It's 2012 and I am still trying to write about 2011...

The next day was a free day for us to hang out at the starting point, Chester's. We slept pretty well and then went over there. It was HOT. People were milling about - and even more were lining up. We met Bubba and Blackie - the two guys from Texas I had friended online. Bubba was great, he was so helpful having done the 2010 Hoka Hey, he even sent us his packing list. We got to hug them and chum around a bit. They were both being interviewed by the camera crew. We were going to be interviewed but got side-tracked to the tracking device repair area because friends told us only I was showing up, not LuLu. We spent hours over there. The guy got hers working, we rode off - then noticed her CB radio quit working. We went back, and that's where all the time spent came in. It was hot and there was nothing but water there. I mean, they had a snack machine and a coke machine - but no food really. All day, in the heat. Full of excitement though. We were leaving at 5AM the next morning and HAD to have stuff in working order! We met several people on this day, including Joan Krenning Clarkson from Riderswraps and Laura and Amy from Washington DC, and Carla from North Carolina. This is the night they had the dinner and the cermony inside the metal building with no AC - it was an oven in there and we were all sweating. I loved the Native American rituals, drumming and dancing they did. They also had birds of prey, including an American Bald Eagle that flew across the crowd, right over our heads. Several big wigs from Harley Davidson were there, all sweatry and dirty like the rest of us. I mean, the President of HD and the CEO of HD were there. This is when we saw all the challengers together for the first time. I was amazed at how few of us there were, and how old some of us were. It was a special breed, no doubt about it. We ate and drank water - had to sleep fast and long. Big morning ahead! I mean THE DAY was finally almost here.