July 21, 2002

Triumph Travelers got together for the event of the summer on a beautiful California July day for a challenging rallye topped off with a delightful picnic and too much food.

Only four cars were able to make it for the rallye, but they were treated to some of the best roads and views this country has to offer. The course started in suburban Mountain View, worked its way around Stevens Creek Reservoir, past some of the most expensive homes and grungiest farms of Los Altos Hills, and into the Santa Cruz mountains. With a left at Russian Ridge, our intrepid competitors twisted around a Buffalo Valley without buffalos, and a Bana Ranch without so much as half a banana. All the time they were looking for the elusive answers to the Gimmick questions and watching odometers and stop watches to calculate Time/Speed/Distances. They went through the infamous La Honda, by Alice's Restaurant, and into Woodside where Rallye Master Jim Bauder clocked them in at the Woodside General Store museum. When the results were tallied the winning trophies for first place overall went to Jim and Susan Gerakaris with an almost spot on 84 seconds off rallye time. The next best time and trophy for the T/S/D portion went to Judd Murkland. There was a tie for first in the Gimmick portion with both the Fred Strong/ Rose Sharon and Bill and Bobbie Knapp teams walking away with a prize for the day.

The rallye participants were met at the end point, Huddart Park in Woodside, by another 20 or so Triumph Travelers and their families. Bernie Comeau brought a volley ball and badminton set and Judd brought horseshoes but it seemed that after everyone indulged in hamburgers, hot dogs, beers and sodas, and the many side dishes everyone brought, only Tom Rodrgues' nephews had the energy to take advantage of the sports facilities.