6th April – CSH3 – Shrek

The biggest problem for Shrek seemed to be the A site with a ditch being dug which made entry to the property difficult. However, adversity being the muddafucka of invention, he worked out you could enter thru the trees just off the road and so it came to pass.
Shrek laid a very fair 5.5km route on super well known trails for me, but perhaps 30% known to him. Always interesting what hares do in an area you know well. Only HRA has set here and repeatedly surprised me with his cut throughs, hidden paths and sneaky joins unknown to man and most beasts.
Well I knew every step of this run but definitely not the order Shrek put it together!
Due to the shite air, i was never going to run in 200 AQI but walking meant I was able to get close to FRBs Blows and Obscene when Shrek’s best checks came into play.
It was overcast, smoggy and dusty all run, but much of it was in burnt forest which will be really nice after the rains. Up we went towards the doi and right at the first corner. Into the forest valley with no check made me suspicious we might return down the almost parallel track. Suddenly FT was called and I ducked up a small ravine I’d found scouting with Yankoffalot in 2016. It was steep and slippery as the stones rolled but I knew we’d get to the ridge path so I followed a path more direct but off paper. As I rejoined trail, Pussy complimented me on great long cutting!
Up the ridge we went to the three way check. Fresh Meat went straight for 50m and just stopped listening and hoping. Lazy Cloggy bastard poorly trained by Cartoon.
Blows found trail left and down we went to the valley. Here was Shrek’s best check with not right as expected, not left as I checked despite reservations, but thru the orchard and down into the gates of hell ravine and up the other side! That bunched the pack back up a bit!
On the other side we turned left for home then jackknifed back up Piggy trail up a forested spur. At the check at the top I expected a sharp left and back down, and so did Capt Hook. When OnOn was called right, he just kept going down and short cut home!
At the next junction higher up we did go left and down out of the doi onto the familiar looping path back towards Canyon View. At the V I reckoned left, but I was wrong again as Shrek took us not thru HRA alley but down to the road past the tip quarry and through the open field.
Tiptoe came in last and alone after 1:20 maybe, Cartoon and Fresh Meat left pre-circle as did Cumalot and son. A short circle is a good circle, and so it proved with Superman closing proceedings after 29 minutes. Let’s hope that catches on!
Alice