Rides:- 182/183Date:- 27/28 Sept 2003Location:- Khao Yai Thani Grand ViewHares:- Peter Coeshott and Ken AtkinsonScribe:- Marty 'Wapid Weasel' StanleyWell I managed to borrow my friend's funky little Suzuki Jeep that's 20 years old (at least), no air-con and a max speed of Hmm? about 90kph, which made the drive up to Kao Yai, Grandview Resort somewhat 'warm' to say the least.I arrived just in time to see the heavens open and thought Hmm? this is going to be a muddy little pigfest of huge proportions. I wasn't disappointed. After the nice little photo shoot at a large marble-Buddha, we all splashed our way round some fields till we reached a fork saying X-Stream and X-Treme..some chose to cross the stream there and others chose the X-treme following yours truly:-)This turned out to be a sweet piece of single-track which gave a measure of what was in stall for the rest of the ride. After a few falsies and checks we ended up the drink stop where there were a lot of casulaties, bike casulaties that is: pedals dropping off, brake pads worn to the metal, rear derailleur hangers which had been torn off etc, etc. Ken was inundated with polite pleads to 'fix my bike' which he did as always with an amorous smile. After our beloved machines were freshly oiled and our stomachs popping from everybody elses cereal bars, (thanks Walter, Neil, Will, they worked a treat) it was on-on up the Kao Ito single track trail which was again going to claim some endos and face-plants (even to seasoned riders who apparently 'know' this area). Pascal, Nigel and Anthony to name but a few were quite spectacularly graceful during there high-sided aerial acrobatics. The trail then when through even more deep, muddy, peanut butter type goo that got everywhere and made nasty noises when applying the (non-existent) brakes.Lots of single track on the ON-IN made for great riding with Jock and Will who was determined to reach the rinsing hose first.Lots of smiles at the end of a great hash ride of around 48km and lots of beer was consumed at the AGM that evening, which went very smoothly (for a change) with awards going to all the regulars for various feats of achievement throughout the past year or so... Linda is now the new GM with most of the other committee positions being re-filled by last years bunch of half-arsed wasters:-)Yours truly included:-)Sunday's ride was definately a hangover ride for yours truly (even though I only had 2 glasses of Heinny, what a wimp) but was just as interesting as the previous day's mudfest with pigs et all. I had to play catch up for the first 5km due to some late arrivals bringing Anthony and myself some new brake pads up from BKK (Thanks Nam and Sandy, you're both life-savers)...and as I past Ken and Peter directing us off the road on onto a double-track I thought this must be false trail..I was right but at least everybody was in a group again. (sounds strange coming from yours truly).I thought all the mud had dried up but oh no, Peter must have cut a deal with the park rangers to freshly sprinkle the trails to make them totally mud filled and slippy slidy - perfect for new brake pads!!The drink stop was at a waterfall which was very convenient to clean the bikes up a tad but not for long. We then reached a check which was unbelievably difficult to solve. Jock went left, I went right, Linda back-checked while Will chatted to a carfull of heavily boozed up Thai girls:-) lucky him.Jock returned with nothing, Linda and I too. What was going on? More gremlins had put the paper another 500m down the road, cheecky little buggers, Linda found the paper where Jock had missed it and we were off again.On-In was Will and I - draughting behind a smoke belching pick-up songthaew with smiling kids in the back-playing catch up to Jock and Walter.Another fun circle and lots of smiles (again) all round which is what the hash is about, thoroughly enjoying a weeked of bike riding with lots of fresh air and good folk to socialise with..On-On.