Trip Planning & GPS training

The Muddy Minuteman is a dirty twist on the Iron Butt style event.  It’s a scavenger hunt designed for large displacement adventure motorcycles.  It’s 36 hours long with a mandatory overnight layover in a Dakar style biviouac.  This does not in any way mean you’ll need to spend 24 hours over two days the on the bike but if you really want to, you’ll be able to, but that’s not the way to win this event.

The rally will start on the first or second Friday of August, 2027 at 06:00.  Riders will need to be at the start by 16:00 on Thursday for tech inspection.  The mandatory biviouac will start no later than 22:00 and end no earlier than 05:00 on Saturday.  The rally will finish at 16:00 hours on Saturday at a resort / conference center for a banquet. The start and finish will not be at the same location but not too far apart to make returning to the start Sunday morning inconvenient.

24 hours before the start riders will get two files and a link.  One file will be a .GPX with the bonus locations expressed as waypoints.  The second file will be a searchable .PDF of what riders must do at the bonus to claim the points.  What to do will be take a photo, answer a question, make a small purchase, or participate in an activity or a combination of any or all.

Bonuses are selected based on location, interest or for your and our entertainment.  Bonus points are assigned based on three factors; distance from the start, difficulty of access and what must be done to claim the bonus.

A sample bonus.

NAME  Mad Cow
POINTS: 1250
AVAILABLE: 11:00-18:00 daily
CODE    MC1250

Visit the mad cow farm and sample one of their organic maple creemes.  Take a selfie of you and your creemee.  Flag not required.

Another sample bonus:

NAME  Not Passable
POINTS: 6500
AVAILABLE: DAYLIGHT ONLY
CODE    NP6500

Note the differences betweent the two bonuses.  The first is at a farm with a ceeemee stand.  It’s easy to believe that a farm with a creemee stand is going to be on a well maintained dirt road.  An easy stop and the points reflect this.  The second bonus requires you to take a photo of a handmande sign cautioning flatlanders in their cars and vans that this is not a good idea.  Chances are getting to this sign is not terribly difficult but how about the bonus that’s near other end of the road?  Go a few miles past this sign or go a bunch miles more to go around the mountain?  Makiing these decisions is the game.  There is no set route.

Claming a bonus will be easy.  Riders will be required to download an app on their smartphone.  Riders will use the app to claim a bonus.  The app will include the requirements to claim a bonus and other useful information.  The app also has a link to google maps for each bonus.

Note the bonus code.  This is what the waypoint name will be in the .GPX file.  This makes on the fly navigation much easier.

The Muddy Minuteman is a friendly competition. The grand prize will be an embelisshed plaque as will the top 5, the top rider over 65, the top three female riders, the rider who finishes on the oldest bike, the rider who rode the most distance to attend, the rider who rode the most distance in the rally and anything else we decide is worthy of a bookcase momento.  There will be a minimum score to be a finisher and there will be groupings based on points for GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE lever finishes.  All finshers will receive a keepsake for their achievement.    The minimum point requrement to be a finisher will be high enough to make being a finisher more than eating creemees.  There will be plenty of times where a difficult decision must be made.  We do not want to offer any kind of incentive to make a careless chocie in pursuit of a high value prize.  When the dust settles the rider with the most points will be recognized as the most capable rider in the game.  We expect 5 to 10% will be scored as DNF.

Teams of two and up to four are encouraged, however if one rider in the team cannot finish the entire team is scored DNF.  Solo riders are allowed. All riders will carry a tracking device that can interface wtih Spotwalla.

How you ride the Muddy Minuteman is entirely up to you.  Every decision is yours to make and to help you make the right decisions we will be having informative zoom sessions over the winter and posting information to help you prepare for what will be a challenging and rewarding experience.

This ain’t no party, this ain’t no GS Trophy
This ain’t no fooling around
This ain’t no Crown, or CBGB
I must find my own way now

With apologies to David Byrne.

# LET’S RIDE BIKES!

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