WEO #9 - Quarry Lake (Canmore - Note Starting Time) Forest Event

Organizers: Anita Brattland (Event Director), Anita Brattland (Course Planner), Mark Gibbard (Controller)

Map: Quarry Lake + CNC

Come out and enjoy an evening of orienteering in the spectacular meadows and forests around Quarry Lake!

No orienteering experience necessary. Beginners welcome. We'll provide a short beginner clinic at the start of the event.

Event Details

• Please pre-register for this event before 11pm on Monday, June 15th.
• Check in at our table at the eastern corner of the parking lot from 5:30pm until 6:30pm
• The Start is located near the check-in table; start any time between 6pm and 6:30pm.
• Maximum time on course: 90 minutes (After 90 minutes, please return to the Finish and check in, even if you have not completed your course).
• Course closing: 8pm (For safety reasons, everyone must be back at the finish area to check-in before 8pm. Controls will start being removed at 8pm).
• SI electronic timing: will be used for all courses. SI finger-sticks will be available to borrow at check-in.
• PARKING: Quarry Lake Park has a single paid-parking lot and parking is prohibited in surrounding streets and neighbourhoods. The parking fee is $20 per 2 hours (free after 8pm) and so we highly recommend that participants coming from Calgary maximize their carpooling. Residents of Canmore (who have registered their license plate with the Town) can access 3 hours of free parking through the PayByPhone app.

Course Details

• Novice Course: Around 2.1 km with 30m climb. A gentle introduction to orienteering. Perfect for kids or those new to reading maps. Easier navigation as all controls will be placed alongside trails.
• Intermediate Course: Around 3.1 km, 60m climb. Mostly on trails, but with controls that require some short off-trail navigation.
• Long Intermediate Course: Around 4.3 km, 80m climb. A longer version of the intermediate course for trail runners that want a longer run.
• Short Advanced Course: 3.8 km, 80 m climb. Challenging off-trail navigation though the forest will be required to find controls on small features (such as a boulder or a small hill) -- for experienced orienteers.
• Long Advanced Course: 5.5 km, 100 m climb. A longer course for experienced orienteers.

Map & Course Notes

• Map scale: 1:7500 (map was updated in Spring of 2026), Contour interval 5m.
• In recent years, strong wind micro-bursts have left some parts of the forest with many fallen trees. These areas are shown as dark green on the map. They are basically impenetrable to travel through; run around them!
• There are two areas on the map that allow off-leash dogs. These are surrounded by large boulders, but no fence. To avoid conflict between runners and dogs, we have designed the courses to avoid travelling through these areas.

Safety

• Please carry a whistle.
• The Quarry Lake Park is in BEAR COUNTRY: AOA Bear spray policy is in effect. Visit our website for safety recommendations and more information about wildlife risks.
• Please see the AOA Air Quality Policy for event cancelation in case of a wildfire smoke situation.

Wednesday Evening Orienteering (WEO) Events

• In-person orienteering events with printed maps.
• Control flags and SI timing units will be used in the terrain
• An SI finger stick is required. When registering you can choose to borrow one if you do not own one.
• 6:00 - 8pm on the day of the event
• Pre - registration required for each event to secure a printed map. Please register before Monday evening before the Wednesday night.

Volunteering:

Each WEO event takes about 10 volunteers. We really need our membership to support these evenings in order to keep these WEOs happening. It is a great way to meet more members, and some roles help improve your orienteering skills! If you would like to help out in any way - no experience necessary - please reach out to [email protected] or click on the Volunteer Link below.

Forest Event

Forest events are typically more structured than urban weekday events and require a higher level of training for the course setters and controllers. Courses offered typically include Novice, Intermediate, Short Advanced, and Long Advanced. Forest events are a great opportunity to challenge and improve your navigational skills in a fun, social, and scenic location.

Novice courses make use of paths and other linear features ("handrails") but require some map interpretation skills and using a compass to orient the map to north. Novices should either have some experience orienteering at club events or should accompany a more experienced orienteer on course. Intermediate courses require navigating a short distance away from handrails, while Advanced courses require even more precise navigation away from obvious terrain features.

Location