2023-03-11 Scout Orienteering Festival at Beaumont

Gain access to one of St. Louis’ most valued nature escapes: Beaumont Scout Reservation. Directors David Fisher and Josh Borgmeyer will have multiple courses for beginners to advanced orienteers to choose from.

Come join us at the beautiful Beaumont Scout Reservation to explore this great area. This event is in coordination with the John Smerek Memorial Scout Orienteering Festival. There will be a bunch of boy scouts doing a separate O-Course we’ve designed for them. There is separate registration and pricing for the scout event so please make sure you register at the club table.

When: Saturday, March 11th

Where: Beaumont Scout Reservation: https://stlbsa.org/properties/all-properties/beaumont-scout-reservation/

Beginner Briefing: 8:00 AM: Mass briefing for scouts and adults about general map and compass navigation and getting oriented to the Beaumont Map.

Registration: 8:30 AM with timed starts to follow. No further starts after 9:30 AM. Course closes at noon. Scouts will have 6 mass starts starting at 9:15 and every 15 minutes thereafter.

SLOC participants, please register online to help us know how many to expect for the event. You may also register in-person as a last resort. Scouts, please use the forms below to register.

Cost for SLOC attendees: $20 per individual or group using the same passport. Free for members. If you haven’t done so already, purchase your $50 annual membership for the whole family that allows you free access to all regular events ALL year!

We will have 3 courses prepared:

  1. Beginner: Map Hike Course (White-Yellow level): 3 KM, 60 meters of climb.
  2. Intermediate: Green Course: 4.5 KM, 320 meters of climb.
  3. Advanced: Red Course: 6.3 KM, 400 meters of climb.

Questions? Contact event director, Josh Borgmeyer at 314-330-3

Questions? Contact Josh Borgmeyer at 314-330-3479

The forms below are for Scouts only. Scout leaders, please bring the completed paper forms and a check made out to St. Louis Orienteering Club to the registration table on the day of the event. Thank you.

2022-08-23 Route 66 State Park BIKE-O – August 23 – Summer Sprint Series 2022

Date/Time: Tuesday, August 23, 5;45-7:45pm at Joe Boccardi’s in Old Town Eureka

Meet Director: Nathan Graves

Welcome to the 2022 Route 66 Bike O!

Participants are welcome to ride any bike they choose but please pay attention to the course descriptions below to choose your ride correctly.  E-bikes will be placed in their own division and any participants completing the course using a big wheel will be classified as the “Elite Division” and will receive all you can eat toasted raviolis at Joe Boccardi’s.  Those riding bikes must provide their own bike and helmet and whatever other gear they need to safely complete the course such as water, snacks, compass, lights, medications, etc.  No one will be allowed to participate on bike without a helmet.  The club will have compasses to rent.

Registration opens at 5:45pm at Joe Boccardi’s in Eureka.  Upon receiving your map, you are welcome to start any time before 6:45pm.  Groups or individuals are welcome.  No starts will be allowed after 6:45pm.  The course closes at 7:45pm sharp (sunset).

The event is a 60 minute Score O format, find as many as you can in that time.  Controls are worth 10 points each.  A 10 point penalty will be assessed at 60:01 and every additional 60 second interval thereafter. 

Please park in the rear lot of Joe Boccardis located at 128 Boccardi Lane, Eureka, MO 63025 and enter through the rear entrance.  HQ will be set up in the rear of the restaurant on the outdoor patio.  DO NOT BRING BIKES OR GEAR INTO THE RESTURANT, PATIO, OR ON THE SIDEWALKS AROUND THE RESTURANT.  The parking lot behind the building is the perfect staging area with plenty of space. 

The finish line will be in the parking lot.  Return to HQ by the rear entrance as well.  DO NOT BRING YOUR OWN SWEATY MESS INTO THE RESTURANT AFTER THE EVENT.  You can get yourself together in the parking lot and then join SLOC on the patio to share stories, have a drink and something to eat, and even attend the annual meeting being held starting at 8pm.  The patio has its own restrooms.

Zip ties and a hole puncher will be provided with your map and a demo on how to use these to make a very basic but suitable way to attach your map to your bike handlebars.

The clues will be “scavenger hunt” style meaning there are no control flags or epunches on the course.  You will receive a marked map and a clue sheet with a place to write your answer to each clue at the event start.  This means you will need a writing utensil with you at all times.  I recommend bringing more than one in case you drop it. 

Participants are welcome to complete the course on foot and will be in their own division.

At 8pm, immediately following the course closing, the SLOC Board will host its annual meeting to plan the fall/winter schedule.  Enjoy some food, drink, good company, and volunteer to help us continue to put on events.  We are all volunteers and we can’t do this without help from the club.

Three courses are offered for the Route 66 Bike O:

The “base course” contains controls 1-9.  It is a 100% flat, paved, designated bike and sidewalk route around Old Town Eureka.  There are no major road crossings and anywhere there is a road crossing there is an accessible crosswalk.  The route is 4 miles, mostly an out and back, with three loops, and suitable for any skill level or bicycle.  There are a couple of logical places to cut this course short if you want to make it as short as 2 miles.

The “long course” builds upon the base course and takes participants into Route 66 State Park.  This adds gravel and single-track riding to the course and adds controls 10-14 and an additional 6 miles for a total of 9 miles.

The “advanced course” includes the previous two courses. You do not need to decide if you will do this course in advance. The only information that is provided about this course is this: at an unnamed and unstaffed control on the long course, participants will come upon an informational packet that explains the advanced course. The rules will be clear and explicit and you will choose in race if you want to go for it.

2022-06-07 Carondelet Park – June 7 – Summer Sprint Series 2022

Tuesday, June 7th at 6PM

Registration: Register here (preferred). Registration will also begin at 5:45 for 6 pm starts on Tuesday.

Location: Go to the boathouse in the park (center of park). Look for our orienteering signs as well.

Meet Director: Kevin Minton, Mark Geldmeier

Details: There will be two courses – the Sprint Course and a Beginner “Score-O” course. The sprint course will have a fun twist …. you’ll find out Tuesday!!!!

2022-04-30 Forest Park O

Saturday – April 30th

Come join us at this beautiful urban gem. This event will be held in conjunction with the Missouri State Parks, “Wonders of Wildlife” outdoor recreation and conservation event. The meet director will be providing orienteering instructions and training to W.O.W. participants throughout the day.  A SLOC course will be setup and available concurrently from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.  You can either do it on your own (and keep track of your own time), or arrive at 11:00 for a group start at 11:30.

When: Saturday, April 30th

Where: Behind the Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center in Forest Park

Beginner Briefing: 11:00 AM (or other times as available)

Start: Do it on your own anytime between 9:30 am and 4:00 pm.  Or arrive at 11:00 am for a group start at 11:30 am. Course closes at 4:00 pm.

Please register online: https://stlouisorienteering.org/st-louis-orienteering-upcoming-events/schedule/

Cost: $20 per individual or group using the same passport. Free for members. If you haven’t done so already, purchase your $50 annual membership for the whole family that allows you free access to all regular events ALL year!

Courses: There will be two options. 1) A 3.5 km classic point-to-point
course where you don’t see the map until the clock starts. Participants
start at 1-2 minute intervals. 2) A 45-minute “Score-O”, where you go find
as many checkpoints as you can in any sequence.

Questions? Contact event director, Mark Geldmeier, mgeldmeier@earthlink.net or 314-966-0180

2022-05-15 St. Francois State Park

Join us on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 9am

After some shuffling around we finally landed our last “woods” event of the 2021-22 season. We will return to St. Francois State Park near Bonne Terre, MO, about 45 minutes from St. Louis. Dave Welsh will direct the meet.

Meet at Shelter #2 in the Southwest corner of the park. Follow the signs when you get there. Registration starts at 9am with starts to follow immediately. Last start at 11am. All participants will need to be off the course by 2pm.

Courses will be available for all levels. Come join us for one more in the woods before the Summer Series kicks off!

Register here!

https://stlouisorienteering.org/product/st-francois-state-park/

2022-03-12 Beaumont Scout O

Come join us at the beautiful Beaumont Scout Reservation to explore this great area. This event is in coordination with the John Smerek Memorial Scout Orienteering Festival. There will be a bunch of boy scouts doing a separate O-Course we’ve designed for them. There is separate registration and pricing for the scout event so please make sure you register at the club table.

When: Saturday, March 12th

Where: Beaumont Scout Reservation: https://stlbsa.org/properties/all-properties/beaumont-scout-reservation/

Beginner Briefing: 8:00 AM: Mass briefing for scouts and adults about general map and compass navigation and getting oriented to the Beaumont Map.

Registration: 8:30 AM with timed starts to follow. No further starts after 9:30 AM. Course closes at noon.

Please register online to help us know how many to expect for the event. You may also register in-person as a last resort.

Cost: $20 per individual or group using the same passport. Free for members. If you haven’t done so already, purchase your $50 annual membership for the whole family that allows you free access to all regular events ALL year!

We will have 3 courses prepared:

  1. Beginner: Map Hike Course (White-Yellow level): 3 KM, 60 meters of climb.
  2. Intermediate: Green Course: 4.5 KM, 320 meters of climb.
  3. Advanced: Red Course: 6.3 KM, 400 meters of climb.

Questions? Contact event director, Josh Borgmeyer at 314-330-3479 or jb.balancedbody@gmail.com

2021-08-25 Summer Sprint Series #5 Route 66

Registration is OPEN

This will be the club’s first bike O in quite a while and will be different than our others which focused on single track trail. The course will be designed with beginners in mind and those who have never tried to navigate while using the bike.

The format will be more of a game where not all controls are known at the start and information you receive along the way just might make you change up your strategy.

Any bike is acceptable. The trails are not technical and most are paved or gravel, clear, wide, and very flat in this area.

No special gear is required other than a bike and helmet which must be provided by each racer. The club will provide a map designed to connect to your bike. You are welcome to use any method you choose too.

For those who do not want to bike, you are welcome to do the course on foot and there will be a category for those competitors that as well.

For those who want to compete at a high level, speed, accuracy, and strategy will be key rather than advanced biking skills so don’t think this one will be too easy for those hard core bikers. Cunning biking will rule the day!

Meet at the Forest Shelter in Route 66 State Park. Registration will open at 6pm with starts to follow immediately as soon as racers are ready. The time limit is 60 minutes. Course closes at 8pm.

As usual, there is no fee for members.

2021-07-07 Summer Sprint Series #3 Jefferson Barracks

The next event in the SLOC Summer Sprint Series will be a 1-hour Score-O at Jefferson Barracks County Park.  We will be using a new map!  The course has been designed to take you through several of the interesting areas, while minimizing going through the yucky stuff.  This event is great for beginners.

Register online and your personal map will be ready and waiting for you!  Limited in person registration will start at 6:00PM. Check in and registration will be near the Jefferson Barracks visitor’s center (link below). Mass start is at 6:30PM.  For those that can’t get there on time, it’s okay, you’ll be given a separate start time.  Course closes at 8:00 pm.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jefferson+Barracks+Visitors+Center/@38.519203,-90.276099,17.79z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d8b72728ecee7d:0xc868c6ad0feb297!8m2!3d38.5190761!4d-90.2748242

Meet Director: Mark Geldmeier mgeldmeier@earthlink.net

2021-06-23 Summer Sprint Series #2 Laumeier Sculpture Park

The SLOC Summer Sprint Series continues, making a stop at family friendly Laumeier Sculpture Park. Enjoy navigating the beginner friendly or advanced course as you discover the incredible artwork this urban park has to offer.

The beginner course will be a point to point navigation challenge suitable for families and those new to orienteering. The advanced course features companion points that must be collected in tandem. Both courses have a one hour time limit.

Registration is open online and will guarantee a map will be available for you. Limited in person registration in person be at 6:30PM. Check in and registration will be located near the parking lot of the Silver Maple Drive entrance off of Rott Road. Mass start is at 7:00PM and in person participants will be using the e-punch system for scoring. Come explore the park with us! <update, we have removed the virtual course due to low interest. sorry for any inconvience>

In Person Event registration is OPEN

2021-05-26 Summer Sprint Series Event#1 – Carondelet Park

Come on out and kick off the summer right with the Saint Louis Orienteering Club and the start of our Summer Sprint Series in Carondelet Park! As this is a city park and the odds of being lost forever in the woods are EXTREMELY low, we will only be having one course out there, a 1 hour score-O. With this format, orienteers are tasked with locating as many checkpoints as they can, in any order, in the one hour time limit.

Registration opens at 6:00 and there will be a mass start at 6:30pm from the Boat House with a firm course cutoff at 7:30pm. All in person attendees will be using the epunch system and all virtuals will be self recording their time and submitting to Kevin Minton at Ke5nry@gmail.com for scoring. The virtual course will be open from 5/27 through 6/2. Hope to see you there!

In Person Event registration is OPEN

Virtual Event registration is OPEN