Worthless as a Wooden Nickel

Not sure I like the way he's looking at my package. photo cred: Eric Wever.

The 2011 edition of PMBAR just elevated PMBAR from one of the best races ever to the best race ever and it has nowhere to go but up. Evil Mastermind Eric Wever really changed things up for the better this year and the race was blown wide open right from the start.

Showing up to what we thought was on time for the riders' meeting, we found ourselves mid-pack and unable to hear above the chatty kathy's behind us. We asked a few folks "what'd he just say about the passport?" and they'd turn to us with dumbfounded faces and shake their heads in a sign of non-comprehension.

Where's the hat? Zac? ZAC!??

Once the meeting was over, Emily headed over to pick up our packets and soon Eric yelled go. We found some room to move and started reading the map and passport. Well reading being more like looking at the pictures.

Map reading success. 

Our map reading skills garnered us an A in class. We were able to discern open trails from off-limit trails and made note of how to avoid the no-no trails.

Route planning success. 

Another A for navigational planning. Emily cooked up an awesomely challenging and fun route to hit our checkpoints and get us home.

Reading and comprehension Fail. photo/image cred: Brad O.

A big fat U (unsatisfactory) for reading and comprehension. Rule #13 bit us in the rear as did the Pilot/Laurel CP "must continue in the same direction" rule. We didn't read the details closely enough. Time penalties pushing us towards out of time. The best part was these rules also bit most of the other racers at some point and kept the podium chances wide open. Even the swap up of not being able to shoot straight up Black Mountain from the start bit some. It'll be a while before racers recover mentally from this one.

Panic Dance or chicken strut?

All day we were running into teams coming from every which way. Leaders coming from behind us way after the start, typical top finishers passing us bonked and out of the event, others giving up and just going out for a ride. And some still racing but completely unaware that normally off-limit routes were now on-limit and when we told them we really really made them happy.

Team Kish My Moots. photo cred: Eric Wever.

 Despite being struck down again by my mysterious stomach problem, team Kish My Moots finished having fulfilled most of our goals:

1. Return Thad in a non-fetal, wretching, death wallowing condition.
2. Not to walk in water above our knees.
3. Have a fun day in the woods above all else.
4. Get our 4 checkpoints, while having fun in the woods above all else. (if this were Kanza, we'd have won the painting)
5. Return Thad to TN without loss of pet, life, car, gear, bike.

Thanks to Eric and Erinna and all of the Pisgah Productions crew for putting on such amazing and challenging events and letting us idiots play along. Thanks to Brad O. for being out taking photos, it was great running into him all around the trails. Thanks to the bacon and donut checkpoint crew. Thanks to H. for making her first trip out to PMBAR and being the best crew ever. And thanks to Emily for being the perfect partner. When does registration open for 2012?