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[RC] advice for first 100 - rides2farKnow exactly what time it will be dark. If there's a certain part of the trail you need to be past before it gets dark, pace your whole "day time" mileage accordingly. Once it gets dark you've got all night with no real change. Some places the moon seems to help but I've never gotten a bit of good out of it. Sometimes it rises after I'm already in (I suppose you can check and see when the moon will rise) and once when it was bright it just threw really deceptive shadows everywhere leaving parts of the trail in total darkness and lighting up patches through the underbrush so they looked like trail. :-P So...though you say you're going to do it "slowly" make sure you get as far as you can in daylight then you can do the after dark stuff "slowly" :-) In the late afternoon it's easy to leave out on a loop and not realize you may still be on it when it gets dark. If there's *any* chance it'll go dark on you on a loop take your flashlight, etc. It's very hard for me to remember how bad I'll need a light when it's bright daylight out and I'm leaving a vet check. Take a jacket for when it gets dark. Even when the temp doesn't drop much, you slow down so much that you're not putting out so much heat and you get cold. Take food for when it gets dark. When you have been going like a demon for 13 hours or so and you suddenly slow to a walk it hits you that you're STARVED. The best peanut butter crackers I've ever tasted were shared after dark. Take a rump rug for after dark. The temp drops, you slow down, don't want them to stiffen up. Take 2 flashlights and spare batteries. Rode with someone whose flashlight had turned on inside her pack and used up her batteries during the day. I had a mag light and turned the top the wrong direction to turn it on and the bulb fell out of the end. :-P I have a little rubber coated camo flashlight from Walmart that has lasted 6 years since my first 100. I like the rubber coating cause it's comfortable to bite into if I have to hold it in my teeth when I need both hands for something. I have a cord tied to it so it can hang around my neck. Of course I've told everybody how much I like my flourescent light for the breastcollar if you want a trail light. The flashlight is just for hunting for markers, casts too many shadows if you aim it forward. Don't get left behind. In daytime it's no big deal to leave 2 minutes behind a group. At night you really want to hang onto your buddies. If they're leaving before you you could offer them money, or cry, or show them how much food you're bringing along to bribe them to wait. If your out time is 2 minutes ahead of somebody wait on them. Have a "Plan B" person if that riding buddy gets theirself pulled. You really want somebody riding along with you when you're hearing "Lions and tigers & Bears!" in the woods. >g< Sometimes even though there's food along the trail you can't see the grass any more after dark. It's great it crew will meet you on a road or something to give them something to eat. (remind other riders you have this crew and will share so they will wait for you at the vet check!) If you're leaving camp after dark and at a walk you can even carry a flake of hay along to hand down to him. The horses are more hungry than tired at this point. A crew that will meet you on the trail will sure lift your spirits. This crew person needs to have spare jackets and all sorts of junk in the back seat to allow for all the weird things you may find you wish you had. When you finish...keep that horse moving till the trot out!!! Nothing is more frustrating than having a horse get stiff while waiting for somebody to bother to watch them trot out. Do NOT stand still a second till they let you trot out! Sleep like you've never slept before. :-)) You'll do great! Need me to crew? Angie O ________________________________________________________________ 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! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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