The CH4’s 600th run – needs to be memorable! The last run of the year – perhaps saving the best for last? A harebrief finished, and we were off down the hill…. – I remember this start before, and with a good km of downhill running, I set off with the pitter patter of Able Semen behind me. The first check, and surely it would be straight on down the road – I did a double take at the junction when I spotted paper to the right – I ran over, it was a bit close, but definitely the hare’s smug face on it, lying on the ground. I didn’t call it, and sure enough the trail was straight on down the road.
The next check was tucked around the corner from the junction, so I let Poo climb the hill and followed NOYB and a visitor down the road. Then the 3rd check. NOYB went left (the best choice), so I went straight and found paper at the next junction. I followed it to the right, and sure enough another piece stuck on the fence 30m further on. Strange, but 2 papers with the hare’s ugly mug on, “ONON”. We spent a deal of time hunting around for any more paper, Brownie going one way, Diddly Squat following me another way. I found some powder… There was no mention of powder in the harebrief, but who knows? After a while Brownie confirmed the powder was from his wimp trail a couple of weeks before. We wondered why there were no calls from anywhere, and kept hunting for a continuation of the confusing paper. Finally TMB went back to the check which had now been kicked out (to the left), and the walkers had all filed through. I must have been a km behind the FRBs by now.
If only that was the end of the fuck ups. Sadly it wasn’t. I caught some hashers as they came back from a “Wimp” trail – unmentioned in the harebrief, and with no clear indication that one way was a wimp trail – just a trail that ended after some distance. Hashers were coming back and insisting we go down the trail to the right. At the bottom, it seemed like everyone was checking straight on at a circle check. Somehow I was back at the front checking correctly to the left, into a gully. When the gully split, I chose to climb and check the hill in between the 2 gullies. Finally a call from my right, so at the top I edged to the right and found trail. After a while I figured out each bit of paper had a “W” on it – I knew from previous Alice runs, that might be Wimp trail paper… But going which way? Graven in a similar spot picked right, I picked left. I ended up out in a field with no sign of any paper, or hasher.
Time to hack a way back. I found out why we hadn’t hashed in the part that I was stuck in, and in the end scrambled up a steep bank. I paused and heard sounds above. “RU?” “Hello” A while later I got to the top and found a confused Denise (Ozzie Virgin) stood at the last piece of paper she could find. No idea how she got there, but sure enough there was the hare’s face on a random bit of paper at the top of a cliff. She was understandably concerned, but I encouraged her on in the direction of the A-bucket. She didn’t look like she wanted to believe me. I spotted Square Rooter on trail and coaxed her over to him. Square Rooter took over rescuing our virgins, and I jogged off overtaking Tiptoe, Sweet Pea & Wooly Jumper.
Ack, I was finally home… A long way off track, tired and weary. The beer was cold and waiting! At least there was the circle to look forward to! I began to wonder if we would finish the circle with the new year countdown – I guess we succeeded in finishing off ALL the BEER! Hashy New Year Hashers – lets look forward to more hashups in the next year! OnON