Dec-25-2014: First-Time K-Hound Theo Roffe

In my good friend Vinny Muoneke's house, there are several K-Hound awards all lined up.  Each of the many times I've stayed with him before a Seattle ride (I live in Oregon), I looked at these awards and wondered if I, too, could manage to earn one.  This year, I decided to go for it.  I started off on New Year's Day with a group 200K in Seattle and finished with a solo 200K on Christmas in Oregon's wine country.  It would have been nice to finish with friends, but at least I got to start with them and ride with them more than once along the way. 

 

That said, riding the K-Hound has entailed a lot more solo riding than I've ever done before.  It was sometimes quite lonely and I envied riders in Texas and Seattle who are close to big communities of K-Hounds and seem to always post photos of big groups drinking post-ride beers together.  I made it up to Seattle whenever I could, but it's hard to justify the time and expense to travel that far for permanents.
 

I don't know that I'll pursue the K-Hound again any time soon.  There are other goals that I'd like to achieve:  PBP 2015, the Cyclos Montagnards R60 Honors, and an SR600 all come to mind.  But I'm glad I did it and I'm proud to be in such good company.  Yippie Ki Yay!  ...  Theo Roffe 

• First-Time K-Hound:  Theo Roffe (RUSA #4988)
• Date:  December 25, 2014
• Where:  Beaverton-Hagg Lake-Carlton 203K (Perm #1401)  
• Moment:   The ~10,000K mark was the penultimate control, in Hillsboro, OR (some meandering looking for an info control threw off distance a bit). 
• Ride Partners:  none. 

Self-portrait at the ~10,000K mark.  [Editor's note:  So serious!]

"Image ... taken by Lynne Fitzsimmons at her house where I turned in my card and she submitted the results right away.  I was also treated to a Texan beer (fitting for an award born in Texas)." [Ed. note:  Smiling -- much better!] 

Congratulations, Theo!  Welcome to the Klub.

[Yippie Ki Yay! -- you've clearly been exchanging emails with Dan.] 

Dec-21-2014: First-Time K-Hound Scott Cone

My final ride for the K Hound was special in several ways - people, place and time.  We timed that day's ride to also be during the winter solstice and I hit the 10,000K spot just before the solstice.  It was great to do the ride with several of my Severna Park Peloton friends, including two who joined me at LOL (Bryan and Earl), two members of my Fleche team (Bill and Steve) and one of our newest RUSA members who I took on his first RUSA 200k in October (Mick).  It was nice to have friends along for this and many of the other rides toward the end of the year as the days turned colder and darker.  The route was also one that I did numerous times this year; many thanks to Gardner Duvall as he owns the four routes that start in Severna Park.  

The challenge of getting to a K Hound was a great one.  I really liked the mix of perms and brevets and especially the big events (CCCR 1200, LOL 1000, Appalachian Adventure 1000)!  ...  Scott Cone

Scott is the third all-time Marylander to achieve K-Hound status.

• First-time K-Hound:  Scott Cone (RUSA #8329) 
• Date:  December 21, 2014 
• Where:  Spewachr 107k perm, route # 1481 
• K-Hound Moment:  On Waugh Chapel Road almost to a coffee stop at Zu Coffee (Waugh Chapel and Rt. 3), just as the sun was fading on the shortest day of the year.  
• Ride Partners:  Bryan Nelson, Earl Janssen, Bill Cunningham, Steve Hahn and Mick McGuire 

L to R:  Bill, Scott, Bryan, Earl and Steve.  [Photo by Mick McGuire.]

Congratulations, Scott!  Welcome to the Klub! 

Dec-10-2014: First-Time K-Hound Clyde Butt

It was Wednesday, December 10, 2014 when my riding partner Patty Dougherty, RUSA #4060 and I set out on our 6th Populaire since October 23rd.  We chose John Guzic's Baylands 101 - a nice easy meandering ride along the San Francisco South Bay Wetlands.  About 2/3rds of the way into the ride, as we made our way through Fremont and the last 33k of the course, it occurred to me that my kilometer odometer for 2014 just turned 5 numbers and I was about to earn my first K-Hound Award!
 
Confession:  I did not set a 2014 goal for K-Hound.  I was focused on other goals (Can-Am Challenge and American Randonneur Challenge).  However, thanks to Dan Driscoll for noticing that I was in the running for K-Hound and challenging me to "get 'er done!" 

When I talked it over with Patty one day as we were riding, she did some quick math in her head and by the end of the day, we had a plan to ride one Populaire a week to help reach the new goal.  With the Davis Dart in November and Uvas Gold 200 in December already on my calendar, and our new Populaire plan, I was refocused.
 
What makes this journey special to me?  Knowing that countless numbers of volunteers sacrificed their time and effort to put on the many brevets, grande randonnuers, darts, and fleches throughout the year that allowed me to reach the goal.  I am grateful for all of them and the permanent owners that provided nearby routes.

Last but not least, I am grateful to Patty for her planning and commitment to ride the Populaires with me.  Patty was on a 4-year hiatus from randonneuring but riding the pops got her back into it; making this K-Hound Award that much more special to me!

Clyde Butt 

 

 "Do everything you were meant to do [in life] and do it in a timely manner.” – H. Douglas Butt, R.I.P. 

First-Time K-Hound:  Clyde Butt (RUSA #4479)

Date:  December 10, 2014

Where:  Baylands 101 perm-pop 

Ride Partner:  Patty Dougherty 

Patty, Clyde.  [Photo permission of Clyde.] 

 

Congratulations, Clyde!  Welcome to the Klub. 

Also welcome back to rando and congratulations to Patty.

Dec-14-2014: First-Time K-Hound Bob Booth

When I started the season so late, I did not think I would reach the K-Hound status.  [However, the kilometers added up and] the odometer turned 10,000 km on a cold foggy December day on a solo ride on the East of Madison 209 Permanent.  I did not think to take a "selfie" or any photo record [during the "moment-ride, but ...] .  ...  Robert "Bob" Booth

Bob is the first K-Hound Klub member from Wisconsin. 

First-Time K-Hound:  Robert "Bob" Booth (RUSA #4957)

Date:  December 12, 2014

Where:  East of Madison 209 Permanent 
Ride Partners: none.

In the parking lot at the start of the first ride, a 200km on March 29, 2014 with the St. Louis Randonneurs.  [Photo permission of Bob.]

From a 300 km ride with my home club The Great Lakes Randonneurs.  [Photo permission of Bob.]

Congratulations, Bob!  Welcome to the Klub.

Nov-19-2014: First Time K-Hound Greg Olson

In the early summer I realized that I could come pretty close to achieving 10,000km for the year.  I usually ride between 16,000km and 21,000km of all types of cycling, so I decided to change some things and work on the K-Hound.  In October when I finished the Big Sur 600K I felt pretty confident, realizing that I was at the mercy of the Pacific Northwest weather.  The images of rain, and the Columbia Gorge winds turned into reality very quickly.  Lacking motivation I continued on, not as had hoped for, but making progress.  By mid November I had a window to just about finish up, and scheduled three perms in four days.  Unfortunately, an ice storm came in the day before the first perm, and the outlook wasn't good for cycling in sheltered areas even though the temperature was rising above freezing, so I canceled the perms.  My wife noticed me pacing around the house and knew to suggest "California is where you outta be," so on short notice I emailed Drew Carlson in Davis about riding three of his perms.  On Monday and Tuesday the temperature was in the mid to high 60's and everything was good.  [Rando-karma decided to bite me though,] Wednesday turned into rain all day, some heavy.  I was on the Calistoga Constitutional, a personal favorite.  The suggestion is to get a picture with some biking buddies, but this day there were positively, absolutely no cyclists on the road; not at Winters, not Cardiac, nor on the Silverado Trail.  So much for biking buddies.

I had time to think that maybe I was not giving the K-Hound all the credit it deserved.  It does require doing 200K pretty much every week for a year -- a real commitment.  As I mulled that over I was thinking of three things necessary to complete this journey:  (1) a plan, (2) a commitment to the plan, and (3) perm owners who are there to help on pretty short notice.  After three 200's in a row I was glad on day four that I finished on day three.  On returning home, for some reason I had the crazy idea to do another 1000k in December, [which he did].

Attached are two photo's just past passed the 10,000km mark on Cal Highway 128 at mile post 17.33, on the return to Davis.  I really wanted a picture from the summit of Cardiac about 10 miles up the road but it was socked in on the way out and worse on the way back.

Thank you to all the perm owners, you make the K Hound.

Greg Olson 

First-Time K-Hound:  Greg Olson (RUSA #2917)

Date:  November 19, 2014

Where:  Calistoga Constitutional permanent out of Davis, CA.
Ride partners:  none [well, he indicates "none" -- but somebody took those photos].

[Photo permission of Greg.]

[Photo permission of Greg.]

------ 
Congratulations, Greg!  Welcome to the Klub. 

Nov-15: First-Time K-Hound Keith Moore

"I don't remember who originally put the K-Hound bug in my ear, but at the time it seemed like an unlikely goal.  Then Susan Otcenas invited me to join her and a few other riders on her newly-created Big Guns 1016K permanent from Portland, OR to Whitefish, MT.  At that point, the K-Hound seemed to be within reach. Sadly, we DNF'd the 1016K (we finished hors delais), but the K-Hound goal remained firmly in mind.  A few extra 100K, 200K, and 300K rides, and here we are.  Big thanks to all of the great people in Seattle Randonneurs, Oregon Randonneurs, and Desert River Randonneurs.  Most of all, thanks to my patient and endlessly supportive wife Kasia!"  ...  Keith Moore 

First-Time K-Hound:  Keith Moore (RUSA #5355)

Date:  November 15, 2014

Where:  Seattle-Rainier-Elma-Bremerton 300K (reversed, Bremerton start)

K-Hound Moment:  At the 210 km point, somewhere on Highway 507 between Roy and Spanaway.  We postponed the photos until the next control in Sumner, at the 250 km point.

Ride Partners:  Theo Roffe, Bill Gobie, and Geoff Hazel.  By time Theo & I reached the K-Hound point, Bill was about an hour behind us, and Geoff had DNF'd.

Keith self portrait:  "... really conveys my feelings at this point.  It was 21:30 (14 hours into the ride), 50k to go, I was wearing every layer I brought with me, and I was still freezing. It was a tough 300k."      

[Editor's note:  I usually do NOT care for "selfies," but this one is the exception that proves the rule.  It is a much better photo than the other option offered, and if Pamela Wright ever found out that I didn't use this pic, I'd likely be in trouble.  In general, I much prefer group photos as I think that better portrays the "friends got me here" spirit that most every K-Hound will acknowledge is a major help to achieving the K-Hound award level.]  

Congratulations, Keith!  Welcome to the Klub.

Nov-23: First-Time K-Hound Patrick Herlihy

The odometer rolled over exactly 50 miles or 80 kms into the ride near the town of Esparto, California.  If I include the Super 600 (as RUSA now does), I hit my K-Hound over in South Carolina near the town of Chappells; but I'm very happy to bring up a "natural K-Hound" here in California!  ...  Patrick Herlihy

First-time K-Hound:  Patrick Herlihy (RUSA #8930)
Date:  November 23, 2014   
Where:  Rockville Ride 210K permanent out of Davis, CA.
Ride partners:  Rob Hawks (photographer & RBA of SFR) and K-Hounds Drew Carlson & Debra Banks.

L to R:  Debra Banks, Drew Carlson (peeking out from behind Debra), Patrick Herlihy.  At the "natural moment."  [Photo by Rob Hawks.]  

Post ride celebration.  Drew, Patrick, Rob.  [Photo by Debra Banks.] 

Congratulations, Patrick!  Welcome to the Klub.