Patapsco

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February 3
Saturday

The BumbleCome out and celebrate the 6th annual Super Bowl Saturday Bumble AND enjoy QOC’s Winter Meeting and Pot Luck Party! This year we head to Patapsco to enjoy terrain that includes an intricate trail system sprinkled with some steep but fun areas. In addition to the Bumble Mass Start event for advanced participants (see photo - can Chris Gross defend his Blue Bumble Title?), there will also be White and Orange level courses available. PLEASE read the notes below for important details about the courses and the party.

Registration, downloading, and the post-race party will be in the Cafeteria of the Student Services Center (SSRV) of the Community College of Baltimore County - Catonsville. A locator map is available here.

  • We do NOT have access to a kitchen:
    • Please keep items that need refrigeration in a cooler (or in your car if it’s a cold day).
    • Feel free to bring crock pots; there are plenty of outlets.
    • Please bring serving utensils for your dish.
  • NO alcohol allowed; QOC will provide non-alcoholic beverages, cups, utensils and paper goods.
  • NO spikes allowed in Student Services Center.
  • We have access to restrooms in the building but PLEASE do not wear muddy shoes into the facility. Change them before you come in! There is also a port-a-john available in Lot 6.
Parking is plentiful, and we have permission to use two lots. Lot 5 is next to Student Services Center. Lot 6 is where the start is located and is a very short walk to the SSRV (about 400 meters – see locater map below).

Because of the mass-start we will open registration at 10:00 am. Please be sure to arrive early to avoid a last minute rush. Important notes:

  • Beginners are welcome (just like 99% of our events!)
  • White and Orange courses will have regular starts from 11:00am to 1:30pm.
  • The advanced courses (Beige, Brown, Mint, Green, Pink, Red, Blue) will have a MASS START at 11:30am allowing Bumblers to have up to 3.5 hours to complete their course due to some areas with steep terrain. Please be ready for the PRE-RACE briefing at 11:15am in Lot 6.
  • We will have a clothing drop at the start; clothes will be available for pick up in the Cafeteria.
  • Everyone must be out of the woods by 3:00pm, which is when we will begin picking up controls.
  • Bumble prizes will be awarded for:
    • first male and first female to cross the finish (from the mass start) regardless of course
    • fastest competitor on the Blue course
  • Dogs are welcome in the park and on campus, but they must be on leashes. They cannot enter the Cafeteria unless they are legally certified service dogs.
The Bumble Prizes from REI! We have quite a haul of gear this year to giveaway via raffle this year thanks to REI (see the photo for just a sampling). Write your name (legibly!) on the ticket you'll get at registration and submit it before noon to the prize type of your choice. Drawing will be during the Winter Meeting ... and yes, you must be present to win.

Any youth or large groups attending, please contact the Event Director so that we can coordinate pre-registration for your group; the group registration and waiver form is part of the information on our Group Leaders page.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon! Please feel free to contact the Event Director (link below) with questions.

Location

Patapsco Valley State Park, CCBC Catonsville, Catonsville, MD (Bumble & Winter Meeting)
RegistrationNo advance registration required. Just show up and have fun!
Start TimesYou may start your course at any time during the start window listed below for your event.
ScheduleSaturday, February 3
10:00 am - 1:15 pmBumble & Winter Meeting: Registration open
11:00 am - 1:30 pmBumble & Winter Meeting: White and Orange courses: start any time in this window
11:15 amBumble & Winter Meeting: Pre-race briefing for Mass Start in Lot 6 / clothing drop available
11:30 amBumble & Winter Meeting: Bumble Mass Start(note for this year: competitors will have 1 minute to review the map before the clock starts)
2:00 pmBumble & Winter Meeting: Winter Meeting and Party Begins (2pm-ish)
3:00 pmBumble & Winter Meeting: All courses close – everyone to have finished and downloaded
4:00 pm - 5:00 pmBumble & Winter Meeting: Clean up and depart; happy to have everyone’s help.
Volunteers
Event Director:Heidi Onkst
Course Designer:David Onkst
Location Details

Bumble & Winter Meeting, Bumble & Winter Meeting, Bumble & Winter Meeting, Bumble & Winter Meeting, Bumble & Winter Meeting, Bumble & Winter Meeting, Bumble & Winter Meeting
Patapsco Valley State Park
CCBC Catonsville
Catonsville, MD
Google Map

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 DetailsBumble & Winter Meeting
Course NameLength (km)Climb (m)No. Controls
White 2.27511
Orange 515510
Beige 51657
Brown 7.524012
Mint 7.524012
Advanced
Green 932517
Pink 932517
Red 1044022
Blue 1249027
Course NotesBumble & Winter Meeting

General:

  • The woods are lovely and open. On all courses, you may see unmapped rocks, rootstocks and/or trails. Using contours (particularly for advanced courses) is very reliable.
  • Please pay attention to "out of bounds" areas marked on the map.

    • White & Orange Notes: Courses are slightly steeper than usual. For Orange, please be careful of the glass bottle trash piles around control #8 (ruin).

    Bumble Notes (advanced courses):

    • Climb & distances are estimated; and will depend on which window(s) you select.
    • Courses with 3 or more windows could include 1k+ of a road run, depending on route choice.
    • Spikes or heavy treaded footwear are highly recommended.
    • Some of the windows involve river and train track crossings.
    • You may ONLY use the two designated locations marked on the map to cross the river; one is in NW area (the swinging bridge), the other is in the SE corner (a road).
    • Please do NOT run when crossing the swinging bridge, and be courteous to any other park visitors on that bridge.
    • Please be very careful crossing or running along the train tracks.
    • Also, take careful note of the climb involved when making route choices.
    (Slight course design change from previous years so please read!)

    In addition to the regular beginning and intermediate courses, this event will also have one, single, very unique, “mass start” advanced course. As in past years, all of the advanced courses – Beige through Blue – will be rolled-up into one course/event. If you fear you won’t be able to keep up with the speedsters, don’t worry, there will be several twists to level the playing field.

    The advanced courses comprise a first and last control and 5 windows that contain 5 controls each. This year there will be NO controls in between windows. The windows vary in size, and each competitor, depending on his or her gender and orienteering level, will have a handicap that will determine how many windows he or she must run. The level is based on the normal course you run at local QOC Meets.

    As per normal window rules, you must visit every control in the window, but the controls inside each window may be taken in any order the runner decides. Adding another twist, each competitor, depending on his or her handicap, will be able to determine which of the windows he or she wants to run. For example, if the handicap is 3 windows, the competitor can decide which 3 of the 5 windows he or she wants to include. And because there are no mandatory controls in between the windows, you can choose the order to run the windows in if you have two or more windows.

    So the race will go like this: The mass start begins and everyone runs to the FIRST control (mandatory). Then each competitor selects which windows he/she would like to visit (and in which order) based on their handicap. You then must complete all of the controls within a window before continuing. When you have completed all of your chosen window(s), you then must visit the course’s LAST control (mandatory) before heading to the finish where you will punch the finish box. Part of the fun is figuring out which way will be the quickest based on your physical and navigation strengths.

    Example of Window A sample window is shown at right.


    Bumble Course / Handicap (Number of Windows Required)
    Beige (Brown – F) / 1
    Brown (M) / 2
    Mint (Green – F) / 2
    Green (M) 3
    Pink (Red – F) / 3
    Red (M) / 4
    Blue (M & F) / 5

    The advanced course length for each runner will vary based on his or her handicap and what windows he or she decides to run. Those with the most generous handicap should only have to travel approximately 4.5-5K, while those with the least favorable handicap might have to run 12K or more. All others will fall somewhere in between depending on route choices. If racers select the course appropriate for their skill/fitness level, which should be your usual O-course, then everyone should conceivably finish at roughly the same time.

    If you can’t make the 11:30am mass start for some reason you can run the advanced course (according to your handicap) on your own just as long as you are finished by 3:00pm.

    Mass start races provide orienteers with several different and exciting challenges than they normally encounter during regular individual courses (such as following other orienteers). So, we hope you’ll join us at this fun and unique event.

Entry FeesIndividual Entries

Note: juniors = under 21

Club Member, adult Club Member, junior Non-Member, adult Non-Member, junior
Epunch Owner $5 $5 $10 $5
Epunch Borrower $10 $5 $15 $10

Team or Group Entries

Participants are welcome to compete together as a single team entry. Teams containing one or more nonmembers are charged the nonmember individual rate. Teams containing one or more adults are charged the adult individual rate. For teams to receive member or junior rates, all members of the team must be members or juniors, respectively. Each extra team map beyond the first is an additional $2. Individuals or teams desiring to compete on a second course can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map.

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 pay a higher entry fee (see above), which includes the loan of an epunch for that event. Loaned epunches that are lost incur a $40 replacement fee. Epunches (also known as SI-cards or finger sticks) are usually available for sale at each event 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 (driver's license or car keys) when borrowing a compass or epunch.
  • For additional safety, whistles are available for sale at $1/each.
  • Free beginner instruction is always available - just ask at the registration table.