Delaware Valley Orienteering Association

Topic created by DaveUrban on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 2:55 pm

DaveUrban
Num Posts: 166
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map:
First O: 0

Anyone out there in O land secured good (<= timely, reasonably priced) transportation to/from Flying Pig XV?  Looks like about a 12 hour drive. Air fares are looking around $300 pp.

Reply by Orienteeringmom on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Orienteeringmom
Num Posts: 163
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Green Lane NC
First O: 1993

Dave,

I have been going to this meet for years.  First with my children in the very late ninties and early 2000's.  Then once Corinne was in college and Ryan had no desire to go anymore it became my annual Orienteering Ladies weekend with Julie Keim and Donna Terefenko and in recent years Corinne has come back to the group.  Here is how we survive the weekend.  First we leave after work on Thursday night and drive as far as Washington, Pa and stay at the Motel 6 (discount from USOF). We usually arrive there between 11PM and midnight.  We are up and back on the road by 7:30 - 8AM.  We arrive at the friday meet site by 1PM sometimes earlier.   We ask for early start times for sunday, so that we can be on the road by noon for home.  There are 4 of us and we all take turns driving out and back.  Out of the 4 of us I live the fartherest east and I'm generally home by midnight sunday night.  We always take a cooler for lunch foods and drinks.  So that we eat lunch before we leave on sunday and then stop for dinner for about an hour usually before getting on the PA turnpike. 

Yes it is a long weekend but a really fun one.  Ohio orienteering is different than any thing in PA , generally very little rock but very steep embankment for streams etc so spiked shoes are must.  If it is wet the mud is very clingy so make sure you have extra shoes before getting into your car.  We never do the dinners once I stopped doing them for the juniors.  We look for something different to try but we sometimes end up are Red Lobster for our seafood fix just depends what it around where we are staying.

I would not consider the expense of flying as I don't have that kind of money and neither do the other ladies but we really do have a great time and will be there once again this year.

So if you can take the time to drive and can share the driving with someone like we do.  Then go for it.  I'm sure you will enjoy it as well.  Half the fun is driving for us.

Reply by Guy-O on Sun Feb 13, 2011 at 1:40 am

Guy-O
Num Posts: 356
Primary Club: HVO
Fav map: Spackman Creek
First O: 1982

Until Keystone Capers happens, I wouldn't be so sure that Ohio terrain is different from anything in PA -- especially since that event is only about 50 miles from OH. 

Reply by randy on Mon Feb 14, 2011 at 6:57 am

randy
Num Posts: 11
Primary Club:
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1998

Dave, I hope you can make it to the Pig, it is usually a good meet.

Re airfares, my advice is to look into flying into Dayton or Indianapolis if you haven't already.  Almost always cheaper than flying into CVG. Good luck.

Reply by rgbortz on Wed Feb 16, 2011 at 8:25 am

rgbortz
Num Posts: 202
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Stuckey Pond
First O: 1986

8 1/2 hours straight through driving for me last year. All totaled probably close to that much time getting to airport, waiting, getting rental car,etc.  Hooking up with other area orienteers can take the boredom out of the drive.