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We got everyone packed up and headed down the road.  All the crews 
chose to go down Bedford Canyon as opposed to the longer Silverado 
CAnyon, and would be back at base camp in less than an hour.  That left 
Greg, David and I.  I was putting the last of my gear into the back of 
my truck while Greg and David hitched up the porta potty.  Slight 
problem with that, they couldn't get it on.  It seems the ball was too 
big for the hitch.  So, at 2:15 AM I drove my truck in front, Greg came 
next with Kat's truck and trailer and David brought up the rear driving 
Greg's truck.  The guys were wondering why I didn't just go back 
Bedford CAnyon, but I'm sort of a mother hen.  With David bringing up 
the rear, if anything had happened to Greg how would David get around 
him to go get help?  Also, I roped David into this and felt kind of 
responsible for him.  I wanted to make sure he got back to Susan safe 
and sound.

It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get down the hill.  I was 
surprised by the number of vehicles we passed coming up the hill that 
late at night.  I guess the teenagers have to go somewhere to drink.  
Greg and David switched trucks at the bottom of the road.  Greg went 
home and David and I headed back to base camp.  We arrived  at 4 AM.  
Susan was waiting for us and made some coffee.  Kim Fuess crossed the 
finish line at 1:30 AM and that was it, so far.  Her horse looked 
great.  The three horses that were trailered in were all just fine and 
happy as clams.  Everyone else was asleep.

About 4:30 AM we heard someone outside Susan's RV say, "We're here."  
Julie and Charisse were sitting on their horses waiting for people to 
come out.  So, we gave a whoop.  Julie had left a great deal behind 
Charisse, but she said all of a sudden Shereen recognized the road as 
the way home and kicked it into high gear.  Julie caught up with 
Charisse and they came in together.  The horses looked tired and happy 
to be done, but pulsed down immediately.  Sleepy crews took the horses 
off for their much needed food and rest.  The riders soon followed.  
Both girls opted out of BC judging when they heard Kim had come in 3 
hours earlier.

Finally, at 4:44 AM, 16 minutes before cut-off time, the remaining 
three riders came into base camp holding hands.  We gave cheers and 
checked horses.  They all looked great.  There was a small amount of 
confusion when Melissa couldn't find her gear.  I could have sworn Ken 
put it in his truck for the drive down, but in actuality he put it in 
mine.  We got Cabo blanketed and bedded down for the night (morning).

Kat and I did a few minor chores and then it was time for me to leave.  
About 5:30 I crawled into my truck and Kat went into Susan's RV.  I had 
a 30 minute drive to get home and about 15 minutes left of energy, so I 
moved over to the passenger seat, pulled out my sleeping bag, tucked my 
pillow under my head, reclined the seat and fell asleep.  I didn't hear 
Suzie Kelly drive up and park behind me, I didn't hear Kat walk by and 
look in.  I was O-U-T out.

I jerked awake at 8:15.  Slowly came to life and got up.  Not too many 
people were up and about, but enough were coming alive that we got 
breakfast and the awards ceremony ready to go.  Dede Wolf left early to 
go to the doctor.  At this time I don't know if her hand is broken or 
not, but she was one heck of a trooper to have gotten as far as she did 
even if it isn't.  Kat asked me to go around and wake people up at 
nine, so in my most obnoxious voice I went around pounding on windows 
and yelling, "Time to get up.  Breakfast."  God it was fun.

So, what do people bring to a pot luck breakfast.  Donuts, cinnamon 
rolls, bagels and cream cheese, bacon, egg casserole with pasta and 
veggies and scrambled eggs with everything but the kitchen sink in them 
with homemade tortillas.  I grabbed a tortilla, smeared some cream 
cheese on it then put a bunch of scrambled eggs in it.  What a feast.  
The protein kicked in and I was suddenly wide awake.

 Kim Fuess got BC.  Five of the six riders that completed were riding 
their first 100 mile ride.  Four of the horses that completed were in 
their first 100 mile ride.  Two horses were pulled for slight 
lameness'.  One horse was pulled for metabolic reasons.  One rider was 
over time and one rider optioned out.  No horses were treated during or 
after the ride.  Every single entrant told Kat to hold the ride again.  
I may have made fun of the cursing that was going on during the ride, 
but not one rider said they wouldn't come back.  These ladies, even the 
ones that didn't finish, had huge smiles on their faces.  The finishers 
knew they had truly accomplished something that was thought to be 
impossible.  They used their heads, listened to the vets and came out 
safe and sound.  I'm just as proud of them and their horses as I could 
be and not be related to them!

OK, so what happened after everyone left breakfast.  Some went back to 
sleep. some packed up and went home.  I was now wide awake and Kat was 
saying she was going back up the mountain to get the porta potty, so I 
went with her.  We had to drop her trailer off first, then head back up 
Silverado Canyon.  What a rush.  If you like roller coasters you need 
to ride with Kat at the wheel.  It was better than Magic Mountain.  She 
asked at one point if she was scaring me and all I could say was, 
"Christ, no.  I'm having a ball."  She flew up that mountain.  We got 
to the vet area and cleaned up the hay that was still there.  Then we 
hitched the porta potty to the same ball that was on Greg's truck 
earlier.  I have to admit there was a trick to putting it on, and the 
guys didn't know that.  But we got it on and headed out going down 
Bedford Canyon.  This time Kat had to crawl because of the 'brown yeti' 
that was following us.  You should have seen the door flopping open and 
the toilet paper streaming out behind.  We finally taped the toilet 
paper up and shoved all the stuff that was trailing behind into the 
bucket Kat shoved in the commode's hole.  It took a very long time, but 
we finally made it back down to base camp.  We looked inside.  The 
bucket held the contents of the glory hole in place, but she decided to 
donate the bucket to the porta potty company and left it there.

I left base camp about 4 PM and pulled up into my driveway at 4:30.  My 
husband helped me unload the truck and I went to take a shower.  
Instead of a steak dinner my husband got me a hamburger, but I really 
didn't mind.  I hadn't eaten since my eggs at 9 AM and I was hungry 
enough to eat anything.  I figured I'd be ready for bed after I ate, 
but I wasn't sleepy.  I Emailed a couple people.  Found out Lynne 
Glazer had also suffered a flat tire on Indian Truck Trail.  Decided 
not to work on Monday and went out on my back porch to watch the birds. 
 Suddenly a chill wind brought my head up off my chest and I went in to 
bed at 7:30.

Next year I expect to see a full contingent of entrants.

Until then, happy trails.

Tori


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