Anyone can set up a lame hash, but it takes some planning & cunning to hare a great trial…
7 Basic guidelines for SDNH3 Hares:
* All good trails offer a variety of terrain & scenery while sh**ty ones remain on concrete sidewalks 100% the time. You’ll be praised for unexpected features on trial, including obstacles & plenty of shiggy (mud, brush, etc).
* We all want to work up a good thirst, but our main goal is to have fun & NOT to run like Forrest Gump… Trails should be 5-7km & never last much more than an hour. If the terrain is particularly hilly or day especially hot, plan on shortening it (& including a beer check).
* Buy 3-4 bags of flour so that you never run out & can place hash marks every 20-40 meters. (While in the car, stash 1-2 bags halfway). A piece of thick chalk for each hare is useful to mark True Tail arrows & any text (Back Check, Beer Check, View, Viva Zapata!, etc).
* Place circle checks every 600-800 meters (so 6-8 depending on total length & back checks) to help keep the pack together & allow FRBs to get a better work out.
* If you want to provide a beer check, coordinate with our Beer Meister/Mistress ahead of time or just plan on buying the beer yourself (1 per person +5) & use your own cooler.
* One hare should hang at the back of the pack (ensuring no one gets totally lost & circle checks are marked with the right direction) & the other runs up front – limiting the urge to guide FRBs & instead allowing them to figure it out by themselves (even when they’re lost!)
* Give yourself 2+ hours to set the trail (or less, if the trail is shorter) & be back 15 minutes before the opening circle.
… & 6 suggestions if you want to stand out:
* Set a time with your co-hare(s) to scout out the trail – on foot/car/bike – 1-2 weekends before your hash to get the juices flowing & find interesting features not visible via Google maps.
* Use geodistance.com to plan out your run & check the distance; for walkers, print a trail map to distribute that is 2-3K in length. If these two groups can cross along the way, all the better…
* Protect our hashers by not requiring them to cross major roads if possible nor placing circle checks near busy intersections. Mexican drivers don't expect a ½ minded harrier on the hunt!
* A trail should not loop back close to itself. If it does & hash marks are visible, you risk having the pack miss out a portion of your trail.
* Disorient hashers enough so that near the end of trail the location of the On-In is not obvious… (This can be accomplished more easily with one or more beer checks along the way)
* Decide the start location & a title for your hash early! If you start by posting it on FB 2-3 weeks before (or send it to trail master) more hashers will cum & enjoy your efforts!!!
After haring 2-3 times, you may want to try a ‘live hare.’ Just ask a fellow hasher or the trailmaster for info…
