Mason Neck
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PDF versionShareThisJanuary 5
Sunday
Pre-registration is required for this event, opening Monday, Dec. 30 at 6pm and closing Saturday
January 4 at 12 noon.
There will be no day-of registration.
Happy New Year!! Please join us to ring in 2025 with a wonderful day of orienteering at a club favorite, Mason Neck State Park!
Orienteering at Mason Neck provides a distinctive navigation experience due to the flatness of this coastal plain terrain. With a great trail network, many sections of open woods, and distinctive terrain, this a fine venue to get started or to hone your advanced skills. The park's subtle contours (2.5 meter contour interval rather than the standard 5 meters) and subtle features present a change from the usual Northern Virginia spur and reentrant terrain. At Mason Neck you'll enjoy the chance to develop your compass skills and pace counting. Runners have their choice of a full set of classic courses, White to Blue (details below) thanks to QOC course setter Rob Field. Course stats & notes are posted below.
Also, to help those new to the very useful skill of pace-counting, we will set up a 100 meter pace course near registration. Those interested will be able to get some instruction/recommendations on how to calculate your pace and employ pace-counting most effectively.
As always, you must be off the course no later than 3pm and remember to download at our e-punch station even if you do not finish. We want to make sure of everyone is safely out of the woods and accounted for. Check in will be on the west side of the main parking area as usual. Follow QOC signage from the turn off Gunston Road.
Post-Event Social: After your run, join fellow orienteers at Casa Tequila Bar and Grill, located here, just 9 miles north of the park.
Beginners: Make sure to check out our Your First Event and For Beginners webpages, and if they don’t answer any remaining questions you have, just ask them via our Contact Form.
Group Leaders: please see our For Group Leaders webpage and then contact the Event Director so they are apprised of your plans.
Volunteer: Sign up for a volunteer slot via this form, or email the Event Director directly for other options.
Other notes and reminders:
- Beginner instruction will be offered.
- Pets are allowed in Mason Neck State Park but must be kept on a leash and under the owner’s control at all times.
- QOC will continue to use pre-registration as the ONLY method of signing up for our meets. There will be NO day-of, on-site registration. Refunds are paid only in the case of event cancellation.
| Location | Mason Neck SP, Mason Neck SP, Lorton, VA (Classic) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Registration | Advance registration is required. There is no day-of registration. Registration opens at 6pm on Monday Dec. 30 and closes at 12 noon on Saturday Jan. 4 (the day before the event).
Who's Registered? Check by clicking here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Start Times | Start times will be by windows (to be defined for this event before registration opens). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule | Sunday, January 5
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| Volunteers |
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| Location Details |
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| Course Details | Classic
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| Course Notes | Classic Classic courses from White through Blue are offered, with Green, Red and Blue using 1:10,000 scale, with the other courses on 1:7,500 scale map. First note: All courses will cross High Point Road (the paved road you came in on) at least once; please DO NOT run along this road, but cross perpendicular after checking for traffic. The terrain at Mason Neck is relatively flat and open; the park's subtle contours (2.5 meter contour interval rather than the standard 5 meters) and subtle features present a change from the usual Northern Virginia spur and reentrant terrain. In general, it's quite runnable terrain with good visibility. The challenge will be to stay in contact with the map; you'll enjoy the chance to refine your compass skills and practice pace counting. There will be a 100 meter course near registration where you can measure / confirm your pace count. As with many maps, not all rootstocks are mapped, and conversely, some mapped rootstocks are no longer as obvious as they once were, so keep that in mind. The black circle symbol on maps indicates park benches placed throughout the park, while the black "X" symbols indicate other manmade objects, mostly telephone poles or prominent old metal junk .The water features such as marshes and minor watercourses fluctuate based on recent rainfall. With the current drought, many of the marshes or minor water channels appear dry, but with the recent rain, the bottom of these features are often muddy. Historically, the open marshes along Kanes Creek on the north edge of the map may be totally impassable if there's been recent precipitation. All courses will start from the large clearing in front of the registration/download area | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entry Fees | Individual Entries
Note: juniors = under 21
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
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