13th Annual High Mountain Enduro

13TH ANNUAL HIGH MOUNTAIN ENDURO

JERRY PLATT

WEBSTER defines endurance as "ability to last, continue, or remain," and 130 motorcycle riders gathered on the campus of California Polytechnic College in San Luis Obispo, California, had good cause to heed this definition. At the 13th Annual High Mountain Enduro (and 1963 AMA 200 Mile Championship), 200 miles and numerous weary bones later, this "ability to last" had been sorely tried.

20 to 36 mile per hour averages proved to be too high, even for the best "shoes" to keep up with. Two miles from the start was some of the slickest mud in all of Old California, stopping many wheels from turning, with mud locked in between fend ers and tires.

Up in the high country of the Los Padres National Forest were beautiful fire roads, breaks and trails, some of them almost straight up or down, and many water crossings. Several good hillclimbs, on ridges which were hard to make, were lit tered with riders bogged down, pushing for dear life with engines screaming, or just lying about gasping for breath. Some high ridges were engulfed in clouds and mist that gave an eerie feeling to the scene. Some of the hard uvhill runs were so steep, with very little visibility, that if riders slowed down they would not have made it.

The second loop of the two-loop event was the easiest. A lot of narrow, twisting pavement roads with averages of 36 mph were a welcome rest but tired riders could not make up for much lost time. The famous event, staged by the Cal Poly Pen guins motorcycle club, comprised of stu dents on the campus, was well laid out

and marked with lime, except for the last 20 miles. The event was stopped at that point due to the absence of the markings as the California Highway Patrol had stopped the course marking, because the lime was being applied to the highway. So, the enduro was officially ended at the 8th check, for a total of 180 miles, with few complaints from the riders or spon sors.

Triumph mounted Al Rogers of Bur bank, Calif., and Honda 250 rider Dave Ekins of Sherman Oaks, Calif., were the first to finish. Ekins tied with Earl Freeland on a Triumph for second overall. The High Mountain may not be a National again for a few years, but consider it a safe bet that most riders and more new ones will be back next year for one of the most challenging of enduros. •

RESULTS 200 MILE NATIONAL ENDURO "A" OPEN CLASS 1. A. Rogers - Checkers Triumph 2. E. Freeland - Prospectors Triumph 3. E. Crowell Matchless "B" OPEN CLASS 1. B. Day - Salinas Ramblers Triumph 2. N. F. Jones - Orange County Matchless 3. K. McLaughlin - Trailers Triumph "A" 500cc CLASS 1. P. Turgaseri - Orange County Matchless 2. B. Brokaw - Foothill Hawks Matchless 3. E. Day Matchless "B" 500cc CLASS 1. L. Stolpp - Mountaineers BSA 2. B. Jones - Pismo Beach Owls Arid 3. B. Robertson - Shamrocks Honda 350 "A" LIGHTWEIGHT 1. C. Hockie - Prospectors Greeves 2. B. Messer - Prospectors DOT 3. B. Reynolds - Pismo Beach Owls Honda "B" LIGHTWEIGHT 1. D. Ekins Honda 2. 0. Rodgers - Salinas Ramblers BSA 3. M. Goosen - Prospectors Greeves