Contents |
Setting the Trail
This is the guide to the technical aspects of setting the trail -- for the other responsibilities of the hare beyond marking the trail, take a look at the Guide to Haring.
Set the trail using marks that the Humpin' Hash and Oregon Hash are used to. If you use marks that are specific to other hashes, you tend to lose the pack. See below for marks common to Oregon hashes.
Every hare seems to follow a personal vision all their own, but all can agree that laying trail is part craft, part artistry. You may benefit greatly from considering other's Philosophy of Trail.
Every hash trail should meet these minimal qualifications:
- Keep the pack safe and more or less within legal bounds while following trail.
- Lay a trail that the pack can follow. This seems obvious, but hares are too often swept up by a spirit of craftiness, or are just afraid of getting caught, and as a result they set a trail that results in the pack milling around, lost and unhappy. So use lots of flour. Checks are the accepted method for slowing the pack down, but in between checks, mark the trail clearly.
- Keep the pack together. Set enough false trails, circle jerks, beer checks, or other diversions to ensure that the front runners don't get too far ahead of the DFLs.
- Make sure the trail's length and difficulty accommodate hashers of all levels of physical ability. You should be aware of roughly how long your trail is. You can use an online pedometer to help work it out. A typical hump hash is around three or four miles.
All markings are made with dollops of flour unless you specify otherwise at the start of the hash. You may want to use strips of toilet paper to mark trail in tall grass or dense undergrowth. You may want to use chalk downtown to avoid anthrax hysteria.
Trail Marks
Check
Trail may go in any direction. There may be no more marks for some distance.
If you find not just one, not just two, but three consecutive marks, you can feel justified in assuming that you are on true trail. The next mark from a check should be within a city block.
Note: The pack can put a dimple of flour in the cross in the direction of true trail as a helpful way of marking the check for others. If you're very lucky.
Back Check
True trail veers off to one side between this spot and the previous check.
False Trail
Wrong way; go back to the last check.
This may be either three drops of flour, or an 'F'. The Hump Hash doesn't use three bars to indicate false trail, but visitors have been known to do so.
Beer Check
If you're lucky, this points to a twelver of Full Sail.
Beer Near
Beer is in your area — you can almost taste it.
True Trail (Hare Arrow)
You are going the right way. (Only hares should use this type of arrow.)
True Trail (Pack Arrow)
Someone in the pack thinks this is the right way.
Turkey Eagle Split
Often described as "Tough and Easy" by deceptive hares!
"E" leads to a harder ("Eagle") trail; "T" leads to a more straight-forward (yes, "Turkey") trail. Pick your poison.
On In
Almost to the A or A' location. The has gods are smiling. Beer, chips, and religious salvation are just around the corner.