Druid & Lost Patrol
Google Earth : Run 2288
Buena Vista Hotel, Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman
Struggling to find hares for this run with 30 odd away in Mudgee I advertised, and our good mate Druid put his hand up and unbeknown to me enlisted Lost Patrol to apportion 50% of the abuse that he must of known was going to descend on him. The advertisement sounded good, Mosman with $7 steak at the Buena Vista pub should attract lots. The hares produced a good laminated map showing the trail, all looked simple. I noticed that after the Runner/Walker split the map showed there were no checks or On Backs, which I queried with the two hares. I was told that they would still keep together. I suggested they go out in the car and lay some now, but that was not on.
Little did I know that they had developed a new system of keeping the pack together? The new system involves using builders chalk which does not come off when wet, but is hardly visible in poor light, especially if you only use it once every 100 meters or so. This causes the pack to slow down and look for the arrows and keeps the pack together and it worked a treat. And here I was being critical of the trail marking, when it was all intentional.
Anyway off we hurtle down Raglan st towards Balmoral only to encounter Simmo directing traffic and hence confusing everyone. The first On Back which did not seem to be part of the new marking system did not slow the pack down one bit. But then the new system hooked in, the pack descended own a set of unmarked dark stairs to the lower road which brought the pack together including the walkers all yelling Are we, Are we. The trail master knowing his way round Mosman pretty well as he lived here for a number of years, consulted the map and on up the hill we went. According to the map the hares had used a bit old and new system to bring the pack together again at the intersection of Dugald and Mulbring. Those used to the old system were out of luck as the Check some meters back down the hill had been unchecked and disappeared. A little live hare work got the pack moving again round Coronation and Wolseley rd to another scantily marked set of dark stairs heading down to the oval at the northern end of Balmoral beach. The new System again hooked in with a locked gate, what a great check.
The front runners could see the arrows on the otherwise side of the gate which was shut, barb wired, electrified and 10 feet tall.
Now this brings me to some of the candidates for trail master for next year, as some of you would be aware my ability to do this job has been brought under question from time to time. It should be natural that those who most vocally abuse, make fun, be critical, should be the most qualified to do the job next year. Among those in contention for the job of TM therefore would be Lurch, Jungle Jim, Super Glue, Plunger, Polish and Smackers, but after last night unless I get out voted the job must go to that New Member Short Fuse.
At the locked gate at Balmoral my credentials and authority were seriously questioned by Short fuse who insisted he knew best and barged his way back up the unlit stairs through most of the pack behind me endeavouring to get all to follow him. Most of the pack except for Lightning did the right thing and followed the trail master on a good trot not hard at this stage in the run up Plunkett and back onto Coronation, then into Wolseley where we turned up Methuen Ave picking up the trail again. On examination of the trail taken by the mutinous rebels one finds they pissed about in a few back streets with no good straight runs and ended up overshooting the road to Georges Heights.
At Georges Heights after crossing Middle Head rd the walkers split from the runners and continued on a direct route through the parkland and back to Bradleys Head rd. The Runners headed down stairs to Clifton Gardens and as luck had it the gate again was found locked. However Tic Toc and Cinders sweet talked a random guy to open the gates to then experience a ten foot surf raging in at Clifton Gardens Beach where we had to “kit up” in wetsuits (for protection from the rocks) goggles and flippers to swim to the other side with Capt. Bligh carrying Hashmen on his shoulders to safety. All the wimps Tick Tock, Music, Kitty, Moishe, Calici and Your Choice then proceeded to
remove their shoes for fear of getting wet socks. The tide being high meant wet feet for the real runners who followed the unchecked run around the foreshore with great night time views. The wimps seem to have tried a short cut up Morella rd but found this off trail with Tic Toc leading the way. He and Your Choice were informed by Calici “you are going the wrong way”…back down the hill and along the shore line avoiding the huge tidal surges (“Clifton Gardens Tsunamis”) THEN another few thousand steps to the top to finally arrive at the bucket and having just finished one of the best “Fucked Up” runs for a long time
Back at the bucket Short Fuse blew one and paid out on the TM for not going his way and emptied his remaining bucket over him. The hare Druid having vast knowledge about electrical connections has been instructed to obtain a 25 amp high rupture slow blow fuse to replace the 5 amp one currently installed in Short Fuse and hope for less explosive outbursts.
The Steak at the pub was magic, a large piece of Rump for $7 unfortunately attended by only a few.
Hash Informants
Your Choice and Grape
Google Earth : Run 2288