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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Competitive Rides

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  • From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Competitive Rides
  • Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:03:44 -0500

There used to be a 50 Mile ECTRA race in the area of French Creek State Park
every May before the trail was closed due to development and the PA Game
Commission closing its lands. There was a campground with latrines,
filtered water, a large tent provided by the organizers, and they brought
in a generator. Several tractor-trailers parked by the lake at the park
office as well.

In the beginning they used a local REACT but their resources were not
adequate. The mounted unit of Greater Philadelphia SAR handled the safety
and control aspects from then to the end of the use of the location, over 5
years as I recall. Everything was on 150 MHz public safety radio. There was
access to a DCNR fire tower antenna site and the fire watch cabin below as
this was before the seasonal ranger moved in. We could talk 90 miles to
another portable back home with just 5 watts. And being on 150 we could
talk to DCNR park and forest rangers, and the county EOC.

The altitude was similar to the event in Texas but the terrain was rolling
Appalachian hills with heavy woods, and lots of water courses. The weather
was always heavy rain the night before, sometimes continuing into the day of
the event. Air temperature was usually 60F or less so hypothermia was always
a problem. And mud was everywhere there weren't rocks. The farrier went to
every vet stop to re-shoe as needed. I had a complete spare set of shoes
made and kept them in the trailer along with the #8 nails required just in
case.

We put pack radios with mobile antennas in the treatment vets vehicles,
manned 15 checkpoints where every rider was accounted for, and had drag
horses staged along the route with 2 person teams (first aid and 2 radios).
At least one trailer was kept ready to pick up scratches at vet stops or
along the roads near the course.

One solo spot was a checkpoint known as "stake". Part of the course in the
game lands went almost completely around a hill and the entrance and exit to
this loop were visible to the other so a lone rider would ride in and tie to
an oil pipeline marker to man the checkpoint. After being tied all day the
Black was so glad to get on the trail he would get into a gallop after the
last rider went by.

The ability to run a flat out race in this area (SE PA) is probably gone for
horses. Most of the public trail systems are long enough but they are
multi-user and the surfaces reflect that, as well as the routes. We could
lay out a 100 mile in and out using the connected County trails from Green
Lane Campground to the Art Museum in Philadelphia but the bicycle and
stroller crowd would get upset. We do run ideal time rides and similar
events in the parks.

Philadelphia runs 3 major street events each year-- The Philadelphia Run
(half marathon), The Philadelphia Marathon, and the Pro Bike Race. There
are also the Broad Street Run, (about 10 miles) and all the walks for
various causes, and the Freedom Bike Ride, 22 miles one way to Valley Forge.


Irv Lichtenstein





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