Here & There: Grab the compass and head north

Over the years, I have boldly shared with you a fairly extensive list of things at which I have no noticeable talent.

It includes golf, whale-watching and the creation of pasta from scratch that looks anything like, well, not an amorphous glob of goo.

And frankly, my ego is getting tired of it.

Yet, here I have to go again.

I’ve been orienteering since my brother Graham discovered an active group of hard-core participants right here in our fair city. I loved it from the start – it combines puzzle-solving with hiking in the great outdoors, two of my favorite things – but I am pretty miserable at it.

Until now, however, only a select few have witnessed my shame. Then the Eastern Washington orienteers, mostly a collection of good-natured fellows with a preternatural feel for a compass, discovered that I write this very column.

So they came up with the bright idea that I should tell you about the upcoming Spring Run-off 2007 orienteering festival in Cranbrook and Kimberley, B.C.

I suppose a brief explanation is in order, since we Americans haven’t embraced orienteering (or soccer, for that matter) anywhere near as enthusiastically as the Swedes have.

(And why is that? They’re responsible for dynamite, zippers and Nobel prizes. Seems like we should pay attention.)

Nevertheless, here’s a definition from the Canadian Orienteering Federation’s Web site: “Orienteering is the sport of navigation with map and compass. The object is to run, walk, ski, or mountain bike to a series of points shown on the map … marked with orange and white flags and punches or electronic devices, so you can prove you’ve been there.”

Anyone can do it – I submit Exhibit 1: me – so give it a shot. Organizers of the Canadian event, from June 29 through July 2, promise six courses with something for every level of fitness and navigational acumen.

They’re also offering – take note, Eastern Washington Orienteering Club – cookies! Kimberley Alpine Bakery will supply “large and very tasty” confections for the festival awards ceremony, to be held Sunday at historic Fort Steele.

Event director Jim Webster calls Friday night’s kickoff “a fun trivia event. You get to know the town by orienteering the streets of Kimberley. Afterward, we’re having a Mediterranean barbecue.”

That combination of navigating and celebrating seems to be Webster’s hallmark. “I’ve tried to put as many events and activities – orienteering and social – together as I could,” he says.

Saturday, you’ll orienteer and share a potluck meal, and on Sunday you’ll wind up the day with the awards ceremony. The buffet, social and highly touted cookies also honor Canada Day, the July 1 commemoration of the formation of the union. And if you still haven’t gotten your fill, Monday features two sprints.

To learn more, visit the Kootenay Orienteering Club’s Web site at www.koc.kics.bc.ca. Or call (250) 427-0585.

Femmes locale

You know those Web sites where you can submit your photo and a bunch of anonymous jerks decide if you’re hot or not? I think you’re better off deciding for yourself that you just are, and apparently the folks at the Cave B Inn at SageCliffe agree with me.

So through June 30, they invite you to sign yourself up for their Gorge-ous Girls Getaway, a package for girlfriends who want to “get away from the city life” in favor of an overnight visit to a two-bedroom “Cliffehouse.”

If you can look past these spelling whimsies, you’ll find yourself with a personal patio overlooking the Columbia River Gorge and a welcome gift basket with a bottle of Cave B Estate Winery, snacks, a “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!” DVD and – my favorite part – an assortment of the latest celebrity gossip magazines.

(I know few women who don’t enjoy a good dose of trash, a fact that absolutely mystifies my husband. We won’t talk about his idiosyncrasies.)

The Quincy-area “luxury winery resort” will also treat you to a Saturday morning of indulgence at the Spa at SageCliffe. You can choose two of the following treatments: 30-minute facial, 30-minute massage, manicure or pedicure.

Once you’re sufficiently relaxed and beautified, Tendrils’ chef, Fernando Divina, will treat you to lunch.

Make reservations for the Gorge-ous Girls Getaway at www.cavebinn.com or (888) 785-2283.

Regional events

“Red Bottom Celebration, June 14-17, Frazer, Mont. This annual powwow celebrates native culture and traditions through dancing, food, crafts and more. The general public is welcome. (www.visitmt.com/406-768-5155)

“National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest, June 18-24, Weiser, Idaho. Fiddlers come from far and wide to the self-proclaimed “Fiddling Capital of the World” to help in “preserving and perpetuating fiddle music for generations to come.” (www.fiddlecontest.com/208-414-0255)