Wow havent raced a Harescramble for a few years really had a great time.Rode at my own pace and let em by whenever I could.Still managed 5th in class and finished without hitting a tree which was my goal.Few pics and I have a huge video of about half the 1.5 hrs of race from my helmet cam.Figuring out how to post it.Was pretty slick from constant rain all day but better than dust.Forgot how much fun these can be.
Click here to watch Harescramble-Viking-Bow-and-Gun
Click here to watch Late-arrival-A-class
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Dist 16 Valders Harescramble
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cannondale27
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
Heck yeah there is stories!First thing is dont ever tell everyone that you are videoing them.Heard from many that they wanted to be sure to get in front of me to get on camera.I made it easy but at time was thinking man I have never been passed by more people 
I also was pumping them up by bragging that I was going to Holeshot all these regulars.Honestly thought I could.Idiot when start gun shot I was in neutral!Deadlast.Thought I was in second gear.Serves me right for bragging.Lost $15 on that one.
Biggest story was the bottlenecks.Almost every class had a bottleneck at the very first entry into the woods and just a small distance later.The classes were supposed to be started a minute apart but was a HUGE gap between A and rest.That was bad since course was only around 3-4 mi.Which meant if bottleneck was bad enough and couldnt be cleared was a good possibility A was going to get involved.Those guys are serious and arent about to wait.They will make a trail through brush,logs,trees whatever using your quad for a berm or even traction in one case.The skill amazed me since even a big 4x4 would never make it through some of what they did unless being driven by a very skilled rider.
Was alot of hills in this race.The hills were so slick you had to crawl to get up them on foot.I tried to look ahead to next hill to see if there was a bottleneck.If there was tried to stop on top of hill before bottlenecked one.Sometimes there was no clear view.Some were sidehills and if quad was dead in the way there was nowhere to go with it.Got blocked by a blue Raptor in that situation.Wasnt dead but he had no tires and had given up couldnt move.I tried lifting the thing out of way but only moved it inches.Quads were quickly approaching from A and no alternate route I thought.One A guy found one though.Amazing and definitly showed need to get the quad out of way since I dont know how the one who got through didnt roll.Solution as demanded from next guy grab nerfbar and roll the quad over and partly down the downslope!Poor owner was begging to at least let him shut gas off!Over it went.Saw it later and was undamaged so thats a good thing.Felt bad for the kid though.
I ended up in same situation near end of race.Was a combo sidehill/uphill with a slight left turn thrown in.The left turn made a burm of roost too right.Again one liner with thick woods/hill right and sheer cliff face to left huge roots and then a big rock eventually came to surface after quads digging down.These caused issues since you wouldnt make it up if you slowed at all.Came up to this to see 3 jammed together in middle of this hill.Only way to get them up was to back them all the way down so they could get another run.We got two out of there.Third was out of way enough it looked as if I could make it through.That guy and I were shot and that guy said to just go since he needed a break.Well I didnt make it around him.So then I was launched between the berm and him.got him out finally and then the a-class was coming.I knew better so I just put it in reverse and as fast as I could I backed onto the berm.Straddling it and sliding backward into a big tree in the berm.That left my two left wheels directly in the right rut of main trail.Yes my Raptor became the new berm!4 or 5 made it no problem.All it took was one to hesitate.Huge blockage.Since guys tried going in woods.People were launched all over and some were blaming me even though I had been in same situation just before.Lot of words were exchanged but no fists flew so that was good!Thankfully some spectators helped out since none of us racers had anything left to move any of them.Eventually we all got out and next lap everyone had learned how to make this hill. W.F.O. nobody got stuck after that on that one!
Although I was terribly slow in woods I could dice with best of them in fields and MX portion.Was enjoying that every lap passing quite a few.Always made sure to let them go before woods since I didnt want to hold up faster guys.But still did want to have fun where I could.Was a Kaw 450 I was dicing with in field and got him after two corners real easily.Could hear him just screaming the motor so I pulled to side then got behind him thinking he would quickly leave me in dust.Nope small puff of smoke out tailpipe spelled end of his motor.Found out later it was siezing in the field and let loose.Guy said he hadnt checked oil.Bummer.
This race is a joint effort of my OHV club and held on a GunClubs property of which my family is longtime members.3generations.Am very proud to be a member of this gun club since you guys should see how well they treat us riders and actually appreciate the $ we bring to them.They even setup 5 hoses and 2 pressure sprayers for cleaning along with telling everyone to make use of the three nice showers they have.Man that felt good after race!Their members had a HUGE mess to clean up on the lawn and in the Clubhouse since mud got everywhere.Is always refreshing to outdoor enthusiasts of all disciplines joining up to help each other.Thats not easy since many a bird or deer has been lost to being spooked by a quad and not all hunters like us.Something to remember though.I like to shut mine off and strike up a conversation with any hunters I approach when out riding.Its amazing how small world actually is.Never know which one of them is going to help you out down the road.
Will take some more pics when we go groom trails as soon as it drys.You all gotta see thier clubhouse!Its like a resort and all paid for with trap and events like this one.
I also was pumping them up by bragging that I was going to Holeshot all these regulars.Honestly thought I could.Idiot when start gun shot I was in neutral!Deadlast.Thought I was in second gear.Serves me right for bragging.Lost $15 on that one.
Biggest story was the bottlenecks.Almost every class had a bottleneck at the very first entry into the woods and just a small distance later.The classes were supposed to be started a minute apart but was a HUGE gap between A and rest.That was bad since course was only around 3-4 mi.Which meant if bottleneck was bad enough and couldnt be cleared was a good possibility A was going to get involved.Those guys are serious and arent about to wait.They will make a trail through brush,logs,trees whatever using your quad for a berm or even traction in one case.The skill amazed me since even a big 4x4 would never make it through some of what they did unless being driven by a very skilled rider.
Was alot of hills in this race.The hills were so slick you had to crawl to get up them on foot.I tried to look ahead to next hill to see if there was a bottleneck.If there was tried to stop on top of hill before bottlenecked one.Sometimes there was no clear view.Some were sidehills and if quad was dead in the way there was nowhere to go with it.Got blocked by a blue Raptor in that situation.Wasnt dead but he had no tires and had given up couldnt move.I tried lifting the thing out of way but only moved it inches.Quads were quickly approaching from A and no alternate route I thought.One A guy found one though.Amazing and definitly showed need to get the quad out of way since I dont know how the one who got through didnt roll.Solution as demanded from next guy grab nerfbar and roll the quad over and partly down the downslope!Poor owner was begging to at least let him shut gas off!Over it went.Saw it later and was undamaged so thats a good thing.Felt bad for the kid though.
I ended up in same situation near end of race.Was a combo sidehill/uphill with a slight left turn thrown in.The left turn made a burm of roost too right.Again one liner with thick woods/hill right and sheer cliff face to left huge roots and then a big rock eventually came to surface after quads digging down.These caused issues since you wouldnt make it up if you slowed at all.Came up to this to see 3 jammed together in middle of this hill.Only way to get them up was to back them all the way down so they could get another run.We got two out of there.Third was out of way enough it looked as if I could make it through.That guy and I were shot and that guy said to just go since he needed a break.Well I didnt make it around him.So then I was launched between the berm and him.got him out finally and then the a-class was coming.I knew better so I just put it in reverse and as fast as I could I backed onto the berm.Straddling it and sliding backward into a big tree in the berm.That left my two left wheels directly in the right rut of main trail.Yes my Raptor became the new berm!4 or 5 made it no problem.All it took was one to hesitate.Huge blockage.Since guys tried going in woods.People were launched all over and some were blaming me even though I had been in same situation just before.Lot of words were exchanged but no fists flew so that was good!Thankfully some spectators helped out since none of us racers had anything left to move any of them.Eventually we all got out and next lap everyone had learned how to make this hill. W.F.O. nobody got stuck after that on that one!
Although I was terribly slow in woods I could dice with best of them in fields and MX portion.Was enjoying that every lap passing quite a few.Always made sure to let them go before woods since I didnt want to hold up faster guys.But still did want to have fun where I could.Was a Kaw 450 I was dicing with in field and got him after two corners real easily.Could hear him just screaming the motor so I pulled to side then got behind him thinking he would quickly leave me in dust.Nope small puff of smoke out tailpipe spelled end of his motor.Found out later it was siezing in the field and let loose.Guy said he hadnt checked oil.Bummer.
This race is a joint effort of my OHV club and held on a GunClubs property of which my family is longtime members.3generations.Am very proud to be a member of this gun club since you guys should see how well they treat us riders and actually appreciate the $ we bring to them.They even setup 5 hoses and 2 pressure sprayers for cleaning along with telling everyone to make use of the three nice showers they have.Man that felt good after race!Their members had a HUGE mess to clean up on the lawn and in the Clubhouse since mud got everywhere.Is always refreshing to outdoor enthusiasts of all disciplines joining up to help each other.Thats not easy since many a bird or deer has been lost to being spooked by a quad and not all hunters like us.Something to remember though.I like to shut mine off and strike up a conversation with any hunters I approach when out riding.Its amazing how small world actually is.Never know which one of them is going to help you out down the road.
Will take some more pics when we go groom trails as soon as it drys.You all gotta see thier clubhouse!Its like a resort and all paid for with trap and events like this one.
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cannondale27
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
Here is video of my pathetic first lap.I did improve later.Really
Click here to watch One-Lap-Viking-Harescramble-Dist-16
Click here to watch One-Lap-Viking-Harescramble-Dist-16
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cannondale27
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
I was kicking myself in the *** for not going, but after watching the video, I think I made a good choice. That doesn't seem like much fun if you have to stop and wait. Everyone can catch up to you then. I think I would get desperate and try to make an alternate path. Then probably end up hopelessly stuck in the brush! I know I have a lot to learn about XC racing yet. I guess you really have to use good judgement when deciding to make your own path.
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cannondale27
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
Yes and commit to it.Thats what really amazed me about some of those A guys.They put those quads places I never thought they would go.Bog old dead logs or trees under 4" were all fair game!Those two up on hill there was no way I was going to attempt sidehilling through that brush.Was a lot steeper than it looks in vid.
The waiting is definitely a killer- soooo hard to do. I don't think I'd ever resort to rolling somebodies quad on it's lid to get them out of the way, though! I checked the first 2 vids yesterday but didn't have sound. Was that a dead engine start? If so, that late guy definitely didn't have a dead engine!
Sounds like it was alot of fun!
Sounds like it was alot of fun!
QUOTE (cannondale27 @ Sep 16 2008, 09:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yes and commit to it.Thats what really amazed me about some of those A guys.They put those quads places I never thought they would go.Bog old dead logs or trees under 4" were all fair game!Those two up on hill there was no way I was going to attempt sidehilling through that brush.Was a lot steeper than it looks in vid.
Yup, that is part of walking the trail. Scope out those trouble spots and take note of your alternate routes. Then hope you have good solid equipement that is going to hold up to the abuse. I'll be honest, there is no way I would have sat and waited. That explains why the A class had caught up to you by the 2nd lap. That is one thing I did notice while I was running around, no one was really making "new" trails in the rutted, hard to get through spots. I'm actually hoping for rain this saturday so I can come race Denmark possibly. Wife took vacation and she is planning house work instead. Rain gods are the only ones that can save me from that.
