September 13-15, 2024
Hickory Run State Park
White Haven, Pennsylvania
The Event
Delaware Valley Orienteering Association (DVOA) will host its ~31st annual training and camping weekend on September 13-15, 2024, in the Camp Daddy Allen group camping area of Hickory Run State Park near White Haven, Pennsylvania. Hickory Run is a beautiful, conveniently located park in the Poconos near the intersection of I-80 and I-476 (Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike).
General schedule
- Friday – evening arrival, cabin assignment
- Saturday – Breakfast, training exercises beginning at 10 AM, Lunch, afternoon training sessions, Dinner, Night-O
- Sunday – Breakfast, standard courses/regular DVOA event, Lunch, cleanup, departure
Details
Saturday will be devoted to training and orienteering exercises. Training begins at 10 AM and will be offered for three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
- Beginner training is for people who have never gone out on an orienteering course or have only gone out a few times on a white or yellow course. Exercises will include map reading, understanding map symbols, and map orientation.
- Intermediate training is for people who feel very comfortable on a yellow course and want to move up to the orange level. In addition, intermediate training is for people who are now going out on an orange course and want to refine their skills. Exercises include understanding handrails, thumbing to maintain map contact, route simplification and improving off-trail confidence.
- Advanced training is for people who are currently going out on a brown, green, or red course and want to improve their skills. Exercises include selecting attack points, route simplification, and interpreting contours.
Training will be followed by a night orienteering event Saturday evening. Night-O is offered on three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. For night orienteering you will need a flashlight and/or headlamp. Start times will be pre-assigned. Please note special start time needs when you register (Night-O start time range is 7:30-8:30 PM) . Course Notes for the Night-O are here.
- The beginner course is all on trails and is intended for people who have never done orienteering at night.
- The intermediate course is intended for people who have done night orienteering before and are ready to get off-trail for part of the course.
- The advanced course is intended for people who have completed several night orienteering courses and are very comfortable off-trail at night.
On Sunday, DVOA will host a regular orienteering event. You can come just for this regular event if you’d like. Five courses will be offered: White (introductory difficulty and 2 to 3 km), Yellow (advanced introductory difficulty and 2.5 to 3 km), Orange (intermediate difficulty and 2.5 to 4 km), Brown (advanced difficulty and 3 to 5 km). Green (advanced difficulty and 3.5 to 5.5 km), and Red (advanced difficulty and 5 to 7 km).
Registration and Fees
Registration will close at the end of the day, Thursday, September 5, 2024. Who’s registered
Fees are lowish, at cost. See the registration page for exact fees as you start filling out a possible entry, separately for each of the following:
- Saturday Training, Saturday Night-O, and Sunday Regular Event
- The training fee includes all training materials you need except a compass. This is a per-person fee. You must pre-register and pre-pay for training.
- The Night-O map fee is a per-start cost, not a per-person cost. Typically, it is not practical for more than 2-4 people to use the same start and map. You must pre-register and pre-pay for Night-O.
- If you are going out on the Sunday event as part of the training, or only doing the Sunday event, you must pre-register and pre-pay.
- Note pre-registration deadline is earlier than the typical Thursday-before.
- Accommodations and Meal Packages – options on the EventRegister page
- Children under age 7 eat free, but are charged for cabin space.
- Lead volunteers (of trainings, event, course setting, meals) don’t pay for cabins or meals but do pay for their maps.
Accommodations and Food
Sleeping facilities at Hickory Run consist of unheated cabins with wooden bunks and no electricity. There are no mattresses, so bring a mattress if desired. The group camp area has flush toilets located throughout the camp, a dining hall, and a central shower facility with hot showers. The shower facility has electricity for lighting, but the toilet facilities throughout the camp have no electricity. The fees include both Friday and Saturday nights.
If you stay in the cabins, you are asked to sweep out your cabin when you leave, close and latch all windows, and pick up any trash you find in and around your cabin before you leave. Due to the bear population at Hickory Run, food in the sleeping cabins is prohibited.
You can also tent camp, but must contact the park to reserve space in the public campground. Tent camping is not permitted in the group camp area we are using. The phone number for Pennsylvania State Park reservations is: 888-727-2757. You can also reserve a tent site online.
The meal plan consists of 3 meals on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. You must pre-register for food. There is no charge for children under 7. Meals are nutritious and plentiful. You can bring your own food if you desire, but kitchen facilities will not be provided. You may NOT keep any food in the sleeping cabins due to bears in the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my pet to the event?
No, pets are not allowed in any group camp area.
Can I tent camp?
Tent camping is not allowed in the Daddy Allen group camp area, so you must use the tent camping area. Contact the Park Office at 3613 State Route 534, White Haven, PA 18661
570-443-0400.
Can I tent camp and take the meal plan?
Yes.
I am not a member of DVOA. What is the advantage of joining?
The primary advantages are reduced event fees, rankings, and notification of upcoming events. A youth or small community organization (such as a scout troop or church group) can join as a family and all members of the organization are considered members. You can contact the club office for more information at 610-792-0502, email Mary Frank, or sign up online. Reduced member fees at this event alone for a large group may cover the cost of membership.
Do you keep groups together?
To the extent possible, groups are kept together. There are 2-, 4-, and a few 8-10 person cabins. Large groups are often given multiple cabins.
Will I share a cabin with anyone else?
Small groups and families (people who submit one registration or indicate who they want to be in a cabin with) are given a single cabin and do not share space with anyone else. A single person (registration) generally shares a cabin with someone of the same gender.
What can I do to help at the event?
Helpers are often needed in the kitchen. Helpers are always needed for cleanup after the event. Cleanup starts about 2:00pm and mostly consists of dining hall cleaning. Even if you can only offer 15 minutes, it’s appreciated.
When does registration close?
Registration will end the first week of September, but the event may be full before that time. Avoid disappointment and register early.
You mentioned bears a couple of times, is there cause for alarm?
If you keep food out of your sleeping cabin, you should not have a problem. Food in a sleeping cabin is prohibited by the park for good reason. There have been cases of bears entering cabins because there was food in the cabin. The people, who were eating at the time, were surprised when the bear came through the window. Avoid the problem and don’t eat or keep food in your cabin.
Even More Questions?
Ask on the eBoard.