Falcon Ridge Forum

by **Bluemoon501209** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:53 pm

Hi,

I'll be attending the FRFF for the first time as a volunteer. I have several questions I haven't found addressed on the forums I'm hoping someone can answer.

If I want to camp close to my car, which areas are best ?
Is there a "dedicated dish washing" area or can I wash at my tent site, room/neighbors permitting ?
I see volunteers are provided 2 meals a day. Which 2 meals ?
My assignment starts Thursday evening with a 6:00 PM meeting. Should I bring my own dinner, or can I get food pre/post meeting ?
Have ticks been much of a problem ?
I almost hate to ask, but what color is the volunteer t shirt ?
Anything to be aware of dress-code-wise for working Safety & Security ?
If I'm too tired to drive home on Sunday, can I camp there ?

Thanks very much

by **Gail Greenberg** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:21 pm

How do you charge your cell phones if you have a regular outlet plug-in charger.

Sorry I can't answer your questions, bluemoon501209. I'm new this year too and will be working ice crew.

Thanks for letting me add to your question. Hope we both get some answers.

by **darkdeer** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:24 pm

Hi Bluemoon. Is this your first time attending Falcon Ridge or just your first time volunteering? Either way, welcome. There is a special community within the larger community when you volunteer. Now let's see if I can help with some of your questions:

1) Just about anywhere you camp (weather conditions depending) you can park your car right next to your campsite. I put in that caveat because the festival is on a hillside that can get very slick when it rains and the further up the hill you go, the more treacherous it may be. As someone has already said, be sure to park SIDEWAYS and not up/down the hillside.

2) I'm not sure about the "dedicated dish-washing areas". I know that there are stations outside the portapotties that say do NOT wash dishes here. I think it's okay at your site as long as you are considerate of the fact that it is a working farm. There are tankers of water availabe for you to get water to haul to your site. I used to try to do the ecologically-minded thing and bring my own dishes & wash them but it was too big of a hassle so now I just use the dishes they provide in the volunteer food tent for the most part.

3) Volunteers are provided a HUGE!!!! breakfast. This is also the only meal that provides meat products. (Bacon, sausage) Get up early and fill up 'cause they don't provide lunch. Dinner is usually light fare - salads, soups, pastas, etc -- but there is plenty of it. Although lunch isn't provided, there is usually peanut butter & bread and fruit and maybe some leftovers around to snack on during the day. And there are "late night snacks" - fruit, pudding, pb&j, etc. They feed us well. There is even a "Chuck wagon" volunteer crew whose job it is to see that working volunteers get fed. Oh yeah...and there is ALWAYS water, tea or something cool to drink in the volunteer food tent so STAY HYDRATED! Also coffee & hot tea.

4) I'm trying to remember if there was food last year on Thurs night. I think they did have a light dinner for us but don't take my word for it. LOL I'm going to bring backup just in case.

5) At first I thought you meant "tickets" and I couldn't figure out what you meant. DUH!! I've gone to Falcon Ridge (off & on) since the early 90s & I've never gotten a tick from there. Bug spray for skeeters might be a good idea.

6) I gave up trying to color-coordinate my FR attire years ago. I think most others have, too. I never know the color of the shirt until I get there.

7) I've had friends who worked security. Apart from the volunteer T-shirt, the only thing I can think of that was any different from anyone else is that they are the folks with the walkie-talkies. No, no dress code. Be comfortable. One of the things I love most about Falcon Ridge is the diversity and that shines brightly in the different ways that people dress. A lot of folks even "customize" their volunteer tees. It's all good.

Yes, you can stay over Sunday night (but they stop feeding us....and the portapotties leave early Monday

) I'm going to be staying over. There's usually a pretty nice group of people who don't leave until Monday.

Gail, electricity (& outlets) are rare at FR so if you don't have a car charger, that may be a problem. But volunteers are usually at a bit of an advantage there as there is sometimes an outlet available where you are assigned that you may be able to use. (Ask your crew chief.) Also, sometimes you may be able to befriend a vendor who has power in their booth who will allow you to plug in for a little while. (They may be friendlier about it if you offer them a few dollars.) Another alternative is to ask someone who is staying off-site (at a motel or campsite w/ power) to take it and recharge it from there.

Hope this helps a bit. I can't believe that this time next week I'll be sitting at the mainstage, sad that there's only one day left.

by **Gail Greenberg** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 2:15 am

Hi, Darkdeer,

If you've been to Falcon Ridge on and off for almost 20 years, do you usually camp in the volunteer area or up the hill?

I'll check with my crew chief about available outlets. And I'll bring some cash just in case I have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

See you in a few days

by **Bluemoon501209** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:36 pm

Darkdeer,

Thanks for all the great info. This helps me figure what I really need to bring. And Yes, this is my first time at FR, first time volunteering too. I'm looking forward to 3 days of good music & meeting new people.

Gail - two additional suggestions for charging your cell phone:
1. Try a solar charger. You may be able to charge where you work so you can keep an eye on your phone. Solar chargers come in many styles & prices so you should be able to find a design you like.

2. Turn it off. Enjoy the music & company. You can always turn it on a few times during the day to check for messages. This way your battery may last the whole weekend without any additional charging. This is what I'll be doing.

by **Gail Greenberg** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:49 pm

Hi BlueMoon,

I'm glad I won't be the on first time camper and volunteer. What crew are you working on? I'll be on the Ice Crew.

1. Thanks for the suggestion. First time I heard about a solar charger. I should be able to charge where I volunteer.

2. I agree with you 100% about keeping the phone off most of the time. My kids are grown and very self-sufficient. But this is my first camping experience and we lost my husband on March 4th of this year so I think they'd appreciate a call or two over the weekend.

See you in a few days,

Gail

by **darkdeer** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:41 am

Gail, so sorry for your loss!

Bluemoon - leaving the phones off & enjoying the music -- Geez, what a concept!

I agree!! But it's nice to have a charged phone "just in case". Great advice about the solar chargers. Thanks.

by **Gail Greenberg** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:59 am

Darkdeer, thank you for your kind words.

And Bluemoon, I was eating dinner with my son and asked him if he heard about a solar charger and he said "Of course, Ma". I will be able to charge my phone while I'm working and mostly I want to be able to make a call if I have to.

by **Bluemoon501209** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 1:41 pm

Gail,
Glad you're able to work things out with a solar charger. It looks like we'll have more than enough sun for FR. A few hours of charging should be enough for a few calls. Of course, I expect you'll have your phone fully charged befor leaving home, &/or charging in the car en route to FR.
I use a solar charger for camera & flashlight batteries when electricity isn't an option.

I'll be working for Safety & Security, but don't have the details yet. I'm sure I'll have a reason, or two, to stop by the ice tent.

by **Gail Greenberg** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:05 pm

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Re: New Volunteer Questions
Hi Bluemoon,

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I didn't get a solar charger because my crew chief said I could charge my phone in my 'office'.

Since this is my first camping trip I am buying the most basic stuff this year and next year I'll get my own tent. sleeping bag and solar charger.

Glad you'll be keeping all of us safe and secure at the Festival.

By the way, does your nickname come from the oldie "Blue Moon" (you saw me standing alone...)?

Gail

by **Bluemoon501209** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:13 pm

Gail,

Having an outlet at your work site will certainly make things easier, although getting "off the grid" with a solar charger can be a big plus at times. I thought perhaps your son had a solar charger to lend you.

You should have lots of opportunities to check out tents & other gear this weekend so when you're ready to buy, you'll have a better idea of what to look for.

Bluemoon comes more from "once in a blue moon," as well as what happened on the last blue moon....

by **Gail Greenberg** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:39 pm

Blue Moon,

I agree that having a solar charger can make things easier. This is my first camping trip and I've tried to start with the basics and will add more stuff for next year after seeing what other people use this weekend.

Right now we only have the one cell phone at home and the usual plug in charger. If my son had one I definitely would borrow it for a few days.

Thanks for explaning the origin of your name.

See you tomorrow,

Gail

by **Gail Greenberg** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:11 pm

Wait, what happened during the last blue moon, which the Farmers' Almanac says was 11/21/10?

When I signed up for the forum I should have created a great screen name like yours.

by **Gail Greenberg** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:08 am

Where is the Activities For Kids Tent? I'll be volunteering there this year. Thanks

by **darkdeer** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:04 pm

Gail, you're trading the ice tent for kid's activities this year? That sounds like a fun crew to be on and a great fit for you. I'm not sure, but I think the kid's activities takes place at the family stage. You might want to post your question at the FR facebook page. It seems more active these days than this forum. I look forward to seeing you again...in just over a week. Can't believe it's almost here again.

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