Jug Bay

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June 5
Sunday

Pre-registration is required and will open on Monday, May 30 at 6pm and will close at Noon Saturday June 4.
There will not be day-of registration.

Welcome back to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary for 46th annual Chase, the second-longest continually running annual non-championship Orienteering race in the United States.

The Chase returns once again - celebrating QOC's successful 2021-2022 September - June season.

We again look forward to having an almost-normal Chase event.

The event will center on a Mass Start at Noon. Starts will be allowed as early as 10 AM, for those not comfortable with the Mass Start format – and of course, starts will be allowed after the Mass Start until 1:30 PM.

This event is free to all registered QOC members. Non-members can register at standard QOC member rates.

Newcomers are welcome and courses will be suited for all levels from beginner to advanced.

Sorry, dogs are not allowed at Jug Bay for their sake and the sake of numerous traps and food caches used in ongoing studies by the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian.

Schedule of Events
9:30am – Early start check in and map issue opens.
10:00 – Courses open for early starts
11:20 – Early Starts end.
11:30 – Annual Meeting / Voting for Board Members
11:50 – Map Issue and Pre-Race Brief
12:00 Noon - Mass Start for The Chase
12:15pm – Courses open for late starts
1:30 – Last Start
3:00 – Courses Close / Control Pickup begins

So here's how the event will run, at least in theory:

• We've been asked to repeat this, so here goes: No pets are allowed in the park. No exceptions.
• Convenient parking is a bit limited so carpooling, where appropriate, is encouraged.
• Parking: the majority of our parking will be in the same area as last year. Instead of the area near the caretaker’s house, most vehicles will park near the northern barn, located just west of River Farm Road’s turn to the Southwest near the north end of the fenced community garden. Carpooling is still encouraged.
• Note that if you’re arriving after 10 AM, be alert for runners on the entrance road.
• Early starters note that you may have to navigate through the Meeting to reach required controls.
• Please don't wait until the last moment to show up since everyone needs to check in with the e-punch team well in advance of the mass start regardless of our preregistration routine.
• 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).
• 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.
• Water will not be provided on the courses but will be available at the start and finish.

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 on the courses. Provide for your own hydration needs out on the course, or tough it out until your return to the quaffing zone.
• No food or snacks will be provided by QOC, but the picnic tables will be open for use.

What’s different this year?
After the loss of most early 2020 events and the COVID risk reduction protocols used throughout the last two seasons, it seems appropriate to take advantage of those relaxations and have a mostly normal event. However, some traditional Chase elements won’t happen at Jug Bay this year. These include:

• No Potluck.
• Although we are not having the open potluck and party, the picnic tables at our event will be open for personal use. QOC is providing beverages. Bring your own food.
• Option to avoid the Mass Start by starting early or later.
• No beginner instruction.

Detailed course notes are now available below.

The Annual Meeting of the Quantico Orienteering Club General Membership will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2022 promptly at 11:30 AM in conjunction with the Jug Bay Event in the area of the Caretakers House, Bristol Maryland. The Election of Officers for 2022-2023 Season will take place at the meeting. Members do not need to participate in the Chase event to be able attend the meeting and cast a vote for the slate of officers. The Nominating Committee, chaired by Jody Landers, has recommended the following slate of officers for the coming year.
President: Don Fish
VP of Competition/MD: Craig Shelden
VP of Competition/Permits - MD: Mike Newman
VP of Competition/VA: Charles Carrick
VP of Competition/Permits - VA: Bill Wright
Treasurer: Karla Hulett
Deputy Treasurer: Dave Levine
Secretary: Beatri Bennett

We would like to thank and acknowledge Laura Linville, who has dutifully and diligently served as the Club Secretary for the past three years and has decided not to stand for re-election this year. We heartily thank Laura for her stalwart service.

The Annual Picnic and Awards Ceremony will take place immediately following the running of the courses. Special thanks and appreciation to Dave Linthicum and Peggy Brosnan for graciously arranging for QOC's use of the Jug Bay area.

Event Overview

Everyone on a given course does their loops in the same order.

Maps will be handed out at the starting line; don't look at the squiggly brown lines until the start is announced.

You will need to have a cup filled with your "race beverage" of choice in hand; we'll have water and beer (adults only).

The mass start will take place at Noon.

When the race starts, empty your cup (into you), throw it with style to the ground, turn over and look at your map (that means turn the map over, not, turn your body over), and figure out where to go. Or, just follow someone and hope for the best. Every orienteer does that now and then, so why not here and now?

In contrast to most orienteering races, following someone is OK in this race… if you dare. Hint: see the Course Setter’s notes below.

After finding your controls in the correct order, you'll wind up back at the starting area.

Some loops will have random controls, but still require passage through the Quaffing Zone between loops.

Punch the Quaffing Zone Entry control as you enter the beverage area.

After that, quaff another cup of your beverage of choice.

And punch the Quaffing Zone exit control before heading out for your next loop.

The finish of each loop is near the start triangle of the next loop, but all loops start and finish in the same place. The start is just up the hill from the finish. Repeat this process until you’ve completed all your required loops.

Time stops after you've quaffed the last drop from your beverage of choice AND have punched the finish control.

Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to our Event Director or for general questions, just use our Contact Us form.

Location	Jug Bay, Caretaker's House Area, Bristol, MD (Mass Start & Party)
Registration	Registration for this event opens at 6pm on Monday May 30 via this link. Advance registration is required. Registration will close at noon on Saturday June 4 (the day before the event). Who's registered? Check by clicking here. Sorting by column is possible too - just click on the column name.
Start Times	Participants will register in advance for one of three start options: Early, Mass Start, Late. The Early and Late options will avoid the Mass Start.
Schedule	Sunday, June 5 9:30 am Mass Start & Party: Check in 10:00 am Mass Start & Party: Early Starts begin 12:00 pm Mass Start & Party: Mass Start
Volunteers	Event Director: Iva Zicha Course Designer: Craig Shelden
Location Details	Mass Start & Party, Mass Start & Party, Mass Start & Party Jug Bay Caretaker's House Area Bristol, MD Google Map From the MD. Rt. 4 Capital Beltway exit, head south/east on Rt. 4 for 8 miles (where you cross over U.S. Rt. 301), then 3 more miles south (into Anne Arundel County) on Rt. 4 to the "Plummer Lane" exit. Ignore all "Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary" signs and continue on Plummer Lane (which becomes Pindell Rd.) for 2.0 miles, making a hard right turn at 5 mailboxes. Take the paved "River Farm" road for a mile though the O' map terrain; after the road become dirt, look for parking in the field a bit before the house by Jug Bay. Google Maps Link Apple/iPhone Link
Course Details	Mass Start & Party Course Name Length (km) Climb (m) No. Controls White 3 30 12 Yellow 3.3 30 11 Orange 4.9 55 16 Beige 3.3 70 11 Brown 5.1 105 18 Green 5.4 100 16 Red 6.6 130 20 Blue 8.5 210 28
Course Notes	Mass Start & Party The Jug Bay map was last updated for our 2021 event and has held up pretty well. An ice storm has added to the unmapped deadfall, but it can be avoided without much impact on travel. There are a few unmapped heavy use game trails and informal trails, but in general official trails are blazed and well-marked. Visibility is what one would expect in a mid-Atlantic late spring. The northern area has lots of growth and visibility suffers accordingly – especially in the marshy areas north of the entrance road. During streamering, all mapped marshes were larger than shown with some smaller unmapped marshes appearing in lower areas. Unless the preceding week is exceptionally dry, all participants should expect wet feet. White and Yellow may be able to keep their feet dry, but only by accepting some significant distance penalties – more on that below. The electric fence around the South County Community Garden is energized and should be avoided. Although some route choice may take advantage of the mowed perimeter, there’s no cause to get close to the fence. When running in fields or grass-obscured surfaces, be alert for animal dens and watch your step – even the mowed perimeter around the field north of the Start has a few. Be sure to bring and use insect repellent and sunscreen. Course Specific Notes: White: This single loop White course should enable confident runners to cut a corner or two, enjoy some time off trail, and save some distance. Yellow: This single loop Yellow course offers confident runners the opportunity to skip significant trail distance by using a short compass leg and by taking advantage of a terrain feature. Orange: Two Loops. Advanced Courses: Beige – one loop Brown, Green, and Red – two loops Blue – three loops A 2.4 km common loop is shared by Brown, Green, and Blue. A 3.3 km common loop is shared by Beige (their only loop), Brown, and Red. A Random Order Controls loop is shared by Green and Blue. … by some estimates, it could be as short as 3.4 km: your mileage will vary. Blue has one unique loop of 3.6 km Red has one unique loop of 3.7 km Some controls are visited more than once – one with the expectation that it will help ease water crossing. Many controls are relatively close to each other, so there’s lots of opportunity for parallel errors. Random Order Loop? I’ve gotten a few questions about what a Random Order Loop is all about. So here goes: A random order loop has controls that must all be visited, but they can be visited in any order. This is like a Score O (choose your own sequence) but unlike a Score O:: all must be visited. Implications for the two courses that have the Random Order Loop: Green – You will finish your beverage at the Start and then go to the first control you choose. When you have visited all the controls using your chosen path, you’ll return to the Quaffing Zone, down your refreshment, and head out on your second conventional loop. Blue – You will finish your beverage at Start and then go out for a conventional first loop. When you have finished all the controls on that loop and visited the Quaffing Zone you will head out for the first control you choose. When you have visited all the controls using your chosen path, you’ll return to the Quaffing Zone, down your refreshment, and head out on your third conventional loop. If you think this sounds a bit like the Bumble, with windows of “any order controls” you’ve got it mostly right: now replace the “window” with the entire Jug Bay map. As always, feel free to reach out to me (use the Course Setter link above) and I’ll try to make things more clear. I also plan to talk about these during the pre-Race brief. Looking ahead to next season: The two event Vice Presidents will have the draft schedule available for sign up – some events should have meet directors and course setters shown on the web page – but please check your calendars and come ready to help plan next season. We have some fun events planned, some new approaches to old favorites, and some new terrain – our strength is our volunteers – and we’re looking forward to working with you. See you Sunday!
Entry Fees	Special Pricing Applies to this event: Members are free, others are 1/2 price! 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 (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. 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 created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst