Luring a large crowd to the runsite by promise of cake, we had a big turnout at the lake near Alpine Golf Course. I missed the hare brief, as I was trying to get money, but the gist was we could expect anything…
We set off along the edge of the lake, and Turkey was keen to get to the first check first. We had 2 relatively new hares to Chiang Mai, so I wasn’t sure how well they would know the area – would they have found the nice trail that cuts between the hills, or the great trail that runs through the gully behind? In short yes… The first check had Turkey going wrong while Brownie, Chuckie, me and later to be called “Pays by the Inch” trudging along ahead. Brownie was setting a quick pace, with only Chuckie going along with him. A circle check had me and Brownie checking down by the canal – nothing until PBTI called to the left. I hacked my way up to the trail that cuts through the hills. Nice.
I was a little behind the FRBs and the next circle check had ABB written all over it. A bit past the obvious trail, making it a back check, except it wasn’t a back check, and there was no powder on the trail I thought they’d use. A bit of a meander through some trees and there’s a great circle check just down to the left on a bit of a road. This was the “back check”. Being a bit behind I had the chance to get it right and HRA, NOYB & I headed towards the steps, with the following trail, and me heading ahead just below them. A circle check at the bottom of the steps. I was there first, and felt like I was playing poker against the hares – I called their bluff and headed right. Everyone else went all in and headed up the stairs. I got about 100m or so along a little trail, and there was something white on the ground… With people running up the stairs, I really didn’t want to call them back unless I was absolutely sure… So I checked and double checked. Did this powder taste the same as the other powder we’d had? How far had they climbed in the wrong direction? Was there a second blob? OK, it’s an ONON call. Excellent diversion.
The trail headed up the hill, and as Brownie breezed past me he got to a check, but intelligently managed to follow me down a not obvious trail to the right, along with Chuckie. Somehow we’d got HRA to go up the hill and the other FRBs to fan out to the left. We cruised back down to the canal and Turkey joined us. We light heartedly berated the Turk for short cutting, only to see Graven appear ahead off us calling about a circle. There was much confusion. Chuckie and I pressed on, doing our best to follow trail, and spent much of the time on trail, until we got to the road. It is possible there was some other trail somewhere, but we found plenty!
Back down the road, along the canal, over a barb wire fence, a turn to the left… And then something that the hares were never punished for in the circle. A blob of powder off on the trail to the left… We headed off to the left, and nothing… Finally we found trail going straight – it was a mini ‘non-check’. And there was the lake. Should I go for the promised swim? Or walk back the shorter way? Today I took the easy option.
All in all, a great run. Some excellent checks. A new German restaurant for the OnoNon.