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Motoring off further NW we got into a few minutes of good low-range work and soon stopped at the "Camp." Now hungry we thought of dinner and beat-feet for Bruno's. After a good days run we arrived just at closing time, but as luck would have it Bruno was there so I went and said HI. Bruno said, "You want to eat? Come with me." Thanks Bruno! Bellies full, we topped of the gas tanks at Bruno's Shell, Lorie took down 6 gallon's in the 200TDI powered 88" Land Rover, while I ate 13.2 gallon's in my 5L 109" Wagon, OUCH!!!! And all for 154 miles... oh well. Back to Fernley....
Above: Taken during layout by Michael Green... John Gulliford keeps the memory of Woody Godfrey going in NVTR.
Back in Fernley... Team's began arriving a pretty much on time, that is for Team-4, who were nearly 2 hour's late!
Day-2 Started once again with a Driver's Meeting at 8-ish, then everyone was let lose at 2-minute intervals. The stage was set to see which team could bring home the NEVADA TROPHY! As in the past we always have a Special Task(s), this year however we were low on volunteer's, so had to limit it to just Saturday nights Trophy Course. At the driver's meeting I announced; "Get a paper and pen.. here's the Lon/Lat of how to get to the Finish tonight." Second's later one of our crew says to me; "Some of those guy's were too busy talking and I don't think they heard you." We laughed.... ! "Oh well" I said, "It'll bite them later."
For those who have never been on NVTR, we always have task(s), booby-trap's and other nonsense along the way. Over the two day's they did run into a few of them, whether they knew it was a trap or time-waster is beyond me. Saturday night after completing some 30 hour's of driving and hunting waypoint's, they all looked very tired, and it soon showed. At the Lon/Lat given, Team-4 arrived early... "Something is wrong" Bruno tells me later, "Mike isn't here! So we began to look around."
Now, the Lon/Lat I had read out that morning... Was another task to get to the task, this being the Finish & Trophy Course. I made sure I placed the Lon/Lat some distance from where one could possibly park their vehicle on the road, hence IF one looked at the number's on the GPS where they parked, they'd see that they were NOT in the correct spot... and being there was no one there would lead one to believe.... we got ya! Bruno's Team-4 wondered and then went looking for the exact Lon/Lat, where they found a "Go To..." tag with a new Lon/Lat, which they punched in, then headed back to the car's. While nearly to the car's another team arrives, the Hummer's. Bruno and company chat them up for a few and then tell them, "We're going to get two more waypoints" and leave (no lie here, as that was exactly what he was having to do! I would have done the same!).
Above: Taken by Peter Green... Michael's 109" hangs out at the Trophy Course waiting for 11:30pm In-Time.
So, it's going on 11:30pm and finally we see light's coming. Some of my crew were talking mutiny! "They aren't going to find us..." he says. "Someone has, there are light's, so the tricked worked," I replied. The Mercedes and Isuzu arrived minutes early of their In-Time, greeting them was the final task (and only task) of the weekend, the Trophy Course... a timed lap, use of Low-Range only, with a task or two for the Navigator to perform enroute, fastest time wins maximum point's of 1000.
Earlier in the day NVTR crew had arrived and put together a course; from the start you'd head over hoop's and whoop's, up and steep grade, u-turn at top and descend... on the way up the car would have to stop, Navigator get out and move a spare wheel from the right side of the road to the left, AND on the way down repeat it... once seat belt was back on the car could continue on course over hill and dale, through a wash to the finish.
Above: Taken by Michael Green... Team-4 MB at the start of the Trophy Course on Day-2, taking 3rd in task.. While moving the tire Bruno just picked it up and threw it!.
Above: Taken by Michael Green... Team-4 Isuzu at the start of the Trophy Course on Day-2.
Team-4 completes their task's and then finally gets time to relax... as the clock ticks away and no other light's are seen giggles and laughter come from the team, "At this rate this will be a come-from-behind win if no one shows up!" says one. We're laughing with them. Bet's are now on that x team will quickly figure it out and ditch the other's to get to the finish... no one shows. Like Camel Trophy (which we based some of NVTR on) and the USMC, just when you're at your lowest, dead tired, we'll pull a fast one on you... and boy did we! No other team made it to the finish! Bruno then takes off to the meeting place, "If they are all gone I'll come back and tell you..." Finally we see lights, "WOW someone figured it out!" Not. They were heading to the hotel and happened to come across us, even though we were all blacked out (no lights). we assumed they'd found the marker's, but found out otherwise once we began talking to them. A few sad faces, one team drove on past heading back to the hotel with a car in tow (blown motor in Team-2 Toyota) and another team kept going for reasons only known to them. lol.