2005 Alberta 2000 report
The 10th annual Alberta 2000 (kms) was held last weekend. In the rain, cold, snow (in the mountain passes), fog patches, and some of the worst flooding Alberta has seen in years.
This ride was a true test for the endurance rider due to the weather and road conditions..
The top five finishers in order were; Dan Legg, Chuck Poschenrieder, Mark Nelligan, Steve Broadhead, and Dave Smigarowski
Dwight Hillas rode the furthest distance with 2549 kms with the overall average distance ridden per rider at over 1900 kms – that is approximately 1200 miles
Out of 24 riders that started the rainy ride – 6 were DNF. Mark Pennie totaled off his brand new GS Adventurer when he hit a deer. Mark was dazed but unhurt and made it to the finisher’s banquet. Two DNF’d due to weather, another one fatigue, one mechanical difficulty and one due to corrected distance (1600 kms minimum requirement).
It is of special note that for finishers #3, and #5 (Mark and Dave) this was their first rally experience. They also each rode stock bikes without aux lights or aux fuel.
(FJR and ZZR1200) Dan and Chuck (#1 and #2) have teamed up again and rode the rally together. Dan on an ST100 and Chuck on a GL1500. They have been dancing around in the top five or 6 finishers for a few years now. Well done you four guys. Me, well I dropped from 3rd last year to 4th this year. Perhaps a 5 place standing awaits me next year? About 12 hours into the ride, I hit a duck (at rally speed) that smashed the right mirror assembly and one PIAA light off my ST1300, then smeared me with a red spray of blood, guts and feathers. The guys and gals made lots of wise cracks at the finish line and at the finisher’s banquet about my duct (duck) tape emergency repairs.
This year the riders were given 6 pages of possible bonus selections which included bonus locations all over the Province (and into BC) and even included a number of potential high scoring threads.
All great fun and well thought out bonuses.
Even in horrid weather conditions Alberta and British Columbia truly has some beautiful country to ride through. We rode through prairie, to badlands, to foothills, to northern forests, and through awesome mountain vistas. Wildlife abounds here. I personally saw bighorn sheep, elk, whitetail and mule deer, fox, coyote, and even a grizzly bear during the rally.
Congratulations to all the riders, and on behalf of the riders – a big thank you to the organizers of the rally (Black Gold Beamers of Edmonton) and to all the volunteers that made this rally a success.
Steve Broadhead
Calgary, Alberta
This ride was a true test for the endurance rider due to the weather and road conditions..
The top five finishers in order were; Dan Legg, Chuck Poschenrieder, Mark Nelligan, Steve Broadhead, and Dave Smigarowski
Dwight Hillas rode the furthest distance with 2549 kms with the overall average distance ridden per rider at over 1900 kms – that is approximately 1200 miles
Out of 24 riders that started the rainy ride – 6 were DNF. Mark Pennie totaled off his brand new GS Adventurer when he hit a deer. Mark was dazed but unhurt and made it to the finisher’s banquet. Two DNF’d due to weather, another one fatigue, one mechanical difficulty and one due to corrected distance (1600 kms minimum requirement).
It is of special note that for finishers #3, and #5 (Mark and Dave) this was their first rally experience. They also each rode stock bikes without aux lights or aux fuel.
(FJR and ZZR1200) Dan and Chuck (#1 and #2) have teamed up again and rode the rally together. Dan on an ST100 and Chuck on a GL1500. They have been dancing around in the top five or 6 finishers for a few years now. Well done you four guys. Me, well I dropped from 3rd last year to 4th this year. Perhaps a 5 place standing awaits me next year? About 12 hours into the ride, I hit a duck (at rally speed) that smashed the right mirror assembly and one PIAA light off my ST1300, then smeared me with a red spray of blood, guts and feathers. The guys and gals made lots of wise cracks at the finish line and at the finisher’s banquet about my duct (duck) tape emergency repairs.
This year the riders were given 6 pages of possible bonus selections which included bonus locations all over the Province (and into BC) and even included a number of potential high scoring threads.
All great fun and well thought out bonuses.
Even in horrid weather conditions Alberta and British Columbia truly has some beautiful country to ride through. We rode through prairie, to badlands, to foothills, to northern forests, and through awesome mountain vistas. Wildlife abounds here. I personally saw bighorn sheep, elk, whitetail and mule deer, fox, coyote, and even a grizzly bear during the rally.
Congratulations to all the riders, and on behalf of the riders – a big thank you to the organizers of the rally (Black Gold Beamers of Edmonton) and to all the volunteers that made this rally a success.
Steve Broadhead
Calgary, Alberta
