Travel Log Archive

June 13th 2009 Cal24 - An Endurance Rally Report

Tim completed his third endurance rally recently. An endurance rally is sort of a motorcycle scavenger hunt that challenges riders to plan the best route based on a list of bonus locations that is handed to them. The idea is to get the most points possible and still make it back to the start in a specified time. There is no benefit to arriving early as it is NOT a race. Here's a report as posted on a User's Forum. Pre-Rally It wasn’t supposed to start this way, you know. An 840 mile slog from Seattle-Tacoma to San Jose, CA on a Thursday before the Rally started was NOT what I had envisioned. It’s not the mileage that I was dreading so much as that nearly all of it was on I-5. This has to be my least favorite roadway to ride a motorcycle on. However, circumstances that are too convoluted even for a lengthy report like this one dictated that I do it this way. The ride south to San Jose was so mind numbingly tedious that there’s really nothing to say about it except, ride, gas, eat, repeat. Upon my eventual arrival at Rally headquarters, the Radisson Hotel San Jose Airport, I noticed that I was not the only rider preferring to get in a day early. A lone BMW motorcycle, with a Nevada plate, waited in the parking area that the hotel had marked off for us. Two lonely Rally bikes would soon be joined by dozens more Friday morning dragged on a little as I knocked around the hotel, waiting for more riders to show up. It was great to see some familiar bikes and faces start to trickle in. Soon enough it was time for all of the pre-rally chores to be started. We had to sign in, decorate our rally towels that would have to appear in all photo bonuses, turn in our donations for Polio Plus, (this particular rally is a fund raiser for a very worthy cause - Rotary International's Polio Plus), complete tech inspection and ride a short, pre-measured route to determine any odometer error. This odometer check was best dispatched early on as the traffic on the route got denser as the afternoon wore on. At 6 PM there was a new rider’s meeting but I think everyone attended it. Afterward there was a mandatory rider’s meeting where we were given some instructions and caveats. Assistant Rally Master Mark Crane addresses the group of riders The rest of the evening was ours to do with what we wished. I had some dinner with a few of the rally riders that I had become acquainted with from other events, then headed off to bed. Unlike some rallies, where you get the bonus listing the night prior to the start, we weren’t going to get ours until 5 AM Saturday. Although this would give us only 2 hours to process the bonus packet and plot a route, I think I prefer it this way. At least I got 6 or 7 hours of decent sleep instead of being up all night obsessing over the route planning. 4:45 AM was when we were supposed to begin assembling downstairs for a last minute Q&A session and the handing out of the much anticipated bonus packet. After receiving mine, I made a beeline for my room where my little netbook was already booted and waiting. My first glance at the instructions told me I was probably going to be late pulling out of the parking lot. There were lots of turn by turn instructions that were difficult for someone unfamiliar with the area to convert to a mapping program. Although Tom did tell us that we didn’t have to follow the base route, that was the mode my brain was in. I furiously tried to find all of the listed roads and towns in Streets and Trips, while simultaneously meshing that with the bonus list to make sure I didn’t miss anything along the way. I would have been much better off simply plotting most of the bonuses on a paper map and trying to form a plan from there but the Rally jitters had already taken hold and that course of action simply had not occurred to me. One of many lessons learned on this effort. I had not gotten very far in the first hour, or so, when I noticed a 9000+ point bonus, (note to self: try scanning ALL of the bonuses before wasting much time trying to form a plan). This big point bonus was in Portland, Oregon and the window in time that it was available seemed doable at first glance. I quickly saved what little work I had accomplished thus far on the base route and opened a new S&T window to calculate time and distance to Portland: 665 miles with an ETA of 4:50 PM. Next, I calculated the total points available on or near the base route and it came to a little over what was available in Portland. The big “but” here is that I already knew I wasn’t going to be able to reach anywhere near all of the locations, especially if I got a late start. I was convinced that someone in this rally, one or more of the seasoned veterans, would be able to score most of the bonii in California and would win. This being my third ever rally, I wasn’t worried about winning. My goal, apart from not crashing or getting cited for anything, was to do better than 7th Place, which is where I ended up after my last rally, the 2008 Land of Enchantment. So, my task seemed clear. I was certain that it wasn’t the winning route, (shows how much I know), but I was just as certain that it was where the most points that I could score lived. As detestable as another slog on I-5 seemed, that was where I needed to go. The Ride North I exited the parking lot by 7:10 AM and headed north. It was all so familiar. The only thing noteworthy about it was encountering a couple of other rallyists along the way. I hooked up with an FJR1300 rider a couple of different times as we each had different fuel tank ranges. I also ran with a rider on a Triumph Tiger for a while before again being separated by differing fuel needs. As I drew closer to Portland I began to get a more accurate idea of how much time I would have before the window opened at 5:30 PM. It looked to be about 45 minutes, or so and I busied myself with thoughts of productive tasks I could do during those minutes so it wouldn’t be a complete waste of time. I had calculated the distance from Portland back to the Napa checkpoint, which would be open from 1 to 3 AM: 610 miles with an ETA of 2:35 AM, if I left Portland at 5:45 PM. The Napa, CA checkpoint really hadn’t even been on my mind until somewhere along the long, lonely ride north. With plenty of time to think, I began wondering if that CP was doable or not. Now, it seemed as though it was. Upon arriving at the Lucky Labrador Beer House, in Portland, I was joined by that Triumph Tiger rider. We began discussing what we could do in the interim 40 to 50 minutes that we had until the window opened. I asked one of the Lucky Lab employees where the closest gas station was and we went and filled our tanks. I was only down to about a half tank but I was reasonably sure that I could make Napa on only one fuel stop if I left Portland full. I don’t yet have an auxiliary fuel cell mounted on my ST1300 but I routinely get 300+ miles on a tank at the speeds I usually ride. Once we returned to the Lucky Lab, I began getting everything organized for the trip south. My paperwork was ready for the arrival of Jeff Earls, who’s Fan Club I was joining by gathering this particular bonus. He was to autograph my score sheet and pose for a photo with me and my rally towel. I also used this extra time to do some road map origami and ensure that my map window was as I wanted it. I then made the required phone call to Rally staff, informing them of my intent to skip the first Check Point, which was opening right about then. Most of the "Portland 7" awaiting the arrival of Jeff Earls During this time several other riders showed up and we waited for Jeff to arrive. I half-jokingly remarked at the time that, if we were LD Big Dogs, we’d have gathered some bonii near San Jose before riding north. I am certainly no Big Dog and I was much more concerned with making it to Portland at the front end of the time window, giving myself a better chance at making the Napa CP. Jeff came rolling in, right on time, and before long everyone was signed out and on their way. Jeff Earls, posing for Tim's Bonus Photo. Thanks Jeff. The Ride South Somewhere south of Tigard, if I remember correctly, I saw a dark colored BMW K1200GT flash by, heading north. I recognized the bike as that of Ken Meese, a man who has won 3 out of the 4 Rallies he's entered this year. Ken is very, very good at this and he is having an incredible year. I estimated that he was a good half hour or more behind the rest of the group. My first thought was of my statement in the parking lot earlier and wondering if I had been prophetic. My immediate second thought was that I had likely just seen the Rally winner making his way northbound – IF he could make the Napa CP in time. Of course, the third thought was how silly that disclaimer sounded given who I was considering. I think I was the only rider that chose the Portland route who does not own a radar detector. I was able to run with others for short periods and increase my average speed but, for the bulk of the round trip, I generally kept my speeds to what they would have been any other time - within 10 to 12 mph of the limit in California and within 5 or 6 mph in Oregon – Oregon’s LEO’s not being known for being as lenient as their counterpart neighbors to the south. The ride south was as uneventful for me as it had been just a day and a half earlier. It was the same boring route except, this time I hit a little rain through the Siskiyou Passes in Oregon. This didn’t really bother me as it wasn’t all that different from an average morning commute in December or January here in the Seattle area. I was much more nervous about passing through the Shasta National Forest, further south. It was now very dark and there seemed to be a “Deer Crossing” sign every half mile or so. As if that wasn’t enough to keep me on my toes, there are a few “Bear Crossing” signs thrown in, as well. Hitting a deer is definitely undesirable but, if I hit a bear, not only would I almost certainly go down but it would likely only anger the bear. Doesn’t paint a pretty picture, does it? Thankfully, I saw no wildlife at all and, before too long, I was nearing Napa. The GPS took me right to the CP, which was at a place called Copia. Within just a few minutes my bonus sheet was signed by one of the staff volunteers. It was at this point that I began to seriously consider the potential 2800 point “Last Bonus” on the list. This was a bit of a mystery to us all but the instructions did say that it would take between 70 and 100 minutes to complete. I read that early on Saturday and, with its 5 AM opening time, I had deemed it to not be doable and still get back to the hotel by 7 AM. Some of the guys at the Lucky Lab were discussing it, though, and I had learned that it wasn’t far from San Jose at all. Since I had some time once I left Napa until I had to be in San Jose, I figured it couldn’t hurt to head that way and see how things matched up against the clock. The directions to the starting point of the bonus assumed that you were riding the base route and mentioned that Summit Rd. crossed Hwy. 17. Since I had no intention of picking up the base route I pointed the GPS towards Santa Cruz, which lies southwest of San Jose, at the end of Hwy 17. I then made sure that Garmin was routing me from Hwy 85, which I knew to be northeast of the intersection I was looking for. It was then up to me to find the location where Summit crossed 17. Luckily, the cross streets are well marked along 17 and I quickly found Summit Rd. Finding the “parking lot” mentioned in the directions wasn’t quite as easy. There was a small pull-out on the southeast side of things but it seemed to be occupied by a couple of Sheriff’s cars and someone of interest to the Sheriffs. I crossed back over to the other side, thinking I had missed it over there, only to come upon Rally rider Alex Ciurczak. He seemed to have just pulled off of 17 and was looking for the same thing I was. I told him of the police action going on across the road and we rode over there together. Staff volunteer Alan Pratt showed up about then to help us confirm that this was indeed the place we were looking for. As was the case in Portland, I found myself waiting for a window to open so I could proceed. It was about 4:45 and Alan was under strict orders NOT to give us our bonus instructions until 5 AM. While we waited Alex and I chatted about what might be in store for us here. I’m now sure that, while we were talking, Alex was probably filling in the mileage and time on his bonus sheet. It would have been really good if I had noticed that at the time. At precisely 5 o’clock, according to satellite time, Alan gave us our bonus instructions. I scanned the top page of two, recognizing it as a simple set of turn-by-turn directions with no distances, street names, etc, (things like, “at the third stop sign turn right. At the first stop light turn left. What brand of cars is sold at the dealership on your right?”), placed it in my map window and rode off. There were a series of 7 questions, each worth 400 points, mixed in with the directions. These were easily answered – IF you didn’t miss any of the directions. Not being even remotely familiar with the area, I knew that if I got turned around I was done for and would likely have to give up and head for San Jose. To my great surprise, I managed to stay on track and answer all of the first 6 questions correctly. The seventh question, however, had me kicking myself. It was something like, “How many reservoirs or lakes have you ridden by since you started this bonus?” Note to self – at least scan over ALL of the questions before taking off if this situation ever presents itself again. I had little choice but to guess at this. I considered zooming in on the GPS map to see if I could figure it out but, since I had no idea where I was or even where I had been, that would have proven too time consuming and I didn’t have a lot of time before I had to be back at the hotel. I wondered if any of these Rally veterans had read that question prior to taking off and hoped that 2400 points from this exercise would be good enough to keep me in a good finishing position. At the end of this bonus I was only 15 minutes, or so, from the hotel and the return trip went smoothly. I arrived at about 6:45 AM and waited behind a few other newly arrived riders to get checked in. The Aftermath The ride was over. All that was left was to gather my fuel receipts, look over all of my paperwork for obvious omissions and get in line to be scored. My turn at the table soon came and I couldn’t help but think I was forgetting something but I couldn’t think of what it could be, chalking it up to post ride fatigue or nerves. I stood at the table for a minute, trying one last time to make sure I was ready. Once your fanny is in the seat, it’s too late. If you left a receipt on your bike or forgot to fill something in, too bad – no soup for you! Finally, I sat down in front of Mark Crane. His first words to me were, “Dude, I’ve got bad news for you.” I thought at first that he was about to make a joke. No such luck. He told me that I had neglected to fill in the mileage and time at the Summit Bonus. I knew that that meant three things. One; I am a giant moron, two; I would be getting zero points for all of that riding around. I would have been just as well off to have gotten to the hotel an hour and a half sooner and taken a nap. Thirdly, I would be receiving special recognition at the awards banquet. After Mark consoled me, there was nothing left to do but go upstairs for a much needed shower and a nap. On the way up I called my wife to let her know I was safe and sound. Of course she asked me how I thought I did. I told her of my gaff and that I figured I had snatched a mid-pack finish from the jaws of a top 5 finish. I also told her what a blast I had. It truly was an awesome time and I wasn’t going to let a rookie blunder, (which none of the rookies happened to commit), dampen that too much. At the awards banquet, I was pleasantly surprised at my 6th place finish, all things considered. I was also shocked that, had I been together enough to keep all of the points I had gathered, it might have been good enough for 3rd. That is assuming none of the other riders gets to rewrite history and undo any of their errors. I know, should have, could have and would have aren’t worth a thing so I am content to have improved on my last Rally performance by one place. Of course, what little frustration remains is soothed by the fact that I was fortunate enough to win the top Polio Plus donor prize of a free Aerostich riding suit. In all, over $3,300 was raised for this cause at this year's CAL24. Outstanding. To make my evening even sweeter, I also scored the top door prize at the banquet, a $200 Gift Certificate towards a Bill Mayer Custom Saddle. I happen to be one of those people who never wins in a drawing so I was in complete disbelief when my number was called. Tom Melchild, Mark Crane and the rest of the outstanding staff did a first class job on this event and I want to thank them all for a great time. I also want to give hearty congratulations for a job well done to the winner, Ken Meese. As ever, to God be the glory for a safe ride for all of the participants and another opportunity to share this passion that we have for motorcycling. Finally, I'd like to thank my wife, Tina, for allowing me the great privilege of going away to play like this. While I don't require her permission I do desire her consent. This is a pretty selfish endeavor that I've fallen into, from both a monetary and a free-time standpoint, and Tina seflessly cheers me on anyway. Thanks Babe.