In just over two weeks on May 29-30, Northwest Nav Races and Cascade Orienteering Club will be hosting the 2021 US Rogaine Championships . This event marks the first 24-hour rogaining event in Washington State since 2012 and the first ever 24-hour race in the unique channeled scablands terrain of Eastern Washington. The event will consist of a 24-Hour classic rogaine for the championship as well as 6-Hour and 12-in-24 Hour versions for less experienced navigators.
This flood-scoured landscape spans tens of thousands of acres of rolling grasslands punctuated with basalt cliffs, channels, and mesas. Parts of the area are dotted with pine trees and even stands of usually open forest, and much of the area is used for cattle grazing during parts of the year. The network of trails and roads varies from sparse-to-moderate across the area, and fences are the other major sign of human development throughout the landscape.
The terrain is generally flat to gently sloping in profile and quite easy to run or walk through, however cliffs, lakes, marshes and streams will provide a hindrance to straight-line travel in many parts of the terrain.
The event headquarters is in the small town of Sprague, WA, conveniently located along Interstate 90, a 35-minute drive from Spokane International Airport (GEG), under four hours from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and under five hours from Portland International Airport (PDX).
Championship medals will be on the line in Women, Men, and Mixed divisions in Junior (18/under), Open, Veteran (40+), Superveteran (55+), and Ultraveteran (65+), and there is already good competition developing in some categories. Online registration will be open through at least Tuesday, May 25, and event information can be found on the event website: http://navraces.com/events/scablands/
Photos courtesy Eric Bone, Mike Schuh & Rebecca Jensen
