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October 26
Sunday
Sunday
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(not available for past events)
Pre-registration is required and will open Monday, Oct 20 at 6 pm. It will close on Saturday, Oct 25 at 12 noon.There will be no day-of registration.
Orienteering at Mason Neck
Get ready for one of QOC’s flattest events - Mason Neck State Park. Gary Smith has designed a full set of 7 Classic-O courses and runners will need to use their compass skills and pace counting to stay on target. The park's subtle contours (2.5 meter contour interval rather than the standard 5 meters) and point features present a change from the usual Northern Virginia spur and reentrant terrain. Also, to help those new to the very useful skill of pace-counting, we will set up a 100 meter pace course near registration. Those interested will be able to get some instruction/recommendations on how to calculate your pace and employ pace-counting most effectively.
Soundscape Demo & Trail-O Demo:
Special for this event! Daniel Heimgartner and Russ Myer have designed both a Soundscape demo and a Trail-O course suitable for all abilities. Soundscape-O has two check-in windows (10:00 and 11:00), and Trail-O also has two check-in windows (12:30 and 1:30). Cost is $10 for either event or $15 for both; pre-registration is required. Full details (read before registering!) are here.
What to Expect:
Participants will navigate through diverse terrains, including wooded areas, open fields, and waterways, using a map and compass. This event is designed to test your navigation skills, endurance, and for groups, teamwork. Various courses will be available to accommodate all skill levels:- Beginner Courses (white and yellow): Perfect for newcomers, offering a gentle introduction to orienteering with straightforward checkpoints and kid-friendly terrain. Beginner instruction will be available.
- Intermediate Course (orange): A more challenging course, great for those with some orienteering experience looking to improve their skills and venture off-trail.
- Advanced Courses: For experienced orienteers seeking a rigorous and demanding course with complex navigation.
What to Bring
Participants should come prepared with the following items:- Comfortable outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear
- Water bottle and snacks
- Compass and whistle if you have them. Loaners are available if needed.
Volunteers
Our club runs on the incredible energy of our amazing volunteers - a massive thank you to those who volunteer week after week! Thanks to you, we’re able to offer an event almost every weekend in the season! We’re always looking for new volunteers to help, so sign up for a volunteer slot via this form or email the Event Director directly for other options.
Post-event Social
After your run, join fellow orienteers at Casa Tequila Bar and Grill, located here, just 9 miles north of the park.
Beginners
Make sure to check out our Your First Event and Orienteering Techniques For Beginners webpages, and if they don't answer all your questions, just ask them via our Contact Form. We will also offer beginner instruction at the event.
Groups
QOC allows groups of up to 4 people to orienteer together. Please see our For Group Leaders webpage and then contact the Event Director so they are aware of your plans.
Other notes and reminders
- QOC will continue to use pre-registration as the ONLY method of signing up for our events. There will be NO day-of, on-site registration. Refunds are paid only in case of event cancellation.
- No water or food will be provided. Participants are responsible for meeting all their own food and hydration needs.
- Restrooms are available near the picnic area.
- Everyone must be out of the woods and back at the registration/finish area by 3:00pm when control pick-up will start. Allow yourself time to get back to the registration area to download, regardless of whether you finished the course. We want to ensure that all participants are safe and accounted for.
- Pets are allowed but must always be kept on a leash and under the owner’s control.
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| Course Details |
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| Course Notes |
Course notes for the (classic) orienteering event: Mason Neck is an interesting area due to its relatively flat terrain. The good news is that all of the courses have relatively little elevation gain. The bad news is that the terrain features are subtle, making navigation difficult. For this reason, I don't recommend that you advance to the next difficulty level for this event. On the other hand advanced runners may want to take advantage of the lack of climb to select a longer course than usual.
The woods in Mason Neck are generally open and runnable, although the leaves are still on and visibility is not great. The recent lack of rain has made mapped marshy areas difficult to identify. There are many more root stocks than have been mapped and many of the mapped root stocks have eroded so be careful using them for navigation. The park has asked us to avoid using roads as route choices. I've designed the courses so that the best routes don't follow roads, but I haven't marked the roads as out-of-bounds. It is OK to cross the roads at any point. |
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| Registration | Advance registration will be required. The date and time that registration will open will be posted here; usually, registration will open at 6pm on the Monday before the event. |
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| Schedule |
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| Location | Mason Neck SP, Lorton, Virginia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Driving Directions |
From southbound I-95, take exit 163 (Lorton). Go left onto Lorton Rd at the end of exit ramp. Go under the 2nd overpass and turn right onto Lorton Market St., then go about 1.5 miles to the traffic light at Route 1. Go straight through light (the road name changes to Gunston Rd) and go about 5 miles to the right turn on High Point Road (it's about 1.2 miles after the Pohick entrance). Once in the park ($10 entrance fee per vehicle), follow the signs towards the Visitor Center. The registration area will be to the left just before the Visitor Center; look for the banner.
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| Entry Fees | Individual Entries Note: juniors = under 21
Group Entries Participants are welcome to orienteer together as a group (up to the maximum for that event; usually 4). Each member of a group is charged their individual rate as shown above, up to a group total of $30 (maximum), and each receives a map. A group receives one epunch. Individuals or groups desiring to compete on a second course after completing their first can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map subject to approval at the event by the Event Director. Important Notes
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Course Details
| Course Name | Length (km) | Climb (m) | No. Controls | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 1.8 | 15 | 6 | |
| Yellow | 2.3 | 30 | 7 | |
| Orange | 4.1 | 60 | 10 | |
| Brown | 4.2 | 55 | 10 | |
| Green | 5.6 | 70 | 12 | |
| Red | 6.9 | 85 | 14 | |
| Blue | 9.1 | 80 | 14 |
Course Notes
Course notes for the (classic) orienteering event: Mason Neck is an interesting area due to its relatively flat terrain. The good news is that all of the courses have relatively little elevation gain. The bad news is that the terrain features are subtle, making navigation difficult. For this reason, I don't recommend that you advance to the next difficulty level for this event. On the other hand advanced runners may want to take advantage of the lack of climb to select a longer course than usual.
The woods in Mason Neck are generally open and runnable, although the leaves are still on and visibility is not great. The recent lack of rain has made mapped marshy areas difficult to identify. There are many more root stocks than have been mapped and many of the mapped root stocks have eroded so be careful using them for navigation.
The park has asked us to avoid using roads as route choices. I've designed the courses so that the best routes don't follow roads, but I haven't marked the roads as out-of-bounds. It is OK to cross the roads at any point.
The woods in Mason Neck are generally open and runnable, although the leaves are still on and visibility is not great. The recent lack of rain has made mapped marshy areas difficult to identify. There are many more root stocks than have been mapped and many of the mapped root stocks have eroded so be careful using them for navigation.
The park has asked us to avoid using roads as route choices. I've designed the courses so that the best routes don't follow roads, but I haven't marked the roads as out-of-bounds. It is OK to cross the roads at any point.
Registration
Advance registration will be required. The date and time that registration will open will be posted here; usually, registration will open at 6pm on the Monday before the event.
Schedule
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Sunday, October 26
6:00 am - 11:00 am
Location
Driving Directions
From southbound I-95, take exit 163 (Lorton). Go left onto Lorton Rd at the end of exit ramp. Go under the 2nd overpass and turn right onto Lorton Market St., then go about 1.5 miles to the traffic light at Route 1. Go straight through light (the road name changes to Gunston Rd) and go about 5 miles to the right turn on High Point Road (it's about 1.2 miles after the Pohick entrance). Once in the park ($10 entrance fee per vehicle), follow the signs towards the Visitor Center. The registration area will be to the left just before the Visitor Center; look for the banner.
Entry Fees
Individual Entries
Note: juniors = under 21
| Club Member, adult | Club Member, junior | Non-Member, adult | Non-Member, junior |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $5 | $20 | $5 |
Group Entries
Participants are welcome to orienteer together as a group (up to the maximum for that event; usually 4). Each member of a group is charged their individual rate as shown above, up to a group total of $30 (maximum), and each receives a map. A group receives one epunch. Individuals or groups desiring to compete on a second course after completing their first can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map subject to approval at the event by the Event Director.
Important Notes
- If you wish to become a QOC member you should join online in advance via this webpage (which also explains the member benefits). Membership is completely optional.
- Most of our events use an 'epunch' timing chip for electronic timing. Individuals or groups without their own epunch will be loaned one for that event. Loaned epunches that are lost incur a $40 replacement fee. Epunches (also known as SI-cards or finger sticks) can be purchased from online vendors as described here.
- Former QOC members who have let their membership lapse pay non-member fees.
- Compasses are available at no charge, but if lost incur a $15 replacement fee.
- Please provide collateral (such as car keys) when borrowing a compass or epunch.
- There is no planned, on-site beginner instruction, but beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst
