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.