What we’re about
This is a group for people of all ages and abilities who want to use a map and compass to explore new areas and for people who want to compete in true cross country events. Orienteering is a map and compass sport that can be approached as a casual activity or as serious competition. The City of Trees Orienteering Club (CTOC) conducts a meet almost every month of the year in venues as familiar as city parks and as rugged as the Sawtooths. We offer instruction and easy events for novices and opportunities for international competition for advanced orienteers.
More information, links to training videos, and reports from previous meets are available at http://ctoc-boise.blogspot.com/ .
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Annual Rabbit Creek Meet and Potluck SocialRabbit Creek Ranch, Murphy, ID
Spring has sprung and we are headed to the hills! It is a beautiful time in the Owyhees and the weather has started to warm up. come join us Sunday, May 18th for an orienteering event and social.
Venue:
2025 marks the 22st year the CTOC will compete at Bill Pilcher's Rabbit Creek Ranch, a scenic, fun and challenging event. Thank you, Bill, for making your property available for this remarkable string of orienteering meets. The views during the meet are expected to be spectacular this year! May is a great time for orienteering in the Owyhee Mountains. It may be on the warm side later in the day, but we will start early enough to save that time for socializing. Rabbit Creek offers very scenic views: wide open and full of unique rock formations in rugged western ranchland.Courses
In 2024, there were three courses ranging from 2.2 to 6.2 km with Sport, Intermediate, and Advanced.We will be having a potluck social after the meet. Please bring food to share!
To try to get everyone back to the ranch for the potluck, please think about how long you will need on the course you chose so that you can join everyone around 12:30 for a potluck.
The meet location is about an hour and a half from Boise, so plan accordingly as well.
Meet Location:
- After crossing the Snake River on Hwy 45 at Walter's Ferry, continue south on Hwy 78 towards Murphy.
- Immediately after passing the Murphy city limits sign turn Right on Old Hwy 45. Follow this for one block then continue straight and it becomes Rabbit Creek Road.
- Follow Rabbit Creek Road for about 5.5 miles to J & S Road (there is a lone mailbox).
- Turn Left on J & S Road and follow this road approximately 1.5 miles to the Ranch House
Liability Waivers:
Non-members please bring printed and signed liability waivers (available for download at ctoc-boise.org/pub/ctoc_ind_waiver.pdf ) from home. We will have blanks if you forget. If you are bringing a minor who is NOT your own child, you MUST bring a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.Cautions and gear recommendations
Local animals include raptors and occasional sightings of wild horses. One special note of caution: in past years there have been occasional sightings of rattlesnakes. No one has been bitten, but we don't want to have a first time.
Sturdy shoes are a must; we also recommend gaiters to best navigate through the terrain. Some slopes are steep and unstable. It's not a city park, so safe travel requires attention to your footing on hillsides. A compass is useful for setting and following bearings.
Cost:
Single meet (day) dues: $10 per person/team, free for members
Single Junior (up to 20 years old): $5 per person/team, free for members
If more than one map is needed for a team, a small additional fee may be needed per the discretion of the meet director depending on printing costs.
CTOC annual membership:
Regular $45 (pays for all local meets).
Family $65 (pays for all local meets).
Join today for Monthly Pro-Rata for membership fees:
Month Regular Family
MAY $30 $44
JUN $26 $38
Membership form and instructions found here - Whoop'um Up rescheduled from last year for June 7, 2025Whoop'um Up, Idaho City, ID
Last year when I re-scheduled the meet for September 15 from a few weeks earlier I was confident that the air quality would be much improved, and a forecast would be reasonably reliable. The air quality only became worse. This meet will happen before fire season in 2025.
I spent two days in early July 2024 expanding the map and vetting the course design, so the advanced and intermediate courses will extend into previously unused terrain.
CAMPING:
If you want to camp, check camping availability at the nearby Edna Creek Campground. There are other USFS campgrounds in the area including the Whoop Um Up Equestrian Campground adjacent to our start location. I plan to camp at the start where there should be plenty of space for other campers.
WHEN
Starts from 10AM to 12AM. Course closes at noon.
LIABILITY WAIVERS
Non-members bring printed and signed liability waivers from home and drop them in the waiver box. We will have blanks if you forget, but we much prefer no exchanges.
CAUTIONS:
There are steep slopes and unstable footing in several areas. There is a danger of significant injuries from falls. This area has been logged leaving slash and debris to trip on. And, extreme temperatures present multiple hazards from fatigue to heat stroke. All courses cross small creeks where tall grass and other vegetation elevate the risk of sprained ankles and other injuries from falls while negotiating the banks.
WATER
Bring your own water. If it's a warm day, you might really need it. You should probably have it anywayCost:
Single meet (day) dues: $10 per person/team, free for members
Junior (up to 20 years old): $5 per person/team, free for members
If more than one map is needed for a team, it is $1 per map.
$1 compass rental.
Pro-rated for June annual membership: Family $38; Individual $26.
participate in all local meets for FREE! See membership info at: http://ctocboise.blogspot.comMAPS and COURSES:
Don't count on a map unless you have RSVPed with your choice of course and number of maps. Notify me by Wednesday evening, June 4. I will print maps on Thursday and be out setting controls on Friday.Format: Classic:
Distances and elevation gains are estimates. The elevation gains/losses are large for courses of similar lengths. Use caution selecting a map to avoid dangerous exhaustion.
Advanced: 4.8 Km; 16 controls; 241 m elevation gain/loss
Intermediate: 3.3 Km; 10 controls; 153 m elevation gain/loss
Sport: 1.6 Km; 7 controls
NO BEGINNER course.
Bring:
Compass!
Waiver, prepared in advance if you are not a CTOC member.
Sufficient water for yourself.
Sunscreen and/or hat.
Gaitors might be useful.
Shoes for mountainous terrain. If your ankles are sensitive please prepare accordingly.
Cell phone? I have not been able to get coverage, so be prepared with a whistle and other fallback options.
John Murray - Hazard MeadowsHazard Lake, McCall, ID
Hazard Meadows is a new map situated to the northwest of the Hazard Lake Campground. There are some important things to keep in mind.
Hazard Meadows is a long drive from Boise. It is north of the Brundage Ski Area and north of Goose Lake. You might want to camp in the area or stay in McCall.As I write this meet announcement in December the meet is proposed on the basis of a promising map derived from 2017 LiDAR and recent Google Earth images. So, at this time it is a prospect that I will need to validate by spending some time exploring the terrain after the snow melts from the road.
In my judgement it will provide excellent intermediate and advanced orienteering with lots of varied features in both intermittent meadows and mountainous terrain. Much of the area is runnable, but there are sizeable parts dominated by fallen trees that advanced orienteers will need to avoid or negotiate. The terrain is otherwise suitable for intermediate and sport courses. No beginner course will be offered.
Cliffs are the predominant feature for control placement and navigation. There are many boulders and a few notable root stocks.
Please RSVP by Wednesday evening, August 20 with name, course choice, and phone number to ensure you will have a map. You can RSVP either in the comments below or directly to MurrayJohnA1@gmail.com .
Liability Waivers:
Non-members please bring printed and signed liability waivers (available for download at ctoc-boise.org/pub/ctoc_ind_waiver.pdf ) from home. We will have blanks if you forget. If you are bringing a minor who is NOT your own child, you MUST bring a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.Sturdy shoes are a must; we also recommend gaiters to protect your legs and feet from brush. Some slopes are steep and unstable. It's not a city park, so safe travel requires attention to your footing on hillsides. A compass is essential for setting and following bearings.
LOGISTICS
When:
Starts from 10:00AM to 12:00AM. Course closes at 2:00PM.
Meet Location:
Meet Start/Finish
Drive north from Goose Lake about 13 miles on US Forest Service Road 50257 to the start about one mile north of the Hazard Lake Campground. Travel beyond Brundage Ski Area is on a graded gravel road that can have a washboard surface if not recently graded.
The Google Map pin below shows the location of the start and finish.
ORIENTEERING-SPECIFIC
Punching at Control:
This meet won't have e-punching.
Courses:
Classic format traveling in sequential order. You're welcome to go at whatever pace you prefer :)
The terrain does not support a Beginner Course.
Until the map and courses are finalized the course description are approximate.
Sport (2.83, 74m elevation gain, 8 controls)
A good choice if it's your first time orienteering or you'd like to develop your navigation skills.
Intermediate (4.03km, 100m elevation gain, 12 controls)
An opportunity to apply compass-bearing and contour-reading in rugged terrain.
Advanced (5.5km, 190m elevation gain, 17 controls)
Same terrain and technical ability as intermediate with a lot more endurance required and enough distance to satisfy that need to run.
Cost:
Single meet (day) dues: $10 per person/team, free for members
Single Junior (up to 20 years old): $5 per person/team, free for members
If more than one map is needed for a team, a small additional fee may be needed per the discretion of the meet director depending on printing costs.
CTOC annual membership:
Regular $45 (pays for all local meets).
Family $65 (pays for all local meets).
Join in August for Monthly Pro-Rata for membership fees:
Month Regular Family
October $19 $27
Membership form and instructions found here.
John Murray
Director
