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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126331
.! NORTHERN DATELINE
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Poke r Run riders took a little time out for a bite to eat.
Tacoma Trail
CnIisers Poker Run
raids Capitol Forest
By Act ion OZ
OLYMPIA . WA , AUG . 26-27
Tacoma Trail Cruisers staged
their annual off-road poker run
and 1,583 riders responded to
the challenge. I make mention
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34
of the off-road as an explanation. In
past yea rs a very small part of a county
road was used in leaving the club
grounds, getting to the trails , and
returning to the club grounds and the
final check. All that was ever used was
a few blocks of county road. This year
a resident , moved up from California,
protested this limited use . This
resident lives at least a quarter of a
mile from the road and into such
heavy tree growth that sou nd could
not be a fac tor. Beca use a complaint
was signed the sheriff ha d to make a
trip out with a bonafide warning.
cease and desist using the county road.
With a lesser group. this would have
cancelled the event. Not so with this
bunch. They got a Cat, filled .in a
section of creek and built a bridge
Saturday night. Anyone else would
have been in their motorhomes
drinking suds.
The event the second day went off
across the bridge and everyone signed
to ride . rode. That was it , pure and
simple, and has to tell you a little bit
about this club. It consists of families,
spell that S·T·R·E-N ·G·T·H , all
working together to put on the single
largest event of its kind in the state of
Washington.
,
This yea r both days were not
without su n . Traction was very good
and both courses. easy and hotshoe,
were employed, The hotshoe cou rse
was 53 miles in length and 85 % of it
was trail . tough trail. The clu b has th e
rig ht idea though as th ere are rewards.
Not onl y is the scen ery lush , but th e
beer truck a t checkpo int four is a most
welcome sight. By check four you r
tongue is hanging out and down to the
tank . Where there wer e road
crossings, onl y a couple, there were
members with paddle sign s to slow or
stop riders so they could push across.
The radio rela y system was superb
a nd any acc ide nt could be . treated
a lm ost im me d ia te ly. As it was.
noth ing serious happen ed other than a
ba nge d sho ulde r an d a sore toe or two.
' T he one minor fault I found was that
on the ' hotshoe course, areas of great
d ifficulty did not have an alternate
route and the line-up of riders got to
be over 100 long at times. Everyone
was basically good natured though
and pitched in to help lift bikes and
sometimes riders over the obstacles.
Checkpoint three had a gas stop
which was taken care of by the club.
They got the cans up there and back
down again. Club member and past
president Larry Davis handled the
master of ceremony duties and did a
warm and efficient job of it. By
showing up at trophy presentation in a
grass skirt and bikini top. he kept the
spirit of this well run event in top
stride.
One family drove up from
Anaheim. California, all day and all
night just to ride the run. The oldest
rider was Claude Stevens, "79 'a nd
feelin fine ". Cla ude drove up from
Phoenix and this was his third year.
Two of the youngest participants, on
bike packs. were six months and 22
months old. There wer e 13 riders
who were eight or younger.
Lest a hotshoe rider get too cocky
there were two Ll-year-old boys and
one 13·year·old girl who rode the hard
course and finished. The club turned
over to the Black Lake Fire
Dept. and the America n Red Cross a
total of $1.500.
The area that was ridden was the
same area that the BLM people and
the MIC had used for a major meeting
the week before. The poker run was
handled so smoothly. SO professionally
that I can only say to the Tacoma
Trail Cruisers, I hope you don't outsuccess yourselves.
Results and prizes
TOP TEN: Ovaine lI