Patapsco CCBC

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December 4
Sunday

Pre-registration is now closed, and there will *not* be day-of registration.

UPDATE AS OF 3:30PM SATURDAY: PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED, AND THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AS PLANNED.

QOC is thrilled to host the Mid-Atlantic Championships, an annual event including QOC, DVOA, CVOC, SVO and WPOC, including regular courses and a relay race. This year, it’s QOC’s turn to host, so we want to see a great turnout of QOC members!

This section of Patapsco Valley State Park is dominated by fairly typical ridge/valley terrain with steep hillsides going down to the streams, an extensive trail network, and small rocks scattered about.

Most of the map being used has been updated by QOC’s Mapping Director and Course Setter for this event, Ted Good (see map notes). Ted has put together a full suite of classic courses (White through Blue) and designed relays to take advantage of the CCBC campus, our hosts for parking and the sprint portions of the event.

Disregard! Permit has been approved.Important Note: Patapsco Valley State Park has a strict rain policy, which will force us to postpone or cancel the event in case of more than 1/4” of rain within the 24 hours preceding the event. Please check this webpage anytime after 6pm Saturday Dec. 3 for possible cancellation notices before traveling to the meet if rain has been falling in the preceding 24+ hours. If we are forced to cancel this event after registration has opened, we will fully refund all entry fees.

QOC Maryland VP for Events, Craig Shelden [2] acknowledges the weather cancellation potential as a calculated risk, but asserts the opportunity to share a great Orienteering venue with our neighboring clubs is too great to pass up. If we get rained out, we’ll reschedule early in 2023.

Mid-Atlantic Championships
The Mid-Atlantic Championships is an annual event that rotates location across the three main clubs. The 2022 event will be hosted by Quantico Orienteering Club at Patapsco State Park and Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC).

Everybody is welcome to participate in this event including members of Mid-Atlantic clubs, members of other clubs, and people new to orienteering. You can be competitively vying for the titles of Mid-Atlantic Individual and Relay champion or just out for a fun time in the woods; there are options here for everybody so don't be intimidated by some of the "competitive" aspects.

The event will consist of two races. In the morning there will be individual classic-length courses. In the afternoon there will be a three-leg relay (each leg being a relatively short, sprint-type course).

This event is a competition between Mid-Atlantic Clubs: (QOC, SVO, DVOA, CVOC, WPOC) for the coveted Broken Compass Award. Clubs will earn points based on attendance as well as performance in the classic race and the relay. Everyone is encouraged to participate - you can only help, not hurt, your club by running in races and earning points for your attendance and finish. Full scoring details are available in this [3] 2-page PDF.

In addition to the Broken Compass competition, the times and format will be a little different than you are used to from other QOC events, so please read the following carefully.

Pre-registration is required. Participants will have 3 hours to complete their classic courses.

Maps
Maps will be distributed at the start. Unlike some local events, you will not be able to study the map until after punching the start.

The classic courses’ map scale will be 1:10,000 with 5m contours. The relay courses’ map scale will be 1:4,000 with 2.5m contours.

Costs
Cost will follow standard QOC procedures. Members of any OUSA recognized club receives the QOC club member price. The Relay is included with the standard course registration so doesn’t incur additional cost. Pre-registration with payment is required.

Courses will open a bit earlier than our usual events at 9:00 AM with the last starts going off at 1:00 pm. Everyone needs to be out of the woods by 3:00 PM so we can collect all of the controls before it gets dark. But you will want to plan to run on the early side, because in addition to the individual races, the Mid-Atlantic Championships feature team relays, which will begin at 1:30 PM. The relays are a lot of fun and a great chance to build camaraderie with your fellow club members.

You don't need to identify a relay team yet; clubs will help organize and register teams the day of the event, so don't hesitate to join the fun. If you want to find a relay team in advance, email your club's Relay Organizer from the list below by clicking on their name (or contact your club leadership if not listed):

Relay Organizers are:
QOC: Glenn Pastel [4] and Addie Nolan
DVOA: Sam Kolins [5]

If you'd like to participate in the relays, please fill out the information (a form is available to print here [6]) below to help determine time handicaps and form teams. If you sign up for the relays please remember to stick around until 1:30 pm or notify the relay organizers:

Club:
Age:
Sex:
Preferred Teammate(s) (Up to 2 people):
Additional Comments:

Relay team registrations should be turned in by 1:00pm the day of the event to the registration (sooner is preferred) so there is time to get them entered into the system. Relay forms will be provided at the event but will need to include the below information.
Team Name: _________ Club: _____ Relay Category: _____
Leg 1 Competitor Name _____________ Dibber #: __________ Sex: _____ Age: _____ Relay Pts: _____
Leg 2 Competitor Name _____________ Dibber #: __________ Sex: _____ Age: _____ Relay Pts: _____
Leg 3 Competitor Name _____________ Dibber #: __________ Sex: _____ Age: _____ Relay Pts: _____

So plan on arriving early, staying late, and enjoying a great day of orienteering with your friends from all the Mid-Atlantic clubs at the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Championships!

Free Beginner Instruction will be offered, but please reach out to the Event Director if you have a group, so we can plan accordingly. Also, make sure to check out our Your First Event [7] and For Beginners [8] web pages, and if they don’t answer any remaining questions you have, just use our Contact Form [9] and ask away!

Group Leaders:
Please see our For Group Leaders [10] webpage if you are leading a youth or large group – even though you will be pre-registering online. Please contact the Event Director [11] with your plans and numbers for his awareness.

[12] Volunteer SignUps: If you'd like to help out at this event click here [12]. You can also contact the event director (listed below).

Pets are allowed in this park but must be kept on a leash at all times and pet owners must clean up their pet's waste (this is particularly true for the sports field near the starting area).

Reminders:

• QOC will continue to use pre-registration as the ONLY method of signing up for our meets. There will be NO day-of, on-site registration. Refunds are paid only in the case of event cancellation. The relay race is included with normal event registration.
• Masks are optional at all locations connected with the event. Please continue to minimize clustering at and around the check-in, e-punch, start and finish areas.
• As mentioned above, beginner instruction has resumed to provide an overview of orienteering basics for newcomers to the sport or those who just want a refresher.
• There is no water on the course. Participants are responsible for their own hydration. A very limited supply of bottled water for emergency use will be on hand with the Meet Director; but it is vital to stay well hydrated. Please come prepared!
• There are no snacks offered by QOC.
• When registering, classic course participants will select from among the available 15 minute check-in windows (those registering later may find a more limited selection as some windows reach maximum capacity and therefore become unavailable.
• Maps will be provided at the start and not at registration like most QOC events. After finishing, do not show your map to anyone who hasn't competed.

See below for detailed course notes.

Location	Patapsco Valley State Park, CCBC Catonsville, Catonsville, MD (Mid-Atlantics)
Registration	Registration for this event will open at 6pm on Monday Nov. 21 via this link [13]. Registration will close at noon on Saturday Dec. 3. Pre-registration is mandatory for everyone for the classic courses; relay registration will be at the event. Who's registered? Check by clicking here [14]. Sorting by column is possible too - just click on the column name.
Start Times	Start times will be by windows (to be defined for this event before registration opens).
Schedule	Sunday, December 4 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Mid-Atlantics: Classic Courses 1:00 pm Mid-Atlantics: Relay Team Registrations due 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Mid-Atlantics: Relays
Volunteers	Event Director: John Landers [11] Course Designer: Ted Good [15]
Location Details	Mid-Atlantics, Mid-Atlantics, Mid-Atlantics Patapsco Valley State Park CCBC Catonsville Catonsville, MD Google Map [16] Take 95 to 195/166 west. Take this until the road ends at South Rolling Road (keep right or you will end up in the Park-n-Ride). Go right/North on South Rolling Road. South Rolling Road has speed cameras so pay attention to the posted speed limit. Take South Rolling road to Campus Drive (there is a stop light there). Go left on Campus Drive. Follow Campus Drive to the top of the hill where the road splits to make a loop around the campus; keep left at this split. Follow the road around to Lot 6. Registration will be towards the field.
Course Details	Mid-Atlantics Course Name Length (km) Climb (m) No. Controls White 2.8 40 13 Yellow 3.3 85 12 Orange 4.4 155 10 Brown 3.4 120 10 Green 5.3 190 11 Red 7.4 335 9 Blue 9.9 470 14 Sprint A 2.2 35 10 Sprint B 3.2 60 17 Sprint C 3.3 50 15
Course Notes	Mid-Atlantics Classic Course Map Notes Classic courses use a 1:10,000 scale map with 5 meter contours. Several areas have been “greening up” with bushes with small thorn growing up. In small areas they are easily avoided but over time they take over the terrain. Larger areas have been mapped but small patches likely aren’t. This area is used heavily by mountain bikers so be aware of them as they will likely not be aware of you. While vetting I saw several racing full speed down the trails. If you hear one coming step aside and let them pass to avoid an accident. 2 meter root stocks at the time of mapping. Some may be smaller now over time. They are definitely removed if they get below a meter. Rock: All distinct rocks are mapped. If they are at least a meter in any direction they are on the map. Smaller boulders are mapped around the Catonsville Community College. Trails: Trails under power lines are hard to see. Animal trails not mapped. Area is heavily used by bikers some of which go quite fast down the trail. There are areas of the invasive Wavy Leaf Basket Grass on the map. By the time of event the plants should be flat to the ground but be sure to check your clothing for any seeds just in case. These are sticky seeds with a long single hair like strand on them. You do not want to transport this invasive species. Relay Map Notes Relay courses (designated as Sprint A/B/C) use a 1:4,000 scale map with 2.5 meter contours. The sprint map wasn’t made as a sprint map with Sprint Symbols. The map is part of the 1:10,000 forest map that has been blown up to 1:4,000. So while there is more detail than usual, not everything shows up as well as a sprint map. Groups of trees that are too close to map individually are mapped as open scattered trees The paved trails used the brown paved trail symbol. Unpaved trails used the wooded trail symbol (black dashes). The one black X used for a control is a stone memorial bench. This campus is set on a hill so there is climb on the courses. Assume all steps on the campus have railings. The railings are not on the map.
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. In addition to free on-site beginner instruction if needed, beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one [19] created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst