Let’s talk about GT23 (Mt Harrison Fire Lookout). I really, really wanted this stop on the tour this year for several reasons, not the least of which is that it is a pretty spectacular place to visit. Alas, the road isn’t open and may not be open until the beginning of July. I knew it would be a later opening and was OK with that because one of the things I try to do each year is select a location that forces riders to slow down and plan their rides.
So you want to rip through everything in a month or so and kick your feet up for the summer? That’s fine, I have always said that every person has a different way to make themselves happy. I get a little discouraged when we already have a Grand Finisher in the first week or two of the season, and I imagine it can be a little demotivating to some other riders who don’t really get the motor running until June or July, that’s why I pick places like Tipsoo Lake and the Dee Wright Observatory. Cool places, later opening. Again, to each their own.
My main priority with this event has always been (and will continue to be) to get riders away from the interstate and out on some of the great riding roads we enjoy up here. Mt Harrison will be a fantastic ride when it opens and I hope you take the time to enjoy it. I plan to.
Now, let’s talk about GT23 in a different context. I know some of you have been calling the NFS out there and asking about current conditions and plans to open the road. Great, planning is key to rides away from civilization. Today I got in touch with the NFS office out there (at their informal request) and listened to a bunch of complaints about the behavior of a small number of riders. Rudeness was the chief complaint. The NFS doesn’t make schedules and plans around this rally or any other event. They open the area when they are ready to open it, and no amount of bitching will change that.
The Tour of Honor is also using the same location as one of the Idaho memorials this season, so there is a high likelihood that some of those riders are being counted with some of ours. Still unacceptable, and this is the second time THIS YEAR I have heard complaints about riders at two separate locations.
Let me be very, very clear about this point. I asked the NFS to contact me with any further issues, preferably with a name or flag number. I will absolutely lose my mind if a rider representing PNWGT is one of those phone calls or face-to-face interactions. And that rider will absolutely not participate in this rally ever again. Hard stop. And I will spread the word with other rally masters to make sure they know what is coming their way.
We are all ambassadors of the sport when out there chasing bonus locations, in this rally and others. Don’t be an asshat. If you don’t want the responsibility, please throw your flag in the trash and move along. No need to let me or anyone else know.
Now, because there have been so many rider complaints (from a small group of riders) about not being able to access GT23, I am eliminating it from Grand Finisher completion requirements. You don’t need to go all the way up and you don’t need to go to the gate. Just spare me the drama and get the other 7 Idaho spots and call it a season. I will figure out the Grand Finisher status of the few riders who have met the criteria this week and get in touch with you separately. I know some of you care a lot about finishing early and getting that low flag number.
GT 23 will still be available to send in and get credit, it just isn’t required for Grand Finisher.
To be a Grand Finisher this year, you need to complete the following:
- Visit all 8 Washington locations, AND
- Visit all 8 Oregon location, AND
- Visit the remaining 7 Idaho locations, AND
- Visit all 3 Montana locations, AND
- Visit any 3 locations from California and British Columbia
For those counting, that’s 29 locations (vice the normal 30).
There is no change to Finisher Criteria.
There’s no way to solve this in a manner that doesn’t hurt someone’s feelings, so adjust your expectations for the year and get out and ride. If you somehow feel targeted by this message, please feel free to find another rally.