Great Falls

Printer-friendly versionPDF version

November 11
Sunday

Welcome back to C&O NHP! Once again, due to park regulations we require advance registration with payment, and we are expecting to sell out. Registration is now open closed; click here when ready to register. If you have registered but will not be able to attend, please notify us in advance so others can attend. If people cancel in advance we may release some extra registrations. Whether or not that happens, there will be no day-of registration at the event. There will be compasses and epunches available to those who requested them during pre-registration, but GPS watches will not be available at this event.

On Sunday, only pre-registered orienteers will be able to start on their course, anytime between 11 - 1:30, and must be back no later than 3pm. For planning purposes: from our registration area, there's a ~5-10 minute walk of about 600 meters to the start shared by all courses, and a walk back of about 400 meters from the (shared) finish.

Course Information: Course stats and course setter comments are now posted below. Note that there are officially 3 approved courses (beginner, intermediate, and advanced; see note about courses in course setter comments). These courses are carefully designed to avoid areas that the National Park Service has designated as sensitive.

Speaking of sensitive areas, the NPS has asked us to remind all participants of the following:

• Participants should follow compass bearings as close as possible. Participants should not take shortcuts: approved routes are designed specifically to avoid sensitive habitats and known invasive plant populations that may facilitate human-facilitated spread of seeds and berries.
• Participants should avoid any and all standing water, including seeps, springs, wetlands, and streams. Amphibian diseases have been documented in the area, and human-facilitated movement of such fungal pathogens from habitat to habitat can cause massive die-offs in amphibian species.
• All participants must avoid stepping in streams and should try to minimize impacts to stream bank vegetation and soils.

Once Again, Back by Popular Demand: Post-Race Potomac Pizza Palooza! After your race, take advantage of a 1/2 price pizza deal at a nearby restaurant, Potomac Pizza. Normally $17 for a large cheese and tomato pizza, just wave your QOC map and you'll get this 8 slice pizza for just $9, and additional toppings are only $1 each. There's seating for everyone at this friendly local place with a full menu, free soda refills, and it's no problem to go "as you are" post-race. There's plenty of room to go over your map and routes and meet up with your fellow orienteers. The address is 9812 Falls Rd in Potomac; to get there, just take a left at the stop sign as you exit the park, and in less than 2 miles take a left just before River Road into the Potomac Promenade parking area. Directions are also shown in the Event Locator Map.

Have any questions? Just use our Contact Us form and ask away!