Oatlands Invite Weather Update

Coaches,

This email provides some weather-related updates for Saturday's Oatlands Cross Country Invitational.  We are actively monitoring weather forecasts for Saturday.  At this time, we do hope to hold the invitational as scheduled.  Any cancelation, or changes, would be communicated by Friday at 12 noon via this email group and through Milestat's website. 

We do want to prepare you for some weather-related changes with bus traffic and bus parking.  In order to take care of the Oatlands property (and not jeopardize future cross country events there), and in order to make sure buses do not get stuck parking on some lower elevation areas, we have a bus parking change.  We want to prepare you now so you can let your transportation departments and drivers know. 

Bus Parking Plan: 

We'll utilize this plan as our regular bus parking field is in a lower elevation grass field.  Please understand this plan allows us to keep the invitational on as scheduled, but also take care of the property and not cause and buses getting stuck in the field.  All buses will drop-off at Oatlands and will move to Leesburg (various possible locations listed below) for the event.  Coaches should get drivers' cell phone numbers and call when they want to be picked up.  See below for specifics.  If the coach is driving the bus:  1. If this is a small bus, please enter and park in the car parking field.  2. If this is a large bus, please parallel park just off of the gravel driveway at the bottom of the hill adjacent to the regular bus parking field.  That being said, there may end up being only a bus or two parked there. 

Bus Drop-Off prior to 8am:

All buses will enter the main Oatlands driveway.  This is the same driveway that regular vehicle traffic will use. Prior to 8am, buses will take a left at the course, driving across the start line area, vendor area, porta john area, and down to the regular bus parking area.  BUSES SHOULD REMAIN ON THE GRAVEL ROAD AT ALL TIMES.  Please be careful and drive very slowly, as pedestrian traffic is present in this area.  Buses will stop at the bottom of the hill, adjacent to the old bus parking field.  Do not stop near the course, as bus traffic will quickly back up and stop all traffic entering the property off of Rt. 15.  Athletes will exit the buses at the bottom of the hill where the bus attendants direct.  Buses will then exit the property via Gap Rd. and will drive five miles north to Leesburg.  Potential parking locations include Heritage High School, J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Evergreen Mill Elementary School, Wal-Mart, Leesburg Premium Outlets, Target, etc.  Coaches will call the bus driver when the meet is over and they want to be picked up. 

See the attached map titled "Drop-Off prior to 8am"

Bus Drop-Off after 8am:

All buses will enter the main Oatlands driveway.  This is the same driveway that regular vehicle traffic will use.  Buses WILL NOT be able to turn left across the course, as pedestrian traffic and runners will be too heavy.  After 8am, buses will continue the length of the Oatlands driveway and will drop off on the main Oatlands driveway, 50 yards past the car turn-in to the parking field.   This is a longer walk to the course for athletes, but again, this plan is allowing the invitational to remain on as scheduled.  Buses will continue down the main driveway, past the Oatlands mansion, taking a right at the gravel T-intersection onto Little Oatlands Lane.  Buses will then turn right onto Rt. 15 and will drive five miles north to Leesburg.  Potential parking locations include Heritage High School, J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Evergreen Mill Elementary School, Wal-Mart, Leesburg Premium Outlets, Target, etc.  Coaches will call the bus driver when the meet is over and they want to be picked up. 

See the attached map titled "Drop-Off after 8am"

Bus Pick-up after the meet:

Coaches will call the bus driver when they want to be picked up.  Buses will return to the property from their parking locations in Leesburg.  All bus traffic WILL ENTER VIA GAP RD.   This is the same location where the bus exited after drop-off.  BUSES SHOULD REMAIN ON THE GRAVEL DRIVE THE ENTER TIME FOR PICK-UP.   If buses are picking up after the meet, the buses should drive all the way up the gravel driveway to the area of the course to pick-up athletes.  Buses will then take a right on the main Oatlands driveway and exit onto Rt. 15.  If buses are picking up before the meet is over, athletes will be picked up at the bottom of the hill adjacent to the regular bus parking area.  The bus will have to make a three-point turn at the gravel driveway intersections and exit the property via Gap Rd. onto Rt. 15.

See the attached map titled "Pick-Up after the Meet"

Thank you everyone for your flexibility.  Again, we're making all necessary plans in an effort to keep the invitational on as scheduled. 

Stay tuned for our email Friday by noon with any possible other changes.

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