YMP December Map of the Month

The Youth Mapping Program December Map of the Month is YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO.

This map was created in 2023 and is still being regularly used, with two courses already created and three more in progress. This camp offers weekly orienteering classes during the summer, as well as using the map to teach navigation skills to their hiking guides.

Are you interested in having a map made of your school, camp, or youth-serving organization? Learn more about the program and apply here.

OUSA seeks Event Photographer!

Orienteering USA seeks one or more experienced Event Photographer(s) to document select national orienteering events throughout 2026. Photographer(s) will capture high-quality images that reflect the spirit of the sport and support OUSA’s marketing, communications, and promotional efforts. This is a non-exclusive independent contractor role.

Organization: Orienteering USA (OUSA)
Contract Term: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Compensation: $600 per event (up to 10 events annually)

Key Responsibilities

  • Attend up to ten (10) OUSA national events, as mutually agreed upon with OUSA in advance.
  • Capture compelling, high-quality photographs suitable for:
    • Social media
    • Marketing and promotional materials
    • OUSA’s website and online library
    • Sharing with event participants and OUSA-affiliated clubs
  • Collaborate with the OUSA Communications Manager to ensure timely delivery and appropriate availability of photos.

Interested? Tell us why you’d be a great OUSA photographer. Submit qualifications and samples of work to photography@nullorienteeringusa.org by January 15, 2026. 

US Junior Ski-O Team Ski-a-Thon Update!

The US Ski-O Junior Team has completed the first two weeks of their four week ski-a-thon! Team members have received pledges for a certain amount for each kilometer they ski (or a flat donation), and they’re doing great! This is despite the fact that some are dealing with limited snow and/or sickness. The distances skied so far are as follows:

Erik Fey 300 KM
Mark Fey 125 KM
Liam Browne 121 KM
Euell Browne 138 km
Espen Chitty 93 km
Caroline Chitty 90 KM

You can still donate to help the team raise money for their trip to Sweden to take part in Junior World Ski-Orienteering Championships and European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships and Program Accelerate 2033: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/SkiO

If you have any questions please contact Carl Fey (US Ski-O Team Coach), carlffey@nullgmail.com, or Kara Browne, binear@nullyahoo.com.

YMP December Map of the Month

The Youth Mapping Program December Map of the Month is Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville, CA. Teachers use this map to host orienteering events for local fifth graders. The American River Conservancy also uses the map. By including orienteering programming in their environmental education programs, they have shared this map with hundreds of students. 

The best outcomes of having this map are “getting students outdoors and working with maps in a cooperative and fun environment.”

Are you interested in flexing your cartography skills and joining the growing team of YMP mappers? Sign up here. 

Nominees Sought for Mapping Class Scholarships!

Orienteering USA is planning to offer partial (80%) scholarships to cover the costs of a series of four upcoming introductory mapping classes offered by Navigation Sports in January and February 2026.

Interested mappers must be nominated by their clubs by December 15th, and each club may nominate a maximum of two people. Interested? Read on.

Interested mappers must be nominated by their clubs by December 15th. Each club may nominate a maximum of two people.

Nominees must:

  • Have at least three years orienteering experience
  • Be able to attend all four classes in a series
  • Be members of OUSA at the time of the classes to receive the benefit.

Priority will be given to nominees who:

  • Come from smaller clubs or those without in-house mapping expertise
  • Can complete an advanced orienteering course
  • Have a specific project in mind.

Those selected for the scholarships are responsible for 20% of the course cost, though clubs are encouraged to reimburse members for this portion. The final 80% will be paid by OUSA. Total cost for the series of four classes is $270CAD.

The series includes four introductory level classes using either Open Orienteering Mapper (runs on Windows and MacOS) or OCAD (only runs on Windows). See entire course calendar.

Open Orienteering Mapper classes will be held on Tuesdays (January 20th, 27th, February 3rd, 10th) at 6:30pm ET.

OCAD classes will be held on Thursdays (January 22nd, 29th, February 5th, 12th) at 6:30pm ET.
Subjects covered in the four sessions will be:

  • Intro to mapping
  • Using Open Orienteering Mapper or Using OCAD
  • Base material
  • Laying Out Your Map

Reach out to your club president or mapping coordinator to be nominated.

For questions please contact mapping@nullorienteeringusa.org.

December Forum: Introduction to Trail-O

The December forum will take place on Thursday, December 18th at 8:30pm ET.

Did you know that OUSA is hosting the World Trail Orienteering Championships in November 2027? It’s true! This means there’s no better time to dive into the world of Trail Orienteering than right now! If you’ve been curious about adding Trail-O to your club’s programs, this is the perfect time to try it out.

Join us on December 18 for an introduction to Trail Orienteering. We’ll talk about the core formats, walk through real examples using the TempO Simulator, and help you get a feel for what makes Trail-O both challenging and fun. The simulator is currently running its festive Christmas Cup (December 1–24), so consider logging in ahead of time to try a few problems before the forum.

Join us on Google Meet on Thursday, December 18th at 8:30pm ET.

Stumble Weekend 2025 Event Recap

November 15-16, 2025

Stumble Weekend 2025 consisted of a Middle National Ranking Event (NRE) and
Susquehanna Stumble XXV. The Stumble is a long distance mass start event with a twist: competitors run between most controls in normal sequential order but occasionally enter a “window” where several controls can be visited in ANY order. 

Results, Maps, and Photos

Photos by Amy Louden, Paige Suhocki, Chrissy Szemere Miller, and possibly others!

Some photos from QOC on their Facebook post

YMP November Map of the Month

The Youth Mapping Program November Map of the Month is Gold Trail School in Cold Springs, CA.

This map is used to teach fifth-grade students about geography, map reading, and orienteering. Since then, the school has had a map made of a bordering property to create even larger courses. Eventually, the goal is to teach older students to use Purple Pen to plan courses for younger students. 

“The best outcome is having the ability to run my own orienteering events on my school campus. I do not have to depend on others or get permission from Admin to take a field trip. Additionally, having my own map allows me to make progressively more challenging courses as my students’ skills improve.”

Are you interested in flexing your cartography skills and joining the growing team of YMP mappers? Sign up here.