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What a great time of year this is. Sunshine and warm days are more than just a distant memory and the Summer Mountain Ride countdown is in days, not weeks or months. Next week I’ll be heading for Elkins but by the time you read this we’ll all be back home after enjoying great roads and good friends in West Virginia, thanks to Andy Simons.
Back in the day, before there was an MTF Board, I met Andy in Niagara Falls, Canada. Until then I knew him only as a frequent Forum poster. He was there for the kick-off of the first Great White North Tour in June, 2003. He didn’t join our small group on the ride around Lake Superior but rode up from South Carolina just to say “Hi” and wish us well. That’s Andy.
The following month I met Andy and a couple dozen folks in Athens, TN for lunch and a ride over the Cherohola Skyway to spend an enjoyable weekend of twisties and socializing in Bryson City, NC. That was the second MTF Summer Mountain Ride and my first. I haven’t missed one since. A few years ago I had another opportunity to give Andy a hand in putting a couple of them together. When the planning and organizing tasks would rise too high on the “hectic” scale he would remind me that the SMR is his vacation, not a job. And he has always made sure everyone enjoyed “His vacation” as much as he did. If this year’s West Virginia adventure was your first Summer Mountain Ride you’ll be back.
A few years ago I had an opportunity to give Andy a hand with what turned out to be the last Palmetto Rally. Anyone who had their first taste of rallying in the Palmetto knows what a well-run and memorable annual event it was, in large part due to Andy’s efforts.
We also did our share of Iron Butt enabling during the 2005 MTF Regional Rides. You can sure learn a lot about someone spending all night in a parking lot in the rain waiting for a bunch of folks to complete their first Saddle Sore ride.
Andy is well-acquainted with the roads and trails in what was then my back yard, Western North Carolina, and he introduced me to plenty of them. Our MTF adventure riders have also tried to keep up with him on the rough roads in that part of the world as he made rough road riding a staple of MTF offerings. And in case you haven’t noticed, thanks to Andy our small group of hard core rough roaders isn’t so small anymore.
We have shared many miles on the road and one thing I’ll miss since leaving North Carolina will be the short ride south for an opportunity to follow Andy around on those great back roads he knows so well.
I’m sure Andy will be leading our adventure riders down dusty and muddy trails for many years to come, but he is stepping down from the Board this year. To my good friend and fellow Board Member, I say “Many Thanks” for all you have done.
- John
P. S.: Although still a year in the future, the folks who have volunteered to serve on the Flower Sniffn Committee are already hard at work planning events for you to enjoy in 2009. Here's a link to our MTF Honors page where you'll find a list of the committee members: http://www.mctourer.com/honors/MTF_Org.html
When you see them on the road be sure and let them know how much you appreciate what they are doing for the rest of us. If you would like to lend a hand on any of the FS events next year, contact our 2009 Events Chairperson Bill Schneider directly.
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