Squawk – 06.09.2008 – Run 1394
Whenever anybody sets a run within half a mile of Paradise Island, I think that we all show debating whether or not we’ll be going over the bridges. And for good reasons: they are fairly steep, they are fairly long, and once you’ve gone over one way, you have to go back. Some of us enjoy running these bridges, others do not; some of us hope the trail will take us over, others hope otherwise. But for better or for worse, it’s like Russian roulette and nobody will know for sure until it’s too late.
The hash this week, set by our very own Tom Duff, began in the parking lot of the new Green Parrot and immediately we found ourselves heading in the direction of the bridges. We came to the first bridge, heading towards PI, and found the trail continuing forward. We followed the curve of the road and approached the bridge bringing traffic from PI and suddenly found ourselves trudging our way up the long steep incline. Our intrepid group of hashers pushed and persevered and crested that concrete wave before beginning the much easier descent. Cruising down, the trail eventually curved to the right and there waited the first box, opposite the parking garage.
When the trail picked up again it was heading in the same direction as before and continued that way past a few check-ins until we came to a fork in the road and the check in took us left, up another hill and than another check-in sent us due east again. This road continued straight for a while until we came to another box and rested up a bit, posing for a photo atop somebody’s gate-framing stone lions while walkers-by looked on funnily. Jealously, I think. Starting off again, the trail made a left turn and than a right onto the main road that cuts east-west across the island – whatever road that’s called. This went on for awhile until a check-in took us on a right turn which than curved left and we ran for awhile before it curved left again and than… again (like we’re heading in a big circle, no?). Now we’re heading back to where that check-in sent us off the main road when we come to a turn that sends us to the right, ominously in the direction of a path with beach access. We keep heading towards the beach, we keep heading towards the beach, we keep… we’re at the beach. There’s a box, we chill.
And now we’re on the beach, heading west into the glaring light of the setting sun and people are making up boxes as we go – I think this happened twice – very unorthodox. A little after this plays out, the trail turns off of the beach and onto this little path that takes us back to the road and from there we are led by our hares to… a bar! Yes! It’s a beer stop! But not just any drinking-beers-out-of-a-buried-cooler-or-someone’s-trunk beer stop, we’re actually in a bar for the beer stop! This shit is getting classier and classier (good thing I’m leaving). Our wonderful, handsome hare generously ponied up for this and after our nice leisurely drink, the hash was back on.
We followed the flour back to that main east-west road (still haven’t bothered to look up the name – anyone?) and cut to the west. We ran awhile before hitting the little shopping area where Anthony’s is, and we turned left, towards the bridges. The trail weaved a bit and instead of taking us to the bridge that we had come over on before, it took us to the other bridge, the one that brings traffic from the Nassau side. We climbed up that incline once more and once at the bottom, made that right turn that took us home. A long hash, a hot hash, a vertical hash, a beach hash… a hash redeemed by beer, once again. Well set, Tom, well set.