Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] another OD story.. from a volunteer's point of view.. :-) (part 2) - steelsidedown

Twelve hours after leaving camp, I returned to find absolute carnage. What was a lovely grassy field yesterday had turned into a demonic, muddy, truck eating, identity. I swear I heard the ?thing? growl from the top of the hill - oh, never mind that was just a quartet of diesels at 3,000 RPMs. There were trucks strewn everywhere stuck, sunk, smoking -- oh boy. We arrive in a tiny car and zip thru the sidelines of the roadway where there is still some grass for grip, and we got stuck.. and pushed it out, then made it to the trailer.

THEY FINISHED!!!!! Ponyboy looked fabulous, still evil, not tired enough to behave.. His rider still shocked she actually made it (that making two of us), then got telling her story, and it started to sink in. I got reports he behaved most of the day? are we sure we are talking about my pony?

She also told me there was a house on the way to the finish where a family of locals where sitting on the porch CLAPPING AND CHEERING for the riders as they passed! Woo hoo, lets hear it for awesome locals!

My husband went and pulled a few trucks out of the mud, but had little hope we could actually pull the trailer out of its spot without help. So we?re staying the night, which I secretly wanted to do anyway! Out comes the grill and goodies, time to spoil the poor rain shriveled rider.

About 5 after 10, the camp breaks out in woops, hollers, and applause. We join in, half clueless as to why, but hey for totally exhausted, mostly intoxicated folk, its fun. I finally see a bay horse, coming towards the finish line, and in perfect form at this hour. I can tell the rider is male, but honestly can?t tell if its Stagg or Tom from the distance. The rider jumps off and is much taller than the horse -- yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Super-pony won!!!! Well deserved cheers continue another 5 mins.

Last fill up of horse food products and water check, I find his evilness down, curled, up, sound asleep, and snoring. Awwww, he?s so cute -- when he?s asleep, I?m not fooled.. well maybe just for a minute. Humans to bed, well the other humans were, I finally gave in. Camp erupts in cheers again around midnight, it wakes all, and we cheer out the window too. Again, I?m at a distance, but it looked like Libby and Tom. Around 2ish (I think, my eyes are too bleary to read Mickey?s hands by then) more cheering!! And more around 4.. I was too asleep to be a credible witness, but I did see the NASCAR pit stop horse finish, a chestnut with high white socks, a bay morgan (?), and maybe another grey?I must have managed to sleep thru some cheering because twice that number of horses finished.

I wake up the next morning around 8, peek out to see that yes, indeed, the demonic mud had not disappeared.. Darn? Horses happily munching, people milling about wearing the oddest style? Travolta fans? Most had mud boots of some sort and jeans rolled up nearly to their knees exposing those oh-so-fashionable white sports socks. I watched a bit and saw one walk thru the mud to cross the road, and completely understood the purpose of the retro style. Cool, I brought those clothes, I?ll dress up cool too.

At breakfast, I hear (thru the grapevines- no promises on complete accuracy) there were less than a dozen shoes lost on trail, and only two horses treated. AMAZING, that alone speaks for an awesome new trail! Everyone is all smiles, can?t say enough positive things about the new venue.

Back at camp a bulldozer and two tractors have arrived to get our silly selves out. Those in a position to attempt to get out on their own, floor it and zoom to the top of the hill, the camp erupts in cheering every time one makes it? I?m glad I understand how deranged you guys are, because this entire scene was looking like a freakish high school corn field party, only with $60k rigs. Trucks continued to charge the hill at high rates of speed and even higher RPMs, the crowd kept cheering?. Really you guys, I?m surprised we didn?t scare the bulldozer driver off, can you imagine what he was thinking of us before the F350 stampede started? My husband made contact of the very nice man driving the bulldozer who happily agreed to pull us up the hill - he was likely in fear for his life and just agreed with anything the crazy folk said. As if on cue to prove us nuts, my husband decides to floor it and F350 stampede the hill?before the bulldozer gets turned around and back to us? he made it.. Cheering from what was left of the crowd, and head shaking from the bulldozer guy.. I pretend I don?t know whose rig that was..

Standing up on the main road, waiting for the rig to be turned around and come back to load the horses , I walked past a small pick up with an older couple inside. They looked confused and bewildered, (oh heck, I likely did too) I stopped and made sure they were OK. They?re response ?this is better than TV?. Oh boy! These guys were more locals, just flat enjoying our antics! I?m giving the locals another thumbs up.

We drive 4 hours home, with everyone else on the interstate pointing at staring at my completely mud covered truck. Oh yeah, I?m talking the windows, hood, roof , hay/mud mix hanging off the rear view mirrors, in the bed, in the door jams -- oh yeah I?ll be remembering the OD for many months and car washes to come!

See ya next year!

Jen