Just a few thoughts. I am a member of the Dakota Territory Cruisers and have been deeply involved in the club and our annual event, the BHCC since its inception. I have seen our event turn from a small, personal, relaxed atmosphere to a big, organized event. Cruise Moab has this same feeling of an impersonal, tightly scheduled event. This is the reason these events have "outlaw" runs. Don't get me wrong, I have a great time at both of these events, but one major thing that ACT has going for it is the relaxed atmosphere. The feeling at ACT is that of friends out wheeling with no strict time schedule; isn't that why we got into Cruisers in the first place? I like what I hear in the tentative plans, I would just take care not to overdefine the event. Keeping with the adventurous character of Alaska, I think a special part of the event is not knowing where you will end up camping that night and allowing for flexible plans. The kind of people who you want to have on the trail will not mind taking a wrong turn or finding that an area is not passible, they will be there for the experience of seeing the Alaskan backcountry and enjoying the company of other Cruiserheads.
As far as explaining to outsiders what to expect, regardless of what you say, they will be surprised. I know I was at the first couple of river crossings. One thing you do have going for you is trip reports and pictures from previous events. People can get a basic understanding from these. I think that you present the trip as you discussed, with the addition of a expaining expedition type wheeling where long days at moderate speed over rough terrain should be expected. Also a major ifference from other events, that should be emphasized, is that there are no optional obstacles or easier trails to choose. A list of damage from previous years probably won't hurt for people to understand that while the event is not focused on technical difficulty, it can be demanding.
- Jim Van de Ven
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