Belegarth

Hail All,

Dagorhir Mallenorod is hosting our first Campout the weekend of May 14-16, at Ed Levin Park, in Milpitas, CA. I'm dubbing this the War of Silica Vale I (because I'm prescient or at least ambitious), and invite all to come to northern California and join in on the fun.

We will have a weekend of camping, fighting and fun. Optional meal plan covers Saturday night feast and a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. Schedule and cost details to follow.

For those traveling from afar, Ed Levin Park is off of Calaveras Road, a quick exit from I-680 (0r I-880) in the foothills northeast of San Jose, CA. Nearest airport is San Jose's Joseph Mineta Airport (SJC) - drop me a line ahead of time and we can arrange to pick you up, provide overnight housing, etc.

Here's the follow up post from below:

Wow - thanks for all of the support guys. Here goes.

Location change (the Parks Dept. double-booked us): Ed Levin County Park, in Milpitas, CA

Here's an easy link: http://tinyurl.com/353oyo

Still a great location, just off of the part of the route of the Tour of California (the following week) in the foothills east of Silicon Valley. Ed Levin Park is off of Calaveras Road, an easy exit off of I-880 or I-680, in the hills above the town of Milpitas. For those flying in, San Jose is the closest airport, but this location is very close to the BART system, making SFO and OAK airports equally good options (and yes, shuttles to/from BART will be offered - PM me for details).

If you look at the County's Park Map (a pdf on their site), we'll be in the Elm camping area, located near the fighting field, showers and the bathrooms. While the weather is warm that time of year during the day, we expect things to cool down in the evening. Fog is a possibility, but rain is unlikely in this area.

We'll open the site Friday early in the day and we leave Sunday late afternoon. The cost for the weekend will be $15 (or less if possible) per person, and there's a $5 per car park fee. In addition, we'll be offering an optional Saturday night feast and Sunday morning pancake breakfast (details and pricing to come). We regret having to ask so much for the event, but due to budget cuts and insurance requirements, the price is high for a large group camping area with decent amenities.

I am definity interested in this event, and I'm going to do my best to bring more of Salamandastron out to it as well. I've talked to Vek and he isn't sure if he is free that weekend, but he'll try his best to make it out there too.

How soon can we get details on campsite, fees, etc??

Vek

This event is being heavily promoted in Anduril. It goes up on our website as something we are attending and we hope to show up in full force.

Wow - thanks for all of the support guys. Here goes.

Location change (the Parks Dept. double-booked us): Ed Levin County Park, in Milpitas, CA

Here's an easy link: http://tinyurl.com/353oyo

Still a great location, just off of the part of the route of the Tour of California (the following week) in the foothills east of Silicon Valley. Ed Levin Park is off of Calaveras Road, an easy exit off of I-880 or I-680, in the hills above the town of Milpitas. For those flying in, San Jose is the closest airport, but this location is very close to the BART system, making SFO and OAK airports equally good options (and yes, shuttles to/from BART will be offered - PM me for details).

If you look at the County's Park Map (a pdf on their site), we'll be in the Elm camping area, located near the fighting field, showers and the bathrooms. While the weather is warm that time of year during the day, we expect things to cool down in the evening. Fog is a possibility, but rain is unlikely in this area.

We'll open the site Friday early in the day and we leave Sunday late afternoon. The cost for the weekend will be $15 (or less if possible) per person, and there's a $5 per car park fee. In addition, we'll be offering an optional Saturday night feast and Sunday morning pancake breakfast (details and pricing to come). We regret having to ask so much for the event, but due to budget cuts and insurance requirements, the price is high for a large group camping area with decent amenities.

Could you PM me the info for your insurance?

Tati's our expert on that- let me dig up your email and I'll put you two ladies into contact.

Thanks for the Details. I will send this to my fighters and see what they think. Sorry I won't make it, But I will send some out your way.

Vek

If UCI is attending why wouldn't UCSC go too? Then we get to see all our Nor Cal peeps at once. It will be fun

Right?! I have work those nights, but since its only an hour out, I think I'll just take a couple trips out and back that weekend. It'll be worth it.

Vek

Hi All,

Wow, I'm really glad to see everyone's efforts to make it to this event, especially with such short notice! Thanks everyone!!


I just have a couple of corrections to Kyrax's post.

1. This park is not normally used for overnight camping, so unfortunately there are no showers available at this event.

2. The parking fee is actually $6 per car, so we highly recommend carpooling.


If anything changes, I'll let you guys know. I hope to see everyone there!

- Tati

Bump - per Car fee got raised to $6.00.

More and more folks are confirming. This is looking to be not only a great first event for our chapter, but we're rolling in a few extra goodies.

Friday Night will include Birthday Cake to encourage everyone to celebrate one of our members' birthday. No gantlet is planned (she'd fight back), but a rousingly off-key version of Happy Birthday is welcome.

And Saturday will not only be my Anniversary in Dagorhir, but the anniversary of the first Mallenorod practice that was held in Sacramento. So some extra festivities will be planned after the Feast, think libations and a campfire!

Folks will be rolling in from midday Friday, so come early and once your tent is set up we'll get the fighting going.

Friday afternoon - Noon onwards, just show up, pitch your tent
Weapons check will be run as needed - pick up fighting in the afternoon.
After a dinner break (you're on your own for this), we'll run some bear pits and other small group fights and then a torch lit sparring ring for those who want to keep fighting after dark.

Saturday, get up and weapons check will open by 10AM - fighting starting thereafter (hand-held weapons that passed on Friday won't need to be rechecked).

Field battles, including two, three and more team scenarios from around 11-1. Then a break for lunch.
Then some Thermopylae and fort scenarios in the shade, followed by more field fights.
Late afternoon we'll move to small unit fighting, bridge scenarios, and pick-up fights, while the feast is being prepared.

Post feast if folks want to fight some more we'll have a torch lit fighting area till whenever.

Sunday, get up and do it again. After the pancake breakfast of course. Weapons spot-checked before fighting starts, then pick-up battles, field scenarios, etc. We'll wrap up when folks get tired (but gotta be out of the park by 6-ish).

Fee will be $10-12 a person - we're trying to break even on this at best, so if the turnout is stronger we'll drop the fees or reimburse folks the extra couple of bucks. To help us estimate numbers (and thus costs, food to order, etc.), please email or pm me if you or your group are thinking of coming (and if you intend to join in on the feast and pancake breakfast option).

Please carpool - the parks changed their rules and want $6 a day per car for camping. So we may want to shuttle some cars offsite to save on those fees.

And revising all of the above into one supposedly coherent post:

Dagorhir Mallenorod is hosting our first Campout the weekend of May 14-16, at Ed Levin Park, in Milpitas, CA. I'm dubbing this the War of Silica Vale I (because I'm prescient or at least ambitious), and invite all to come to northern California and join in on the fun.

For those traveling from afar, Ed Levin Park is off of Calaveras Road, a quick exit from I-680 (0r I-880) in the foothills northeast of San Jose, CA. Nearest airport is San Jose's Joseph Mineta Airport (SJC) - drop me a line ahead of time and we can arrange to pick you up, provide overnight housing, etc.

Here's an easy link: http://tinyurl.com/353oyo

If you look at the County's Park Map pdf, we'll be in the Elm camping area, below the dam. While the weather is warm that time of year during the day, we expect things to cool down in the evening. Fog is a possibility, but rain is unlikely in this area.

We'll open the site Friday early in the day and we leave Sunday late afternoon. The cost for the weekend will be $12 (or less if possible) per person, and there's a $6 per day car parking fee. In addition, we'll be offering an optional Saturday night feast and Sunday morning pancake breakfast (details and pricing to come). We regret having to ask so much for the event, but due to budget cuts and insurance requirements, the price is high for a large group camping area with decent amenities.

More and more folks are confirming: we've got members of three Belegarth Realms and three Dagorhir chapters in California coming to Silica Vale. This is looking to be a great first event for our chapter, so we're rolling in a few extra goodies to sweeten the pot.

Folks will be rolling in from midday Friday, so come early and once your tent is set up we'll get the fighting going.

Friday afternoon - Noon onwards, just show up, pitch your tent
Weapons check will be run as needed - pick up fighting in the afternoon.
After a dinner break (you're on your own for this), we'll run some bear pits and other small group fights and then a torch lit sparring ring for those who want to keep fighting after dark.

Friday Night will include Birthday Cake to encourage everyone to celebrate one of our members' birthday. No gantlet is planned (Wren'd fight back), but a rousingly off-key version of Happy Birthday is welcome.

Saturday, get up and weapons check will open by 10AM - fighting starting thereafter (hand-held weapons that passed on Friday won't need to be rechecked).

Field battles, including two, three and more team scenarios from around 11-1. Then a break for lunch.
Then some Thermopylae and fort scenarios in the shade, followed by more field fights.
Late afternoon we'll move to small unit fighting, bridge scenarios, and pick-up fights, while the feast is being prepared.

Post feast if folks want to fight some more we'll have a torch lit fighting area till whenever. Saturday will not only be my Anniversary in Dagorhir, but the anniversary of the first Mallenorod practice that was held in Sacramento. So some extra festivities will be planned after the Feast, think libations and a campfire!


Sunday, get up and do it again. After the pancake breakfast of course. Weapons spot-checked before fighting starts, then pick-up battles, field scenarios, etc. We'll wrap up when folks get tired (but gotta be out of the park by 6-ish).

Fee will be $10-12 a person - we're trying to break even on this at best, so if the turnout is stronger we'll drop the fees or reimburse folks the extra couple of bucks. To help us estimate numbers (and thus costs, food to order, etc.), please email or pm me if you or your group are thinking of coming (and if you intend to join in on the feast and pancake breakfast option).

Weather is looking beautiful this weekend - highs in the low 70's, partly cloudy, with things cooling down at night in time for the pit fighting, feasting and the all-important hanging around the campfire and shooting the breeze.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there, including some veterand Pelargirim who've RSVP'd.

Woohoo - not only is the weather report getting even better, but just heard that more veterans are coming to the War of Silica Vale! Juggernaut, Rain and Darklax of Pelargir are coming to the War!!!

Temps will be warm, upper 70's, with things cooling down to mid-50's at night. This means folks will need to dress in layers and be prepared to adapt to changes as they come. Also, I'd expect that it will be a bit windy in the afternoons (but no too windy as the site is fairly sheltered).

Wow, wow, wow! Thanks all.

We had a great turnout, with loads of Belagrim joining in on the fun. Okay, making it more fun for everyone. Salamandastron came out in force, and Anastasia dragged carloads of Anduril to join us. And wait, what was that creaking sound from the North Bay? Why it was the pheonix of Pelargir arising from it's sleep in a ball of fire, bringing forth Juggernaut, Darklax and Rain to add to the good times. All of which we are thankful for as it is a confirmation that us West Coast foam slingers are out to have a good time - killing our friends.

Mordraughck-ptuii came north and brought a new recruit to her first event, and took home some old friends (his spears that I'd kept for him since Ragnarok XIV or so).

The weather was perfect, the park was darned good after we worked out some wrinkles. We had over forty fighters on the field, ranging from new folks at their first event to grizzled veterans in heavy armor. We tried lots of interesting scenarios, fought Thermopylaes in the shade to avoid the heat of the day, and even ran a grinding bear pit on Sunday to tire out the last of our fighters.

Mallenorod thanks everyone who came out. We had a blast and are already working on the next event this Fall. We hope that you can join us.

Thanks for the great event. Hope to fight you guys again soon.

Thank you guys so much for hosting this awesome event. I know everyone from Salamandastron really enjoyed it. Hopefully we will be able to bring out more of us for the next event!