Muttersmoor, Sidmouth - Menage a Troi and Bare Essentials - 31st May 2015

It felt a little cold for the end of May and most of the pack had, wisely, dug out their winter attire.  Menage a trois and Bear were substitute hares as Lilo had gone on holiday, but at least she had left them a map (of sorts); perhaps this was where the hares had the idea that the short was 3.5 miles and the long 4.5?  By the end of the trail I’d done nearly 5.5 and I hadn’t checked wrong!  It was unfortunate for the hares that they had forgotten to bring the flour and other trail essentials and had to take a trip into Sidmouth early on Sunday morning to stock up.  Fortunately they had remembered the sweets, mainly chocolate, so it was a good job that the temperature was only 13.5 degrees (without windchill).

The trail started with a loop through the woods before crossing over the road onto fields and down, down a bit further and even further until we eventually got to the sweetie stop at the end of a lane; hashers continually remarking about the fact that we had gone nearly 3.5 miles without many uphill stretches.  The long from the sweetie stop continued down even further into Ladram Bay Holiday Park where the ascent began.   My leg muscles started to burn immediately and all running stopped as we dragged ourselves up the cliff path.  We could see Skippy and Paperwork in the distance even further up the path, but the views, as promised by the hares, were stunning.  So much so, that some hashers went off trail, up an extra hill, to get a better look.
Eventually we reached the On Home and arrived back in the car park to be greeted by Fancy Liquor who had done her own trail having arrived very late.
Remember: don't forget to RATE THE HASH.
Next weeks trail is at The Star, Liverton... a map is here.