GETMETOCA
Can't Wait For Tuesdays
- Mar 17, 2002
- 4,768
- 0
This was my VERY FIRST hare scramble and it was a great one to start out with. The unseasonable weather was due to hit a low of 70 and we even got some RAIN to drench the parched course. I drove up to Sacramento from Modesto around 1 PM and got to Prairie City/Hangtown about 3 PM. I circled the general staging area and found one solitary campsite with a picnic table so I snagged it.
After unloading my Yukon and heaving the KTM off the motojack rack, I called Jennifer and Pierre to locate them and let them know where I was. I had other friends from my home town due to arrive later in the evening.
First off, I just want to say that the Bushwhacker's MC had everything covered! They had a band setting up in the main staging area around 4 PM. Food vendors were available for some pretty good looking nibbles, and the Bushwhackers MC was even hosting a Hamburger cookout. Heather Wilson (National Women's GNCC Champ and Dist 36 member) and Team Kawasaki were on hand for Kawi demo's, a talk from Heather about HS strategy, and Heather always takes a group of kids out for a ride - very cool!
I saw some familar faces, LocoCD and his wife Jane, daughter Ashley, and a couple of girls I've met at races of the last couple of years. I got to see Jill Patterson, our D-36 photographer extraordinaire as well.
Jennifer and Pierre and I did a nice easy 15 miles in the late afternoon. We found the 40 foot "Mud Bog" that the Bushwhackers had promised would be in the HS and went through it about 5 or 6 times in order to figure out the best line. We agreed to stay to to the RIGHT!! We felt like we had an edge, but come race morning, LocoCD told everyone on the starting line to stay to the right as well :)
Later that night, I cooked up some Linguine and Clam sauce and roasted chicken (from the deli, I cheated!) and after catching up with my friends who arrived late, I called it a night and got an EXCELLENT night's rest in my sleeping bag in the back of my Yukon.
Well, I think I mentioned this was my first HS. There were 26 Women entered in my race! The first thing I did wrong was right at the start. I remember thinking to myself that the honking horn I heard must mean that the race would be starting soon..... But before I knew it everyone was kicking and going and button-starting and I'm thinking "holy crap" I guess its time to go!! I pushed my e-start but I couldn't hear if the engine had turned over and in my frenzied state it had not, so I pushed the button again and finally I took off!! I was already at the back of the pack, oh well :ugg: Jennifer and her KTM351 (yes, she's got the big bore kit and it's the shizzle!!) is off and WAY out front with the fast chicks. Bye bye.
There's a bottle neck at the entrance to a downhill dip and I get past two who are waiting patiently for their "turn" :nener:
We navigate through some turns and berms and table tops from the MX course and I'm no MXer so its steady-eddie through the turns and I'm sure I look like a spode. I don't care. :moon: Some of the ladies go down at the base of a table top and I navigate around them. Then its on to the staight aways and faster stuff and some downhills that make me pucker a little, but just a little because I'm going faster than normally go.
I miss the familiarity of the enduros with the 12 mph sections and resets and woods and trees and things to keep one from getting out of control....I miss the check points and the jart charts and the available time I actually have to take a sip from my camel back. I miss the nice 30 minutes for snacks and gas stops half way through the race.
This Hare Scramble stuff is......INTENSE! Everyone is GO! GO! GO! and I'm like "Ummm, yeaaaaah. I don't normally go 40 mph and 4th gear's not my thing....okay??" When I'd get passed, there was absolutely no response to my throttle hand. When some blur of a woman Hare Scramble entrant would get past me, I'd think to myself "Go on girl!! Go on! Here, let me pull over a little to the right so you can get your quick self right on by!! You GO girl!!"
So that's how it went. I rode against myself and had a good time. I ended up getting in 4 whole laps which surprised me because most of the C class women pulled down 4 as well. I was getting lapped by the B class women and I didn't feel too much shame in that. They all pulled 5 laps. And I didn't come in last - YES!!
The Bushwhackers did a SUPERB job of marking the course, flagging and assisting throught the whole 4.7 mile loop. They mustered up plenty of help from the various district clubs and all were needed. The Furnace HS is the LARGEST represented Women's / Youth HS in the country and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to pull of an event of this magnatude.
I had a blast, thanks Bushwhackers and District 36! :worship:
After unloading my Yukon and heaving the KTM off the motojack rack, I called Jennifer and Pierre to locate them and let them know where I was. I had other friends from my home town due to arrive later in the evening.
First off, I just want to say that the Bushwhacker's MC had everything covered! They had a band setting up in the main staging area around 4 PM. Food vendors were available for some pretty good looking nibbles, and the Bushwhackers MC was even hosting a Hamburger cookout. Heather Wilson (National Women's GNCC Champ and Dist 36 member) and Team Kawasaki were on hand for Kawi demo's, a talk from Heather about HS strategy, and Heather always takes a group of kids out for a ride - very cool!
I saw some familar faces, LocoCD and his wife Jane, daughter Ashley, and a couple of girls I've met at races of the last couple of years. I got to see Jill Patterson, our D-36 photographer extraordinaire as well.
Jennifer and Pierre and I did a nice easy 15 miles in the late afternoon. We found the 40 foot "Mud Bog" that the Bushwhackers had promised would be in the HS and went through it about 5 or 6 times in order to figure out the best line. We agreed to stay to to the RIGHT!! We felt like we had an edge, but come race morning, LocoCD told everyone on the starting line to stay to the right as well :)
Later that night, I cooked up some Linguine and Clam sauce and roasted chicken (from the deli, I cheated!) and after catching up with my friends who arrived late, I called it a night and got an EXCELLENT night's rest in my sleeping bag in the back of my Yukon.
Well, I think I mentioned this was my first HS. There were 26 Women entered in my race! The first thing I did wrong was right at the start. I remember thinking to myself that the honking horn I heard must mean that the race would be starting soon..... But before I knew it everyone was kicking and going and button-starting and I'm thinking "holy crap" I guess its time to go!! I pushed my e-start but I couldn't hear if the engine had turned over and in my frenzied state it had not, so I pushed the button again and finally I took off!! I was already at the back of the pack, oh well :ugg: Jennifer and her KTM351 (yes, she's got the big bore kit and it's the shizzle!!) is off and WAY out front with the fast chicks. Bye bye.
There's a bottle neck at the entrance to a downhill dip and I get past two who are waiting patiently for their "turn" :nener:
We navigate through some turns and berms and table tops from the MX course and I'm no MXer so its steady-eddie through the turns and I'm sure I look like a spode. I don't care. :moon: Some of the ladies go down at the base of a table top and I navigate around them. Then its on to the staight aways and faster stuff and some downhills that make me pucker a little, but just a little because I'm going faster than normally go.
I miss the familiarity of the enduros with the 12 mph sections and resets and woods and trees and things to keep one from getting out of control....I miss the check points and the jart charts and the available time I actually have to take a sip from my camel back. I miss the nice 30 minutes for snacks and gas stops half way through the race.
This Hare Scramble stuff is......INTENSE! Everyone is GO! GO! GO! and I'm like "Ummm, yeaaaaah. I don't normally go 40 mph and 4th gear's not my thing....okay??" When I'd get passed, there was absolutely no response to my throttle hand. When some blur of a woman Hare Scramble entrant would get past me, I'd think to myself "Go on girl!! Go on! Here, let me pull over a little to the right so you can get your quick self right on by!! You GO girl!!"
So that's how it went. I rode against myself and had a good time. I ended up getting in 4 whole laps which surprised me because most of the C class women pulled down 4 as well. I was getting lapped by the B class women and I didn't feel too much shame in that. They all pulled 5 laps. And I didn't come in last - YES!!
The Bushwhackers did a SUPERB job of marking the course, flagging and assisting throught the whole 4.7 mile loop. They mustered up plenty of help from the various district clubs and all were needed. The Furnace HS is the LARGEST represented Women's / Youth HS in the country and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to pull of an event of this magnatude.
I had a blast, thanks Bushwhackers and District 36! :worship:
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