comfy down jackets drinking hot chocolate and eating chili with everyone else! 

Details

It's time for the Caledon Navigators' annual winter orienteering race!  Come play in our powder snow as you use map and compass to explore the terrain in the beautiful Humber Valley, then stick around to chat with new and old friends while enjoying delicious vegetarian chili and Fiddleheads famous brownies. 

For those not familiar with the Thomass format, it is an age-gender handicapped race where elite racers do a longer version of the course than their children and parents.  (For more info on handicaps, see the bottom of this race notice.)  Anyone can win a Thomass race if they have a good day!  We will also offer a Novice training course for families.  Participants are welcome to navigate part of the Thomass course, then return to the finish line.  Most people will be racing, but it's OK to treat it as a recreational outing.

Longtime adventure racer Pete Cameron has designed this year's challenging race course, and Keith Sanger is the race director. 

We want you to know that this event will use an adventure running map – not a full orienteering map.  Adventure running maps have limited vegetation information (forested vs. open) and do not include small features like boulders or rootstocks.  Experienced orienteers will need to adjust their approach accordingly and we think you'll enjoy the challenge of navigating in this beautiful valley.  This area has only been used previously for one public orienteering event – the 2006 Salomon Dontgetlost.ca Giant's Rib Raid – so we're excited to share it with you.  We'll provide more details about the terrain as the event approaches.  We'd like to send out a big thank you to Golden Horseshoe Orienteering for allowing us to use their map.

In order to give every handicap level a glimpse of the best features of the area, this Thomass will be a little longer than usual, with an estimated winning time of 55-60 minutes, depending on snow conditions.  Time limit is 2 hours from the race start – please be back at the parking lot by then or we shall be forced to worry about you.  Even worse, we might eat all the brownies.

We traditionally get a good snowfall a few days before Thomass Caledon and if we do, people who are comfortable in snowshoes may want to use them.  Please note that the the river valley is steep in places and we strongly recommend that you use spiked shoes, trekking poles or snowshoes with cleats. 

Please stick around afterward for homemade goodies and conversation.  Compare your route with your friends.  To reduce waste, please consider bringing your own reusable cup – and a bowl and spoon for chili, if you really want to be green!

Please register online to reserve a map.  We'll have a small number of maps available on race day for $20/person + $2 for SI rental.  Advance registration is available until midnight on Fri. Jan. 28 at $15/adult, $7.50/child.  Free for 2011 members of the Caledon Navigators.

ONLINE REGISTRATION  - See below for a definition of Thomass handicaps

CONFIRMED REGISTRATION LIST

THOMASS Handicap points are awarded based on age/gender.  As this is part of the 2010/2011 THOMASS Series, please use your age on Dec. 31, 2011.

**We're having website problems. Please click here for information on Thomass Caledon on Sun. Jan. 30. Thank you for your understanding!** 

MTB-O – An awesome mix of mountain biking and navigation - Postponed

At the start each competitor will receive a map showing points in the trail system where flags are located. All of these points are along trails, at junctions, bends or other specific locations, so if you can read a trail map, you can do MTB-O. Riders will visit these flags in numerical order, trying to choose the best route to find them all as quickly as possible.

Location: Albion Hills

Registration:

Registration price:CN members - Adult $23, CN member – Junior $17

Non members Adult $27, Junior $23

*Please note park admission at the gate is $6 per person

Race Registration/Sign in 9:00 am, Race start 10:00am

Electronic timing will be used

Meet Director: Kevin Gross

Thanks to everyone who raced in or volunteered at our event!  Special thanks to Salomon and The Shed Coffee Bar for their generous sponsorship.  See you next year!

We're very pleased to report that Christine Wallace has agreed to stay on as club president for a second year.  Christine has made club training nights a high priority, and as a result, we had numerous opportunities to get together in 2009. 

Our other 2010 executive members are:

Vice President – Nick de St. Croix
Treasurer – Angus Doughty
Registrar – Barb Campbell
Member at Large – Sarah Caylor

Thanks to everyone who raced in or voluntered at CN's first mountain bike orienteering (MTB-O) event on May 31.  Special thanks to our generous sponsors – Axis Gear, Mark Honsberger, Salomon and several private prize donors.

Thirty-five competitors headed into the woods on a sunny (albeit chilly) morning, and here's how they came out:

OVERALL

1) Bob Miller 43:57 (+ Advanced course)

2) Tim Grant 52:46 (+ Advanced course)

3) Nick de St. Croix 1:01:05

OPEN MALE

1) Bob Miller 43:57 (+ Advanced course)

2) Tim Grant 52:46 (+ Advanced course)

3) Andrew Reeder 1:10:05

OPEN FEMALE

1) Leanne Mueller 1:16:12

2) Sally Heath 1:31:53

3) Denise Rispolie 1:37:05

MASTERS MALE

1) Nick de St. Croix 1:01:05

2) Rorry Harding 1:06:34

3) Richard Ehrlich 1:10:36

MASTERS FEMALE

1) Barbara Steele 1:26:54

JUNIOR MALE

1) Matthias Herzog 1:10:57

2) Logan Steele 1:30:09

3) Joshua de St. Croix 1:37:26

NOVICE ADULT

1) Jackie Balazsovits 1:23:35

NOVICE JUNIOR

1) William Scott 1:23:35

Unfortunately, detailed results are delayed due to problems with the electronic timing software.  These results were extracted manually by our hard working results guys to enable us to award the prizes, but we'll need to wait until next week for our Results Guru to return from an out-of-country business trip.  Thanks for your understanding and patience.

For further info, please contact Barb AT OrienteeringOntario DOT ca.

When we said "Come Play in the Snow" we really meant it! On Sunday, January 18th, 2009 we held our first orienteering event of the new year at Glen Haffy Conservation Area.  Below are links to the race results and photos taken that day. Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed the day with us.

> Race Results – Splits
> Race Results – Finishing Order
> Ontario Orienteering Thomass Standings (hosted at Stars Orienteering)

> braveacts orienteering youngsters
> braveacts cold day, warm cup of soup

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PHOTO by Barb CAMPBELL

Caledon Navigators members and long-time competitive adventure cacers (and quite possibly this year’s Adventure Racing Sweetheart Couple of the Year), Pete Cameron and Leanne Mueller joined Sean Roper and Andrew Cameron to form Team Salomon-Suunto and compete in the Coast Raid, a four-day event in the remote Lower North Shore region of Quebec.

Their team raced for 36 hours and three hundred kilometres, earning them second place in the four-person category, finishing only 15 minutes behind California’s Yogaslackers.  In a 36-hour race, 15 minutes is an extremely close race – the time it might take to eat a can of cold soup or fix a chain.

Also racing together in the Coast Raid were another Caledon adventure racing Super-Couple, Barb Campbell and Richard Ehrlich, along with teammates Tim Grant and Kristen Harrison of Toronto.  Racing as Team Tree Huggers they also finished very high and came in fifth place.

Read the entire original article written by Barb Campbell and published in the Caledon Enterprise on October 4th, 2008. (link)

On Sunday, February 10th, 2008, the Caledon Navigators hosted a Thomass Orienteering event at Glen Haffy (The Dingle). The post-race “buffet” was provided Christine Wallace, Kevin Gross and his wife Gunda Herzog, and Sarah Caylor.

There were many requests for the chili recipe so we posted it here for all to enjoy.

GUNDA HERZOG’S YUMMY CHILI

1 Tbsp. Olive oil (extra virgin)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 whole carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, fresh or canned, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup cooked kidney beans (canned is fine)
1 cup cooked pinto beans (canned is fine)
1 28-oz can tomatoes chopped, we use crushed (reserve juice)
½ tsp. Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. Parsley finely chopped

In a large (non-aluminum) soup kettle, heat oil over low heat, add onion, carrot, garlic and peppers. Cover and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove lid, add chili powder and cumin and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, tomatoes and their juice, simmer 20 minutes. Add pepper. Top bowls of chili with parsley.

DOWNLOAD RESULTS (Microsoft Excel)

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On Sunday, February 10th, 2008, the Caledon Navigators hosted a Thomass Orienteering event at Glen Haffy (The Dingle).

The Dingle is a renowned area for Bruce Trail hikers. Relative to the geography of Ontario, the venue occurs where the Oak Ridges Moraine meets the Niagara Escarpment. The result is spectacular views and sometimes unusual geographic formations – such as The Dingle.

An unprecedented number of our club members entered this event, many of them doing their first-ever orienteering competition. Thanks to extremely deep snow, it turned out to be the toughest Thomass race so far this season! Some of the racers used snowshoes, which doesn’t happen often, but snow conditions were extraordinary. Interestingly, the top six finishers were evenly divided between people who used snowshoes and people who didn’t, so it seems to come down to personal preference at the highest level.

Race Director Keith Sanger did a great job of coordinating the event. Leanne Mueller set a course that explored a wide variety of different terrain types and included some challenging navigation. Rumour has it that she was trying to set a course that an elite male racer wouldn’t win – but one of Canada’s top adventure racers, Bob Miller, disappointed her by taking 1st place in 1 hr 41 minutes! Denise Rispolie, a finisher of the 2007 Canadian Death Race, placed 2nd, and Andrei Logvin, the current leader in the 2007/08 Thomass Series, placed 3rd.

The top Caledon Navigator was Bill Wells, who placed 6th even though he took a break mid-race to help several other competitors free a deer that had become stuck in a fence. (Yeah, right, the old “deer caught in a fence” excuse…)

An absolutely fantastic post-race buffet was put on by Christine Wallace, Kevin Gross and his wife Gunda Herzog (who isn’t even an orienteer yet), and Sarah Caylor. Yummy chili, hot chocolate and brownies warmed everyone up. We’re going to become known as the Gourmet Orienteering Club, since bottled water and cookies are the standard post-race meal.

Karen Sanger and Gunda deserve special pats on the back (maybe even hugs) from our club for volunteering for over 4 hours while standing at a frigid roadside!

George Shannon, Richard Ehrlich and Ian Sidders (an honorary CN member for the day) took down the flags that Leanne and I had put up. Angus Doughty will be coordinating the crew to take down the ribbons next week after an orienteering training session.

Last, but not least, a BIG thanks to Pete Cameron who provided some *amazing* prizes from Salomon.

Thanks from all of us to all of the club members who contributed in various ways. Our young club is really coming together and getting things done! Looking forward to our next event.

DOWNLOAD RESULTS (Microsoft Excel)

BECOME A MEMBER