Oh Canada! We showed up down at Shagless’s love cabin way down the canal road for a Canada themed run. Happy Birthday Canada. The hare brief wasn’t, but finally we were set off into a lamyai orchard behind the house. Sex Pistol called the first piece of paper, and then was lost. I spotted the 2nd piece, but then was lost. Turkish got the 3rd, but then was lost. It wasn’t easy until Obscene hit the front and perhaps his lower angle let him see under the trees for a bit. Finally when it opened out a bit I ran on to the first check. I doubted it would be right – the hares had been giving clues away with their arm movements during the harebrief, plus we’d driven in closeby. I turned left… After 90m or so I thought I could see something up at the junction, so continued to around 130m, and sure enough there was one marking. One marking and nothing else…
I didn’t call, but had a look to the left, nothing, to the right, nothing… HRA came up and called the rest of the pack over. I wasn’t sure if we’d short cut, and we carried on looking around. Finally Turkish found the red and white paper the other side of the klong to the left. He was off! For about 10m before again we were hunting around. Nada. Finally the hares appeared on a bike back at the junction. A variety of arm gestures gave us a hint, and after 300m or so running off paper I finally found a pile of screwed up markings in the bushes next to the trail. Sabotage!
At least we were back on track, but doubting ourselves after the early markings. We could have done with more paper, but perhaps someone living nearby liked cleaning up? Another check and I went straight on. 100m, nothing… But that didn’t necessarily mean anything. There had been a canal on the right, so it was likely to be left, and the trail I was on bent around to the left, and then hit a road. I turned left doing a big loop around. Turned left into a field, and then finally thought I could see something in the distance to the right. People were calling from all over, lots of confusion as we were all still checking. I intercepted trail and headed backwards until I saw some hashers. I’d gone the long way around, but the pack was back on track. Moments later again we were “Looking” as we went through some Lamyai trees abruptly switching directions.
Finally out of the farmland and into an abandoned moobaan. I hit a circle check with Sex Pistol not far behind. This was definitely a classic ABB ‘back check’, and sure enough Sex Pistol and I were back on trail. Around a corner and another check. So many options this time, but I picked straight, left, right and there was paper. Onwards and around to the left another circle. The check was drawing me towards the left, but I had time on my hands so went back to the junction to go straight and sure enough more paper! More paper leading to a farmer and his wife who begged me to be quiet as we passed a herd of buffalo resting in a shelter to the right. The pack moved to hand gestures rather than calling for a while as we past by only to find another circle just yards from the beasts!
Silently we checked and finally Knock Out called us on and she was leading the way with Obscene as we crossed a creek with Shagless’s DIY rope swing. The GM and the youngster were running ahead as a team. At junctions they were sticking together, at the next check they stuck together, and when they found paper they stuck together, silently… Devious, but we could all see what they were doing. Another check and then I spotted the hares stood in the distance. The GM of course ignored the trail and short cut (along with Obscene dutifully following). She also ignored the beer stop! WTF??? What kind of an example is that for the GM to set? Free beer, but your racist spirit got the better of you?!
I continued with Sheep Shagger for a while following the front two and we had another dodgy crossing to pass, before going round in circles at the crematorium. We were surely getting close to home but again we ran out of paper. A good 150m with nothing, but I was the lucky one that picked up trail to the right. On to a lake, and as we passed a junction I spotted paper off to the left and figured I’d go take a look. 2 sides of a lake are much the same, and I went back to rejoin the pack. One more dodgy crossing and finally the OnIn. Nice job hares, shame someone messed with your trail.