Day 10 ... early Day 11

It’s late on Day 10 people. This morning Team Talken McGaffin’s SPOT rode through a town called Marathon. Yup, that’s what we’re in these final hours. As anyone who runs marathons will tell you, it’s the last .2 that will get you. 

Looking at the IBR Daily Reports, the wheels were coming off for some riders over the past two days, literally. Rider 9 is in this club. Since a tire change in Denver was not in the cards, Team Talken McGaffin was in dire need of a rear tire yesterday. They were able to get a tire change in the afternoon, but it was not smooth and they lost nearly 3 hours with the clock ticking. It is their story to tell when they can later, but suffice to say these are the times that make riders want to crawl out of their skin. Rally spouses too. Things sorted, they continued with their ride plan towards last night’s rest bonus. Only to get a front tire puncture. They made a repair whilst being bombarded by mosquitos. The SPOT was moving again when it should have been this morning. 

Team Talken McGaffin rode through my home state of MI today, where the rally pups and I have decamped over the past couple of weeks. There are so many friends, family and long-distance co-workers that they rode by today. I told Kirsten to picture I-75 festooned with streamers and confetti as they go along. Soak up the good karma and get back to the barn. Because that would be preferable to the rain that has been soaking them (and many other riders) for days. She called it a “frog choker,” with rain pelting the visors, and causing the never-before-has-it-leaked plastic sleeve with the all important rally log to leak.

These are the hours when rallying feels like a very poor decision. The fatigue sits heavy. Patience is thin. The only way out is through. And visions of warm showers, warm food, and cold beverages dance through their heads. Send some luck the way of these riders slogging their way back to Pittsburgh. The clock is still ticking and it’s now a 9 hour rally to stop the clock at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning.

There is a gaggle of rally spouses, rally pups, friends, and IBR veterans here after midnight waiting at the front door of Rally HQ Pittsburgh. Things are quiet. Several riders have come in this evening, to a warm welcome. Riders will come in throughout the night as the sun chases the moon for the final day of IBR 2023.

Rally Pack

Rally dog Riley helping with final packing, Pittsburgh

Long-time rally watchers know that there is always time devoted to faithful rally pups. Our 15 year old chihuahua mix Riley is a pro. He has ridden some (shorter) miles with Kirsten in his own seat and was known to jump into his riding bag as soon as he saw her put on her gear. Riley flew with me to the IBR 2015 finish in Albuquerque and has been at many other rally Starts and Finishes. 

Sir Frederick Pepperbottom joined the pack in 2020 and took the IBR 2021 pre-rally prep in stride. He is a fast learner and appreciates the concept of the Iron Butt Hotel - if you have time to sit, you have time to lie down, if you have time to lie down, you have time to wrap yourself in a blanket, kick your legs in the air, and take a nap.   

This year, Jana joined the crew for her first rally road trip to Pittsburgh, announcing herself to all as she excitedly scoped out the goings-on in the parking lot of rally HQ. Bela sees a gathering of motorcycles and riders and her tail and ears go on high alert. She can pick Kirsten out of the gaggle in a second and was with Riley and I at the finish of IBR 2017.  

Jana practicing Iron Butt Hotel naps

Chris has two rally dogs cheering him on at home - Bella and Toby. In true rally dog style, they are alert and calm, keeping Chris’ wife Denise company over these long days of distance.  

Bella and Toby await Chris' return in Ireland

The rally pack enjoys visiting with other rally dogs - Blue (Connie and Randy Gabrick) and Jake (Lisa Erbes, RIP sweet Jake) were in residence at the 2021 Dog Daze Rally. If you can’t get enough of good riding, you should come to northern Michigan in August this year for the final running of the Dog Daze Rally. Hosted by skilled Rallymasters Connie and Randy, Dog Daze covers some beautiful country and provides an awesome place to gather with friends and pups to enjoy riding and an awesome view from the top of the mountain in Wakefield. 

Riley, Bela and Frederick at the Dog Daze Rally, 2021

But the clock is still ticking (loudly), and the rally pack and I are heading back to Pittsburgh. Penalty points accrue for riders one second after 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning. We’ll have fresh water and a treat waiting. 

Rally pack in transit

Dirt for Breakfast & Ride Alongs

Kirsten's cockpit 

The truth is, no IBR rider really rides alone. Every rider rides with thoughts of friends or family or other riders who have influenced them. Kirsten rides with the memorial cards of Curt Gran, Peter Behm, Tom Loftus, and Karol Patzer in her pocket. IBR memories are inextricable with these fine people. Big dogs with big hearts.

Many riders also bring along a little creature that supports them on the way. Rubber duckie from Kirsten’s first rally, the legendary Mason Dixon 20-20, has pride of place on the dash. Mr. Happy has been in her cockpit for thousands of miles and in 2021, Zoomie arrived (because the rally pack couldn’t travel to Provo for in-paw support).

Chris has a IBR veteran teddy bear named Lucky. Lucky was a prize from a fair for his son Conner when he was a wee baby. Lucky came with Chris to America for his first IBR, and has been on every IBR since (the stand-up fur tells the tale). There is a twin bear that stays at home while Chris and Lucky are riding. It is bad luck to leave Lucky at home, and he is riding along on IBR 2023.

IBR veteran Lucky

There are some days when all of that luck, well wishes, and karma from rally veterans rooting from above come into play. For Rider 9, it was heading to a bonus up 150 miles of switchbacks on a US Forest Service road, with the last 25 miles being gravel. At night. Two-up on a fully loaded rally bike with street tires. Team Talken McGaffin came upon a tree across the road almost immediately. If it had been any bigger, Chris wouldn’t have been able to move it the few inches it took to get around it. There was an elk. And deer. And a cat that kept running alongside the road (I’m choosing to believe it was a real cat and not a fatigue-induced animal come to spook the riders). There was fog. And hail. On the return, two more downed trees were negotiated. When they came out around 4 a.m. a few other riders were heading up and Kirsten thought, “have fun boys.” Personally, I was happy to see the karma circle back. In and out, safe and sound as it was about this time on another rally after another long night tracking her spot on another Forest Service dirt road. Business finished. On to breakfast.

And for those watching the rally page, a new feature has appeared. There is now a count-down clock to the finish. Now we can all hear the ticking clock and ride along as they point their noses towards Pittsburgh.

Rally ride alongs from the parking lot at the Start in Pittsburgh