Playing it Straight

Although the inversion hung on during our inaugural 2014 meet, we had a brisk turnout for those willing to savor a little chill in their winter park orienteering practice.

The beginner courses pulled in a healthy range of new and experienced orienteers, shown in order of starting times.  Holly Peters and Mark Holman were completely new to the club but Mark did have his share of navigation in the past.  After noting the lions were hungry at the zoo, they tackled the beginner course comfortably and plan to be back next month for a step up.  The Moore family also arrived new to the sport.  Judging from the sprint of their daughter Emily leading the way to the finish, they look equally enthusiastic and plan to return next month for something a little longer.

The Moore family finishes fast.

Ben Brock, who brought his daughter Winslow for a little tour of the park and is dealing with one of those unexpected running injuries (seems like we all are this time of year?), captured a great shot of his daughter at control 3.  Safe to say she will be back.

Winslow at beginner #3.  Photo: Ben

Then we had another scout arrive to work on his orienteering merit badge - Brett Flerchinger and his dad.  He had set up a basic course for his troop already but needed to get some meets under his belt.  They finished handily and wanted to start on intermediate, but it was time for control pickup - they got a map though for their own reference and they too will be back!

Nikolai, Aleksi, and Emily Morgan seized firm control of the intermediate course and deterred all comers in the zealous blast of speed throughout, taking first place.

The Morgans sweep the intermediate.

The special feature of the advanced course was a revival of "line" orienteering.  Rather than the control being in the control circle, it could be anywhere along the line (including the control circle as a possibility).  This has several perks - every orienteer has to pay far more attention to reading the map as they run (in effect creating many more control points for each segment), the difference between competitors is reduced as the fastest ones need to slow down, and if using a compass bearings can be practiced too.  It turned out to be particularly interesting while circling buildings in the BSU campus...

Alex handily cleaned up the course, pushing hard but making it look easy.  With the new national junior grant given to Riverstone, we can be sure more speed will be coming out of Alex and his fellow students this year!  Sergey did indeed get all the controls, but he gave a bit of a sly smile as Dondi and I confusedly watched him go back to the first line of the course.  He missed it and decided to pick it up at the end, but felt that the control was just a little further from the line than it should be.  By conventional orienteering rules this is a DQ and so he has been marked as such - certainly he would not get away with it if we used e-punch!  The time penalty for a revisit pushed him second behind Alex in net time.

Sergey returns to catch #1 at the end.

A steady string of our club regulars arrived behind them like clockwork:   Greg, Jay, Bill, the Harvey's, Melanie, Dennis, and John rounded out the competition.  A few themes emerged from the recounted experiences.  Control #5, which was tucked between a wall and a juniper proved maddeningly elusive and required very careful line tracking and observation.  A couple got away with circling the new construction fencing that appeared just that week to the north, gambling the control was not too early in the line.  They were lucky.  Control #7 also required a looking back after circling the building to see it.  I think it was the Harvey's who noted they were standing almost with their back touching it and looking forward down the bearing, and had to come back before they found it.  John Murray noted there is an extra corner on that building not shown on the map that didn't make it any easier.  When Melanie was there four police cars were active right next to it (not part of the course design), serving as an extra distraction for sure.  Control #10, tucked way near the end of its line in a boulder field was often only noticed after scouting the entire line on the way there - but sometimes the clear vegetation bought an early glimpse.  Jay got distracted by a beginner/intermediate control in the NE corner of the rose garden and lost a bit of time jumping in and out (the code of course did not match).  Dennis thoroughly enjoyed the new twist on the orienteering and he pledges to attend many more meets this year!

Dennis pedals hard to the finish.

Thank you to Andy, for printing maps at the last moment in a busy week and my wife Dondi for handling starts and finishes and even a bit of tutorial to the beginners.  Bill Leahy and John Murray greatly assisted in picking up controls.

Next month we'll be in Hidden Springs where the Murrays will track the weather closely and gauge how far in the foothills we may roam.  It's a great map of mixed urban and high desert terrain, and I'll see you there!

Ben teaches his daughter how to spot a control.

2014: Opening Meet

Come one, come all to the first club orienteering meet for 2014!

The club returns to classic format and speedy feet in the parks for January.  At least, classic for beginner and intermediate.  For the advanced crew there is a special variation in store designed to keep you on your toes every step of the way.

The map of Julia Davis/BSU has been expanded and updated to a recent degree thanks to Sergey, so there may be a few more nooks and crannies for those who think they know it all.

Date:  January 25, 2014 (Saturday)
Location:  Julia Davis/BSU, near the Friendship bridge
Time:  starts from 11-12:30.  Course closes at 2pm.
Cost:  $5 per map; free to CTOC members.
Bring:

• a baseplate compass (if you have one, otherwise you may borrow)
• good shoes for combining pavement and potentially slick grass
• clothes suited for your pace and weather, plus something warm when you get back
• your brain preloaded with map reading eyes, adaptability, and optimism, i.e. the orienteering software.  For those of you who never did this, we will be happy to show you the ropes!

Speaking of members...you know what this means.  Yes - it's time to renew club dues!  That includes the updated form this year with the new waiver.  Our fees are unchanged (amazing, we don't index for inflation), and linked on the right here on the blog.  If you don't renew this month it gets prorated if you renew later in the year as well.  It's still an especially good deal for family memberships.  Funds go directly to supporting new map efforts, of which I can assure you are underway once again.  If you need any extra incentive, let it be known that Russ Pilcher has already sent his check even though he lives in Arizona now!

Yes, you too could be as happy as this crew in January! (from 2013)

Orienteerers of all Ages/Abilities Show Up at Riverstone for Final CTOC Meet of 2013

A New Map for out East!

After a large turnout at Riverstone International School for Saturday’s orienteering course, the results are in!  But first, a quick rundown of the day’s activities! 

The Beginner and Intermediate courses were run in a Classic format and the Advanced was run as a Motala. People showed up throughout the day between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and while those that arrived early had to navigate hard, slippery conditions (Should I wear my spikes?”), those that ran the courses later in the day were “treated” to warmer, soggier conditions, especially in the fields on the SW side of the map.  “What conditions were preferable,” you ask?  As with much of orienteering....debatable.

With 50 participants (!! largest of the year?) the event was a great mix of Beginner to Advanced orienteerers and it was great to see a few families from the Harris Ranch community compete as well.  Additionally noted by a few of the club veterans was the even spread throughout much of the final results; no matter where one finished in the final standings, just a little more effort or a little more accurate navigation had the potential to significantly improve just about any result.   

And speaking of accurate navigation, the courses did present some challenges.  Potentially due to their proximity to each other, controls 37/38 (on the IDPR property in the East) and 54/55 (near the Barber Dam in the South) were mistaken for each other a few times costing finishers their “official” spots in the final results.  Other challenging decisions stemmed from:

• The dense cattail marshes in the the SW.  “Kudos” to Alex McKinley, and Team Brittany/Olivia/Christina for gambling on the straight line paths through the frozen marshes...not sure it paid off though.
• The disorienting nature of the the Mill District roundabouts (so-called for a reason).
• The dry/frozen/snowy riverbed on the way from Control 54 to Control 52.  It will present an even greater challenge when it’s filled with water...

This month’s beginners (the Rizvis, Mascolas, Team Morgan and Team Blandt/Rivera) deserve special recognition as being the only category of participants to correctly visit ALL of their collective controls. I suspect our Intermediate and Advanced participants will start seeing those Beginners giving them a run for their money pretty soon.

And now, without further ado, the results...and a final thanks to all who came out to help, came out to run, baked cookies, cleaned up, took pictures or shuttled kids to and fro.  Hope to see more of all of you in the year to come!

Misc

• A set of keys on a string was left at the start table.  Contact Ben Brock (bbrock@riverstoneschool.org) if you think they might belong to you.
• If you'd like a copy of your map, let Ben Brock know!

Regan on a Fresh Map and Fresh Legs!

Yeah, I'd call that a boulder field...

Gabe cutting through the marshes.

Natalie punches in.

New East Boise Orienteering Course - Riverstone Meet

New East Boise Orienteering Course!

On Saturday December 14 a new orienteering map for the East Boise area will be unveiled! Ben Brock, Outdoor Program Director at Riverstone International School, and one of his senior students, Alex Pusch have been mapping the area around Riverstone and the new map contains school grounds (Riverstone and East Junior High), the Idaho Parks and Rec properties, the Mill District residential area of Harris Ranch, and the open lands west along the Boise River to Eckert Bridge near Barber Park. While the mapped area is not particularly large at this point, it will serve as the core of a larger map that will eventually include the Spring Creek residential area of Harris Ranch and (hopefully) portions of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and the new Marianne Williams Park.

December Details:
Who: Orienteers of all ages and abilities (beginners to advanced).
Format: Classic for Beginner and Intermediate. To make the most of the currently mapped terrain, Advanced course will be a "Motala" or multi-loop format.
When: Saturday, December 14. Registration begins at 10:30 am and continues to 1 pm. Courses will be open for starts from 11 am – 1 pm. Courses close at 2 pm.
Where: Riverstone International School is located at 5521 Warm Springs Rd. Event Headquarters will be in the foyer of the Kennedy Gymnasium, (accessible via Lysted Road). Follow the orange and white orienteering markers.
Entry: $5.00 per map for non-members (individual or group). Free to members of the City of Trees Orienteering Club.

You may want to bring: a watch, a compass, a snack and a cell phone. (Some compasses will be available to borrow). Also note: with the recent snowfall and cold temperatures, good footwear will be very important.

Event coordination (including some mighty fine cookies!) is being provided by Ben Brock (bbrock@riverstoneschool.org) and Alex Pusch and students in the Riverstone Outdoor Leadership Program. We'll see you out East!

-- Ben Brock
Director, Outdoor Program
Outdoor PE Teacher, Middle Years Programme

Riverstone International School: Inspiring the Journey

Boise City Streets Met with Sweat and Grit

After a very wet Saturday, our annual Street Challenge event was greeted with excellent weather and a correspondingly large turnout.  The bike and foot classes this year were about equally popular, with some healthy competition on each, and the time limit (and large number of controls) proved worthy this year as no single contestant had sufficient time to reach everything.  There was a 10 point per minute penalty for overtime, which a few pushed to the practical limit...especially with controls ranging between 10 and 50 points.

Greg and Melanie consider strategy before the mass start.

The starting line crowd, ready to score.

The bike class had 3 hours this year.  Mike Bading, driven by years of prior experience, his bike legs, and the sheer enjoyment of this format won while managing to include all but one 50 point control.   At the base of the monster hill for #57, he looked at his watch and knew it was simply too close to cut it.  Greg, Melanie, and Madonna gave him a run for his money - especially since they had practiced their own version at Greg/Melanie's wedding!  Jay took a very close third place, and it's worth noting he was the only orienteer all day who did acquire every single 50 pointer in every nook and cranny of the map.  Rest assured he got his hill work.  Scott and Mary DeWalt (Mary being a sponsor of the mini Library version of this meet a couple years back) turned in a very solid performance while eking in about 6 minutes over.  Doug LaMott (who did make the Ketchum meet last month!) was in the running just behind them.  Dennis Ahern, who has his own pair of healthy bike legs, lost his pen around the Firemen's memorial and went on memory on the way back until his brain was full.  Upon his early return he hastily scribbled down his answers - but he never did notice his own house was a control until later!  The Wright family pedaled their way around town with Katrina on the second seat to round out the results.

Results below reflect best scoring judgement of Dondi, who faced the difficult job of checking answers.  The % of total reflects # of points collected before the penalty - 1500 possible in total.

Below is Mike Badings's route choice - he did the south half (Bench) before the north.  I have rotated here to maximize viewing on a wide screen monitor:

Mike Bading's route.

On foot, two distinct tactics played out between Sergey Velichko and Ben/Chris Brock.  Ben came in only 3 minutes over, wiped out at the grueling pace he sustained in the time limit, while Sergey gambled on as many controls as possible and came in with the largest time penalty for the entire day.  Todd Dinkleman was equal to their task as well - until his quads cramped badly at the painfully distant #51.  He never did get release and staggered all the way back to the park to finish only 2 minutes over.   The Brocks took first, Todd second, and Sergey third after all was tallied and done.  Judging from their prone position and strained expressions, the pavement took a heavy toll on the fast ones.  John Murray and Alex Pusch, both impressed by the enormous scale of the map, played heavy on the north side and came in close behind the leaders.  Then came Karin D, perhaps down to savor the last of the great weather before winter socks in up north.  I report Bill Leahy here, who had hunting on his Sunday schedule so asked to do his own run on Saturday - in the rather miserable weather.  His vetting of the course led us to simplify answers on #24, which is much appreciated.  Jerry Stewart and Diane McGarvey of Y striders fame made their own impressive go at it, and undoubtedly spent the most earnest effort at counting Shu's dudes on his windows.  (In the end for those who were clearly there Dondi allocated their points due to the ambiguity of choices.)  Christina Uhlenbrock and James Eidson from Riverstone quite possibly had the biggest smiles of the day, and clearly enjoyed their time on the course.  The Corlett's arrived a minute or two past 10, and made a purely recreational day of exploring the nooks and crannies around the BSU campus, winners of the second biggest grins.

Below is Sergey's route choice, who collected the most points before the penalty was applied.  Note Sergey took the north half first, then the Bench:

Sergey Velichko's route.

For the observant, there were shortcuts available not visible from the USGS street grid.  Several took advantage of the railroad path from #41 to #48.  Greg and Melanie found the path around the mountain that let them cut from #32 to #57 without taking the road all the way around.  Many found the slight footpath shortcut on the road version as well.  It was a straightforward path past the softball field from #24 to #23 (or vice versa), which Sergey took on foot.  It was also possible to take the schoolyard gate to the north of #46 to branch to #35 - although I know of nobody who did that.

Some statistics from the scoring:

• Almost everyone collected one 50 pointer, the most accessible being Freak Alley (#50) and Shu's (#55).
• No one control was visited by everyone.
• Not counting the "S" control (which was given to all even if not reported; it was the demo control visible from the start), the most visited 10 pointer was the library (#14).
• Most visited 20 pointers:  the assay building (#23) and the capitol monument (#29).
• Most visited 30 pointers:  the dragonfly (#32) and the O flag at our house(!) (#37).
• Most visited 40 pointer:  the F garage (#42).
• Least visited control:  #39 - only two visitors met the frog.

Of course...some controls were disputed.  Perhaps one of the more contested (but many got it right) was the color of the mailbox at #20.  As RD, I should have picked a third color choice that could not be confused on a parallel street error.  Here is that very local mailbox:

control #20.

Surprisingly, given the number of amazing murals to peruse for #50, there were no difficulties I know of.  Hopefully many orienteers appreciated being off the main roads for a moment.  The alley is a popular photographer backdrop for urban scenery.

control #50.

Dennis Ahern did not learn of the control at his own house until he got back, a control only visited by 3 people given the point/location balance of the Manitou park area in the route choices.  How many of you can remember the small details of something you see every single day?

control #28.

One more control not many got to see - much creativity is out there to be found on the street challenge, not merely window counting (but sometimes fire hydrant numbering).

control #5.

Special thanks go to my co-director, my wife Dondi, who helped split the load for scoring and kept me sane with a bit more of her organizing lists in advance of the meet where it's all too easy to forget some details.  We can all thank John Murray for creating the stitched map of the north/south USGS quads (new as of 2010/2011), a vast improvement over earlier meets.  He had no idea that I would leverage so much of the area, much to his chagrin.  Andy Hill handled printing of the massive 11x17 maps, doubled-sided with the Q&A on the back side, roughly a 1:22000 scale to fill the page.

Future meet directors:  I recommend taking a camera out on your q&a scouting expeditions.  It will save you much time in coming up with alternate answers that aren't possible when standing at the spot, permit easy vetting of the control at home, and may even serve as the final sanity check when scoring the questions.

It's now time to look forward to a brand new map and meet directors - thanks to our Riverstone branch!   We will see you on Saturday, December 14, 11am!  The 2014 schedule is forthcoming.

Jeff Black

Takin' it to the Streets

As Russ Pilcher has moved down to Arizona, the traditional street challenge has moved back to Boise!  For those unfamiliar with the event, it mostly follows the convention of a Score course, where controls may be acquired in any order, are worth varying points, and there is a time limit to meet or points are deducted.  In the Street Challenge, there are a few more twists:

* the area is much larger than a normal club meet, a large portion of Boise.
* there are no traditional orienteering controls, but rather multiple choice questions to be answered at the control circle location.
* there is both a bike and run class of competition.  Choose your favored mode of transport!  Less time for bikers this year, to make the mass finish easier and level the competition a little.

For those who remember the last Boise version, the map was very dated.  Now thanks to USGS updates in 2011/2012 (thanks Russ for pointing those out) and our dedicated club mapper John Murray to stitch north and south quads together in a 1:20,000 scale, we have a much more relevant map on our hands!

Date:  Sunday, November 17 (least amount of street traffic)
Time:  Maps passed out at 9:30 for study; mass start at 10:00am.
Start:  Municipal Park (we will be under the shelter if available if the weather is wet)
Classes:  Bike (3 hour limit), Foot (3:30 limit).
Cost:  $5 per map, free to CTOC members.

Bring:  a couple pens to circle your answers (if you use a map case, a sharpie is the easiest way to write on the plastic) and plan your route, shoes and clothing for a few hours outside, water as you need while on the course, cell phone for emergencies.  A compass may be handy to keep your map oriented.  It's also important to bring your eyes and ears for traffic.  This ain't no woods meet!

Given that the maps are larger and the attendance for this meet can vary widely, please RSVP to me (jeffwrites AT gmail.com) if you are attending so I will have a solid map count in advance.

Fall in the city of trees.

Until next weekend!

Jeff Black, Meet Director

Vampire-O Results

Wow! There was a big turnout for this year’s Vampire-O. We had nearly 50 participants.  From my personal experiences with CTOC monthly meets, I don’t recall seeing one with this many people. Needless to say the director and co-director where overwhelmed. I must apologize in advance for I am certain there will be errors in the results below. With that said, if you see an error please email me. It is easy to make corrections.  Clearly, the old school technology of pen and clipboard and a staff of two were inadequate for a meet this size.

 

The vampire-o (advance course) began with a mass start and participants scattering in all directions. David and Sam Murray volunteered to be the first vampire and waited 3 minutes after the mass start before beginning their hunt for the first victim. We could hear the shouts of “vampire attack” thorough out the 45 minute timed event. In the end it was the Thomas family whom ended the event as the vampire.

 

We had several boy scouts and troop leaders take on the intermediate course. Father and son take on the beginner course. They were started early ahead of the vampire-o.

 

Thanks to Jeff Black and John Murray who stayed and helped with pick up. And to Jeff Black providing an impromptu orienteering class for the boy scouts.

 

A gray sweatshirt with red lettering was left at the meet. If this is your then, you can find it at the club’s storage unit.

 

See you at the next event Boise Street Challenge Nov 17^th at 10am.

 

NAME		START	FINISH	TIME	PC	Pts	COMMENTS
Alex Pusch	adv	19:24:00	19:46:12	0:22:12	16	80
Sergey Velichko	adv	19:24:00	19:46:13	0:22:13	16	80	holy water
Ben Brock	adv	19:24:00	19:52:15	0:28:15	16	80
David and Sam Murray	adv	19:27:00	19:55:15	0:28:15	16	80	vampire
Hunter Kern	adv	19:24:00	19:53:10	0:29:10	16	80
James Eidson	adv	19:24:00	19:53:30	0:29:30	16	80
Javin Schwartzmen	adv	19:24:00	19:53:30	0:29:30	16	80
Josh Hanson-Keplan	adv	19:24:00	19:53:30	0:29:30	16	80
Tess Eidson	adv	19:24:00	19:53:30	0:29:30	16	80
Jeff Eidson	adv	19:24:00	19:53:30	0:29:30	16	80
Alex McKinley	adv	19:24:00	19:54:02	0:30:02	16	80	vampire
Rob Landis	adv	19:24:00	19:56:35	0:32:35	16	80	vampire
Chontha Kammer	adv	19:24:00	20:06:50	0:42:50	16	80
Timmer Verhaegh	adv	19:24:00	20:06:50	0:42:50	16	80
Camden Mullens	adv	19:24:00	20:06:50	0:42:50	16	80
John and Liam Murray	adv	19:24:00	20:07:30	0:43:30	16	80
Jeff Mullens	adv	19:24:00	20:08:08	0:44:08	16	80
Annika Landis	adv	19:24:00	19:59:49	0:35:49	15	75
Emily and Aleksi Morgan	adv	19:24:00	20:03:49	0:39:49	15	75
Jay and Nikolai Morgan	adv	19:24:00	20:06:40	0:42:40	15	75
Lukas DeWolfe	adv	19:24:00	20:16:54	0:52:54	16	73	over 7min
Kelly Mullens	adv	19:24:00	20:00:00	0:36:00	14	70
Ian Mullens	adv	19:24:00	20:00:00	0:36:00	14	70
Jeff Black	adv	19:24:00	20:01:40	0:37:40	13	65	vampire
Andy and Rosie Hill	adv	19:24:00	20:09:00	0:45:00	11	55	vampire
Jerry Stewart	adv	19:24:00	20:15:14	0:51:14	12	54	over 6min
Steve Fransen	adv	19:24:00	20:15:14	0:51:14	12	54	over 6min
Thomas Family	adv	19:24:00		0:00:00	0	0	vampire
Ryan Badger	int	19:11:00	19:48:19	0:37:19	16	80
Mason Badger	int	19:11:00	19:48:19	0:37:19	16	80
Doug Gneiting	int	19:11:00	19:48:19	0:37:19	16	80
Tanner Gneiting	int	19:11:00	19:48:19	0:37:19	16	80
Dave Matheson	int	19:11:00	19:58:34	0:47:34	11	55
Seth Matheson	int	19:11:00	19:58:34	0:47:34	11	55
Garrett Badger	int	19:11:00	19:58:34	0:47:34	11	55
Kaden Gneiting	int	19:11:00	19:58:34	0:47:34	11	55
Michael and Caelen Judd	beg	19:11:00	19:28:40	0:17:40	5	25

Community School Orienteering Event

The students and teacher Rob Landis of Community School Outdoor Program in Ketchum are sponsoring an orienteering event November 3, 2013 at Fox Creek Trailhead.

CTOC 5th Annual Vampire-O

What’s a Vampire-O, you ask? Well, it's a lot of fun, it's has a Halloween theme and it's orienteering at night. And yes, it’s will be at night because everyone knows vampires only come out at night!

Date: Saturday Oct 26, 2013
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm (mass start around 7:20pm)
Location: Simplot Sport Complex East (parking lot off S. Quamash Way) Simplot Sports Complex East

Vampire-O: score-o format, mass started with one (or two) vampire(s) starting 3 minutes later
Beginner and intermediate courses both score-o

Bring your headlamp and warm clothes and enjoy a fun night of orienteering.

FAQ:

1) So, what is Vampire-O?
It's like playing a game of tag while orienteering! One or more participants are selected as "vampires" at the start of the event. The "vampires" leave 3 minutes after everyone else had a mass start. Vampires carry a "vampire" card, worth zero points. When they come within five meters of another orienteer and yell "vampire attack!", the "victim" must surrender his or her punch card (along with all of its points) to the vampire, who then receives the Vampire card. The victim then becomes the vampire (but cannot immediately re-tag the original vampire, of course). It's all done at night with flashlights.

2) After a vampire attack can the victim attack his/her original vampire? If so, what are the rules for doing so?
"No immediate tag backs", just like in third grade. ;-> Cards tend to get traded back and forth pretty quickly, so this usually isn't a problem. You can attack someone that attacked you as long as you unloaded the card you got from them and are now carrying a card you got from another vampire later on. Vampires can't attack vampires of course - they'd just end up swapping cards...

3) I understand the course is score-o format. Is each control worth the same number of points?
Each control is worth the same amount. Identical control point values also makes scoring at the end that much easier - and it will be a bit hectic with a score-O mass finish.

4) Are teams allowed? If so, how does it work if the team is the vampire and team members have both slow and fast runners can the faster runner go after a victim alone or do they need to stay together as a team?
Teams are allowed. The team should stay together, within reason. The rule is "do the right thing" during the event. Teams should stay within vocal range if they get a bit separated, but should travel together whenever possible.

5) What if I want to run the vampire-o course but don’t want to be bother by the vampire. I just want to run the score-o course.
You can run the course but you will need special holy water to protect you from vampires. If you choose this option then you will be given a 1 gallon jug of holy water and you must carry it at all times during the event.

6) Will there be a beginner and intermediate course?
Yes, there will be a beginner and intermediate course. Participants that wish do the beginner or intermediate courses will be give a special garlic bracelet (glow in dark bracelet. The kind you see at the county fair). This will protect you from the vampire. Beginner and intermediate participants should come early to avoid the mass start of the vampire-o.

7) Because its at night do I need to bring a flashlight?
Yes, you should bring a flashlight or a headlamp.

8) Do I need to dress up in a Halloween costume?
No, you do not need to come in costume. However, you can if you wish.