Patapsco Hilton

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January 27
Sunday

PVSP Cascase Falls

Welcome back to this section of Patapsco Valley State Park, where you'll find fairly typical ridge/valley terrain (similar to Avalon/Orange Grove), with steep hillsides going down to the streams, an extensive trail network, and small rocks scattered about. The full set of courses (white through blue) will be available, and course stats and course setter comments are now posted below along with map notes.

Event timing will be standard: register at the event between 10:45-1:15, start any time between 11-1:30, and be sure to check back in at the epunch station before 3pm.

Group Leaders: please see our For Group Leaders webpage and then contact the Event Director so your group can get pre-registered in advance.

Feel free to use our Contact Us form if you have any questions!

Location

Patapsco Valley State Park, CCBC Catonsville, Catonsville, MD (Classic)
RegistrationNo advance registration required. Just show up and have fun!
Start TimesStart any time between the specified times (usually 11am - 1:30pm).
ScheduleSunday, January 27
11:00 am - 3:00 pmClassic:
Volunteers
Event Director:Cecilia Landers
Event Director:Jody Landers
Course Designer:Ted Good
Location Details

Classic
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 DetailsClassic
Course NameLength (km)Climb (m)No. Controls
White 2.64012
Yellow 3.310012
Orange 4.417510
Brown 3.410510
Green 5.617511
Red 7.833013
Blue 10.445518
Course NotesClassic

Map
Rootstocks: Rootstocks must be greater than 2 meters to be mapped but some older ones may now be less than that. I updated the rootstocks I came across but didn’t cover the whole map so you may find some new ones or ones that have eroded away. Generally, I think things are still pretty accurate.

Trails: The park has been redoing trails again. Because I didn’t want to remap them, I just removed them from the map on all the advanced courses. Some trails are listed as closed but are very prominent. For the most part, the courses avoid the closed trails but there are a few small sections where they may be useful. Feel free to use them if you come across them.

This has been a wet year and water features are full. There are some small unmapped marshy areas. Expects to get your feet wet at some point.

Rock: There are rocky areas on the map so beware of your footing. All rocks larger than a meter in any direction have been mapped. Smaller rocks that are distinct are also mapped. In rocky areas it may be difficult to tell what is/isn’t mapped.

There is an active rail road on the map. If you decide to use the railroad tracks be careful of trains (!).

The Bloede Dam was recently removed. The area around it is out of bounds and is marked as such on the map. Courses don’t go there.

Vegetation:
Woods are generally very open. There are some small areas of thicker vegetation but these are easily avoidable.

Invasive plants are a problem in this park. Stilt grass has died back and isn’t a problem. There are still patches of the wavy leaf basket grass. It won’t impede your progress but check before you leave the park that you aren’t taking any of their sticky seeds home. REMOVE any STICKY SEEDS BEFORE LEAVING THE PARK. Place seeds in plastic bag at the registration area. Do not discard seeds on the ground.

Courses:
Plan on getting your feet wet. All courses but white will cross the streams right out of the start. Due to debris causing dams, water has spilled over the usual stream areas where the trails cross it. The stream can be crossed without getting your feet wet but you will have to weave to do so.

It is not recommend using today to try a harder course than you are used to.

Advanced courses: Brown, Green, Red, Blue. All trails have been removed from the map in order to make the orienteering more challenging. Roads are still on the map.
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) can be purchased from online vendors 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.