PWF Happyland Night-O

[1]

March 26
Saturday

Night Orienteering Note: per ARDF.us [2], this area is embargoed prior to April 6-10 for the 2022 ARDF Championships. As a result, anyone attending this QOC event may not compete in the ARDF Championships.

Course comments are now posted below!

**Pre-registration for this Saturday night event is required, opening Monday March 21 at 6pm and closing Friday Mar. 25 at 6pm; there will not be day-of registration.**

Quantico Orienteering Club will not host our traditional training weekend this year, but we will hold a night-day combo orienteering weekend at the former training weekend location – Camp 5, also known as Happyland, Prince William Forest Park, VA. The Night-O will be held on March 26. See the separate announcement (here [3]) for the Day-O on March 27.

Night-O returns to Happyland on Saturday evening, March 26. Come orienteer in the dark - it's fun, it's instructive, and only a little spooky. We will hold registration in the lodge and you are welcome to change there and leave gear while you run, but due to our COVID precautions, we ask that you wear a mask while indoors, maintain social distance (except for immediate family), and depart as soon as possible after you complete your run. We will not have check-in windows for the Night-O, as we do for day meets, but it does require pre-registration and payment. Start your course any time between 7:30 - 9:00pm, and be absolutely sure to be back before 10:30pm. Course details for the 4 courses (1 beginner, 1 intermediate, 2 advanced - short and long) are posted below.

Parking is limited at the site, so carpooling is strongly recommended (and will save $)! Note that the fee charged for each vehicle has been raised to $20. Although you do not go through the main Park entrance gate to get to Happyland, you are still responsible to pay the entry fee and display the receipt in your parked vehicle. The $20 entrance fee is good for 7 days, so you only need to pay once for the weekend. Since the park office will be closed on Saturday evening, you are encouraged to pay the fee online via this link [4]. (NOTE: the fee for an annual park pass is $35; QOC members may want to consider purchasing an annual pass for this great park.)

Driving directions are also posted below. We have not finalized the parking arrangements for the Night-O participants yet, but we will post the details as soon as they are available. UPDATE: After entering the road to Camps 2 & 5 road from Route 619, turn right at the T-intersection and follow the road until you see the parking guide who will direct you to the correct parking area.

Be prepared to walk up to 800 meters in the dark to the registration area, so have your headlamp or flashlight ready to go. We will try to get closer-in parking, but parking is tight in that area. We will have parking attendants to assist you in parking.

Due to COVID, cabin accommodations unfortunately will not be available at Happyland. If you don’t want to drive home after the Night-O and want to stay for the Day-O, there are several hotels/motels in the immediate area. Just search for lodging in Dumfries.

Groups totaling 8 or more: although you will be pre-registering online (in groups of 4 or less per registration), for their awareness please let the Event Director know of your plans and participant numbers.

COVID Risk Reduction Protocols:

As with all 2021-2022 QOC events, this event requires pre-registration via the link below. QOC’s COVID risk reduction protocols, as also enumerated somewhat here [5], are in effect. Please read these guidelines carefully. Key points:

PROPERLY WORN MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING ARE REQUIRED at all times when near registration, epunch and any other areas or queues where volunteers and/or participants are congregating.
No water will be provided. Provide for your own hydration needs before, during, and after the event.
There is no planned, on-site beginner instruction, but beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one [6] created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst.

Additional information:

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).
Dogs are welcome in this park but must be kept on leash at all times.
The rest rooms at Happyland will be open for our event. They are in a separate building. Ask in the Lodge for the location.

Location

Prince William Forest Park, Camp 5 - Happyland, Triangle, VA (NightO)

Registration

Registration for this Saturday night event opens at 6pm on Monday, March 21 via this link [7]. Registration will close at 6pm on Friday March 25.
Who's registered? Check by clicking here [8]. Sorting by column is possible too - just click on the column name.

Start Times

Start your course any time between 7:30 - 9:00pm, and be absolutely sure to be back before 10:30pm.

Schedule

Saturday, March 26

7:00 pm - 10:30 pm

NightO:

Volunteers

Event Director:	Bill Wright [9]
Course Designer:	Vido Aleksiev [10]

Location Details

NightO
Prince William Forest Park
Camp 5 - Happyland
Triangle, VA
Google Map [11]

From I-95 exit 150B (near Triangle, VA) go west on Joplin Road ~4.5 miles, then turn right and follow the red and white orienteering signs on Mawavi Road. Registration is (usually) in the Dining Hall of Camp 5. More detailed directions available using the Google map link. Note: Mawavi Road is likely to have runners on it - please be careful as you drive in. Please park in lots or where directed by volunteers (otherwise you're likely to get a costly ticket).
Google Maps Link [11]
Apple/iPhone Link [12]

Course Details

NightO

Course Name	Length (km)	Climb (m)	No. Controls
Beginner	2.5	95	12
Intermediate	4	120	12
Short Advanced	5.1	160	12
Long Advanced	7.9	270	15

Course Notes

NightO

If I have to summarize the course notes in one word it will be "deadfall". The woods around Happyland have suffered a lot due to the storms in the last few years. There are many unmapped rootstocks and areas of downed trees. The courses were designed for the cancelled Night-O event 2 years ago. Back then, I made some effort to map some of the deadfall around the controls and along the legs. Unfortunately, I found new deadfall this year that of course are unmapped. In addition, you can find thick vegetation in places marked as white woods. Because of the thick vegetation, the intermediate course has one streamered leg, from the first to the second control. Watch for reflective markers on the way to the second control.
Most of the mapped water features seem to be close to their normal size. The beginner course doesn't cross the South Fork Quantico Creek and is entirely in the Camp 5 and Camp 2 area. All other courses are designed to use the bridges to cross the South Fork Quantico Creek. The other small creeks and streams are crossable but you may end-up with wet feet.
One of the possible route choices for one intermediate course leg uses Scenic Drive. The advanced courses cross Scenic Drive twice. I don't expect traffic on Scenic Drive during the night but pay attention when using or crossing the road.
There will be two different starts. The start location for the Beginner and Intermediate courses will be on the front of the dining hall we usually use, while the advanced start will be 150 meters from the dining hall.
Did I mention the deadfall?

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 [13] (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 [14].
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 [6] created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst

PWF Happyland Night-O

March 26 Saturday

Course comments are now posted below!

Pre-registration for this Saturday *night* event is required, opening Monday March 21 at 6pm and closing Friday Mar. 25 at 6pm; there will not be day-of registration.

March 26
Saturday

**Pre-registration for this Saturday night event is required, opening Monday March 21 at 6pm and closing Friday Mar. 25 at 6pm; there will not be day-of registration.**