18th Sept – CH3 – Mr. Poo

Canal Rd footy field, plenty of great trails around there and plenty of old paper too, writes Alice. What would Poo do?
Well he messed us around on the footy side for the first part and as we came to the road some FRB yelled OnOn going up right and the pack followed towards the call but soon questioned lack of paper.
Continuing along the trail I found paper to the road and expected a circle or a switchback up towards the calls. Instead paper ran down the road to my left and across the bottom of the snakehead temple. Circle check. Mmm, the hare had appeared with powder in hand and smiling. Something was up!
Checking down to the left of the Wat approach I was sure I’d messed up but not for the last time today I was spot on. I did relieve myself in a bush without calling until the lizard was truly drained. This was duly noted by Chacky and regurgitated in the circle.
On trail again I came to another circle at the end of the flat ravine bottom.. The doi rose ahead and sideways. Likely trails left and a steep unknown one to the right. I chose right for bloody mindedness sake and it was steep. I was certain Poo hadn’t been up here and there was no sign of paper. Expecting the on call from way across left with a deep ravine to cross, I broke the tree line to check where I actually was. Blow me, behind the snakehead temple and there was paper ahead! I called and shook a leg.
That was the last most buggers saw of me as I put my best foot forward up into the doi and followed my own trail of a few weeks ago for the next 4 km more or less. At every check there was the chance Poo would change things, but he didn’t until a Km from the end. Right at the next circle, across the trail bike path, intersecting the ridge path and down to the valley. Here Poo could have gone right and around the south side but trail thankfully went left and so did I.
I was calling circle checks, on ons and occasionally heard shouts about 250m behind I guessed. My shirt was drenched and uncomfortable. I started feeling like the mist was descending. Would I do a Byte My Yahoo?
Poo went left at a junction where my path was right through forest but coming out of the familiar valley, he saved his best and sneakiest check. Running down towards my A bucket near Tin Tin, a circle check surprised me. I was sure it must be a False Trail but Poo hadn’t mentioned those. I reckoned he’d gone down and across the road and used HRA trails on the east side. Just before heading that way, I checked the path behind me and found an opening into tall grass. It wasn’t promising at all and shouts came from back on trail. Here my bid for glory was going to end. A blue pipe in the hugely overgrown property, let’s make sure….bollocks it was a blue pipe – but 10m on and low down was paper!
With energy renewed I managed to follow Poo’s winding trail in good time though familiar and a few unexpected ways.
Another switchback check and I was in the soft deep leaf gulley. Pushing on, I was on my own back to the A, voices fading behind well me. A last attempt to derail the Alice Express above the cockfight place. A circle to my right.. Was it down through the trees and the path along the big flooded quarry?
I thought about looking there for a moment, then pushed on straight and in my light headed state was chuffed to see those short, white paper strips.
Turning into the red gravel area there was a welcoming huge flour oN In and arrows. Poo looked carefully as I strode in then bemusement followed as minutes passed and no Chacky or Turkey or Piggy or Sheepy. After 5 minutes Pigshite ran in and Shrek appeared where others were expected. Turkey came home from his usual wrong direction and Sheepy was way later. That switchback check towards Tin Tin has done some sterling work and buggered the pack hollow.
Fine set from Poo, welcome home Angry and welcome again to Joel. Kai and Frozen brought up the rear and fielded raucous suggestions as to what they’d been doing with each other’s rears!
OnOn,
Alice