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[RC] re: 100 mile volunteering-a bone to pick - Cindy Collins(Disclaimer: I am not officially ride management. I just marked trail this year, so I can say whatever I want! Ha, ha. Don't blame the BH 100, Inc. for my comments). Because the Big Horn is so isolated from any population base and because the trail is so rugged...even the vet checks can be four wheel drive only access, we never have enough help. Lots of people want to help, but for many of them getting off work is a major problem. We are blessed to have a small group that tries their best to help, but (here's my bone to pick) we also have some people who show up "to help" and waste ride management's time by questioning our policies and making vets and management take time from taking care of horses and riders to look up rules and prove whatever we are doing is legal. Those people are never there pulling trail or marking trail in 106 degree heat in the desert sections. They always managed to be on top of the mountain looking official. Then, they can say they were there to "help." For the rest of you who sincerely wish to help with the BH 100 and keep it going, we need people to show up the week before the ride with four wheelers and/or horses. Have good GPS equipment and the ability to use them, and the ability to follow directions, read maps and work independently. We especially need help on the Friday before the ride, and the morning of the ride, with night marking. Finally, we need people willing to pull trail the week after the ride. BTW, thank you very much to the riders from NJ who pulled some sections of the trail before they headed home! You are appreciated. As I said in an earlier post, this was an amazing group of riders. Never have Keith and I felt more appreciated and supported. I am thrilled with their outpouring of care. Several of them have promised to come early and help next year and I believe some of them will do so. I would really like to ride next year. I have seven BH 100 buckles and really want to get 10 before I die or the ride folds. I am sharing this so people will understand what it takes to hold this ride together with so few volunteers. Keith and I, along with my girlfriend Sara, spent seven days straight marking trail...most days we left home around 6 AM and returned home around 10 PM...we live 75 to 100 miles from the trail (depending upon which section we are marking). We spent a couple of hundred dollars in gas and broke down our jeep cherokee ($200 tow and $500 repair). My husband says it takes four vehicles for each horse entered in the ride to mark it. Anyhow, I can't physically do this level of marking/work and ride, too. So, with all that whining done...please realize that running a single track, remote, mountainous 100 miler is an almost overwhelming task and there is no comparison with running a flat land looped 50. My heart breaks when I read this thread about the decline of 100 mile riders. We had a wonderful turn out this year, however, we've had years with 4 riders in the 100 and the work load is exactly the same. Please, please support the classic 100 mile rides that are left. And, unless you're out there busting your *** trying to make it work and hold on to it one more year, try to bite your tongue when you feel like criticizing. It's very personal and emotional to those of us trying to keep them going. Once again, thank you to the 2005 riders! Hope to see you all back next year. Thanks for listening. Cindy =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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