Lone Mountain Orienteering Events

Saturday, December 12, 2020:
2-Hour Score-O
3-Hour Bike-O
5-Hour Adventure Race

Pre-Register (Deadline: Thursday, Dec 10 at 11:59 PM)

• Please pre-register for the event and select a start window here. You are not obligated to attend if you pre-register, but pre-registration allows us to plan to print a sufficient number of maps. It also allows us to meet Covid-19 requirements for social distancing. We cannot guarantee you a map if you don't pre-register.
• Parental Consent Now Required. Click here for more information.

We hope you'll consider joining us on Saturday, December 12 for some navigation fun at our Lone Mountain event site. We're offering three events: a two-hour Score-O, a three-hour Bike-O, and a 5-hour adventure race. Those who participate in the Score-O will travel on foot to find as many destination markers as they can in two hours. Participants in our Bike-O hop on their mountain bike to find as many markers as they can in three hours. For individuals and teams looking for a bigger adventure, you can combine the two events into a 5-hour adventure race.

Temperatures in December are getting cooler. Mornings are typically in the mid 40's. The temperature can climb into the low 70's by midday. The desert vegetation in the Lone Mountain area is thick in spots, with ocotillo, saguaro, and various types of cholla. The area is covered with bolder piles and rock pillars. This means lots of places for us to hide our markers. We have new 5-meter contours for the area, so the navigation is more precise than the last time we used the area.

Please note that the Lone Mountain trailhead is an entry point for off-road vehicle travel into Bulldog Canyon. Participants should exercise caution when traveling on the main road used by motorized vehicles. There are also a number of hiking trails in the area. Participants will enjoy the vistas in this rugged area located very near the Phoenix metro area.

With the current virus restrictions, we are required to take special precautions to ensure our participants' safety (see below). We hope you'll consider joining us for one of our Lone Mountain events.

To make this event as safe as reasonably possible in the current COVID-19 environment, we are taking the following measures:

• One of the conditions for our Lone Mountain permit is that we extend participant start times over a longer period of the morning. In order to help manage our start times, we ask that you pre-register for the event. During pre-registration, you will select a specific half-hour time window to start your event. Please plan to start your event in your selected half-hour window.
• All individuals (or family units) will maintain a six-foot separation at all times.
• Team sizes are limited to 6 people or less.
• The registration/pay station is largely self-serve. We highly recommend bringing exact change to minimize the exchange of money.
• We'll have a Timer on-hand to issue maps and record timing.
• A hand-washing station is provided on a table adjacent to the registration table. Please wash hands before and after registering/signing waivers/paying/picking up score cards and clue sheets. Please also bring your own hand towel for that purpose.
• No water is available on the courses. We also will NOT provide our usual complementary snacks and drinks at the Start/Finish area. Bring your own snacks and water for a full day of orienteering.
• There is no beginners’ clinic.

Participants who pre-register for the event benefit from our priority pricing.

Part of pre-registration for this event involves selecting a start window. In order to keep participants as separated as possible, we ask everyone to start their event within the time window they select.

While on-site registration is still available, pricing for on-site registration is more expensive. In addition, we'll print some extra maps for each of our events, but we cannot guarantee a map for those who do not pre-register.

Pre-Registration is open until Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 11:59 PM. After the pre-registration closes, you can still try your luck and register on-site. We will have pre-printed maps for everyone who pre-registers. We cannot guarantee a map for those who register on-site.

Click here to pre-register.

Parental Consent Now Required (Click here for more information)

All participants under age 18 are now required to have a signed parental consent form on file with the club. You can complete the form before the event and either scan it and send it to us by e-mail or bring it with you to the event.

Standard club fees apply for the Score-O and the Bike-O. For the adventure race, we will charge the registration fee for the Score-O plus the fee for the Bike-O. This is a little different than our usual mass-start adventure races. Click here to open a page with more information about our club fees. The fee schedule is also repeated at the bottom of this webpage.

Details of our Score-O events are found here.

Details of our Bike-O events are found here.

Details of our Adventure Race events are found here. The Lone Mountain Adventure Race is simply a combination of the two navigation events. There is no UTM plotting and no watercraft section. Teams are comprised of 1 to 4 individuals. The teams start with the Bike-O. All of the bike checkpoints are optional. After teams complete the bike section, they continue to the Score-O on foot. All Score-O checkpoints are optional.

Scoring is based on one point per checkpoint visited. The winner is the team that visits the most checkpoints. Note that this is not a mass-start event. Teams are allowed to start at any time between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM. There is a 5-hour time limit. There is a penalty of 1 point deducted for every 5 minutes after the time limit. For example, if the team starts at 8:30 AM, they must return by 1:30 PM. If they return one second after 1:30, the penalty is one point. If they return at 1:35, the penalty is still one point. If our example team returns 1 second after 1:35 PM, there is a two point penalty. Finally, if they arrive after 2:00 PM, they are marked DNF (Did Not Finish).

The list below is the minimum recommended equipment for the Score-O.

• Whistle (Mandatory for all. Available for purchase for $1)
• Compass (Mandatory for all. Available for rent for $1)
• Water. Water is NOT available at the start/finish . We also DO NOT have water stations on the course. You are strongly encouraged to bring your own water bottles or a camelback.
• Sun screen. While there is shade on all the courses, we encourage you to protect yourself from sunburn.
• Sturdy hiking shoes and long pants are recommended. You may encounter some thick brush and loose terrain.

See the General Adventure Race description for mandatory and suggested gear for the Bike-O.

There are some choices for camping around the Lone Mountain trailhead. You can find more information at Tonto National Forest websites.

• Camping
• Dispersed Camping

Directions to the Lone Mountain trailhead.
Lone Mountain Safety Plan