Hoka Hey SITREP #7

Keith (#616) made it! He finished Hoka Hey 2011!! He just departed the Sydney Harley-Davidson dealer at about 11 a.m. and appears to be heading home. Well, done, Warrior!!

After 21 days on the road, Keith gets some rest at the local Day's Inn.

I saw that Keith made it to Sydney yesterday, August 25th, and by 5 p.m. he was catching up on some rest at the nearby Days Inn. I imagine that this morning he spent a little time getting his bike inspected before the ride home. By the way, it's a "mere" 1,300 miles from Sydney, NS to Fairfax, VA. That's a solid 24 hours of non-stop riding on I-95 if all goes perfectly. This "ride home" would be a life-changing challenge for most mortals, and Keith is doing this AFTER finishing a 10,000 mile, 21-day race over back roads. He may be facing some nasty weather and heavy traffic as hurricane Irene approaches. Even though the race is over for Keith, he still has a rough ride ahead!

Dig deep, brutha, you are almost home!!

I also noticed yesterday that our other local competitors were already home in Springfield, VA, ahead of Irene's advance party of rain and wind. Outstanding job, Amy and Laura. Hoka Hey! I noticed that you stuck together as a team throughout the race. I cannot wait to hear your stories!  I am in awe of your accomplishments!

Still a lot of challengers out there riding toward the finish line.

Today is the 22nd day of the race and there are still many riders out there, working against the clock and testing the limits of their bikes and their bodies. I wish all remaining competitors a safe journey to the finish, and on home.

This may well be my final update regarding Hoka Hey 2011. For more updates, follow the official Hoka Hey 2011 blog HERE. This adventure has truly captured my imagination.

Hat's off to Big Jim and his wife Beth, the organizers of Hoka Hey, and to all the participating Harley-Davidson dealers, and to all the challengers, and especially to the finishers--Warriors all.