On Sunday, Oct. 27, several dozen competitors braved the wind and rain to compete in the Halloween Hustle. A medley of running and biking races, the Hustle — jointly hosted by the Kachemak Bay Running Club and the Homer  Cycling Club — was a celebration of the future of trails in the Homer area.   

Running or biking one-mile loops on the newly cut trail at the Diamond Creek  Recreation Area (DCRA), costumed competitors jockeyed for position through sloppy mud and muck, smiling all the while.  The rain, which had been  persistent for days before, let up just enough for the us to keep a fire  going so volunteers, spectators and racers alike could keep warm.  As with  any event, it took a small army of willing volunteers to pull it off. Thanks to all of you who helped organize, set-up, manage traffic, take registrations, keep time, stoke the fire and provided hot food for the  masses.  Thanks also to Rob Drye and Kathy Boyle of Kachemak Emergency Services for volunteering their Sunday morning and early afternoon, ready to provide first aid which was thankfully not needed. Thanks to Moore and Moore services for providing a porta-potty, Cycle Logical for providing shelter from the rain and K-Bay Caffe for hot coffee. Thanks also to Homer Saw and Cycle and Bob Cat Services for their willingness to provide dirt work for the  event and for future trail building endeavors.

Lastly, I would like to take  this opportunity to thank all the volunteer trail builders who put in well over 200 hours to establish the .7 mile yet-to-be-named demonstration trail at DCRA. We’ve set the precedent and shown the demand for more biking, hiking and running trails. Let’s keep the wheel rolling.

Derek Reynolds