Finally, good weather for the Nov. 11th, 53 km loop of the Park. After a inordinate number of years of rain, snow, wind, cold, get the picture, Peter Coade blessed us with perfection.

The weekend of frivolity started off Friday afternoon as Dipper, Dudley and the Sungod burdened down Dipper's Saturn with all the gear required for camping, biking, hiking. At this time of year you need as much, other than food, for one night as you would require for a month. Will it rain? Will it snow? If there are large puddles (swamps?) on the trail how many changes of clothes will be required?

We arrived at Keji, Big Dam parking lot around 4:15 pm, giving us just enough time to hike the 'tough 210 meters' of undulating flat, manicured, trail to site A, our home for the night, before the scary dark night would encompass us. The two Brucies set up their individual tarps in the woods while Dudley erected his Kelty on the tents pad, supper was heated and consumed, a blazing fire was started, and tea was sipped. The sky was overcast, no stars, but it seemed to never get really dark.

At that point a little blood went across the brain and I realized---"FULL MOON"---time for a hike.

We proceeded to take our tea, orienteer through the woods to Big Dam Lake where we sat on the shore, enjoying the quiet, ripple free, solitude.

Back to the camp we realized this was going to be a later night than usual, it was just toooooo nice to pack it in. Around 8:30 we heard Fireball coming down the trail, a late arrival from the city. After telling lies around the fire for a while, 10:00 having come and gone, it was time for lights out. Out of habit???? Fireball threw his bag into Dudley's tent, his roommate for 42 days on the bike trek across Canada. Old habits die slow.

Morning was late arriving as we didn't get out of our bags until 6:45am.

Now it was time for the real reason we were here, to support the guys coming to Keji for the 13th?????? Annual Run.

We hiked the tenuous 210 meters to the parking lot where at 7:15 VIKING, I'm Selling Halifax, and Scrounger arrived from HRM, and Gabby, Gerry MacDonald, and John? from the Annapolis came screaming into the lot in Ms. Gough's VW.

After they figured out what they would need for the run (actually the weather being what it was, more like what they didn't need) They were off, 53 kms of fun and frolic though trail, path, swamp etc.

Mark, I'm Selling Halifax, will be writing up the run since it is his "FIRST" experience of the journey. This report will be forthcoming.

After they were gone we went back to have breakfast, packed up our gear, and moved 'all' the vehicles to Peskawesk parking lot where the runners will finish.

It was now time for our fun. Dudley would climb on his new, $2,000.00 Trek 1500 and peddle off, back down the main road to test run his purchase. Fireball, Dipper, and the Sungod loaded, and mounted our MTB's and it was off on the trails, 25kms, to visit the FireTower, where we had our personal remembrances at 11:11, then back to Peskawesk, reloaded our bikes and into Mason's Cabin, 22kms return trip, where we set up our stoves to prepare hot tea for the runners as they came through.

John, Gabby, and Gerry came through at around 1:30, Gordon, Mark, and Ross around 2:00 o'clock. All were looking great, as great as you can look after 42 km (equivelent to a Marathon in distance, but run through bogs and over stumps and rocks etc.) It was tea, few words of encouragement, and off they went.

Mark, I'm Sellin Halifax will write up---Oh, I've already said that!

We then followed back to our cars, loaded up, regular stop at Foodland in Caledonia for Coke and Chips, Bridgewater for Timmies, and home to the tub.

See you at the Planning Session, Nov. 25th

Cheers -- The Sun god