Wheaton

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionPDF versionPDF versionShareThis

October 27
Sunday

HalloweenPre-registration is required for this event, opening Monday, October 21 at 6pm and closing Saturday Oct. 26 at 12 noon.
There will be no day-of registration.

Quantico Orienteering Club is pleased to announce the annual Spooky-O taking place at Wheaton Regional Park in suburban Maryland. Wheaton Regional Park is a forested park boasting numerous outdoor and recreational activities within its 536 acres. Huge playground! Outdoor workout facility! Mountain biking course! Dog park! Brookside Gardens! You could make a day of it.

We will be offering six courses (White through Red), courtesy of course designer Parker Nevenglosky. Course notes and stats for all courses are now posted below. Our outdoor site for this year’s event is Shelter H, accessed from the same parking lot off Shorefield Drive as the Miniature Train Station and Carousel.

Participants are highly encouraged to come in costume! Trick-or-treaters of all ages in costume may get candy at the registration area.

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 and For Beginners webpages. Beginners are also encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst. If they don’t answer any remaining questions you have, just use our Contact Form and ask.

Check in will open about 9:45am and courses will open at 10:00am. Everyone must be out of the woods and back at the registration/finish area by 3:00pm when we will begin picking up the controls. Allow yourself time to get back to the registration area and download regardless of whether you have finished. We want to make sure of everyone’s safety and status.

For The Kids: Come and try the free "string-O" any time between 1-2pm. As their first orienteering step, kids follow a short course marked with string (under their parent's supervision). Minimum effort for parents, maximum fun for kids! There is also a large playground onsite, plus there is an “eye spy” Halloween-themed train running weekends from 9:30-4:30 for $8/ticket.

Post-Event Social: After your run join fellow orienteers at The Dish & Dram, just 3.3 miles southwest of Wheaton Regional Park. Thanks to the generous offer of manager Matthew, orienteers will have happy hour pricing as well as 15% off their check, with purchase and map as proof.

Volunteer: Please email the Event Director directly if you are interested in volunteering.

Youth & Group Leaders: If you are leading a youth group or large group, please visit our For Group Leaders webpage. Even though you will be pre-registering online, please contact the Event Director to let them know your plans and numbers.

Reminders:

  • There is no water on the course. Participants are responsible for their own hydration need before, during and after their courses.
  • There will be no food offered by QOC.
  • Bring appropriate clothing (well, costuming!) for the weather conditions.
  • 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).
  • Restrooms are available at this site, next to the Train Station Party Room and by the playground/outdoor workout area.
  • Pets are permitted in the park but must be leashed at all times.

Location

Wheaton Regional Park, Shorefield Area, Shelter H, Wheaton, MD (Classic)
RegistrationAdvance registration is required. Registration opens at 6pm on Monday Oct. 21 and closes at 12 noon on Saturday Oct. 26 (the day before the event). There is no day-of registration.

.

Who's Registered? Check by clicking here.
Start TimesStart times will be by windows (to be defined for this event before registration opens).
ScheduleSunday, October 27
10:00 am - 3:00 pmClassic:
Volunteers
Event Director:Sharmagh Yepremian
Event Director:Jenny Kuenz
Course Designer:Parker Nevenglosky
Course Designer:Dawn Savage
Location Details

Classic
Wheaton Regional Park
Shorefield Area, Shelter H
Wheaton, MD
Google Map

From I-495 take Exit 31 for Georgia Avenue/MD 97 North. Follow Georgia Avenue north for almost 3 miles, then turn right onto Shorefield Road. Continue on Shorefield Road until you reach the parking area. Registration/check-in will be near Pavilion H.
Google Maps Link
Apple/iPhone Link
Course DetailsClassic
Course NameLength (km)Climb (m)No. Controls
White 2.9509
Yellow 3.3808
Orange 4.110010
Brown 3.6959
Green 4.912513
Red 6.519014
Course NotesClassic

Course Notes:
The Contour interval for this event is 5m.
Course map scales: 1:5000 for White & Yellow, 1:7500 for Orange, 1:10000 for Brown, Green, and Red.
Wheaton is one of QOC’s smaller parks and it has plenty of trails that run throughout the course.

The Course:
The park is typically very green, with lots of vegetation. Some areas are thicker than others. While the recent cool weather has thinned some of it out, all courses still may have legs that force runners to stick to the trails. While typically we try to avoid trails at all costs for the advanced courses, Wheaton is overrun with the very invasive wavy leaf basket grass. So, don’t be afraid to stick to the trails.

Will this week’s courses be a Trick or a Treat?
If you typically run White, Yellow, or Orange courses, now is the time to step up to the next level. Running the White, Yellow, Orange, and Brown courses will certainly be a treat. For those who like a bit more challenge, Red and Green may prove to be tricky. These will have much longer legs with many of the controls only visible from one direction. Also, these courses run through some thicker vegetation areas, which do have several thorny areas, so plan to wear pants and gaiters.

Important - Wavy Leaf Basket Grass Removal Station:
There will be a wavy leaf basket grass removal station at the finish, please make sure to take a moment to remove the seeds to avoid the spread to your homes and other parks. QOCs will be providing a tarped area with tape to properly dispose of the seeds.

We are excited to see you in the woods this weekend!
Entry FeesIndividual 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.
  • Beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst.