Hall-O-ween with Harry “DIY event”
Oct. 17-25, 2020
Harry S. Moss Park & Preserve, Dallas
Booooo! This event is now over.
The second orienteering event of our season will bring us back to old haunts! Harry Moss Park was one of our most popular venues but has not been used for meets the last two seasons. After flooding and severe storm damage, the park was closed. But now it has come back to life. Who knows what strange new features may lurk in these woods?
Do-it-Yourself Format
This year’s events are different from previous season’s meets because of the pandemic. It is orienteering without the meet. We are implementing a new “Do It Yourself”-style event this fall. The new format will follow state and local regulations, adhere to guidance from Orienteering USA, our sport’s national governing body, and hopefully, protect the health of participants and organizers. We will encourage distancing by extending the duration of the event and eliminating the need for anyone to touch equipment that is used by other runners.
The event will begin when the park opens on Saturday, Oct. 17, and extend over 9 days through Sunday, Oct. 25. You can choose any day and time you want to run. Think of it as a training event, or a permanent course that only lasts nine days. There will be no onsite organizational presence: no registration tent, no lines, no cost, no punching, no scorecards, no scoring, no DQ’s, no awards. Just orienteering fun. Bring your own water and gear. Controls will just be colorful ribbons hung in the terrain.
There will be NO BEGINNER (AKA WHITE) COURSE. There are several reasons for this:
- Beginners are more likely to get lost and we won’t be there to find them.
- Courses will be active for several days in a popular public park. Beginner controls must be easy to find, so they’re hung in obvious locations on well traveled trails, and therefore most likely to disappear over a number of days. Advanced controls can be hung off-trail in less frequented places.
- Beginners tend to run in groups. Groups aren’t socially distant.
- We don’t encourage groups to travel to our events on buses at this time.
- We will not have the usual training session for beginners that we have at most meets.
Beginners can participate by running on the ‘yellow’ course with a more experienced runner (ideally a family member or leader) while following safety precautions.
General info
Event Officials
Meet Director: Stan Darnell ……. Meet Director notes (PDF)
Course Setter: Wayne Chaffin…….Course Setter notes (PDF)
Courses:
We’ll be offering four courses: Yellow (shortest and easiest), Orange (long and intermediate difficulty), Brown (short but more advanced), and Green (longest and most advanced).
Classes:
N/A — No awards, so no classes.
Scoring: Honor system! Feel free to post your finishing time and perhaps a screenshot of your marked-up map in our Facebook Group after the event is over!
Scouts: A Merit Badge clinic will not be offered, but running the Yellow course will qualify for the badge. Please contact BSA Liaison Ralph Courtney for instructions on doing the required report.
Schedule & Instructions
The very scary Halloween with Harry event is over! Happy Halloween from North Texas Orienteering Associaiton!
Event fees
We’re not charging event fees for this virtual, self-serve event, but donations are always appreciated! We’re a non-profit organization.
Directions
All courses have the same Start/Finish point in the northeast part of the park near the Royal Lane and Arborside Drive. Parking is available along the sides of Arborside Drive near the corner of Moss Trail.
Harry Moss Park is located at the corner of Greenville Avenue and Royal Lane in North Dallas. Exit U.S. 75/Central Expressway from north or south at Royal Lane and travel east about one mile to Arborside Drive.