Swanton Pacific 100

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

For those who are contemplating riding Swanton this year, please get your 
entries in soon.  Cutoff time for the $25 reduction in entry fee is an August 
2nd postmark.
We have a couple of interesting events going on this year....Barney Fleming 
DVM and Susan Garlinghouse will be here doing their Pride Project research, 
and we have guests coming from the county of Devon in England to observe the 
ride, meet American endurance riders, check out the kinds of saddles and tack 
we use, and see how we conduct our rides here as compared to the ones in 
England.  I've been communicating with them by e-mail and am waiting with 
great anticipation to meet them.  
And for those who are interested in ultra-sports events, we have four teams 
entered in the SP 100 Ride & Tie.  What a challenge!  These hardy folk 
actually beat some of the later endurance riders.  
We're changing the trail a bit from previous years due to irreparable storm 
damage of last winter.  Two bridges went out, leaving 20 foot vertical banks 
and 75 foot gaps.  It will take a good sized bridge to span each gap, and at 
this time the park rangers cannot give us permission to replace them.  We are 
using a different routes, thus bypassing the lost bridges and eliminating 
some of the pavement of previous years.  In order to avoid backtracking on 
the same trail, we're also using another different route to reach to coast.  
Then, in order to make up lost mileage on those portions, we are adding a 
couple of miles near the end.  All in all, I think the changes will be quite 
nice...riders will be able to see some new trails, and it will be more in the 
open with better lighting from the moon on this nighttime section.
On the practical side, it will be a great help to me, the ride manager, to 
know how many riders to expect, how many meals to order, and how many vets 
we're going to need, so please send in your entries ASAP.

Barbara