Arrival at YMCA Camp West Mar
4–7 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 rallyEn savoir plus
Planning
4 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Volunteers are making the final plans for organizing registration for the Square Route Rally.
Rally Master
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Lynn. Cindy, and Tom chopping.
Mortons BMW
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 toEn savoir plus
Signing Up For Rides
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 inEn savoir plus
South Mountain Creamery
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 woodsEn savoir plus
SkyMed Presentation
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 slingEn savoir plus
Adventure Tales
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 peopleEn savoir plus
My Trip to France
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
I talked about French Ride
Riding South of the border
5 juin, États Unis ⋅ 🌙 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 mountainEn savoir plus
Peaceful Saturday Morning
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
I got up early before most of the rally goers. The morning was cool and clear.
Mount Airy Mocha
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
A food truck sold coffee and breakfast food. I ate a breakfast burrito with a latte. Delicious.
The Rally Wakes Up
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 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 gapsEn savoir plus
Lunch at Bonnie's at the Red Byrd
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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,En savoir plus
Nutter's Ice Cream
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 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 sweetsEn savoir plus
Back At Camp
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 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 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 forEn savoir plus
Superlative Awards
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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 enoughEn savoir plus
Grand Prizes
6 juin, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 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.