Highrise Haiku Hustle Recap

The last two weeks have given us 50-70 degree temps every day, so of course on hustle night we get 40 degrees and rain. and hail. and lightning. and snow. It was a pretty epic ride+night to say the least. Derek setup a quick course the kept us downtown so we wouldn't lose too many fingers, but still had quite the sense of adventure about it.

There were three checkpoints where we had to take a picture to prove we were there. Each checkpoint and the finish had a haiku clue for you to find it with. It was nice not being told exactly where something was and having to really think about where to go. Definitely something that has been missing from hustles as of late.

Seventeenth and R

Take a snapshot on floor four

Watch for police cars

Everybody hit the first checkpoint about the same time, but the "second" one was giving all of us a bit of trouble:

Clock on top, don't stop

Find a path to the skywalk

For your photo op. 

Everybody had their own idea where it could be within a couple block radius, so things got spread out pretty quick. After stopping to text for a clue, I rode another block, looked up and there it was! (I didn't see the clue, just got lucky) I saw Paul and Rachel already leaving, which meant I had some serious time to make up. The door to the stairs was propped open so I rode in CX dismount style, threw my bike against the railing, and ran up stairs four at a time to the skywalk. Selfie acquired, I ran down the first section of stairs, and hopped the railing to the ground floor.

Green two, level six

View from the Railyard from this floor

Get proof with some pix

Back on my bike I jumped into traffic on 10th and had a bit of good luck with lights at Q and then 9th heading down into the haymarket. Fortunately, the night before I had just been at the garage the haiku was talking about, which probably allowed me to make up quite a bit of time on the others. However doubt started setting in on my way to the top as I realized I didn't hear anybody else, nor see any wet tire tracks. Once I got to the last up ramp I was relieved to see a frenetic Rhino dashing back towards the stairs' door...but Paul and Rachel were also already up there! Fortunately they were having wet glove+cold hand problems and I was able to beat them getting a picture.

Finally realizing it was probably faster for me to run down the stairs than to ride down the garage ramps, I followed in Rhino's hoof prints footsteps and hit the stairs. I heard R+P come in shortly after me, but they decided to use the elevator. A couple steps past the elevator on the ground floor, I heard it open and Paul say "Did we beat himmmm? awwww!"

Coffee, bikes, and beer

Waffles, and egg sandwiches

The finish is here

I booked it down Q to 10th to M to 11th and then to the finish, which was easily deciphered to be Method Cycles. As I turned on to 11th I could see a bike with a light on already leaning on the building, which confirmed it was a race for second at this point, as Rhino was likely already there.  Rachel and Paul caught my wheel at N street, but didn't hit the sidewalk as fast as me, which gave me the edge to the door and second place!

Great race everybody and thanks for the excellent hustle Derek!