Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	Aerial
712	2011-05-22	Dog Whistle + Geoff	Stoughton Forest	SU815125

At ten thirty, Geoff was still laying the final refreshing touches to the trail that had been dampened by overnight rain. On this windy, grey and fresh morning the weight of the shopping bag full of flour had slowed him down so that he only had a few minutes to refresh himself before the first of the keen hashers began to arrive.
Soon enough, with no late arrivals we were all assembled to learn that en-route we should look out for two types of wild orchid and beware the dog shite, what a land of contrasts we inhabit.

With no help from the hares as to a general start direction we initially found several false trails from the car park until settling on a trail north west along the road towards East Marden with the expected check just east of Wildham Barn.
The steep climb up into Inholmes Wood proved to be false much to the dismay of Flash and a few others while most had started a long long straight run north east into Wildhams Wood stopping at the concrete well for the rest to catch up.

Bika sniffed out the correct choice of trail from here and we headed south east ending up just the other side of Lambdown Hill from the chariots. Those familiar with the area discounted the trail back to the chariots and forgetting that we should be following real flour headed towards Greatdean Bottom and had to be called back by the hares leading to much confusion that persisted until we were shown the start of a trail in the opposite direction, round the edge of the field just north of the chariots to end up back at the first check.

This time yours truly checked out the steep hill trail but it was still false, Flash ran back up the road toward the car park not to be seen again for some time and the main pack found their way north west parallel to the road, then across it and west up the long climb into the north part of Inholmes Wood, where Dr Blood found the disappointingly small wild orchids. Nevertheless he spent some time taking closeup snaps.
Meanwhile Pancsi and Caroline got way out in front on the path south deeper into the wood, and were waiting by the seat at the cross paths. Next along was Mussolini who was getting so tired he needed to lie down on the seat.
When we had all arrived, including Flash who had been playing catch up, we all smiled and said 'cheese' a few times. Then, seemingly with a reluctance to get going again the pack slowly dispersed to look for flour, and found the trail on that long path that runs along the east side of Inholmes Wood towards Stoughton.
Then it suddenly started to rain, a few misty droplets at first, followed by proverbial stair rods. Some were still in the trees, some (Pancsi, Bika, Caroline, Olive Oyl) were returning from a long falsie but all got a thorough soaking.
We could now see the chariots to our left, up the valley but the only public footpath in that direction was false so it took us a little while to find the trespassing trail that the hares had laid along the tree line and then east down to the road and then along the pukka footpath back up to the On-In after one hour and twentyfive minutes of energetic hashing.

At the circle we thanked the hares, and discussed Pancsi's new shoes, how Flash had gone missing, how some run for miles on non existent trails and let Mussolini have the Hash-It for doing all that lying down at the Flash Halt.
Then Dogwhistle opened the boot of her chariot to reveal revitalising refreshments and we did our best to consume them.

Bambi.