Most motorcycle rallies have some sort of field events for the participants to challenge their driving skills and show off a little. At a sidecar rally, the events are quite unusual. For example, nine years ago I accompanied my father as his passenger on a 14-day trip across the United States to St. Joseph, Mo., for a sidecar rally.
We won the field events and the funniest part was one particular game where I sat on the back of the motorcycle while Dad was blindfolded. I had to tell him when to turn to guide him through an obstacle course that included having to drive over pieces of lumber, zigzagging around pylons all the while I was holding an aluminum pie pan with a half a cup of water in it, my arms wrapped around his waist with the pan over his lap. Fastest time and most amount of water left in the pan was the winner. It was fun.
This time the setting was Hayden Lake just outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Jenee was my seven-year-old passenger. We got to walk the course first. Jenee would have a "grabber" in her hand. She would have to pick up the potato (yes, we are in Idaho) off the pylon on our left side which means she had to crawl over the back of the motorcycle, behind me. Holding on to the potato in the grabber, she'd have to make her way over to the right side of the sidecar and place the potato on the pylon at on our right side. She had to do this three times. The clock will be ticking. Not only do they watch how many points we can get, but how fast we can manage the track.
Next I will have to make a sharp left turn and drive the sidecar wheel up on a 2-by-8 board and ride it down the 8 feet, drop off the board and hop right back up on another 2-by-8. Then make a sharp right turn and right back up on the last 2-by-8. Next is a sharp right turn where we pick up four large potatoes and have the option of Jenee tossing them in the bucket worth one point, three points, five points or tossing them in a piece of plywood cut out like a frog's mouth worth 10 points.
We pass the two pylons and now the clock will stop. Here is where I get blindfolded. The clock will start again when I drive past the starting line, Jenee will have to tell me which way to turn and how fast to go.
So I ask Jenee, "Which way is right?" She pointed to the left. Now I'm worried.
My parents did the course first. They made great time and navigated great. Jenee and I went next. We did really well also. That evening when it came time for the trophy presentation, my parents won a second-place trophy for the field events. Jenee and I won trophies - Jenee won for "youngest passenger" and I won one for "youngest driver." Who would think at 40-something, I could have been the youngest driver? Sidecar rally games are great fun. What a super start to our summer vacation.
Happy 65th birthday Mom, welcome to Medicare. I love you.
Volunteers needed at Pine Nuts
The Pine Nut Mountain Trails Association is having a cleanup day, 9 a.m. July 14.
Go five and a half miles east of the pavement ending on Johnson Lane out Sunrise Pass Road. Bring gloves, sunscreen, a hat, snacks and lots of drinking water - it'll probably be hot. Trash bags will be provided. Hope to see you there.
-- Lisa Welch is a Johnson Lane resident and can be reached at 267-9350.
