Maejo it was, quite convenient and the smoke didn’t seem thaaat bad today, so I sloped away from work and found my way to a familiar runsite. On the way to the Tiger’s Head, but on the right, past the dodgy little shelter to the corner. Immediately we were off in a different direction – normally at this junction turning left isn’t an option as there isn’t a way through, but today the hares had found / made one and sent us off that way. We were immediately behind the walkers scrambling along at a snails pace. We scrambled through and then crossed a bit of an orchard to get to the main trail the other side of the lake. Paper lead off to the right, but I wasn’t having any of it, and waited around the corner for Lizard Gizard Wizard to call the inevitable circle check call. Snowballs was already charging the other way and called us ON.
Around the corner a bit and another circle check placed after the junction – another inevitable “back check”, but Snowballs plowed on, and didn’t come back. Graven lead us along the main trail, and at the next junction when there was no check, in unison we predicted another back check and peeled off to the right, sure enough finding paper not far away. Brownie was leading now, and paper was laid off to the right where alternative trails went left. I wished Brownie well, and headed up to the road. Not even the devoted Brownie went to the check, and we quickly called it from parallel to the road. Magically Snowballs appeared in front of us! Brownie, Graven, Poo and I charged after him. Another check, and Graven and I were discussing which way we wanted to go when Snowballs called us up the hill to the left – we both doubted the call, but followed up the hill only to find an inch square of old paper on a leaf. Back down the hill and over to the trail I’d wanted to check before.
Lovely little cut through trail, but I eased off hoping to let Brownie and Graven figure out the next check before I got there. It was a crucial point – either we would break right and hit the Maejo farm, or break left and go via the Tiger’s Head. But there was no check! Graven assumed there would be a back check and tried looking to the left. Brownie lost confidence to follow the paper on his own. There were confused cries from behind us, and somehow I found myself back at the front! Damnit! Now I was at the check being forced to make the call on the break. I was wrong… Not badly so, but just a bit. I rejoined trail along with a largish group, including Kwazi! And Kwazi was running! And I wasn’t closing him down!
We regrouped around the Tiger’s Head as we lost the trail for a bit. Apparently the trail had cut into the scout camp and the check was in the Tiger’s mouth, but with scouts milling around with brushes, we picked up trail again the other side of the lake. Now it was the Lizard setting the pace, but he was caught out by another back check. Graven is as familiar with these trails as I am, and he wasn’t being tricked, leading Brownie to the right. I followed with Poo, while the Lizard made his own way across country.
From here there were only 2 more checks. I paused at one junction where there wasn’t a check and lost a bit of ground on Poo, Brownie and the Lizard, but quickly made it up again as they missed the trail headed off to the right. Graven was somewhere ahead, no doubt charging his way straight on and back. The last check cost me a few meters, but as soon as I saw the check, I was straight to the paper. Brownie, Poo & Lizard chasing me, Graven somewhere ahead, and then no more checks. No chance of closing Graven down, so I trudged in with Brownie & Poo. Good to see Poo running better again, and a nice set all on good running trails.