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General Info

Like the IBR, the riders have to do more than show up at the checkpoints on time. They also have to accumulate bonus points. The Rallymaster announced yesterday that for this year's Spank Rally, 60,000 points would be required for riders to be considered finishers.

By the way, riders Jim Owen and Doug Chapman have Star-Traxx satellite transmitters on their bikes, and there is a Webpage where you can follow their progress (and see the route they've ridden). Go to http://rally.star-traxx.com/rallyview.asp?Rally=66 any time during the event.

Happy day!

Some good news: a construction worker found Maura Gatensby's saddlebag. Using the emergency contact information inside, the guy called Vancouver, Canada and told someone there. That person contacted George via the contact page at this Website. The construction worker then shipped the bag FedEx 2-day air to the finish line in Colorado Springs, CO. Maura is elated!

This is what the MSF would call a "teachable moment" and stresses the importance of putting a card with contact information inside all your bags. Just in case.

Today's example bonus

George included a favorite lunch spot at Big Bear Lake. Here's the bonus listing:

Big Bear Lake, CA The Hot Spot	1,249 points	1000 to 000 daily
Take a good look at the walls in this local favorite watering hole. See all the double circles painted on the wall? Take a picture of any one of these strange objects. Be sure to ask someone how they were made. 41011 Big Bear Blvd. Approx 4.5 miles east of the dam on Hwy 18, on the right.
Time: _____   Odometer: _____	Code: KOL	Approved: _____

And a photo taken just this morning:

Can you guess what made these circles?

One clue as to how they were made might be the sign above the bar, which read: Sexual harassment will not be reported, but will be graded.

0400

Al Ladner (FJR1300) called from Bishop, CA to say he'd left his headlights on to illuminate the abandoned "Janie's Whorehouse" bonus (754 points) north of Benton, CA, and was unable to get his bike restarted. A passing motorcyclist (not in the Rally) helped him push-start it on the dirt and Al made it to Bishop, where he did a roadside battery replacement. Al told George "he was pretty whipped" and planned to take a bit of a rest before continuing.

0930

Greg Marbach spotted Brian Roberts headed south on US-395 on his Honda Blackbird. Greg (and Mark Crane) claimed the lighthouse bonus 4 hours north of San Francisco, but got hammered by the goat trail from there to the Montgomery Woods State Park bonus (2,269 points).

1300

Brian called to say he was at Desert Cycle Works in 29 Palms getting a new rear tire mounted by Lil' Dawn, a friend of George's.

1700

The riders start to trickle in. Doug Chapman arrived so baked that he said "I ran out of spit", literally. Most all the riders looked hot and tired. Coni Fitch took the time to comb her hair and clean up a bit. The guys, not so much. Note the photo of Matt below...

Matt Watkins (FJR1300) was denied the 4-corners bonus (7,107 points) which required a photo of the rider with a limb in each of the four States. Matt lay over the four corners with both feet in one State, his arms in different States, and his head in the 4th State. Oh, well, 500 miles for nothing. As a joke, Matt protested, listing the following reasons why his photo should be allowed:

1. [the first reason, involving an unnamed 'limb', or more probably, an 'appendage', has been deleted by the censors].
2. As a believer in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and having been personally touched by His Noodlely Appendage, he had a religious objection to putting a limb in a segment that had 'God' written on it.
3. Tom Austin is really mean.

Greg Marbach was somewhat discouraged by the time and effort taken by all the twisty 'goat trails' where GZ put a lot of the high-point California bonuses. He admitted he wasn't able to complete the ride he'd planned, and had to skip some of the bonuses near the checkpoint which he'd counted on getting. Nevertheless...

2100 — Leg #1 Provisional Results

These results are not "Official", batteries not included, we didn't do it and you didn't see us, your mileage may vary, etc.:

1. 27,900 points — Greg Marbach
2. 27,100 points — Jim Owen
3. 23,536 points — Terry & Lynda Lahman
4. 22,302 points — Tom Sperry
5. 22,269 points — Art Montoya
6. 21,891 points — Lisa Stevens
7. 21,891 points — Tobie Stevens
8. 21,745 points — Bud Yates
9. 20,408 points — Doug Chapman
10. 20,308 points — Joe Antolick
11. 19,854 points — Mike Berlien
12. 19,160 points — Coni Fitch
13. 17,923 points — Mark Crane
14. 16,525 points — Heidi Still
15. 15,738 points — Matt Watkins
16. 14,805 points — Bob & Silvie Torter
17. 13,128 points — Brian Roberts
18. 10,327 points — Maura Gatensby
19. 10,160 points — Eric Vaillancourt
20. 5,894 points — Al Ladner

2100 — Leg #2 Rider's Meeting

George seemed a bit stressed as he handed out the packets for the long second (and final) leg of the rally. He briefly mentioned a couple of the bonuses, clarifying some points, and sent the riders off to study the rally packets and/or get some rest before heading in a round-about sort of way to the finish at Colorado Springs.

Tom Sperry, Joe Antolick, Coni Fitch and Jim Owen at the 4 corners bonus.
[Tobie Stevens photo]

Lisa and Tobie Stevens goofing around at the 4 corners bonus.
[from Tobie Stevens camera]

Joe Antolick getting his mileage taken by staffer Chuck Hickey
at the Joshua Tree checkpoint.

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