Needle Vista
Sprints, Night-O

Saturday, February 24, 2018

[image:O flag] Directions
[image:O flag] View Placemark
[image:O flag] Pre-register

Notes

  • Pre-register and pay online here. On-site registration is available. We will have some extra maps on-site, but we cannot guarantee you a map if you don't pre-register.
  • Parental Consent Now Required. Click here for more information.

Introduction

We're excited to offer two events at our Needle Vista event site as part of the 2018 Southwest Spring Week orienteering festivities. On Saturday, February 24, we'll start the day with two sprint courses. The Sprints include slightly easier navigation than our regular events but require quick decision making and extra care to navigate through the desert vegetation around the site. Later that evening, we'll offer a 2-hour Night-O to further test your navigation skills. In a Night-O, participants search for control locations marked on a pre-printed map with one important twist - the event is held in the dark! Navigating at night requires an increased attention to map details. We hope you'll enjoy the challenge.

  • Additional information about the Sprint format is found here.
  • Additional information about the Night-O format is found here.

The Needle Vista event site is located at a very scenic spot along the Apache Trail Highway. A short walk takes you to an overlook of Weaver's Needle, a very historic and prominent landmark in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. We highly recommend you budget some extra time to take pictures of the area. Needle Vista, along with Sunday's event site at First Water, are a true showcase of the rugged terrain and beautiful desert landscapes in the Phoenix area.

The Needle Vista events are part of a larger series of events offered for the 2018 Southwest Spring Week. The week starts on Saturday, February 17 with several events in the Tucson area, including a National Ranking Event on Sunday, February 18. The schedule moves to Phoenix for Needle Vista on Saturday, February 24 and our own National Ranking Event at First Water on Sunday, February 25. Additional information about the 2018 Southwest Spring Week is found here.

Event Summary

Note: For all events at Needle Vista, please allow enough time to walk up to 1300 meters to the start/finish. See Parking below for more information.

Sprints

On-site registration and check-in (for those pre-registered) begins at 8:00 AM. The sprint courses open at 9:00 AM. Participants may start a sprint course at any time between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. The sprint courses close at 12:00 PM, at which time we'll start picking up the control markers. Participants who arrive at the finish after 12:30 PM will be marked as DNF.

Night-O

On-site registration and check-in begins at 5:30 PM. We ask that those who have pre-registered to be sure to check-in too so we know who's on the course. We'll have a pre-race briefing and map distribution at 6:45 PM with a mass start at 7:00 PM. You will have ~5-10 minutes to plan your course. Civil twilight ends at 6:46 PM.

Registration

Pre-registration for the Needle Vista events is provided at the 2018 Southwest Spring Week registration page. While we will offer some on-site registration, we highly recommend you pre-register through the official pre-registration page. We will print a limited number of maps for the event. We cannot guarantee you a map if you don't pre-register.

Parking

The Needle Vista events start from the paved parking lot about a half mile past milepost 203 on the Apache Trail ( [image:O flag] Directions ). Please note that parking is limited at the event start/finish itself. We will send overflow parking to a gravel lot less than a mile southwest of the start/finish line. Those parking in the overflow lot may have up to 1300 meters to walk to the start/finish. We HIGHLY recommend that you carpool to the event. We will reserve spots at the start/finish for those who have multiple participants in a single vehicle. It goes without saying that we'll have simpler logistics if everyone is able to pack into a smaller number of vehicles, especially for the mass-start Night-O.

Schedule

Sprints

Check-in: Sprints 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Courses Open 9:00 AM
Last Time to Start a Course 11:00 AM
Sprint Courses Close 12:00 PM

Night-O

Check-in 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Pre-Race Briefing 6:45 PM
Event Start 7:00 PM (Mass start - all participants start at the same time.)
Event Finish 9:00 PM

Cost

There is a single price of $13 per person for all of Saturday's events. Each individual pays $13 regardless of the number of courses you plan to complete. This is the same price offered to those who pre-register here. Once again, we stress that while on-site registration is available, we will print a limited number of maps. We cannot guarantee you a map if you don't pre-register.

Additional Information

  • Additional information concerning the Southwest Spring Week is found here.
  • Details for the First Water event (Sunday, February 25) is found here.

What to Bring

Whistle Mandatory for all. Available for purchase for $1
Compass Mandatory for all. Available for purchase for $1
Illumination Device For the Night-O, each participant is required to travel with a headlamp, flashlight, or other device that will illuminate their travel route.
Spare batteries/spare flashlight It goes without saying that you won't be very happy if your headlamp or flashlight batteries fail while you're in the middle of the open desert. We strongly suggest you bring spare batteries that will fit your specific device.
Water There will be water at the start/finish . We will not have water on the course. We strongly encourage you to bring water bottles or a camelback.
Sturdy hiking shoes and
Long pants 		You will encounter cactus, cat claw, and loose terrain.

Directions

Click [image:O flag] here for directions to our Needle Vista event site.
[image:O flag] Needle Vista Safety Plan