A Once in a Lifetime Experience: CO-VOID 2020

 CO-VOID 2020

Jeff and I rode only one rally this year, and it was, appropriately, the one and only CO-VOID 2020 rally. A singular year indeed! 

COVID-19 required postponement of the 20th and last run of the Mason-Dixon 20-20 in May. Thus, MD 20-20 Rallymaster, Rick Miller, combined forces with the Rallymaster for the fall-scheduled Void, Scott LaShier, and together they produced CO-VOID 2020. It was a socially distanced rally, as demanded by the times. 

Sadly, the rally format eliminated the starting and ending gatherings. We missed the camaraderie. But in exchange we had complete flexibility on where to start and end. That also meant that there effectively would be no DNF due to running out of time. All a rider had to do was stop the bike and send in the final paperwork before the ending time in order to finish. That relieved a lot of tension. 

It was a wonderful rally with terrific bonuses and perfect weather. Most of our travels took us through the stunning fall colors of the Appalachian and Pocono Mountains. It was also probably the most uneventful rally Jeff and I have ever done. We planned a ride and rode the plan. There was no rain, no closed roads, no detours, no missing bonuses, no searching through dark woods for some elusive turn off, or any other huge problems. There was a bit of gravel on two occasions when we followed the GPS rather than Rick’s directions, but in both cases we turned back before we got into trouble and only lost a bit of time.

This photo was taken a week earlier in the same area of NE Pennsylvania as we traversed during the rally - but when I had a bit more time to take photos!

We dropped one aspirational bonus (Ball, 99 pts); it was a “daylight only” bonus and the chances of making it on time were less than slim from the outset. So, no surprise there. The second (URAN, 97 pts.) would have been our last on Day 1 and we dropped it simply to make up some lost margin and preserve what was left of our margin for the next day, when we had higher values to get. The margin was lost due to (1) the aforementioned wrong turns, (2) some heavier, slower traffic in and around Pittsburgh than expected; (3) the extra seconds or minute needed at each stop to follow the new procedures on photo submissions; and (4) the time required for the additional stops to pick up some of the location-less bonuses that were announced the morning before the rally. 

Pittsburgh - slow going in and going out!

We had good luck with those additional bonuses, which more than made up for the 97 points lost on URAN. We were able to find and complete: SHEETZ (99 pts), PATTY (28 pts), GATOR (30 pts) DRVT (45 pts), BARN (88 pts), MEM (75 pts),  and TEXT (50 pts), on Day 1. Three we planned out, the last was timed, and the others were found en route by chance and good luck. Day 2 we also added DEL (75 pts) and FLAG (38 pts). We did not get SELF since we had no name tags (which we hadn’t expected to need!) I would have loved to get ORVIS, just because I would have liked to go there in the daylight (unlike last year), but that would not have fit the plan. 

My favorite bonus - BARN. Jeff spotted it over his left shoulder as we passed!

I was also very attracted to the DUCK combo bonus, which was worth 500 points. But our original plan only included 2 of the five bonuses needed to add the DUCK bonus. Both Jeff and I had to work on the Thursday before our launch. So we had neither time for major re-routing nor the flexibility to change our planned starting point in Winchester VA (which had been picked due to the time constraint, even although Binghamton was a more attractive start). I played with minor route variations for a bit before we left – e.g., adding KING, PICK and MUSK – but to do that we’d have to give up about 700 points in NJ and likely another 600-plus on MD’s eastern shore, plus put the 1912 point RHINO bonus in Baltimore at the end of our route and therefore at risk. In addition, Jeff was leery about PICK from the outset. While he might have been willing to try it with more planning, it was not something to add on the fly. So, we stuck with our first plan. 

We started the day at a Sheetz in Winchester with a finely orchestrated start. I purchased a bottle of water to "start the clock" and radioed Jeff when I confirmed a valid receipt at 7:10:29. Jeff topped off the fuel tank and got the fuel receipt needed for the WIN bonus. I purchased a bag of nuts for the first layer of our Sheetz bonus. Then, we took off to score the POST bonus in White Post VA. I wish we had more time to linger. There was a perfectly preserved filling station as well as the historic post at this picturesque crossroads, but time was our master. We quickly followed up with the purchase of another bag of nuts at a Sheetz in Stephens City. (Yes, we completed our Sheetz bonus with a post and two bags of nuts. You can work out the puns on your own. It was unintentional.) My fourth purchase from Sheetz that morning (at the second Sheetz) was for a York Peppermint Patty. Thus, forty minutes into the ride we had 183 points and the first receipt for our base route. 

We rode the Base route of Winchester VA, St. Mary’s WV, Erie PA, and Binghamton NY in that order. Our only surprise of the day occurred as we neared SIMP, the airfield runway that crosses a road. As we rolled along the country lane, I noticed a man on our right near a mailbox, cheerfully waving at us. I thought he was a local resident collecting his mail, and only as we passed did I glimpse the motorcycle parked on the left shoulder. “That was John Frick!” Jeff said. While I know John is a fearsome rider, it still took a few minutes for it to sink in that he should have been riding in the rally and not by the side of the road. We pondered for a moment whether there was a roadside memorial or gator near where he was stopped, but then both realized he wasn’t wearing a helmet or full gear when we saw him, so he obviously wasn’t bonus hunting. Whaaat? Should we turn back and check on him? A call to Rick confirmed that John was fine. However, a deer strike about an hour earlier left him with an oil leak, and so he was waiting for a tow. Therefore, after SIMP, we continued on to DOLA.

Our SIMP bonus

Although the GPS was set for DOLA, it took us on a gravel road to no where until we realized that the road we had been on (before turning onto the gravel one) was the route where the bonus was. So, rather than continuing to explore the gravel to see if it was really a shortcut back to the main road or not, we turned around in the driveway of a family named Nelson. We made our way back to the paved road, which brought us straight to our destination. It was a good decision. At the place where our “short cut” should have come out, there was no road at all.

Dola Miners Memorial

Later we had a similar experience with EXT, the Mason-Dixon line marker stone. But in that case Rick’s directions were even more explicit, so as soon as the GPS led Jeff astray I began protesting, and we were able to correct in short order.

Jeff included the bonus W207 or NOT? on our planned list. I think he did so both for the points and memories. He had been one of those that photographed the correct marker the first time, unlike many others. Now, we would photograph the other marker at that location, since we were an even number. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh traffic was unexpectedly dense and we lost quite a bit of time en route. But we got it, duck and all.

Baby duck photobombing the plaque. Not the real duck nor the real bonus photo.

The roadside memorial was much easier than expected. We were stopped at a light, and there in front of us, on the corner of an empty but semi-paved lot perfect for parking, I spotted a post covered in artificial flowers. Another 75 unplanned points in the log. 

As dusk was quickly falling, we pulled into the dark and deserted parking lot at Pithole to get the PIT bonus. As we dismounted, a car pulled in, passed us slowly, and parked. Two people got out but walked away from us, around the back of the building.  We quickly found our marker and got our photo. By time we returned to the bike, they had reappeared and were walking around the edge of the woods with flashlights. As we were finishing up, another car pulled in. Were we in time for a party or what? No, this guy was just lost and wanted me to give him directions. As to the first two people, they were now in the trees, searching for something. I though perhaps they were looking for the Pithole ghost town (which is a virtual geocache), but Jeff said if so, they were on the wrong side of the parking lot. So, perhaps they were hunting Pokemon or something else. All in all, no weirder than us! 

At our Erie fuel stop, Jeff noted a rider kitted out like us. I checked the Spotwalla and determined he was TBG – and not Leon, which was our primary reason for checking. He left while we were still at the pump. 

It was now dark. BALL was no longer available and Jeff dropped URAN. So, we collected nothing between Erie and the time we started our rest in Binghamton. But, the advantage of flying along I-86 at night was that we made up some time. We stopped the clock at 12:28 a.m. for our 6-hour rest at a hotel Jeff had reserved earlier in the week. 

On Day 2 we scored our BING receipt (and scarfed down some of the breakfast the hotel had provided while fueling) and proceeded straight to JIM. Again, the long highway stretch was dead time for scoring, but it shaved some minutes off the anticipated route time. 

It is peaceful to visit Ft. Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in the fall. Not quite as breathtaking as on Memorial Day, when all the flags are planted near the entrance, but lovely in its fall colors. 

We then crawled through slow Pennsylvania Dutch Country traffic to collect the Lancaster-area bonuses. Happily, we managed to miss all the horse manure and the cow pie at the sign for Intercourse and had no trouble with the others. From there we proceeded through some more stop-and-go traffic near Philly to get to the southern NJ bonuses. Since Jeff had previously gotten stuck in the sand on the road near CARR, he knew to enter and exit by way of the paved one, so we avoided that potential time suck.

Memorial for the crash site of Emilio Carranza, the "Mexican Lindberg"

From South Jersey we headed down I-95, for the DEL fuel stop bonus, TUD, and then Baltimore, for RHINO. Fortunately Jeff picked a way in and out of Baltimore that didn’t result in any major delays beyond that you’d expect for city streets and traffic lights. 

From there we still had two more bonuses planned, out on Maryland’s eastern shore. I viewed these as “gravy.” It would be great to get them, but if we didn’t, we still had a respectable ride. The GPS was showing us a mess on Rt. 50, so their future was dubious. But, the GPS was wrong again, this time in a good way! We had smooth sailing to the Suicide Bridge Restaurant and then to FERRY. We did our FLAG photo and finished our paper work on the roadside in the dark, but everything went in with nearly 10 minutes to spare. 

The route we planned was not daring. We didn’t attempt the Nelsonville Cemetery or Pickens, which were certainly the storied bonuses for the northern riders. As a two-up, those would have been even more miserable than for those who did them solo (although Erin and Jeff Arsenault managed them!). However, our route did require some long hours and miles. Although the published final results recorded our mileage at just over 1200 miles, there was an error there; it was 1406 miles. We netted a 9th place finish. Looking at the roster of other riders finishing in the top ten, we noted that in addition to being the only 2-up in that group, with the 125 combined years of “life experience” on our bike, each of us were also among the older competitors in that group. Best of all, we came home safely! 

From Winchester VA to Tolchester MD

Many thanks, again, to Rick and Jean for putting on a fabulous final MD 20-20 despite COVID, and to Scott for picking up the mantle. We’re already looking forward to next run of the (newly anointed) Premier Rally in the East. 

2019 MD 20-20: The Penultimate Run of the East's Premier Rally

On May 25 through 26, some of the finest riders in the Mid-Atlantic area and beyond competed in the next to last Mason-Dixon 20-20.

The pattern was familiar:

       A plan, a bike, a rally book.
       Go here, go there; highway, byway; rain, rain stopped; rerouted!
       Rest and repeat.
       Return. Tally score.
       Was blood let in the scoring room? (choose one) _x_no  __ yes.
       Celebrate with friends.

Our details, if you care (by bonus name): 1954, 1927, 1935, 1907, 1908, 1923, 1915, 1940, 1916, 1909, 1938, N01, N02, N03, REST, N04, N05, 1922, 1958, 1914, 1924, 1917. (The track includes our ride home to Northern Virginia.)

The highlights in pictures and vignettes.

Starting

Meetings the night before and pre-dawn. Last chance to cast your lot for the cheesedick award.

Heading out to the staged bikes

Paying Respects to Jim 

Indiantown Gap National Cemetery is always breathtaking, especially on Memorial Day weekend. Many of us made Jim Young's grave our first stop.

On the way to Indiantown Gap we passed and were passed by many riders. Few stayed close to us long enough for me to get a half-way decent picture. (Feel free to identify yourself or ask me to delete it; I have no idea who anyone is when in full gear.)

Nice lights!

Given the crowd at Indiantown Gap, it was not surprising to have company at our first stop in Sugartown.

Sugarloaf

Of course there was a festival. But at least not as many as Rock -n- Ride had.

Not the bonus. The rock in the background was. 

Flight 93 Memorial:  Wish there was a webcam

After Sugartown, the pack thinned quickly. We overlapped with Chris Rasmussen late in the day at the Paoli Massacre Monument, and the Stargazer Stone, but the next real gathering of riders that we encountered was at the Bermuda Triangle of Bikes, or “the place the bikes laid down.” Although the picture below is terrible, this rider marks the spot -- and one of the exceptions – of the bike dropping and lost rider drama of this location.

Rider 6: Bringer of Light

Our story:  It is very early morning and pitch dark. We arrived at the Flight 93 memorial bonus. The coordinates appear to be inside the memorial building, but the text says to take a picture of the sign on Route 30. We see the sign and ride just past it to do a U-turn and park in the driveway to the memorial. The driveway is directly across the road from the sign, intersecting Route 30 perpendicularly. It is so dark, that I can no longer see the sign from this angle.

Quite a distance down the road on Route 30, near the old construction entrance, we can see the headlights of a motorcycle that appears parked. We cross the road and Jeff attempts to take a picture of the sign, me, and the flag, lit by a flashlight. Big sign. Dark night. No go. Jeff crosses the road to bring the motorcycle around. With the Erica lights he added to the GSA, that bike could light a stadium.

Another bike pulls up on Route 30, near the construction entrance. Now we can see the two sets of headlights. Too far and too dark to know what the riders are doing down there. Looking for a sign?

As Jeff circles around and pulls up near the edge of the road, I turn and walk back toward the sign, getting in position for the picture. I hear the bike stop and then the expletive. I turn just in time to watch Jeff and the bike tumble in slow motion to the pavement. I run over. He’s fine. As soon as he’s back on his feet, one, two, three lift, and in 30 seconds the bike is upright again. Cursing about the camber of the road, Jeff pushes the bike forward, gets back on and starts another circle to reposition.

The lights of a fourth and then fifth bike appear from far down the driveway, emerging from inside the memorial grounds. What were they doing in there? There are now five bikes in view (counting us) and we appear to be the only ones who know where the sign is located. But we haven't yet gotten enough light for a picture.

A sixth bike approaches on Route 30, from the direction we arrived.

Jeff pauses his circle, stopping again in the driveway, to make way for the new rider on Route 30. The other two bikes stop further back in the driveway. The new rider (badly pictured above) pulls up in exactly the right position on the road, flooding the sign and me with light. As the new rider gets off and begins assembling his photo material, I radio Jeff not to bother moving the bike. Just take the picture! Bathed in the light of Rider 6’s bike, we’re done with our photo before he has his flag in position to shoot.

As Jeff sends our photo off, Rider 4, now off his bike, hustles down the driveway. He and Rider 6 share the light. Rider 6, the model of efficiency, wraps up. I believe he left just before us. The other three riders will be left in the dark (assuming the two down the road decide to join to the party).

We were only a brief episode in the Flight 93 memorial drama. We learned later that the Cover-Rufo trio dropped two of three bikes on that spot – in different directions! Our breakfast companion, Matt, tipped his there too. He said he heard of others. Seems more than one person missed the sign too. Anyone else want to ‘fess up?

A new day

Orviston

Two things:  At least it wasn't still raining when we headed up the last stretch. And, this would be a gorgeous ride to do again in the daylight.

Turkey Point Lighthouse: Exercise!
(But, alas, no non-bonus pictures)

The lighthouse. A “fifteen-minute walk.” Ha! Here again, there was a convergence of riders, and divergence of attitudes.

The rally book said 15 minutes. Google maps said .8 miles and 16 minutes. That’s 3 miles an hour, which is not an unreasonable walking pace -- if you aren’t wearing motorcycle gear. Jeff and I shed our helmets, and noting the other bikes draped in helmets and gear, I also dropped my jacket and vest. We headed down what turned out to be a dirt and gravel path, with hills, passing through patches of woods and fields, shade and sun. The temperature was in the low 80s I think, not terribly humid, but hot enough. The families in their shorts, tank tops, and sneakers looked very comfortable.

On our walk out we encountered Marty Cover and Steve Rufo, chatting amicably and looking as casual and relaxed as a couple of philosophers exercising body and mind on a Sunday stroll. Further along, Lisa Cover Rufo, hailed us, looking weary but cheerful. On our return we spotted Jim Owen, purposefully striding along, looking somewhat warm, but calm and focused, as he waved his flag at us. Eric Bray combined bonus hunting with his morning workout. In his track shoes and shorts, only the flag clutched in his hand distinguished him from any other runner. Erin and Jeff Arsenault were all business, as they briskly headed out, clipboard in hand, and extolling the benefit of some morning exercise.

We finished the round trip rather warm and sweaty, but reinvigorated by the break, as we headed into the final stretch of our trip.

Potholes

Finding a pothole big enough to stand in was easy. Finding a pothole big enough to stand in long enough to get your picture taken is a different problem. Although every bridge on Route 81 appeared to have potential, and many other roads, such as this one, also offered opportunities, having your picture taken in the middle of a highway was a bit too sporty for us.

Jeff spotted this beauty, however, as we were about to pull out of a gas station early on Day 1. A guy who had just pulled in, likely to pick up a pack of cigarettes, reluctantly agreed to be our photographer (since Jeff’s attempts to mount the tripod on the bike were wasting precious seconds). We hopped into the hole and would have had room for a third.

Helite Vest

This trip was the maiden run for my new Helite 2 vest. It is a little warm and the latching mechanism is rather tiresome as it has to be latched and unlatched when I get on and off the bike. But it’s not that bad. (Heated gear has that issue too.)

On the plus side, the Helite vest replaces the back plate in my Klim jacket which is a huge benefit. Doesn’t solve the overall problems with the fit of the Klim jacket, but at least the backplate is no longer hitching itself up on the pants’ waistband. Miss having access to my pockets, though.

I haven’t set it off accidentally yet, and hope I never set it off to do what it’s designed to do. Overall, I think it was a good purchase.

Pictures we were not required to take 

Pittston PA: Home of the Annual Tomato Fight

Hampstead MD

Keeping the log straight.

"Choose Fun."  Isn't that why we do this?

Congratulations to Rick and Jean Miller for yet another blockbuster year of challenges, adventure, camaraderie, and fun! Thank you too to all the rest of the staff, who worked so hard to make this event possible.

A Beginner’s Tale: Rally!

May 26-27, 2018 marked my first long-distance motorcycle rally.  There are numerous blogs written by and for experienced riders and pillions (passengers), but this one is for the newbies, like me.

For the uninitiated, a motorcycle rally is not a race.  It’s the challenge of solving a puzzle on wheels.  Speed matters, certainly, but planning and execution are at least as crucial.  More on that later.

I’m the pillion.  My rider, Jeff, has a long and successful rally record (two-time IBR finisher), so it seems that this should be pretty easy.  I just have to sit there, right?  Well, yes, but when you’re out for a run with the big dogs, keeping up has its challenges.

Background

I mentioned planning.  This rally, the Mason-Dixie 2020, billed as the premier rally in the Mid-Atlantic (I’m just reporting here, not dissing the others), was based on a theme of creating movies.  As in all rallies, the participants were provided with a list of bonus locations which is intended to be a “menu.” Participants choose the ones they will visit. The bonuses were spread all over the Mid-Atlantic area – NY, NJ, PA, WV, MD, DE, DC, VA, and NC.   Each bonus location has a point value.  In this rally each bonus was also identified as being an element of a movie – such as director (i.e., the statue of Ron Howard in Mt. Airy, NC), an actor or actress, a location, subject, or music.  Various combinations would result in “movies,” and completion of a movie earned the “production company” (each rider or two-up pair) additional points.  A few items, including a bonus paying tribute to a fellow rider buried at Fort Indiantown Gap cemetery, were mandatory, and one “movie” that required riding to a location near Charlotte NC was worth so many points that it was impossible to win or come close without doing it.  So a northern and southern boundary for the route were obvious. Other bonuses were truly discretionary as long as you completed at least one movie.  But collecting a bonus almost always included an expense that would reduce the “budget” that each production company was given to start, and the company was required to stay solvent. Of course, the production company had to be able to ride to each bonus needed for the movie, take a photograph or whatever else was required by the game rules, and complete the route in 32 hours, less a mandatory 3 hour rest period.  Traffic, weather, conflicting events such as DC’s “Rolling Thunder” (an annual motorcycle event to honor veterans and remember the MIAs from Vietnam) – those all had to be factored in by the rider.  Get the “puzzle” part?

The list of bonuses with the associated list of points and expenses was released the Sunday before the event.  Of course, with job and family obligations, plus time spent bantering on the rally’s Facebook page, most people had limited time for route planning.  However, the experienced riders, like Jeff, have accumulated a suite of tools that they are adept at using, including Base Camp to build the route and spread sheets to help optimize the points.  Still, route building is an art, not a science, and none of these tools will fully account for everything.  It’s up to the rider to decide how much margin is needed, to evaluate his or her own skills and preferences, and know when to either scrap a planned route and start over or stop second-guessing the selected route.

The Rally!

We pulled into Martinsburg WV, rally headquarters, on Friday afternoon in plenty of time to check-in and run the odometer check (which did not require pillion-participation).  That evening was a riders’ dinner (which we skipped, eating across the street while Jeff continued fiddling with the route) and a mandatory riders’ meeting.   

I had a restless night in anticipation of my first rally.  Jeff and I had ridden a lot together, including a lot of long days, but I had never yet been on the bike for 29 hours in a 32 hour period.  So I was a bit stressed and anxious.

We were up shortly after 4 a.m. so that Jeff would be in time to “stage” the bike for departure at 4:45 a.m., and we would be able to grab breakfast at 5 a.m. before the 5:15 a.m. mandatory riders’ meeting.  The riders’ meeting was when the rally packs were issued – containing the paper document that tells you exactly what to do at each bonus and the rally flag that will be the proof in each picture that you were there -- and in past years the moment at which the “wild cards” are revealed.  The big surprise this year was no wild cards.  The fun revelation was that the high-value location near Charlotte NC was a wedding!  The requirement was to show up there at 5:30 p.m. sharp for a photo with the bride and groom, Tina and Michael (also members of the LD community).  As Rick Miller, the rally master explained, if you show up at 5:31, just keep on riding – it’s too late!  As we skimmed the rally book, I adopted a trick that Jeff had seen Ande Good use; I photographed each page of the rally book so that I could read it while we were traveling.  As we approached each bonus, I could check on the requirements so that we were better prepared to just hop off the bike and execute rather than search the paper copy. (The rally book must return to the finish line intact.  Thus, trying to read the 25 stapled paper pages while traveling at 70 mph is generally a success-ending move.)

Our route, after the 11^th hour revisions, took us in a counter clockwise circle through West Virginia where we were to pick up a number of bonuses, then a long haul to Charlotte for the wedding photo plus a stop to buy a cigar that would earn us more dollars for our budget, then a zig-zag route up through Virginia to the DC metro region, which we intended to cover in the early morning before Rolling Thunder events were scheduled to begin, through more of Maryland and Baltimore and then onward to Pennsylvania, picking up bonuses on our way to Fort Indiantown Gap – then back to the barn. Indeed, we pretty much rode the plan, as planned, with the exception of dropping one bonus that was not part of a combo.  (Note that the map also shows our trip from Jeff’s house (S) to the Rally start and finish location (F), which was not part of the rally route.)

We got out of the parking lot quickly.  Rick pointed out the night before that if your route depends on being first out of the lot, there’s a problem with your plan.  Still, a quick departure is a nice psychological boost that sets the pace for the rest of the day.  Whether riding alone or as a two-up, you have to have a routine that makes each stop and departure efficient.  Notwithstanding our quick launch, we were not on the road long before Jim Owen, the only two-time winner of the 11-day Iron Butt Rally (the toughest endurance rally) passed us.  I took a photo, and Jeff acknowledged he was having a familiar rally experience  – behind Jim Owen! Again! In Cumberland, WV, another two-up couple, Erin and Jeff Archambault, overtook us as well.  The three bikes leap-frogged through the line of “Sunday drivers” on the two-lane parkway between Cumberland and our first bonus.  We arrived last, following the other two bikes into our first rally stop of the day, the Field of Dreams. 

As the pillion, I have very few responsibilities except to show up in every picture, with the flag (and assure the top case is stocked with snacks).  The picture typically has to include the bonus, me, and the flag, with the number of the flag visible.  Framing shots can be harder than you expect depending on how close you can get, the sun, wind, etc. Low to the ground bonuses may require some odd contortions to assure the bonus, like a brick in the sidewalk, is readable, the flag is in the picture and there’s enough of the pillion showing. Practice helps.  Jeff and I have been doing “tours” (non-timed bonus hunts) together for over a year, so we have the routine down pretty well.  My biggest responsibility is to keep track of the flag, making sure it’s securely stowed after each bonus.  This sounds ridiculously easy, but surprisingly many riders will forget their flag at a bonus, drop it, etc. (Lost flags generally include some type of penalty, including at minimum that the rider be in the picture too.)  We have a hanger for the flag and can weight the bottom with clips or a ruler, which helps keep it straight, even in the wind.  Also, I now generally have a pretty good idea of where I need to stand to get the composition right.  Still, with the sun directly behind the small sign we needed to photograph at our first bonus, it was a difficult picture to take. 

Erin and Jeff got their photo done first and left, with us and Jim shortly behind.  We all set off in the same direction, all evidently headed for the Nancy Hanks homestead.  However, Jeff and I missed a turn and so by time we arrived, the other two bikes were leaving and that was the last we saw of them until meeting up in North Carolina for the wedding.

Where we parked, there was a large sign that looked kinda, sorta, maybe like the rally book photo of what we were supposed to photograph, but not quite. On the other hand, it was the only thing in sight.  Still, not convinced it was correct, we hiked past the gate and up the hill and eventually found the right marker.  Back on the bike, we headed south.  We learned later that (1) others had been misled by that almost correct sign; and (2) that had we headed east we would have encountered a flooded bridge that would have required backtracking and a loss of time.  Happily, neither of those woes (or cows – more on cows later) befell us.  But, both double-checking and luck can be make-or-break factors in this game and you really need both!

In Morgantown we were required to get a picture of both of us with a statue of Don Knotts.  Rick cautioned as we were leaving that arms’ length selfies would not do.  We were told to use a selfie stick or a tripod, and if we didn’t have either, to stop and buy one.  Jeff had a selfie stick but left the attachment to press the button at home – an unanticipated hiccup and one we decided to risk rather than remedy with a purchase.  But luck was with us again.  Despite the early morning hour, two young people were taking turns taking each other’s photo with Knotts.  So when we pulled up, I jumped off the bike and offered to take pictures of both of them with the statue, if they’d do the same for us, which they happily did.

Our journey continued,with visits to various bonuses in West Virginia and then down Route 77 to Virginia.  We had ridden that route in early April and had fun chatting about that trip while simultaneously expressing thanks that we were headed south.  The northbound lanes were a parking lot.  We were less enthusiastic when the heavens opened up and gave us a free and very thorough bike wash.  Traffic slowed down and bunched up (but was still moving better than the northbound lanes) so we lost some time.  It was still raining when we got to Mt Airy NC where again we needed a photo of both of us together with a statue of Andy Griffith and Ron Howard (the Sherriff and Opie).  Even if we had a tripod, this was not the weather for fiddling around with that.  As we were arriving, we observed that the rider ahead of us had enticed a tourist who was hovering under the portico of the Mt Airy Playhouse to come out into the rain to take his photo.  Figuring that guy was already “trained,” I begged him to come out again to take ours, which he did. While Jeff was fussing with trying to get the phone screen to work in the rain, I tried to keep our photographer engaged.  Fortunately, he was raptly admiring the bike and asked what kind it was. (BMW GS Adventure).  I learned that although he doesn’t ride a motorcycle, he really likes BMWs and has a BMW car.  Finally, Jeff was ready, we got our shot and left, as two more riders pulled in.

Despite the rain, we got to the Charlotte area in plenty of time.  The sun came out, we picked up our only “revenue bonus” (a cigar) that we hadn’t expected to get until after the wedding (and not being a cigar fan, I shopped until I found one that was about $3, more than the $2 minimum but not the $10 ones that were an easier grab), stopped at a drug store for a bandage to protect a part of Jeff’s leg that was rubbing on his boot, and still arrived 28 minutes early for the wedding bonus. 

There was no way for us to know in advance how many people intended to “attend” the wedding, but the vast majority of the riders did.  We were among the first five to ten bikes to arrive, and there was a constant stream after us, rolling in, politely parking where instructed in an orderly line, perhaps grabbing a bottle of the cold water thoughtfully provided by the bridal couple, Tina and Michael, and donning the purple tiara provided to us for the photo.  At least two of the attendees, obviously tipped off in advance as to what might be occurring at this location, also donned neckties, coordinating with the purple wedding color scheme.  Very nice touch!

Around 5:30 p.m., the newlyweds and the rest of their guests emerged from near the shoreline of the lake and met up with us at the top of the driveway.  A number of the guests-without-helmets took a stroll to admire the bikes while the riders and pillions took their places – with tiara and flags – for a group photo with the bride and groom.  Playing off an inside joke, we all very cheerfully followed the instruction – on the count of three -- to say “cheese dick,” which caused the official wedding photographer to literally double over with laughter. 

Upon dismissal, we all quickly exited.  I don’t know how long it took (since we were out of there as fast as we could get our gear on) but I suspect that within 5 minutes, there was no trace left of the rally riders’ visit except the lingering hum of the last bikes down the road.

A note here on pillion amenities – or more precisely, lack thereof.  The rider has a dashboard decked out with gadgetry to show the route, the weather and other pertinent data; a hydration system mounted to the bike that he can access when thirsty, a tank bag and other little nooks and crannies for stashing things like sunscreen, chapstick, a granola bar for the road, or anything else he might want en route.  In contrast, the pillion generally has nothing except her pockets.  Not even a cup holder.  (OK, I saw one non-LD rider bike once that did, along with a big cushy seat and foot boards, but turning the bike into a Barcalounger on wheels just seems wrong.  It’s an ADVENTURE bike!)  So, in the year and a half of riding – with someone who stops only for fuel and bathroom breaks – I’ve had to experiment with a variety of ways to assure I have access to anything I might want while we’re rolling, such as access to my phone, heat controller (for the heated gear – not used on this trip), extra battery for when our travel time exceeds the helmet radio’s charge, chapstick, water, etc.  I’ve previously used lanyards to hold the phone and camera (both waterproofed) but on this trip I added a small cross-body water bottle carrier.  I found the cross body strap to be far superior to the lanyards for comfort and for manageability when it rains. With that inspiration, I’m looking forward to the arrival of a new cross-body water bottle carrier with a phone pocket this week, and hoping I can consolidate everything onto one cross-body strap for the future.  I’m sure others have different preferences and solutions.

After leaving the wedding we headed north to Lynchburg and then Charlottesville.  Apparently this sequence made logical sense to others too, because we ran into other riders at each of the next three bonuses, as well as some seriously intoxicated students at the Georgia O’Keefe bonus in Charlottesville (one of whom I had to flag down to keep him from backing into our parked bike).  At the Christian Science Reading Room in Lynchburg, a departing rider helpfully let us know that Rick had already been alerted that the bonus sign was missing, and that inclusion of the street sign and the empty sign post (with me and the rally flag) would suffice for the photo.

We considered whether we should take our rest stop at my house, -- which is less than two miles from the Exorcist Steps, one of our bonuses for the morning, but we weren’t sure about the availability of receipts.  (To verify you took your rest stop, you need to get a dated, time-stamped receipt with the location printed on it at the beginning and end of the period from the same or essentially same place.) So, instead we stayed at a garden style hotel in Virginia that was just off the highway, with an adjacent gas station where we could buy a snack at the start of the rest period and gas at the end, before hitting the road again (with receipts!)  That’s the perfect set-up for maximizing the amount of rest at the rest bonus while minimizing the lost time. Even so, we missed some sleep because the desk clerk was off changing his clothes and what with time to come and go we really only had two hours of sleep.  But unlike the night before, I slept very soundly.  When we departed three hours after our arrival, we saw another rally bike parked under the hotel canopy too. 

We started our DC area sweep in Bethesda, Maryland with Madonna of the Trails and then onward to Silver Spring.  The two riders who were at the Silver Spring stop when we arrived appeared more than relieved when we jumped off the bike and ran for the bonus plaque, which was tucked below-grade on a shadowed wall.  Billy Connacher later remarked that he was ready to give up searching when we showed up.  Fortunately, we had seen the plaque on a geocaching expedition last fall, so our home-town advantage helped. 

Then we continued on to the Exorcist steps.  In retrospect, this would have been an ideal time to have picked up the JWB1 bonus on F Street (assuming we had the budget or foresaw skipping a planned bonus later), since we had to wait for daylight to photograph the steps, but it wasn’t in the planned route so we didn’t think to do that.  Instead we showed up early for the Exorcist steps and – forgetting why we hadn’t planned to arrive so early – nearly left too soon.  But we waited for sunrise and got the shot. 

Our next stop was the Einstein statue on Constitution Ave, directly across from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – or more importantly, ground zero for Rolling Thunder. Having lived in DC since before the first Rolling Thunder event, I had been all over this issue once I realized we might find ourselves in the midst of it.  Since I work only a few blocks away from the Einstein statue, on the Thursday before, I had walked the area, looking for no parking signs or road closures, secured a copy of the official guide, chatted with park rangers, and checked out the DC traffic alerts.  I was certain that if we were out of there before six a.m. (when reveille was scheduled for Rolling Thunder) we’d be OK. Departing the Exorcist steps for Einstein, the hometown advantage helped us again.  The GPS was directing us to take the Key Bridge across the Potomac and then to cross the Potomac again to get to downtown.  This worried me a bit because it took us closer to areas that might be impacted by the holiday events and further, I was puzzled as to why that would be shorter than taking the Whitehurst Freeway, which I do daily.  Then I realized that the GPS was somewhat pickier than we were about the accessibility of the Whitehurst from the spot where we were located.  In a car, the maneuver we did would have been impossible.  But when I pointed out to Jeff why the GPS and I had different opinions, he was on it, and minutes later we were downtown, via the Whitehurst, got our shot and were headed out of town. 

The Miss Piggy brick was another challenge.  From street view, we had a sense that the bonus location was in a park about halfway up a path.  Rick had mentioned that it was near the big marker for Jim Henson.  That was little help.  It took us longer than it should have to read every brick paver around the Jim Henson marker until Jeff finally found it in a section of brick that was separated a bit. 

We were able to roll through Baltimore and pick up three bonus there with nothing more exceptional than an amusing chat with a local who staggered up to me with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other near the Frank Zappa statue. (This was shortly after 7 a.m.) Jeff wears ear plugs on the road and I don’t, so he generally leaves conversations with others to me, since he can’t hear anyone.  Thus, he was a bit puzzled when I reported that the guy just wanted to know if I “had a light?”  “Dude,” Jeff observed, “your cigarette is already lit.  And you can light the next one off of that one.”  Unfortunately, our friend missed this bit of wisdom as he had already shuffled out of ear shot.  

The remainder of the morning’s bonuses were uneventful.  So uneventful that my biggest challenge was staying awake, a problem that often plagues me on slab (that is, highways).  There just isn’t enough to do in the pillion seat!  As odd as this may seem to someone who has never ridden pillion, dozing back there is pretty easy.  Sandwiched between the top case and Jeff, I can’t fall off and the helmet keeps my head from rolling from side to side (although I sometimes nod forward and bump Jeff’s helmet, which is how he knows I’m dozing).  I still try not to do it, since it’s not ideal to be half-awake if he has to stop suddenly.  But with little sleep and nothing of great interest, I did get a few cap naps that morning.

From shortly after the time we left Einstein, we hadn’t seen any more bikes; we did our next series of bonuses solo.  It wasn’t until we were approaching the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum that we saw more riders.  The Cover trio was already departing.  

Throughout the morning Jeff had been watching the time and we had lost some of our margin.  If we did the rest of the route as planned, we’d still make it with over an hour to spare, but only if there were no delays.  Rather than risk a DNF ("did not finish"), we decided to ditch our last director bonus (one of the two churches in Sacramento PA), since we didn’t need it for a movie.  In retrospect, that bonus, or the JWB1 that we hadn’t even considered, would have gotten us a third-place spot and we had the budget to do both.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda – but it was too late!

We had smooth sailing into Fort Indiantown Gap, did our bonuses and rolled in to the finish with plenty of margin.  While thirty-eight other production companies also made it back on time, we learned later that at least three riders had to drop out due to problems encountered on the road (but with no injuries to humans, fortunately). The story that will live on in infamy for this rally will be Dave Arkle’s spectacular non-finish.  He reported that as he was heading down a dark road he noticed a cow in the on-coming lane.  Understandably, he was momentarily distracted by that cow, which is why he didn’t see the OTHER cow, until it was too late.  Unlike the bike and the cow, Dave survived unscathed, for which everyone was thankful.  At the Finisher’s Banquet, when production companies were awarded prizes for innovative movie titles, he won the Space Cowboy award in absentia since he turned in the only REAL cow-(meets)-boy production.

The top finishers were James Alton, Jim Abbot, and Steven Griffith.  Others were awarded various honors including the coveted (sort of) cheese dick award and -- new this year -- awards for their movie titles. Awards list.  

As noted earlier, had we made only one more bonus, we could have been in third place.  But when they announced the scores at the Finishers’ Banquet, and we got fourth place, I was over the moon.  While fourth is not a podium spot, this rookie was so happy to have survived and enjoyed her first rally, it was every bit as good as a win for me.  What a great ride! 

Donna M. Attanasio
May 2018