1999 Slackers Triathlon

The Host Course was Queenstown Harbor Links, River Course: 6599 yd.; Par 72; Slope 132; Rating 71.8, located in Queenstown, MD. For those not familiar with the River Course, there is water in play on 16 of the 18 holes; there are 16 forced carries over water or marsh with the tee boxes used on this day. I brought 3 dozen Rock-flites just for the occasion. I lost a total of 13 balls, but found 5 Titleists, so I feel I came out even.

The Solstice Survival is a 54-hole one-day tournament. Our foursome   teed up on No. 16 shortly before 6am in a light drizzle. 14 hours later, we stood on the 54^th green with a perfect Chesapeake Bay sunset on the horizon. We encountered a variety of golf conditions: wet rough that grabbed the clubhead to start the day; a stiff breeze off the Bay towards the middle of the day; near perfect calm for the last 6 holes. A great golf day. Nick, Todd, Ken, and I had a good time.

Oh my scores you ask; well, 109, 103, and 87 for a 299 total. I was a model of consistency.  Jean thinks I should play 36 warm-up holes every time out. Right, like that’ll happen!

Day 2 began a little on the groggy side. I managed to make Russell’s by 8:45; this made me third to last for arriving, while living the closest. Wimpy didn’t make it; I guess that’s why he’s Wimpy. Got to meet Tony "the Ticket" and his cool plate frame. Then the killer happened: the "Red Beasty" in all her glory appeared.  Gawd that full tank bra looked REAL GOOD back in place.

Russell mapped out a beautiful 280 mile route all over the hills and dales of Pennsyltuckey; the weather couldn’t have been any better. There were extras from "Deliverance". Part of our route followed the Juniata River basin. This is home to the old Grand Canal. The modern railbed still uses most of the old canal grading to make its way over the Appalachians. We got stuck at a crossing for a short period of time.

Our journey took us by Orbisonia, PA which is home to the East Broadtop Railroad. The train happened by just as we zipped through town. Pretty neat stuff with all of those unburned hydrocarbons spewing into the atmosphere; the smoke looked cool, too. One of our stops, actually a bathroom and snack break, we ran into an Amish man, Lynwood, who had just completed the trike modification of his Wing.  He said it handled much better in the twisties and he gets better mileage since he upped the performance.

I also learned it is possible to eat a Popsicle while riding; I just hope the back of Brian's jacket didn't get sticky.

We finished up back at the Flemmings, where Martha and Russell put on a spread. You name it, it was there. A good time was had by all. There was a brief meeting of the COG Security Squad, Mid-Atlantic Platoon. We determined a quorum was not present to perform Squad related business. A motion was made, seconded, and carried on a unanimous vote to drink another beer instead. We then adjourned.

Now, I am a bit stiff. Although this is not a purely competitive event, making sure there is a good show is almost as important. However, I realized that Day 2 was not quite over, as I left the camera at the Flemmings.

So off to Manchester I go. As I pull into the driveway, I hear Russell’s voice "Get that four-wheeled POS out of my driveway; it’s reserved for two-wheelers only." He had a big grin on his face and a couple pieces of freshly grilled (on a gas grill) bacon in his mouth. "Morning to you, too, Russell." I grabbed my camera and headed home, as the weather was starting to set in.  I figure they had 20 house guests that evening.

As the starting time of the event approached, the rain picked up. The weather is the key to performing well in the final leg of the Triathlon. Crabs and beer can be done in any weather, but optimal scoring generally occurs under sunny skies. As it was, the scores were fairly low for the field leaving just under a dozen unclaimed crabs. It was still a good time, and we are very happy for Jill and Zack. We wish them well on the journey.