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[RC] [RC] howard and racing - rides2farO I have been to some crowded rides before (Biltmore) where this type of thing is just an accident waiting to happen Not at Biltmore. They have the finish line *far* from camp for that very reason. You could race in, and have plenty of time to get them stopped before they ever hit people in camp. There's two different places where they put their finish lines...one is about a 15 minute walk from camp along the river and almost nobody ever goes down there to see the finish (O.K. maybe they've just left by the time I come in). The other is at the top of about a 1/4 mile long hill in a huge open field. People do come out to see that one but they're not distracted by any other activities like taking P&Rs or anything and there aren't little kids running between camps since it's about 1/4 mile to the nearest trailer. The Biltmore is a huge, important ride but Ann has resisted the urge to make the finish more dramatic by having it within sight of camp...thank you Ann. :-) As for not getting hit in a car...don't bet on it. One of the biggest safety hazards I've seen is when a dirt road is open to vehicle traffic at a time when the frontrunners may be coming through. Nancy gets that little white van well off to the side. >g< I have done my share of managing rides with improper finish lines just because I didn't know any better. The first one I managed had a major highway crossing just before the 100 yard dash to the finish right through camp. That one had been a tradition but we finally moved it. Had to add about 5 miles of pavement to the ride to have the horses come into camp from behind but I have a news video of Susan Kasemayer getting knocked out when her horse fell on the pavement in "the good ol' days" so I *guess* it was worth it. >g< A few years ago I helped pick the finish line for the first Longstreet's Charge held on top of Pigeon Mtn. We chose a wide spot in the trail about 1/4 mi. from camp. It was a field with about 100 yards of open ground so we put the finish line at the far end. Unfortunately, where the dirt road picked back up out of the other end it took a 90 degree turn to the right. Nina Warren was riding either Desert Ballad or Jedi, forget which but both were FAST and she told me later that she could have reached down and scooped up some dirt in her hand when he took that turn. >shudder< Note to self...either don't give them enough room to crank it up in the first place, or give them enough to get it cranked back down afterwards! What it comes down to is the finish line shouldn't be right at camp. It is a dangerous place even when you're paying attention and keeping a tree handy is not a bad idea at all. Angie ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ============================================================ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ~ Confucius ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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