rallyrecap
A Giant Stampede!
Tracy Novacich #123130 THEY CAME FROM THE
EAST,
from the west, from the north and from the south. They all arrived in the Bighorn Mountains for what was promised to be an epic adventure! The GS Giants began their rally
week on Sunday, July 19, with The Giant Stampede held at the Bear Lodge between Sheridan and Lovell, Wyoming. The staff at the Bear Lodge went the extra mile by placing a ban- ner on the road welcoming the GS Giants to what turned out to be a per- fect home base for the following three days. Participants were treated to a nearly all-inclusive, three-day party beginning Sunday night with a wel- coming back yard BBQ and cold micro brews. As it tends to happen, 160 participants suddenly found themselves with 159 new best friends. Wait, make that 161 new best friends with the addition of Markus and Bar- bara Solbach, a couple of adventure riders from Germany who just hap- pened to stumble upon us and decided to join the fun. After a hearty breakfast buffet,
Monday morning sunshine promised a great day of exploring both on and off-road. A great many riders chose to start with an informal off-road skills clinic hosted by newly minted Ambas- sador, Randy “Polarbear” Owens and his assistants. In true Giant fashion, Randy helped everyone reach the lim- its of their comfort zone while pre- paring to explore off the beaten path.
Taking the scenic route to Billings via the Beartooth Pass were (standing) Kevin Shrader, Tracy Novacich, Roy Hedman, (kneeling) Jim Bozworth, Clayton Anderson and Matt Novacich.
In fact, this was such a success that Tues- day’s offering progressed to a higher skill level, including navigation over logs and gaining speed to climb hills. “Special Ed” Gourley and John Horsley
took on a challenge several months ago to put together off-road routes of various skill levels. They certainly did not disappoint, and riders spent Monday and Tuesday exploring the area using the maps that were provided, returning to relive the adventure each night over a few beers around the campfire. Ed also helped put together The Rev’It Ride Out. A few dozen riders partici- pated in a guided ride including a lunch stop provided by fellow Giant Tod Windsor, a local franchisee of Jimmy Johns, all cour- tesy of Rev’It. Over dinner each night, we were able to
raffle off some great door prizes; however, the best were saved for the big send off Tuesday evening. The GS Giants are known to eat well at these events, and thanks to Michelin Tires, we upheld that tradition!
The Bear
Lodge put on a feast of pork butt and pit beef with a ton of fixings, all
courtesy of Michelin. This was followed by a few dozen great prizes including luggage systems, off-road training, dry bags, and too many items to list. Jon Waggoner and his band, Caveman Boulevard, were on hand to provide music around the camp- fire, and the party continued into the wee hours after the appearance of “shotski.” Wednesday morning shone bright as the
Giants packed up camp, bid goodbye to the staff at the Bear Lodge, and “stampeded” into Billings to continue the adventure at the BMW MOA rally. Some chose a direct route while others took advantage of the close proximity of the famed Chief Joseph Highway and Bear Tooth Pass. Upon arrival and in the spirit of hospitality, the Giants hosted a meet and greet including pizza and beer as we all reunited and met up with the other rally goers What a way to kick off the main event!
While the Giants
were having fun in the Bighorns, “Lieu- tenant Dan” Dickey and his son, Daniel, were busy building
events
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