Badcat
Well-known member
[SIZE=12pt]I have read several reports from some "seasoned" rally vets and decided it's time for a rally virgin to chime in.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Prior to the 1088 I have 2 Saddle Sores and one BBG. So I knew the distance of the 1088 was not going to be a big problem. This bonus hunting thing had me worried. So, I decided that rule #1 would be FINISH. I could pick up some easy bonus points along the way as long as there was no risk of violating rule #1.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Looking back I woulda, coulda, shoulda, gone for more bonus points as the Rally Master Mr. Chalmers gave out the first leg pack Friday night. This action was contrary to everything I had heard about the 1088. I just knew he was going to mess me up with some kind of twisted crap. Kaitsdad and I grabbed some dinner and went over the rally packs. We agreed he was going to mess with everyone in the morning. Hal was leaning toward an alternate route and I was sticking with the main route.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Back up to the room and out with the maps and laptop to figure out where I was going. I promised myself that I would quit working on the maps at 10pm and get a good night sleep. At 12:30am I finished my planning and then the thought that Steve still had something up his sleeve for us in the morning entered my mind again. I got about 2 good hours of sleep.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I got up at 5 am, S|S&S and headed downstairs with my gear. I had loaded the bike the night before with most of the stuff I needed so that took little time and gave me an opportunity of a good breakfast before heading out. By 6:30 I had built up a lot of nervous energy and was ready to go. It was soon after that time we learned that Steve did not have anything to add to the Leg 1 rally pack. For 10 hours or so he had messed with my mind by not doing anything. He deserves the honorable term Rally Bastard for sure![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]7am and everybody is moving. I liken it to getting the hole shot at a motocross race in slow motion. I opted not to do the slow race but to head out and try to grab a couple of bonus points on the way to the first checkpoint in Heber City. I flew right past two bikes stopped at a mileage sign…..damn, that was the first bonus….luckily there was an exit close by so I reversed course, came back by and grabbed my first points in my very first rally! Damn, that felt good. The trip north and then over to Wyoming was uneventful. The scenery was beautiful and I wish I had stopped for some pictures but I had a problem. My GPS was showing my arrival time in Heber City as 1:28pm. I had some ground to make up. So I ran fast through Wyoming and back into Utah when I discovered that the GPS was trying to route me onto roads that don't exist. A quick check of the setting showed that the "avoid major roads" feature was turned on. I changed the settings, recalculated the route and found I would arrive at 11:50am. I could have slowed down and enjoyed the scenery more. Oh well, fast is fun too![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I handed in my first leg rally pack including I think three bonus stops and got the instructions for the rest of the rally. I headed over to the area were sit-ups were being attempted by folks who eat better than they ride. I was able to slug my way to 26 sit-ups. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I fueled up, and looked over the next part of the rally. Nothing too tough here, I can abide by rule #1, make some good miles and pick up a few easy points. The next checkpoint opens at, I know I read this right at first, 4:30pm*[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]*Wrong idiot![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I headed out of Heber City with a full tank and a few munchies in my gut. I remember picking up a bonus by taking a picture of a cemetery sign. The rest of the route was uneventful until two or three BMW blurs went by. Mind you I am not a super fast rider, I try to stay somewhere in the 5 to 15 mph over range. I was doing 80 and these folks made me feel like I was standing still. I clicked up to 90 knowing I had rabbits ahead of me! And I will now thank one of those bikes for being a rabbit as I saw them stopped by a local LEO about 10 minutes after they passed me. I'm sorry they got a ticket, but better them than me.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]As I headed onto I-70 I realized I was great on time, remember 4:30pm?? I shot down the SR to Hanksville and decided to pass up the Goblin bonus and head right for Checkpoint #2. It's about 4:35 and I am the only bike there. WTF?? I go inside and get a cold drink. Another bike rolls up. I get out my rally pack and in the biggest dumbass moment of the rally find that I read the f*cking time wrong. The checkpoint opens at 7:30pm. Well, I have plenty of time to rest and plan the rest of my rally. This becomes dumbass moment #2. In three hours I could have A. picked up the Arches bonus and the Goblin bonus B. got in enough miles so that I wouldn't have to later when I was tired and C. not have to explain to everyone why I spent three hours at checkpoint 2.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I used the time to do a little planning and rest. At about one hour before checkpoint open I see that even if I follow the rest of the main route, I will be short 150 miles. Reminder for the next rally, DON'T WASTE TIME![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I get checked in and haul ass out of Hanksville, across I-70, skipping the critter infested SR, onto I-15 to exit 109 south of Beaver. I'm only an hour early, so it's further south on I-15 to Cedar City and back to exit 109 and an open checkpoint. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]My plan at this point is to ride the 200 miles back to SLC and head west on I-80 75 miles toward Wendover and then head back. This all works well except when my GPS shows I have run the 75 miles out there is no place to turn around. I finally spot one of the cop turn arounds, hit the breaks hard, turn and roll onto the eastbound lanes. Instead of 75 miles I was 100 miles out. Oh well, what's another 100 miles. The sunrise above the Great Stink Lake is fantastic and it makes me think of why I love to ride. I hold a big grin all the way back to the finish line.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I roll to the finish line and there is Steve Chalmers waiting and ready to check me in.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I did not break rule # 1.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I finished 48th out of 53 with 1213 corrected miles.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I want to thank Steve Chalmers for putting on a great rally, the seasoned veterans for putting up with a rookie and Hal for letting me bounce ideas off of him. All of these things made for one of the best times I have had on two wheels.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I will attend next year with a new rule #1 and a desire to place much higher! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Burk[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Prior to the 1088 I have 2 Saddle Sores and one BBG. So I knew the distance of the 1088 was not going to be a big problem. This bonus hunting thing had me worried. So, I decided that rule #1 would be FINISH. I could pick up some easy bonus points along the way as long as there was no risk of violating rule #1.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Looking back I woulda, coulda, shoulda, gone for more bonus points as the Rally Master Mr. Chalmers gave out the first leg pack Friday night. This action was contrary to everything I had heard about the 1088. I just knew he was going to mess me up with some kind of twisted crap. Kaitsdad and I grabbed some dinner and went over the rally packs. We agreed he was going to mess with everyone in the morning. Hal was leaning toward an alternate route and I was sticking with the main route.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Back up to the room and out with the maps and laptop to figure out where I was going. I promised myself that I would quit working on the maps at 10pm and get a good night sleep. At 12:30am I finished my planning and then the thought that Steve still had something up his sleeve for us in the morning entered my mind again. I got about 2 good hours of sleep.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I got up at 5 am, S|S&S and headed downstairs with my gear. I had loaded the bike the night before with most of the stuff I needed so that took little time and gave me an opportunity of a good breakfast before heading out. By 6:30 I had built up a lot of nervous energy and was ready to go. It was soon after that time we learned that Steve did not have anything to add to the Leg 1 rally pack. For 10 hours or so he had messed with my mind by not doing anything. He deserves the honorable term Rally Bastard for sure![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]7am and everybody is moving. I liken it to getting the hole shot at a motocross race in slow motion. I opted not to do the slow race but to head out and try to grab a couple of bonus points on the way to the first checkpoint in Heber City. I flew right past two bikes stopped at a mileage sign…..damn, that was the first bonus….luckily there was an exit close by so I reversed course, came back by and grabbed my first points in my very first rally! Damn, that felt good. The trip north and then over to Wyoming was uneventful. The scenery was beautiful and I wish I had stopped for some pictures but I had a problem. My GPS was showing my arrival time in Heber City as 1:28pm. I had some ground to make up. So I ran fast through Wyoming and back into Utah when I discovered that the GPS was trying to route me onto roads that don't exist. A quick check of the setting showed that the "avoid major roads" feature was turned on. I changed the settings, recalculated the route and found I would arrive at 11:50am. I could have slowed down and enjoyed the scenery more. Oh well, fast is fun too![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I handed in my first leg rally pack including I think three bonus stops and got the instructions for the rest of the rally. I headed over to the area were sit-ups were being attempted by folks who eat better than they ride. I was able to slug my way to 26 sit-ups. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I fueled up, and looked over the next part of the rally. Nothing too tough here, I can abide by rule #1, make some good miles and pick up a few easy points. The next checkpoint opens at, I know I read this right at first, 4:30pm*[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]*Wrong idiot![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I headed out of Heber City with a full tank and a few munchies in my gut. I remember picking up a bonus by taking a picture of a cemetery sign. The rest of the route was uneventful until two or three BMW blurs went by. Mind you I am not a super fast rider, I try to stay somewhere in the 5 to 15 mph over range. I was doing 80 and these folks made me feel like I was standing still. I clicked up to 90 knowing I had rabbits ahead of me! And I will now thank one of those bikes for being a rabbit as I saw them stopped by a local LEO about 10 minutes after they passed me. I'm sorry they got a ticket, but better them than me.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]As I headed onto I-70 I realized I was great on time, remember 4:30pm?? I shot down the SR to Hanksville and decided to pass up the Goblin bonus and head right for Checkpoint #2. It's about 4:35 and I am the only bike there. WTF?? I go inside and get a cold drink. Another bike rolls up. I get out my rally pack and in the biggest dumbass moment of the rally find that I read the f*cking time wrong. The checkpoint opens at 7:30pm. Well, I have plenty of time to rest and plan the rest of my rally. This becomes dumbass moment #2. In three hours I could have A. picked up the Arches bonus and the Goblin bonus B. got in enough miles so that I wouldn't have to later when I was tired and C. not have to explain to everyone why I spent three hours at checkpoint 2.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I used the time to do a little planning and rest. At about one hour before checkpoint open I see that even if I follow the rest of the main route, I will be short 150 miles. Reminder for the next rally, DON'T WASTE TIME![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I get checked in and haul ass out of Hanksville, across I-70, skipping the critter infested SR, onto I-15 to exit 109 south of Beaver. I'm only an hour early, so it's further south on I-15 to Cedar City and back to exit 109 and an open checkpoint. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]My plan at this point is to ride the 200 miles back to SLC and head west on I-80 75 miles toward Wendover and then head back. This all works well except when my GPS shows I have run the 75 miles out there is no place to turn around. I finally spot one of the cop turn arounds, hit the breaks hard, turn and roll onto the eastbound lanes. Instead of 75 miles I was 100 miles out. Oh well, what's another 100 miles. The sunrise above the Great Stink Lake is fantastic and it makes me think of why I love to ride. I hold a big grin all the way back to the finish line.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]I roll to the finish line and there is Steve Chalmers waiting and ready to check me in.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I did not break rule # 1.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I finished 48th out of 53 with 1213 corrected miles.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I want to thank Steve Chalmers for putting on a great rally, the seasoned veterans for putting up with a rookie and Hal for letting me bounce ideas off of him. All of these things made for one of the best times I have had on two wheels.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I will attend next year with a new rule #1 and a desire to place much higher! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Burk[/SIZE]
