Treasure Hunt

By Monica Tory
Kalamazoo, Michigan


Ever heard of an alleycat? It's a cross between a scavenger hunt on bikes and an adventure race, and it's just a whole lot of fun!

As part of a team, I "raced" the recent Hopcat-sponsored Alleycat, and can't recommend it highly enough! Sure, we didn't place so well (40th of 45), but then again I know we had more fun than everyone else out there! When you don't know the town, you can't expect to win an event like this ... especially when you're the only team whose courier bags are loaded with chocolate eggs to hand out along the way......Mmmm. Dove chocolate eggs. Hershey's dark chocolate eggs. Chocolate dipped chocolate eggs...

Whoops! A little off topic....what was I saying? Oh yeah...when you don't know your way around town and are carrying pounds of chocolate, you don't need to worry about winning & can just enjoy the experience! And what an experience it was.

Zooming around town with 70 or so other cyclists, working out clues to find out where to go next and what interesting "tasks" would come up next....all in between the "getting out of church hour" and the start of St. Patrick's day celebrations! Good thing I had the trusty handlebar mounted beer cozy that I picked up from Bicycle Discovery in San Diego - it came in very handy! Ever had to chug a beer while eating Peeps ? It was surprisingly yummy. How about sprinting through convenience stores, gas stations, etc., speed-shopping for canned cat food? Surely there must have been a grocery store SOMEWHERE out there. Really ... why do the gas stations carry dog food only? There were many interesting tasks, a few locations that you had to be at within a certain time-window, and some really creatively cryptic clues to get you everywhere else. It all added up to one great ride, and a lot of interesting stories told to new friends at the post-ride celebrations held at Hopcat and Founder's afterwards. Can't wait to organize an Alleycat of our own in the coming months!

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p.s. I don't know what Sheila Moon had in mind when she designed the shoulder pocket on her hoodies, but it is the perfect place for a camera!