Will Spike and Mary really show up for the first ever Full Moon Fall Champaign Training Weekend in Laramie? I think they will. Who could resist the summer drenched days and crisp, clear evenings of the Laramie mid-September! The aspens are just beginning to turn to autumnal finery, and the Ames Monument is at it's most magnificent in the Fall aspen glow of the setting sun. Nothing against the Olympics (ok, ok we aren't so wild about Samaranch or rhythmic swimming either), but this will be even better.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), September 12, 2000

Answers

Our bags are packed. Our plan is to fly out to Denver after work tonight (Wednesday), then drive up to Laramie for O' training beginning Thursday afternoon and finishing up on Sunday. It should be possible for us to post some info about our adventures on the OK forum.

Swampfox suggested a name for the camp (Full Moon Fall Campaign Training Camp) that is under serious consideration. I think that Mary, as club president, will have the final say so. My concern with FMFCTC is that is sounds a little too SLOC (like something Bill Comfort would organize at Babler State Park). I like the full moon part....brings up images of OKers howling at the moon.

Other suggestions for a camp name are always welcome and will receive due consideration.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), September 13, 2000.

I would like to think that readers of the OK Forum will be notified of Spike and Mary's arrival in a timely manner after the fact.

We're also hoping for regular updates from the camp!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), September 14, 2000.

We made it! Mary and I arrived in Laramie around 11 a.m. Thursday. Swampfox was out for a bike ride, so we killed some time by walking around the University of Wyoming campus. First, we saw the physical sciences building. We think this is the place where Mook had his office and spent long hours pouring over astronomical data (and working on his OK home page). Next, we paid a visit to the geology museum. The museum was cool -- lots of nice dinosauer bones. Finally, we returned to Swampfox's abode and the training camp realy began.

Our afternoon session was at Forrest [sic] Meadows -- a very fine area. I was suffering from the altitude, but managed to make my way around a Red course. Mary did a Green course. Swampfox hung tapes for us. We also did some map walking.

The big news of the day is that we are announcing the official camp name -- MMMMM or 5M (Mikell Mary and Michael's Moonlight Madness).

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), September 14, 2000.

MMMMM has produced its first casualty, a bizarre injury that has felled the Swampfox. While out on our first training pass yesterday, one foot went down between some rocks that scraped and pressed against one side of one ankle. But aside from some momentary sharp pain, all seemed okay. And all was until about 3 hours later, while we were walking back from the infamous Vitale's Cowboy-Italian restaurant, when quite suddenly the ankle went from completely okay to bad. In fact, the ankle became so painful that it was not until very deep into the wee morning hours that the Swampfox could sleep.

Today my ankle is better (at least it doesn't hurt to look at it!), but running is clearly not an option.

Spike and Mary are out now, on a planned training double at "Twin Boulders" and "West Medicine Bow".

There are still cows.

Also the elk are bugling, which Spike says sometimes makes him want to run 55 degrees off course. Nobody is sure what the connection could be, so it looks like a promising area of research.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), September 15, 2000.

That's a good restaurant.

-- J-J (jjcote@juno.com), September 15, 2000.

Day 2 of MMMMM saw Spike and Prez Mary out training on the newly released Twin Boulders map (before noon) and some of the classic West Medicine Bow terrain (after lunch), with one map hike thrown in for good measure. No beer was consumed, nor were any boulders rolled. Swampfox elected to go out on his bike instead, with thoughts of his now destroyed ankle in mind.

Late in the day the troops rallied back at the meeting point and after showers debarked for the ever popular Corona restaurant, the highlight of the Laramie Mexican cuisine experience. One birthday song was sung, though we are not divluging names or ages here.

There was light debate over Mook's Marsh. Did Mook actually deserve his own marsh? And why not a Snorkel's Marsh (though we still insist the answer should be obvious on that one)?

There were no cows. But one giant sheep herd was spotted yesterday.

Tomorrow's schedule is too tough and terrible to mention in advance, and anyway, did we mention there was no beer consumed???

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), September 16, 2000.

I've just been sitting in front of my computer for hours drinking beer, waiting for updates.

-- Snorkel (danielmeenehan@aol.com), September 17, 2000.

Day 3. Swampfox was still nursing his ankle (though he'd done some cycling). Mary and I ran at Idonwannabe -- a really nice area. We ran a course used for a chase-start at this summer's 1000 days event. The elephant paths leaving controls were still fairly visible.

Since we'd spent too much time in the sun and heat the day before, we decided to spend the hotest part of the day in town. We drove back to Laramie, stopping for Chalupas on the way, then wandered around the downtown area and checked out an exhibit at the art museum.

Mary napped while I went back for some more training. I bashed around on a map called Plutonic Pleasures. The hills were bigger than I was ready for (at this atlitude!), and I did a lot of walking.

When I got back, we ate "Olypmic Pizza." Olympic Pizza is a dish that Swampfox prepared. It was outstanding. Unfortunately, it is you can only experience a Summer Olympic pizza every four years (rumors persist that Swampfox will prepare a winter Olympic pizza during the Salt Lake City games).

Finally, a correction to Swamfox's day 2 summary -- Mary had a beer at dinner.

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), September 18, 2000.

M5 has been followed with rather intense interest. However, a report from Day 4 is still outstanding. Did they or didn't they? The public deserves an answer!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), September 18, 2000.

In retrospect, the oddest thing about the training camp came when it developed that the guests thought the host was the guest!

Also, though perhaps it goes without saying, the official training camp beer can now be revealed: it was Fosters.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), September 18, 2000.

Check out some photos from the camp at:

http://www.geocities.com/okansas.geo/m5/m5.html

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), September 18, 2000.

Many Michelobs and Mooseheads to Mary, Mike, Mikell on a memorable magnificient moonlight madness!

-- mean gene (gmw@ukans.edu), September 18, 2000.

Though hard hit by the MMMMM, my ankle is making a rapid recovery, and today I was able to run fine on the crushed granite roads up in the hills, and run okay out upon the grassy steppes. Though it seemed wise to refrain from tangling with the fiercesome sage patches for another day or two. The main thing is that it appears the Swampfox is on the way to a swift recovery. Fosters!

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), September 18, 2000.

Saturday of MMMMM featured record warm temps for Laramie--the 84 degrees on that day broke all the records. I don't know if records were set on any of the other days or not. I think this is what caused Spike to frequently exclaim: "Oh, how I do wish I had my own possum suit!" (Could a club change be in the offing?)

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), September 18, 2000.