Arrival at YMCA Camp West Mar
4.–7. jun., Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
It's the day before the Square Route Rally in the Catoctin mountains of Maryland. I arrived at the rally site the evening before it begins. As one of the volunteers I get will help set up the rallyLæs mere
Planning
4. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Volunteers are making the final plans for organizing registration for the Square Route Rally.
Rally Master
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Mike Seay is the 2026 rally master. He has worked super hard to make sure we're all going to have a great time. Here he is overseeing his minions.
Setting Up Registration
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Gene and Kathy were working hard to set up the registration table. Check-In is completely automated with mobile apps and a web page for the RegFox system.
Prepping Friday's Dinner
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Lynn. Cindy, and Tom chopping.
Mortons BMW
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
Morton's BMW is the vendor at the rally. He brought his mobile service trailer and an R1300Rt.
Test Riding an R1300RT
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F
James Carlisle, Dealer Principal of Morton's BMW, brought a 2026 R1300RT to the Square Route Rally. He offered me a test ride and I could not resist.
This is the automatic model so I got toLæs mere
Signing Up For Rides
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
We offer three rides this year. The first one is our traditional South Mountain Ice Cream Run. Of course I'll leave that because I love ice cream.
The Saturday rides will be a trip to the Antietam inLæs mere
South Mountain Creamery
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
The best ice cream in Maryland is South Mountain Creamery. All the roads between YMCA Camp West Mar and the creamery are good. You just have to choose between winding narrow roads through thick woodsLæs mere
SkyMed Presentation
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Donna from SkyMed told us about the costs of medical evacuation by air and how their insurance pays for this essential service that my medical insurance does not cover.
She had her arm in a slingLæs mere
Adventure Tales
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Jim Coates talked about the trip to Cuba in November, 2025. They met with people and saw the countryside. Ten club members ride 895 miles in 8 days. Ileana addr talked of her weekend with the peopleLæs mere
My Trip to France
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
I talked about French Ride
Riding South of the border
5. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ 🌙 77 °F
Lynn talked about her two month trip to Central America. She spent $14,000 for a two month trip. The price included purchasing a motorcycle. There is fabulous riding south of the border. Cool mountainLæs mere
Peaceful Saturday Morning
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
I got up early before most of the rally goers. The morning was cool and clear.
Mount Airy Mocha
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
A food truck sold coffee and breakfast food. I ate a breakfast burrito with a latte. Delicious.
The Rally Wakes Up
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
People wake up and start to plan their day. There are two guided tours, a pavement ride to the battlefield and a gravel ride along the MABDR.
South Mountain Battlefield
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
About 16 bikes went off for the Battlefields Tour. It was a large group but we stayed together well.
We stopped at Turner's Gap. Fox Gap, and Crampton Gap. The battle took place at these three gapsLæs mere
Lunch at Bonnie's at the Red Byrd
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
This restaurant has a funny name, but the food is good and they can handle a big crowd. Surprisingly, there are not many restaurants in Sharpsburg, Maryland.
Antietam Battlefield
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F
After a brief stop at the Park Headquarters, we rode through the battlefield. We followed the auditor route and saw The Cornfield where more men died than at Omaha Beach on D-Day. At The Cornfield,Læs mere
Nutter's Ice Cream
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F
Nutter's Ice Cream shop has the air of a business that has been around forever. The interior decor is of a general store and I suspect that is what it was before its present incarnation as a sweetsLæs mere
Back At Camp
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F
We returned early from the battlefield tour and had time to rest at camp and talk with friends before dinner.
Bollinger's Barbeque
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
Bollinger's Barbeque was our caterer again this year. We keep inviting them back because their brisket and pulled pork are the best around. The Uncle Dirty's barbecue sauces are also outstanding.
Presentation
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Angelette was our Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. She was joined by a club president Lynn and Rally Master. Mike.
James Carlisle, Dealer Principal of Morton's BMW gets an award forLæs mere
Superlative Awards
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
We had the standard collection plus one that we made up on the spot, the Close Call Award. Chris Hansen had a deer jump over him while he was riding on the MABDR. Luckily the deer jumped high enoughLæs mere
Grand Prizes
6. juni, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Gift certificate, a pair of helmet communicators, and a new pair of tires were the grand prizes. There were too many regular door prizes to list here.