Re: Tevis, do you need help?

[Nat & Richard <trailride@foothill.net>]

Mary Anne, thanks for the note,

> I would like to travel there to be a witness/observer, but I'd much rather be
> involved in some sort of support fashion rather than feel that I'm in the 
> way.  I'm not big on spectator sports!  Do you have any sort of "apprentice 
> program" where I could earn my keep by being on a pit crew or something?  I 
> am a serious rider and horse woman with over 20 years' experience.
> 
> I probably could not afford to come to your place as a vacationer for the
> Tevis, but if I could, what do you charge for a Tevis package to follow you
> all around?
> 
> Mary Anne Gamel from Texas

Since I am also the webmaster for the Tevis site, I am also responing to your
other note as well...

Learn (and enjoy) by doing is certainly a good approach.  One way to be involved
would be to volunteer to help out at one of the checkpoints as a P&R person or
timekeeper, etc.  I've cc'd the Ride Manager, Larry Suddjian, but if working a
checkpoint is appealing, please contact him directly.  I would suggest arriving
in the Auburn area by Wednesday, August 5th, so as to be on hand for the (free)
pre-Ride BBQ given for the volunteers, riders and friends of the trail at the
Auburn Fairgrounds at 6pm that day.

Another idea would be to offer help with crewing to one of the riders who is
shorthanded.  Frequently folks discover when they get here to do the ride that
the logistics of crewing the Tevis is not simple.  If you, as crew, are at Robie
Park at the 5am start, it is sometimes difficult to make it to the first
checkpoint at Robinson Flat (30 miles into the ride) before the rider does:  The
driving route from Robie to Robinson takes about 3 hours and you may have to
schlep all your crewing stuff the last mile or so because of the usual parking
snarl.  

So it's best to split the crew, sending someone into Robinson the night before
or early on Ride morning, at the very least.  

On prospect that you like the crewing idea, but don't know which of this year's
riders might need the extra help, I've taken the liberty of cc'ing the Ridecamp
list, where most of them hang out between rides ;-) and perhaps you will hear
from one of them directly.

A third option is to offer to drive a rig from Robie to the Finish Line.  That
approach is nice because you can hitch a ride to Robie the day before with your
Rider, camp out and watch the start and then drive to the Fairgrounds, leaving
you the rest of the day to help out there and watch the riders arrive, starting
around 9pm.  Again, Ridecamp list members interested may contact you on this
directly.

As for rate information (I'm wearing my B&B hat now) please browse the web site
listed below.  Nat and I are not currently booked to crew for anyone this year,
so following us around may not be much fun. :-)

Hope to meet you at the Ride.  Regards,

Richard Goodwin,  Tevis Webmaster

-- 
    Natalie's Barn & Breakfast -- a B&B for Horses ...and their Riders
http://www.foothill.net/natalies  530-637-4644 or Toll Free: 1-877-NATBARN
   Also, visit the Official Tevis Cup Site, http://www.foothill.net/tevis
*and* the WS100 Run Site, http://www.foothill.net/tevis/wstr/webcast98.htm