Caledon Navigators

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.