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Today was supposed to be the first of two days of pre-running that would take us to the southern end of the course. Baja laughed.
Cyrus, Carl and Adam joined Dennis Hollenbeck in the Jeeps. I packed up the Westie with three days worth of stuff. We hit the Pemex for gas (I somehow ended up with 15 gallons of fuel in jugs in the car, which made me a rolling gas bomb).
They headed north to pick up the course somewhere around RM35. I headed south toward a town whose name I forgot about five seconds after Dennis told me for the seventh time. We started with radios and then switched to texting with the Iridium Go’s to stay in touch.
Why green signs indicate “Wrong Way” is beyond me.
By the time I hit San Tomas I knew I’d gone too far, so I doubled back, then took a wrong turn and ended up in a vineyard. Finally spotted a bunch of “Wrong Way” signs and knew I was in the right place.
This is where they were supposed to come out.
I had five hours to kill, so once I got parked, I added Chase decals to Chase 1, which had been dubbed El Tortuga. Because of that, Cyrus said I could give his Jeep a nickname. I’m leaning toward “The Gimp” (see below).
Once I got everything set up perfectly, I got a text via the Go that they’d broken a shock 10 miles into pre-running, and they were headed back. So I did too.
Cyrus and Adam headed to San Diego for a new set of shocks, which they picked up at 7:40 p.m., installed and then debated driving back that night. I told them “Don’t.” They stayed. I think they’e making another trip to the parts store and should be back around noon, at which time pre-running resumes.
Carl and I entertained each other learning how to tie a bowline knot. Adam taught us how.
“The rabbit comes out of the hole, goes behind the tree and then goes down the hole.”
“First I have to do this, and then I do that.”
“No, use your terminology.”
“I had to make the tree and the hole.”