Gary from Near Tebbetts on 2/17/2026 5:25:11 PM:
Well, to start off the annual ride was organized by employees of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Many of the original employees retired or were promoted and no longer were available. It was a major commitment on the part of those employees to organize the events and manage what I would call herding cats for five days. I had the experience of volunteering as a sweep for many years. Our job was to follow the group, keep the stragglers moving along and assisting with mechanical issues and call in for rides when needed. Then COVID hysteria came along and the DNR employees had to shut down the ride. I’m guessing it was hard to get back in the rhythm of working the annual ride plus other commercial organizations stepped in, filling the need for the DNR‘s organized rides.
The ride was fun to do each year, I met many good people while volunteering.