Victoria Hash House Harriers Runs - 2019

The 27^th 12 Stops of Christmas Run   After the previous night'sDark Side Xmas Run my regular 'hash' running shoes were so befouled by particulate soil in colloidal suspension, that I had to use my non-hash running shoes (an identical pair).  I suspect others wore the same trainers, whereas, Speedy Whorezales was running in a pair of dress shoes.  Maybe it was for style, but this was the guy who had earlier in the year broken a bone in one of his legs (or was it both; hard to keep track). The three hares did a spectacular run, and this year Pat Meadows (the source of Sour Apple Martinis) actually joined us on his new bike.  It was mild and a bit showery, but not as cold as past 12 Stops.  Another spectacular 12 Stops.  As Whoremoan is retiring from his day job soon, this year maybe the last where we do the Christmas quiz in a class room!.  At religion, for wearing her cute puppy in a puppy carrier on her person Just Rhea was named "Puppy Porn".  The GM, Shigella (because she believed she can) renamed Puss 'n Boots, after Just Nicky miss-named him "Piss in my Boots", and the GM though that name was simply a funnier name.  The rest of the evenings pot-luck and gift exchange carried on wonderfully.  Withno planning a full assortment of food was on available, and gifts (and thefts) were in perfect hash style.

The Annual General Pissup and Run.
Stroke and Wet Taco set a winding, civilized, and moderately short trail through Fernwood, and Jubilee Victoria neighborhoods, with the goal of having one representative of the standard trail marks used on the VH3 (see the The Vh3 Gallery Of Trail Markings).  Actually while bored waiting for a slightly lost co-hare the GM placed a YBF to maket this claim true - only Garry Glitter (Homer)  found the YBF.  Somewhere near the Jubilee Hospital Circle Jerk, freshly returned from travels in warmer climates, along with Cock-a-Leeky, got lost having wandered way off flour. probably while gabbing.  They arrived at the BC, just before a decision was made on sending out a search party - actually I think the rabble had decided not.  It was another sunny fall day - it still has never rained on a Stroke trail. It wasn't that cold, though I think Circle Jerk would disagree (but he was wearing shorts).  The circle at the end of the run was fairly uneventful, and relatively short given the AGPU was next.  There was free pizza for those who stayed to voted for a  new Mismanagement.  With the deft assistant from Blue Balls on the Internet, following Stroke's best guess at what the rabble needed to be fed, a variety pizzas were ordered, and that set a approximate 45 minutes for the AGPU voting to be wrapped up before food arrived.  Once food got there the AGPU devolved into food eating.  Stoolie took charge during the deliberation, and in record time most position were filled with acclamations.  The most interesting vote was for GM, with a choice between Some Bitchy C,  and Shigella.   No grand decisions were made, nor were there any other business discussed. That was either a testament to a well managed 2019, or the clever ordering of pizza that would arrive in 45 minutes!  I personally would like to think it was the former, but I suspect it was the latter.  To see the outcome of the election click here.  Photos to come (I hope). 

The 24^th Annual Goldstream Park Salmon Run
It rained a bit, but it wasn't as cold as I remember past years being.  We were warned;  'Bring a second set of shoes and socks'.  And less than a kilometer into the run we were up to our ankles in creek water.  SBC claims she got lost on a long false trail, but she eventually turned up.  At the BC we had the, now traditional, warm blue berry tea refreshment, and lots of good cheer.  This is one of those runs that draws folks out who we don't see that often at the more regular runs - if you can call any of our runs 'regular'.  I think they come for the tea, but maybe its the smelly dead salmon... for something 'completely different'.  On-afters was at the Ma Miller Pub. Their slow-cooked pork ribs and garlic parmesan fries were very tasty, and were on special that evening.   More pictures to come ... once I get them.  Beaver Fever supplies these two.

The 6^th Salt Hash I missed this weekend galmpout and run, but I was sent the following fantastic summery. I trust there may be some discrete photos on their way, but I am not holding my breath.  I understand these days that what goes on on Salt Spring Hashes, says at the  hash (and may be in the memories of those who were there).

It was a great hash and fun evening.  I think Mudsucker took a bunch of pics.  The hash included a dead body view point, running through a cemetery followed by a shot check of Salt Spring Vineyards blackberry port.   There was some shiggy amongst the giant ferns and a pass by a pet cemetery.  Religion was held next to a fire in Shigella's back yard.  There was a naming.  Just Roxy is now "Peepee".  The potluck was fantastic as well as pool and hot tub shenanigans. Including the burning question of who was your first kiss whilst in the hot tub.  The ever amazing Sexy Lexi started off the dance party and her moves were infectious.  And breakfast at our local diner the next morning was an event in itself.  Day of the dead shirts

Click here to see the back of the shirt.

were a huge hit 18 ordered.

On On!
Geri Bait

The Return to Langford Run.  Back in 2008 Jonners and Flirt - actually '(sweet) Flirt' - set the 'Hunt the Bears on Bear Mtn Run'.  From that run I  received a GPS map showing all the wrong ways to go.  For sometime I have wanted to reverse engineer that map - find the right way to go -, and set a trail that hopefully reinvented Jonners' trail.  Fighting-off some on-going vertigo from a head injury, I set an autumn trail, while hoping to avoid rain.  It rained the day before, and the day after, but not on my run.  Continuing my record of never having rain when the hounds are out running one of my trails - and I have set more than a few trails.  The walkers were delayed due to someone not reading the map, but Blue Ball assisted with a clever text message to Lovely Lady Bush (one of the walkers) with the GPS co-ordinates of where we were at the BC.  Sadly no one encountered my devilish YBF.  I was a bit disappointed that Jonners and Lakey did not make it out to the run - but they are very busy people... or maybe they thought, 'been there, done that!'  

I though this was going to be a run through the older parts of Langford's suburban sprawl, but I was wrong.  Once parking was found, and the run got underway, the pack bypassed the 'sprawl', left Langford for what is technically northern View Royal, and plunged in the woodlands of Thetis Lake Regional Park, and became a run around the lake.  Other than a few early checks to get the pack going the correct direction, everything went like clockwork - that being clockwise around the lake.  The pack was held together with about 3 hash-halts scattered along the trail. It was just as if I was doing one of my Sunday afternoon lake runs - so much so that I somehow missed all the HHs, and was duly  punished in the circle.  It was a nice sunny and warm October day.  We had a great turnout.  On-afters at  The Loghouse Pub was a bit tight given it was music bingo night and they didn't take reservation, and were very busy, but we captured a couple tables, and everyone found seats.

This was a sunny run in the woods, taking advantage of the various trails in of East Sooke Park.  It was Just Brett's first experiencing setting a harrier's trail,  but he had with him Boomerang's years of haring experience. The run started on Parkheights Trail (the pack circled up at the intersection of Leda Road and Parkheights Drive).  I believer it soon veered off on a unnamed trail to intersect the Endurance Ridge trail.  At a HH next to a signpost there was a eagle/turkey split. The eagle trail lead hashers uphill to a second eagle/turkey split!  Those brave enough to continue further up the second eagle trail found a dead-end at a VP, a back check, and just to be safe, a check back - just incase the hounds didn't understand that it was unhealthy to run beyond the lip of a cliff.  This was the top of Babbington Hill, 230 meters above the Straight of  Juan de Fuca, and with a great view toward the Olympic Penisula. The trail headed back to an intersection with the Interior Trail, and from there on to the BC.  normally a FRBSpeedy Whorezales, decided to take the first turkey trail due to a bad ankle, and on rejoined the turkeys the eagles  found Speedy hobbling along with a couple of dead branches as support.  On the turkey trail he landed the wrong way on a rock and rolled his good ankle!  Speedy we are sure will be speedy again (soon, we hope).  Later I read this in the blog post (Endurance Ridge (Babbington Hill) to Cabin Point) of a hikers description of the trail, "the ground was loose and the roots threatened to sprain an ankle".  The on-afters was at 17 Miles House.

I missed this run, but Wet Taco's summary (an economy of words) was, "great run, glitter disappeared for crackers and cheese at a friends but showed up for the circle, no naming, great weather".  By 'glitter' I believe he means our Garry Glitter (A.K.A Homer).  That Taco remembers the bit about crackers and cheese over all other aspects of the run I hope isn't telling use just how interesting, or exciting,  this event really was.

When he announced this run Wet Taco said it would be an "A to A" run.  I thought that's not so special, so I named it an "Ayyy to eh" run - an homage to the Fonz from the American sitcom Happy Days (I know that dates me).  It was a happy, sunny day, so perfectly suited to the metaphor of 'Ayyy'.  Ok it wasn't an 'Ayyy to eh' run, but a 'eh to Ayyy' run.  In any case "the Taco" gave us a dry sunny day.  We got some photos and a write-up - which I am posting first with a couple teaser photos, as I am not sure when the rest of the photos will come in.

I think it may have rained. I missed it, but it would not have been the first time the Sooke Potholes Campout Hash had started in the rain (see run .the 2008 Potholes run).  Rumours are that this was one of the rare rainy hashes this year.  The expected crowds apparently were not there, and only 11 hasher showed up at this run.  Those lucky hashers  got to enjoy the greatest run of the season, and had much of the campsite to themselves.  Attendance still beat the numbers last year's 8 (which included Just Ben, Zack and Cat, who were stray swimmers we convinced to join us on the run).   I hope there are some press photos, or a write-up, forthcoming for this event, because the VH3 'event of the summer' this year needs a bit more press!

Slippery Dick's first haring.  I missed this run for the same reason that I missed the last two, but I received such a good account of the run, scribed by Sir My Cocks A Fallen, that I felt I had both escaped doing a long run, while getting lost up on Christmas Hill, and having missed a great event in the fresh air and sun. The write-up makes mention of photos taken by Slippery Dick's partner.  I will attempt to secure those photos, but decided not to wait on them before posting SMCAF's write-up. (one of the first we have had in a long time).

Sadly I missed this run, and so have no idea who did the run/walk.  I think there is a conspiracy to prevent me pestering folks who might have photos to share, as the RA has yet to update our shared participation spreadsheet.  Rumours is that it was a good run, not to long, and that religion was at the Hares home. Maybe someone will send me a short comment, once they see this rather lame one.

A spectacular run  from the garbage dump parking lot. The trail was well marked.  There were two hiccups;  not far from the BC, and planned optional swim at Killarney Lake, a visitor to the lake landed their beach towel on top of the Hares'  HH, so an number of FRBs took off, and then got lost. Some clever locals altered some of the run's trail by placing an X with their own flour on a planned true-trail , and delayed a number of the pack looking for the trail.  Eventually Stoolie found them, trudging back up the access road down which they had come. On the way they met a bunch of Millennials being lead out of the park by bylaw enforcement for drinking alcohol at the lake. I didn't remember seeing them up there earlier, but I wonder if those were the people covering up Stoolies HH? Anyway after refreshing swim, hashers headed back to the parking lot and religion was held at a turn in the multi-use trail under the power lines, with the occasional interruption as we had to make room of mountain bikers.   Having it slipped my mind I was kindly reminded that Just Richard  was names "Slipper Dick" on this run.

The Annual Gin and Tonic, Spring Hot Dog Run
Another fantastic sunny gin and tonic run out across Cadboro Bay neighbourhood, with a G & T stop at Telegraph Cove, and the on-afters and religion in the backyard of the hares.  The BC was at the home of one of the hares relatives, and her husband George is the basest in the local blue grass band Malahat Drive.  Click here to watch them play.  The base violin George is playing once belonged to the base player of  Don Messer and his Islanders.  Of course the hot dogs, potato salad, cold slaw, and caramelized onion were all excellent.  Craft beer left over from the Red Dress run was available for an inexpensive $3 a can.  There were no photos taken of the run/walk, or of the actual gin and tonic stop, but we have photos of the start, beer check, circle at the end of the run, and the on-afters (but with no food photos).  Hash Flash was distracted by the gin and tonic and food.

The 22^nd Annual Red Dress Run
Being between the heavy duty 750^th 'Dark Side of the Moon weekend' run, and the annual Gin and Tonic run, the GM and Wet Taco got off-easy, with them, supported by Mismanagement, to set a light version of the RDR.  Stoolie came up with the idea '$5, pay as if it was 1999, plus donation'.  I am not sure why 1999.  The first VH3 RDR was in 1998, and it also started at Beacon Hill park.  Anyway the point was to get hashers to donate money to the BC Cancer Foundation. and they did that, and this year we let them do it on-line - anything $25 or over gets a tax receipt.  The hound donated $90 at the run, and using the on-line option Yeast Infection and Oh Candida donated $100, Deep Shit donated $100, and the GM (Stroke Alone) donated $150.  The total donation came to $440.   The run wandered from the Park through all the alley ways of down-town, with a mid-run pay-as-you-go stop at Phillips Brewery.  It then wandered back through more clever pedestrian ways to a BC at Frogger and Happy Sperm's backyard.  Beer was all purchased cans of a nice assortment of craft beer and cider - Preemie had conveniently forgotten to brew beer, so Wet Taco was told by Stroke to 'use his initiative', which he did - later Stroke found out that the purple cans were well over 7%. At Religions the RA made a birthday cake on the GM's head.  The Web Master thinks the GM's a bit nutty, but a good sport.  All that for another beer!

A special  'post Dark Side of the Moon 300^th Run'  (hair of the dog) run.  Most importantly it was an excuse for Digger to brew beer.  And we blew through a few kegs of the stuff!  All very fine on my beer palette, but that becomes less sophisticated the more I have, so making me (and others, probably) happy Digger is such a brewmaster perfectionist, because, if he got the first batch perfect, we wouldn't get all the excellent imperfect batches to dispose of.  Now back to the trail.  It was sunny, it was great, it was almost predictable.  There was a YBF that a bunch of hashers ran onto (and they were not following Stroke!).  There was a couple hooks - one of which was a 1-person hook that Speedy Whorezales saved me from.  Speedy sped by me at the bottom of the hill on Oak Shade Lane  to land on the hook hidden around a corner, and he had to run back up the hill.  The trail made its way to Rockland neighbourhood, then back to Fernwood where the BC was (skirting  South and North Jubillee).  We had a couple visitors from Seattle who got a good tour of 3 of the City's 14 official neighborhoods.  There were lots of snacks.  We also had a big, well attended on-afters at Christie's Carriage House Pub.

Normally when the hare has a wonderfully sunny day for his trail - not hot, not cold, just perfect - he almost can't go wrong.   Sure he had to buy beer, because the Hash ran out.  Sure some kids set their own trail with 'X's  in the same park he set his trail, and in the same and only chalk colour he had with him.  Can you still go wrong?   It was most unfortunate (and a reminder always to scout a trail) that Stools discovered the absence of a key shortcut - that Google maps says is there!  - isn't there, while setting the trail, leaving him no time to change things, thus making it longer.  It was sunny out.   We had about a dozen runners, and half that in  walkers.  Of those 6 or more runners disappeared, 3 of whom had retired to the Smugglers Cove Pub (on-after's pub not far from the path of the trail), and another 3 or so - including our Virgin  Just Richard we finally found at the start, having gotten lost.  I knew we were getting our money's worth when the Hare ask, "do you think this trail is too long?"   We had two visitor from the states (Seattle?) - who's names I forgot while I was collecting money into a cereal box  - Hash Cash wasn't there, and I suppose we were lucky Stoolie hadn't dumped all his paper recycling.   It was great to see Mustapha Kunt and Turkish Delight revisiting from Montreal, and they have been here enough to earn a published participation count on our web site.  Despite all the bad luck, it turned out to be a good event.

This could have been called the 'hookers delight', and 'rubbed out' run.  In Horth Park much of the trail marks on the uphill portion of the run had been rubbed out, leading to some confusion.  There were 3 hooks too!  There was going to be 4 hooks, but someone was looking out for the hashers, and the morning rain washed the fourth away.  This run tired hashers out by spending their energy traversing Horth Hill Regional Park.  That slowed progress a bit.  One HH at Eagle Way gathered the pack together at the bottom of the hill, then around the backside on Hedgerow  Drive to another trail ending on Lands End Rd. with an eagle/turkey split that delayed the FRBs maybe a couples of minutes. That took hashers to the Duck Pond (a local feature, and only VP). The trail then lead down onto Swatze Bay Road, where FRBs headed south onto, not one, but two hooks, and just a little ways along after that, on the pedestrian over pass, was another hook.  The beverage stop was at Nymph Point Park.  A few FRBs hit 2 hooks, and Just Cris almost landed on the 3^rd, so we named him "Speedy Whorezales".

The 'Mad as a March Hare' run.  There was no broken chinaware on this run.  This was a trail of mad marks that wandered down off Summit Park hill to the Cridge Centre, and into the Oaklands neighborhood, across Hillside at Doncaster, up an alley, cutting north through  Oswald Park, down Cedar Hill Rd, up a very clever path at the end of Finlayson Place (never been there before), and then down Finlayson to approach Summit Park from the north off Lang Street.  Until then only a few maddening back checks could one call this any more mad a trail than any others these Hares have set.  Where the madness began was in Summit Park, where they re-used a trail through the bushes from run674.  Most of the pack blew through the X on the stairs, rather than search for the trail, that made if a bit more difficult to figuring out where the trail went on top of the hill.  All of of that searching, and finding, and following the trail, through bushes and over rocks, was probably within about 300 meters of the BC (where the walkers were waiting).  The Hash Flash was a walker, so there are few photos of the madness, but we have picture of the BC and down-downs. Yeast and Oh Candida like Summit Hill runs. It's been a feature of 6 runs now: runs 674, 683, 705, 719, 728, and this one.

A Last Minute, Standard but Unusual, End of Standard Time Run.  We had to set our clocks foreword to Day Light Saving Time the next morning.  The trail was a rush job - mapped out Wednesday night, no time to scout it, and the flour and cooler transferred by Preemie at the Friday Dark Side.  At one point hashers we separated into 5 groups.  Walkers, the main pack, at least a couple of FRBs, a couple walkers who did the runner's trail, and a couple of runners who petered out part way along.  Amazingly enough everyone got beer at the same time.   Near the end of the run, close to the VNB,  a YBF was set the at the parking lot on top of Gonzales Hill, and a hook set well  to catch the FRB who didn't head up the hill to the YBF - a vindictive YBF on behalf of the Hare Raiser to punish the Hounds for not coming forward to set a trail, except the Hare Raiser was also caught by the YBF.  It gave the Hare some glee that the YBF was a shared experience; 5 of the 15 hasher shared the misery.

Katya and SBC's Fairfield confusion.  This was a great run actually, but the first that I can remember where, on the same road, within a block of each other, there ended up being an arrow pointing west, and an arrow pointing east. Trail marks that got left in our wake were confusion incarnate. No real big deal, unless your the BLAB.   We lost two visitor in the park, right at the beginning of the run. They turned up at the circle at the end of the run, I didn't see much of SBC for the first half, because she was gallantly preforming  sweeping duties attempting, find those we lost.    Stoolie Andrews came up with a hash name from a superficial reflex found in human males caused when their inner thy is stroked.  I zoned out part way through his explanation of why he chose that name (I expect the Hash Scribe to deliver on that one day),  so Just Barbara was named "Cremasteric Reflex". Our first naming this year!  It was all-in-all a weird run.

The annual Robbie Burns Day run, and Burns pot luck dinner with haggis, neeps and tatties.  It was nippy, but dry.  The hare set a clever trail north, though as many back alleys as he could find, into the heart of Oak Bay.  We eventually found are selves at Willows Beach, and south from there at a shortbread and whisky stop, end ofBowker Avenue, at the waters edge.  From there is was straight on to the Oak Bay Marina parking lot where the BC was out of public sight down on the beach.  On-afters was at Kitty's home, and a great gathering of VH3 pot-luck foods, Jack-offs neeps and tatties, and haggis.  There was even vegan haggis!  I provide homemade scotch-spiked brownies topped with a scotched-spiked butterscotch ganache.  Lots and lots of good food!

This was a great run through Victoria's Oaklands, parts of Fernwood,  and North Jubilee neighbourhoods.  It was a sunny day, and I didn't get lost.  Did lose some chalk though  that I hadn't notice SBC leave for me on trail with which to mark out checks as we two FRB alternately solve for them for for the non-FRBs.  There were no hooks or YBF or anything really to slow down the faster runners, so the sooner those behind caught up, the sooner the single Hare got to the BC to get us access to the beer!

The Annual New Years Day Run and Polar Bear Swim
One of the mildest New Year's runs that I have ever been on - no ice or frost anywhere, and my fingers only got a little chilled.  This year the Hare cleverly had us start the runs on a less predictable route, down along the waterfront, and up a steep sandy bluff at Perimeter Park - unless you wimped out and took the longer foot path.  The Hare proudly stated that he got away with only having used one water bottle of flour to set the trail.  "Frugality is misery in disguise."  ~Publilius Syrus   Added to a habit of some neighbours' dogs eating flour, and the FRBs found predictability in this trail to be a blessing.  Fortunately, at the top of the hills, the trail had only one way to go along Grantton Rd. to Metchosin, and predictably straight on into the familiar paths in the woods of Royal Roads.  Hounds lost the trail, but were able find it where it was expected, making it to the familiar beer check location near the Penis Tree.  Cardinal Sin (leading the walkers) had them visit her new condo, and almost missed the BC if it were not for the use of a cell phone to call and reminder of her mission. Post BC hasher reconvened at the Hares home, and then from their made a 3 block trek to the beach to get wet, followed by supporters and 6 or 7 paparazzi.  With the aid of a number of large buckets of warm water hasher rinsed sand off themselves before filling the hot tub, like sardines.  The potluck was very good; no one left hungry.  No sardines were in the menu.