I wanted to make sure I posted this while the AOXOMOXOA was still fresh. If you survive the ramble I hope at the end you've enjoyed your time spent.

So the BC crew had the Out 'n Back planned for Friday but I was too chicken to head out with them lest I "hold them back". Saturday I was overwhelmed by this urge to just do it so I chatted up the guys to my right, just over the PL camp. A couple land sailors and a kiter were planning the trek for some point that day. Well, the day started to chug by and nothing was really happening until all of a sudden I caught wind of the dudes right next door heading out on the landsailers. I took this as my cue to go. At least SOMEONE would be out there if anything should happen.

I got my gear together, loaded up the buggy bag with a 1.5 a 3 and a 6 and unrolled the Buster 4. Took off from Buggytown and the wind was ON. Not only ON but right on track. I was on a dead-straight run direct to the mark. The wind was in just the perfect direction (I'll prove it with the GPS tracks......I was amazed).

Of course after a few miles a funny thing happens on that lake. First, the surface changes. The smooth playa surface ahead darkens and before you know it you're riding on what can only be described as what happens if a dry lake bed gets even drier......it was like autumn leaves......only the leaves were the lake surface and the crunch wasn't as crisp - more of a crumble under the tires.

So that's the first change. Then you discover that despite the fact that you've got a straight shot to the marker, the lake has a few tricks of her own. Namely the kite-eating bushes. How the Buster survived I'll NEVER know 'cuz I slammed the crap out of it at some points (you'll see).

Anyway - I was forced to abandon my perfect line to the mark but wasn't really sure what to do. For the first little bit the scrub was sparse enough to navigate around and to be true there were huge pockets of clear area but it's so hard to see them from the vantage point of the buggy. I got around the first few spots but eventually had to come to terms with the fact I had painted myself into a corner of sorts and had to do a bit of bushwhacking (my apologies to the BLM....I think I was as respectful in my disrespect as I could possibly have been...and besides, you'll see later how karma reset that barter).

Now, it was my discovery of the first "clear pocket" in all that scrub that I realized I could puddle jump my way around the lakebed. Except the wind decided it was done with me for a bit. The Buster collapsed and dropped to the lakebed (I was in a clear section so it was all good). I mucked around a bit with the kite but ultimately it was a matter of waiting. The wind returned and not long after that I caught a glimpse of some landsailers heading back for home. On one hand it gave me a bearing to potentially navigable terrain but on the other hand it left me out there possibly alone. The alone part didn't bother me that much because I knew others would come and even if they didn't I had told enough people where I was going that they'd know where to look (although Dino was the one that entered the GPS coords while helping me figure out how to use my GOS but that thought didn't occur to me at that point - thank goodness ; )

Well, a few tacks later I had a shot to where the landsailers had come from and I found a very well worn track. I knew I was on the last leg and now I had a bread crumb trail laid out in front of me. I wasn't sure what the heck I was looking for so I kept a close eye on my GPS and with the words of the organizers ringing in my head ("You'll find something special out there") came upon this berm seemingly out of the blue, right beside the worn tracks. I figured I might be there and, looking to the GOS, my arrow was right on top of the mark. Then it happened. It all happened.

The kite luffed on me and dropped to the other side of the berm. No biggie really other than the fact that I could see the tops of the kite eaters poking up from the other side of the berm. I figured I'd be rigging a new kite for sure. I hooked the handles to the carabiner on the seat strap and went to salvage the kite.

Well, imagine my surprise to find that I had discovered THE ONLY speck of water on the entire lakebed! And guess who found it first?

The Buster.

Funny, as I was packing it to get ready for the trip back at camp some british guy came by and remarked how new it was (I picked it up used but new - never flown I think - from Pablo).

So not only did I have to surgically extract the kite eating bushes from the kite's bridles, I also had to drag the kite out of WATER in the middle of the desert! Oh how I wish it would have just been a mirage!

Got it all sorted and after shaking my head one last time (with a smile of course) over finding water out there I made my way back to the bug to check the GPS. I figured if anything was gonna be special out there it'd be to find a swimming hole. I must be there.

The buggy had rolled and spun 180 so the handles were now on the other side of things so I rolled it back around to free them. Naturally this jostled the nicely parked kite that I had my back to and jut as naturally it fluttered and sputtered and flipped up into the air a bit. It flopped back down and I was able to turn the buggy to grab the handles and check the GPS. I turned to make sure the kite was OK and to my surprise - IT WAS GONE!

Well, not gone really - I just couldn't see it cuz it was.........on the other side of the berm again.

You know what that means........

Yeah. But this time it was even further into the water for crying out loud! All I could do was laugh at the situation. The middle of the desert and not only do I find the ONLY water out there - I dunk my kite in it. TWICE!

Anyway, the Buster definitely doesn't have that "new kite" sheen anymore. Miraculously though it doesn't have any battle scars...not a single wound from all that abuse. As far as I know anyway.

So here's where the AOXOMOXOA started to build I think. I had bonded with that Buster and despite the fact that I had been caught up to by the guy flying the Rev and despite the fact that he sailed straight by me following the well laid path without so much as a tack and despite that for me to follow the same route I had to tack back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.....despite all this I really felt that the Buster had got me that far - I was gonna let it finish the trek with me. I could easily have tossed the 6m Rage up and carried on my merry way but I felt like I owed it to that little scrap of ripstop. Crazy.

So we did (yes, the kite has officially become another entity in this story). We tacked and we tacked and we tacked (I guess they were Jibes but you know what I'm getting at here). And we made it.

And it hit. AOXOMOXOA so pure I can even feel it now just reliving the moment in my mind. I picked up the third last marker proving I'd made it, set up the photo you've all seen by now and took a moment to bask in it. (So if you're the one that was waiting in your landsailer off on the fringe while I had this moment thank you, and sorry for taking so long to get out of your way so you could have your moment.)

Of course I'm only halfway at this point. Bugger that, hey?

I got underway enroute home and was greeted by the mass of kiters that came behind (I think there were about eight of us collecting our patches all at the same time back at buggy camp - lots of brave kiters out there ; ) By this time I had kinda figured out that I could probably follow the well laid tracks and they'd take me home so that's just what I did and before I knew it the scrubstacles were fading behind me and I was on the wide open playa pointed at Primm. And then it happened. The gust came in and LIT ME UP. That little buster was SCREAMING at the wind. I started to think about kite dynamics as I wrestled to maintain that balance between getting enough power without feeling like I was gonna get myself into trouble and I had a flashback to stories I'd heard and kites I'd flown in days' passed. I remembered stories about kiters ripping along and kites surging forward and overflying, collapsing, dropping back and opening up. I glanced down at the monkeyfist I have tied to the end of the extension line I put on the Wichard release.

It wasn't where I put it.

Usually I try to loop the line around my harness strap or something on me that puts the ball of the release somewhere I can easily get to it. Well, this day I was wearing some cargo shorts that had a velcro closure that I had lopped the rope around so that the monkeyfist would be right there at mid thigh for me. And it had slipped out of it's place.

I found it and as I was jimmying it back into position what happened? The Buster surged, collapsed and went rocketing behind me faster that I could imagine. Somehow my hand connected with the monkeyfist and yanked and the Buster was released to the killers before any hint of powering back up. Blessings counted - plus one.

I reset and the gust faded and I continued my way only to find the wind drop off completely. So there we sat. Me and the Buster. Waiting. Thinking. Relaxing. Hoping. Dreaming. Thinking. Relaxing.

The wind picked up a bit and the Buster came to life and, working the crap out of it I made my way closer to Primm.

And the wind died again. So we sat. Me and the Buster. Waiting. Thinking. Relaxing. Hoping. Dreaming. Thinking. Relaxing.

Let me tell you a LONG time can pass waiting for wind out on the Playa. As it turns out there was a landsailor not far from me - aso skunked so I did a quick pack on the Buster and we started to walk so at the very least we'd have company while we all waited.

As it turns out there was a support vehicle enroute to the landsailer and it arrived just as I arrived. They offered a rope and I grabbed on - there was no pride here. I'd accomplished something great - of course I'll take an offer of a tow home!

We got set - the sailer tied to the truck and me holding a rope tied to the back of the sailer - and got underway back to buggy camp. Not more than a minute or two into the slow roll, the wind whipped up and blew the hat right off of the dude steering the land sailer back home. I ditched the tow rope, threw on the full flintstone brakes, jumped out of the buggy and ran down the hat, returning it to it's appreciative owner. When the unspoken "shall we carry on?" came I told them thanks for the lift and that I'd fly back from here.

And so we did. Me and the Buster, proud and exhausted, rolled back into buggy camp under wind power. A perfect finish.

Perfect.

Wow great story I read it twice once to myself and once to my wife. She thinks your lucky to still have you kite. I'm just jealous:sniff:.
Close call with the Wichard glad you found the fist in time.

Glad to hear the buster took great care of you...out and back...
I now feel like I was out with you. Great story, and it was great to meet up with ya. Next year?

Man, I wish I could have made NABX

very nice MB love the details,

new kite sheen! fleeting moments for sure.

very nice! can't wait for the video : )

What a story! Thanks for sharing your great adventure MB.

unless one of us is dead or dieing we'll be doing the trek next year.
great story....

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Originally posted by canuck What a story! Thanks for sharing your great adventure MB.

I'll second that.

Definitely took me "there"...

Beautiful, full on aoxo achieved!

awesome stuff, I know I'll be doing that trip for sure next near!

Awesome story!

glad I got the coordinates correct :saint:

Wow what a great write up....where can I find the video

Great read thanks

The out n back is supposed to be even more than last year. I can't wait to see what the aoxo crew has in store.

Macboy, whatever happened to the video...?

Bob....is this run awkward with barrow wheels, I have heard a few say they will be using BF this time... is this a must do run, I must say I love doing the mable to Skeg run which is 16 miles each way, but the out and back run holds from what I have read a few more hurdles......kite eating bushes to name but one of them, I want to do the run, but am concerned about punctures and damaging kites...Rips for instance from what I can gather is avoiding the run

are there any videos at all of the out and back run...I would love to see some footage of the run

Hi Pop.

Here is some footage from last year. Out and Back starts at 18:41 dont count my OBE though

http://www.vimeo.com/14193364

Coolbreeze
KC888

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Originally posted by Coolbreeze Hi Pop. Here is some footage from last year. Out and Back starts at 18:41 dont count my OBE though http://www.vimeo.com/14193364 Coolbreeze KC888

Ha ha, I had seen that before but never took any notice of the out and back run....but I did remember that classic OBE lol.. thanks for that....is that typical of the run, or is there is worse...if those bushes were the only obstical is not that bad, but I guessing there are more surprises

There was an easy path last year but I didn't take advantage of it till the trip back to buggytown. Puddlejumping is a great term for my path there last year. Winding my way through the bushes. I was lucky enough to not land my kite in the bushes but the few times I lost wind just happened to be in the clear. I'll look for tracks to follow this year, and actually set the coordinates on my gps too.

Out n Back code.

We do not reveal the location of the Out n Back marker, you must earn that right yourself.

This will make sense when you are ready, not before.

There are three surprises this year.

The playing field has been leveled. All skill levels will be able to achieve.

Start planning now, it's easier than you think.

You will be able to keep the proof needed to acquire the patch.

Final instructions will be posted in the white tent.

First one Out n Back wins a prize. We will know who you are.

It is advised to always go with a buggy partner.

Please be mindful of the vegetation, and for goodness sakes do not harass any tortoises should you spot one.

There will be a sign out sheet in the tent, please use it, so we can account for everybody at the end of the day!

Aoxomoxoa awaits the traveler! Remember, it's not the destination, it's the journey!

Sounds great! Getting excited...!!

(I think I'll update my avatar especially for NABX while I'm at it)

Most awesome avatar!

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(I think I'll update my avatar especially for NABX while I'm at it)