Brian Carpenter said:
I looked back, and heard a Mid Aug date, and a Labor day date floated, whats the DL?
Will there be a central campground? Could someone come up Sat midday and still have fun?
I believe SidRipTide has Labor Day wekend in mind, but I'll let him handle that.
As to showing up midday on Saturday -- if you do that you'll be able to join the group for dinner Saturday evening and for whatever runs are scheduled for Sunday, but as to joining the group on Saturday afternoon, I'd have to say "not likely." Two reasons:
1. The groups will be on the trails, and you won't know where they are or how to find them. We use CB radio for communication on the trails, but in the hills around North Adams the range isn't great. It's unlikely you could raise one of the groups. Cell phone coverage in the region is sucky, too.
2. For safety reasons, as chapter president I can't agree to let one vehicle out on the trail alone as part of a
event. It's common sense and customary practice to always travel with at least one other vehicle in case of problems or injuries. I do not want
to incur any potential liability if someone is out trying to catch up with a group and has an accident.
IF (and this will be up to Mike/SidRipTide) one or more of the groups plans to hit two or three different trails on Saturday, with pavement between them, if you and Mike can agree on a fixed time and place where late arrivals can rendezvous with a group at their level, that's fine. In such an instance, though, it will be your responsibility to be at the appointed meeting place on time. You have to understand that a trail ride group could be delayed significantly if one of the group breaks on an earlier trail, but whenever they get to the meeting point, they will be hot to move on. If the agreement is for 2:30 and they show up at 2:30 and you're not there, don't expect the group to wait around for you. That sounds a bit harsh and arbitrary, I guess, but it is the trail leader's job to keep the group moving. It's a lot more difficult for a trail group to meet a schedule than it is for someone driving in on paved roads. If they arrive ahead of time, they should wait if that was the agreement, but they shouldn't be expected to wait beyond the scheduled time.
