Event overview
Yes, it's time for another Halloween Vampire-O event - the 20th annual! Come on out and view the impressive fall foliage of Magness Tree Farm at this fun, family-friendly orienteering event with a Halloween twist.
First time orienteering enthusiasts are welcome at this event! The course is beginner friendly, because there are many controls in a small area, and almost everything is on a trail or close by. We will have free beginner clinics as needed before the start to show you everything you need In a few minutes.
Here's how it works:
- You try to find as many controls as possible, in any order you like, within a one hour time period. But, vampires stalk the course, out to steal your points!
- Two participants are designated vampires at the start. If a vampire "attacks" you, you have to surrender your punchcard, with any accumulated punched controls.
- But don't worry, you can then "attack" someone else, get their punchcard, and you are back in business. (This means you might revisit controls you've already found.)
- Jugs of garlic juice give you vampire immunity for two controls, look for them on the course.
- Points are deducted if you take more than an hour, so bring a watch or phone to track the time.
- Try to find the "walker" - a moving control worth extra points.
- Main tip: don't be stuck at the end with a vampire card, that's zero points.
Come dressed for the occasion in your Halloween costumes; there will be a special prize for the Best Dressed.
Halloween refreshments will be available after the event.
There will also be a short, beginner-friendly sprint course before the main event.
Note that there is limited to zero cell phone service at this event.
Courses
As a warm-up event, we'll also have a sprint course with start times from 10:30 to 11:15.
The main event will have a mass start at noon. You have 1 hour to find as many controls as you can in any order you want (aka score-O format).
Times
- Registration 10:30 am - 11:45am
- Start times for sprint course 10:30am - 11:15am
- Mass start Vampire O at noon
- Course closes 1:00 pm
- Snacks and awards, 1:00-1:30 pm
All teams must check out through the course finish before leaving the park, even if the team does not finish the course or returns after the course closes.
Maps
See a map of a previous event here.
Volunteers
All CROC orienteering events are put on by volunteers, and the meet director can almost always used some extra hands. Please keep in mind:
- No prior experience is needed for many of the tasks
- You can still run your course of choice and help out
- Your entry fee is FREE if you help out with a meet!
Typical ways to assist are: helping with starts and finishes, checking in folks at registration, and picking up control flags after the course closes.
Please contact the meet director at the email address on the bottom of this page if you'd like to help out with this event. For more details, see the Volunteer pages.
REGISTRATION AND OTHER COSTS
- The event is open to the public.
- Beginners are welcome at this and all CROC events. Beginner orienteering clinics are taught as needed.
- If you join CROC at this event, ($20 individual, $25 family/group annual membership), your event fee is FREE! Ask about this at meet registration.
- If you volunteer for this event, your event fee is FREE also. Contact the meet director if you'd like to help (no prior experience necessary).
- All participants must register and sign the liability waiver before entering the course.
Fees for this event are:
- $12 - individual (non-member)
- +$5 - any additional persons in your team, same registration form
- kids 9 and under are free
- youth groups / scout groups: $12 per team
- subtract $5 for orienteering club members (CROC or any other club)
Results
Results are posted a few days after the event on the Events & Results page.
Contact
Meet director: Mike Bruns
Map and Directions
Directions to Magness Tree Farm (from Portland)
- Take I-5 south from Portland to exit #283 (Wilsonville)
- At the end of the exit ramp, take a right onto Wilsonville Road
- After 4.3 miles, take a right onto Edminston Road
- After 1.3 miles, take a right onto SW Ladd Hill Road
- After .4 miles, take the right at the fork in the road by the Magness Memorial Tree Farm sign
- The public parking lot is 100 yards ahead on the left