PWF Pine Grove

March 7
Sunday

Orienteer on some of QOC’s favorite terrain in Prince William Forest Park near Triangle, VA. We will be in the Pine Grove area, which is the closest to the park entrance. There will be seven courses to choose from (2 beginner, 1 intermediate, and 4 advanced), and detailed park and course notes are now posted below, thanks to course setters Gary Smith and Paul Hession.

This Sunday event requires on-line pre-registration, and we will open registration at 6pm on Monday, March 1. QOC’s COVID risk reduction protocols [2], as also enumerated here [3], will be in effect. Please read these guidelines carefully, particularly keeping in mind the need for participants to bring their own water for all their hydration needs before, during, and after their runs/walks.

Registration will be at the Pavilion, west of the visitor center. Carpooling is encouraged. A park map is here [4]; We plan to park in the ballfield south of the visitor center if it is dry enough. Follow the QOC signs and parking volunteers to find the parking area. Any youth or large groups attending, although you will be pre-registering online, please contact the Event Director [5] of your plans and numbers for her awareness.

Other points:

• PROPERLY WORN MASKS ARE REQUIRED at all times when near registration and epunch areas and their volunteers.
• There is a $20 per car fee for entering the park. Click here [6] for more information on fees and the park’s fee pay app.
• Water will not provided in accordance with QOC COVID-19 risk reduction policies. BYOW.
• We encourage everyone to download and use any or even all of the DC [7], Maryland [8] and Virginia [9] COVID exposure notification apps.
• Pets are permitted in the park but must be on the leash at all times.
• There will be a bathroom open near the pavilion.
• The size of start teams (groups of individuals orienteering together with one e-punch) on a course must be no more than four (4) individuals (juniors and adults combined).
• There is no planned, on-site beginner instruction, but beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one [10] created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst

Location	Prince William Forest Park, Pine Grove, Triangle, VA (Classic)
Registration	Pre-registration will open at 6pm on Monday March 1 for this event, - via this link [11]. Registration will close no later than 6pm Sat. March 6 (the night before the event). Who's registered? Check by clicking here [12]. Sorting by column is possible too - just click on the column name.
Start Times	Participants will register in advance for a specified 15 or 45 minute check-in window (including map pick-up), starting at 9:45am until the final window from 1:15-1:30pm. Each window will be limited to 15 or 45 "starts" (solo individuals or groups).
Schedule	Sunday, March 7 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Classic:
Volunteers	Event Director: Karla Hulett [5] Event Director: Tim McCormick [13] Course Designer: Gary Smith [14] Course Designer: Paul Hession [15]
Location Details	Classic Prince William Forest Park Pine Grove Triangle, VA Google Map [16] Take I-95 to exit 150 (150B from points north). Head west on Joplin Road (VA-619) and take the second right for the park entrance. The Pine Grove pavilion is on the left just before the Visitor Center.
Course Details	Classic Course Name Length (km) Climb (m) No. Controls White 2.3 45 7 Yellow 3.3 70 11 Orange 4 85 10 Brown 4 110 9 Green 6 130 12 Red 7.9 205 15 Blue 10.3 265 19
Course Notes	Classic Prince William Forest Park has some of QOC’s most iconic terrain. The woods provide a nice mix of runnable open woods and thicker areas. As of last week the woods are mostly snow free and dry, although there are a few muddy areas (the trails tend to be muddier than the woods). It has been a while since the map was updated. In particular, this means that there are many areas of unmapped deadfall and rootstocks. In addition, many mapped point features such as rootstocks and pits are no longer there. Trails and vegetation are mostly still mapped correctly, but don’t be surprised to see changes. The main obstacle in the area is Quantico Creek. The blue, green and orange courses all cross the creek, but the most reasonable route choices will cross at bridges. The red course has one leg where you will be tempted to cross the water. If you choose to do this, be very careful. The red course also has a leg that will tempt you to go through cabin camp 3. You may see signs that say not to enter, but we have permission to go through the area, so you can ignore them. And by the way, the QOC board has recently contracted with Jon Torrance to update the park map with phase one starting in the Pine Grove area, so we can look forward to an much improved map in the near future. Have fun and enjoy.
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 [17] (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 [18]. 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. Free beginner instruction is always available - just ask at the registration table. While COVID-19 policies are in effect, please check out instructional videos online such as those mentioned above in lieu of in-person/at-event instruction.