27th Jan – CSH3 – HRA

HRA and female mystery co-hare and chauffeur got busy in Nam Phrae to eek out a devious route from well known terrain and trails.
Two songthaos, the Sat local mob, a couple of visitors and numbers were rocking. We were on powder with small x papers where powder wasn’t suitable, and trail was clearly marked all the way around. That was good. Also good was seeing so many in their colourful BB 2018 t shirts. Even Sups bought the last XXL!
I was sure we’d take an early left as HRA had mentioned hills but no, he teased us and tormented us, and we took the second road in towards the doi and 333 shooting gallery behind the Grand Canyon.
Alice knows almost every step of these hills and forests but HRA put his run together in a unexpected and clever way, especially early on, thus the lead was ever changing and the pack well grouped. Early calls from Emme Royde and Cartoon didn’t pass muster so Sex Pistol nailed them later.
Heading up towards the hillside shelter, we abruptly went right at what seemed to be a dirty check and H took us down the ravine of hell, the ravine that fcuked over shortcutters Skidmark, Doggie and possibly Turkish in about 2011 when I set here. It was not passable then but has a way down now and a makeshift handrail and ramp going up. That’s progress! It also has a few pitfalls. Alice found one and Anyone called out Take care! after my fall. Helpful! Does Nothing went down here too and observers said it sounded like a giant wind bag being deflated.
Once in the hills, we took the left fork up and peeled around to the left in a wide loop heading home. I was going ok and keeping up. Knockout and Cameltoe ran hard up the steep bits. Browny, Tasty Poo, Cartoon and Pussy were all there and thereabouts. Chucky was back in new trainers and wasn’t his usual supercharged roo self. Coming out of the forest trail went right and messed up Emma Royde and others. A clever circle and unexpected cut through a coffee shop property put me third and took out FRBs who’d streamed down the hill. Frozen appeared like a UFO from nowhere striding out of some property. Tasty nailed the next as I followed her but I got the last couple dead on despite hating myself for having to check what I thought were obvious wrong ways as Tasty got to choose the likely way at the penultimate and I was running into a new barb wire fence at the last. But no, the hare had found a way to go through one fence and around the last. I pushed hard the last 800m and passed Sups, Superbitch and Cockatoo on the run in. HRA and Analvice looked fairly incredulous as I steamed home to garlands of glory and the crowd’s adulation. Well, a bottle of water, a can of Leo and a down down for being the ugliest care assistant for changing old men’s shirts.
Top set, good crowd, OnOnOn at Kwan’s Kitchen. Well played HRA.