Fountainhead East

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January 9
Sunday

Update as of 7am Sunday Jan. 9: This event is a go! See you at Fountainhead.

The Sunday weather forecast for Fountainhead Regional Park predicts quite adventurous conditions: showers and light rain in the mid-late morning and then steadier rain at some points after noon with temperatures reaching the low-mid 40s. Come prepared and drive safely.

If participants would like to go out on their courses somewhat earlier than their pre-registered start times, we will try to accommodate them. However, do not check in before 9:45 am.
There will not be day-of registration.

Welcome to the first QOC Virginia event of 2022! For this Fountainhead event, we'll be orienteering in the eastern section of the park, i.e., the part running south and east from the park main entrance road all the way to Sandy Run. See a graphic overview of FHE here. We will have access to all of Fountainhead East (minus the archery range area) including the mountain bike course area for the first time since 2016, so the event will be logistically much easier than our last FHE meet in September of 2019. Check-in will be at shelter 1 and e-punch registration at the small shack at the south end of the parking lot adjacent to shelter 1 that our e-punch team customarily uses. Start and finish will be in the general vicinity of the parking lot and the bike course entrance. Patrick Farley has designed a full set of seven classic courses (details below) to take advantage of this great terrain.

Fountainhead Regional Park leadership has coordinated with MORE (Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts mountain bike club) and QOC and designated 9 January as a work day for MORE on two of the three bike loops--Blue and Black--and an orienteering event day in the FHE area for QOC, with the entire bike course closed to cycling. A park representative will be operating in the area of the bike course entrance to help facilitate the event.

QOC white and yellow courses will use the bike course Green loop (the loop closest to the parking lot.) QOC Orange and advanced courses will have full access to all of FHE except the Northern Virginia Archers' archery area which will be marked as off-limits on all maps. The boundaries of the archery course are delineated on the ground with Do Not Enter signs.

Orange-Blue runners may well encounter MORE work parties at some locations on the Blue and Black loops. Please be vigilant in that regard and, without exception, give a berth to any work parties and/or work areas on the Blue and Black loops, as you cross over the bike trails or run on a stretch of trail. It is important that we do our part to make this event function smoothly in conjunction with MORE's maintenance activities.

ARDF Radio Orienteering Courses: We will also be offering a ten-control "Fox-O" radio-direction-finding (ARDF) orienteering course designed by Mike Kholodov, a perfect complement to your classic course for those who would like to try a new orienteering experience. Click here for more details.

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, 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 created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst.
• There will be eight 15 minute check-in windows followed by two 45min windows (as for most QOC events this season).

• 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).
• Port-a-johns will be on site.
• Pets are permitted in the park but must be leashed at all times.
• You're Invited! QOC veteran Sidney Sachs will host a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, January 11th at 8pm to review selected FHE course legs and analyze the routes various orienteers took. Please contact Sid Sachs for the invite link.