Hybrid Hash, October 25th: Tarheel #689 and Sir Walter's #1762
Lickety
The dusty parking lot gradually filled, and the growing number of hashers, some followed by wagging tails, emerged from their cars to cluster and engage in some playful mingling. Even before it was time to pack off, the brilliant fall leaves and socializing between these two local kennels set the tone for a trail alive with color, novelty, and maybe just a little mischief.
Hybrid Hash, October 25th, 2025: Tarheel #689 and SWH3 #1762
Who was there:
Hares: Tight Lips, Gockel Stumper
Newbies, Guests, and Visitors: Just Riley (Just Aaron made him come)
The rest of the Pack: St. Rollherover; AssOver Table; A$$ Clown; Mutant Gene; Bullysticks; Just Guy; Gypsy Rose; Minute Clinic; Frau Farter; Scrummie Seconds; Dicktaphone; SeeNoEno; SpeakNoEno; Just Riley; Gay Beard (with his lovely lady canine, Bridget); In my Otter Ear (with his Aussie shepherd, Slip-a-Chip); Field & Stream (with her 4-year-old goldendoodle, Mr. Darcy); Scrubjay; Queefie; Comfort; Lickety Spit
Photo Album:
Below is the photo album on Flickr.com for this Hybrid event with Tarheel and Sir Walter’s hash house harriers. The photos and captions complement the summary, taking us through upscale neighborhoods, Honeycutt Creek, the Capital Area Greenway, and the forests, one with a wide creek crossing. Above the photos is a condensed summary of the trail.
To see the full captions, click on the beginning of the sentence beneath the first image - then that will appear larger – and scroll down to see the full caption below. Above, to the right of the pic, click the forward arrow to move to the next photo. Simply repeat this process.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/147890119@N04/albums/72177720330296357/
Summary:
Our Meeting Place was once a Seafood Restaurant!
Curious about where we would meet for this hash, I zeroed in on Google Maps’ street view of North Raleigh’s Honeycutt Road address. The image revealed the entrance to an unpaved parking lot with a sign beside the entrance reading, “Madden’s Seafood.” But, when I arrived that day, catching a ride with St. Rollherover, the sign was gone—a detail that didn’t surprise me, since Google’s images are often dated. Instead, a flyer pinned to a nearby tree announced that the restaurant had moved. That was just as well, since sharing the lot with an active venue would have compromised the space we needed for parking.
The hares, Tight Lips and Gockel Stumper, had arrived in separate vehicles, to cover Beer Break detail and to deliver the On-After victuals. AssOverTable had also arrived, in her streamlined silver coup, fondly named Princess. St. Rollherover and I gave her car a wide berth to ensure it remained in mint condition.
As additional hashers pulled into the lot, three brought along their canine companions. Gay Beard introduced his fluffy black-and-white lady, Bridget, who may have had some border collie in her, though she seemed more sedate than the breed’s usual temperament. Otter Ear escorted his handsome Australian Shepherd, originally named Sydney but now called Slip-a-Chip—no doubt a nod to his eagerness for any crunchy morsels dropped or offered by fellow hashers. Field and Stream arrived with her four-year-old Goldendoodle, who answered to two names depending on his behavior: Darcy Boy when mischievous, and Mr. Darcy when on his best behavior. When Bridget and Mr. Darcy were introduced, the interaction was questionable, so the simplest way to avoid an altercation was to keep the doggies apart.
When See and SpeakNoEno showed up, they had just stopped at the nearby Deli and NY Bagel shop to pick up a bag of those authentic bagels—a detail that stirred a few pangs of envy.
Just Riley was Sir Walter’s token Virgin, or Newbie. He came with Just Aaron, wearing an Army green shirt that bore a white-striped “Rags of Honor” flag on one sleeve. What a great way to show support for Veterans in need! I had never seen this flag before and thought it was such a noble gesture.
When it was time to circle, we each introduced ourselves, especially helpful since some of the hashers were meeting others for the first time. Tight Lips then proceeded to cover the ground with numerous flour symbols and then explained what each one meant.
After reviewing the trail’s marks, the hares pointed us toward the parking lot’s exit and the start of a very memorable course.
Honeycutt Trail: The Capital Greenway’s Sweet Spot
Flour guided us to the end of the street, where we crossed a relatively busy road. After reaching the other side, hashers started looking for marks but turned around when no more dollops were found. A bit of back-and-forth ensued until a mark farther down the street redirected the pack to cross back over.
Soon, the flour led us into an affluent development, its entrance framed by a white picket fence and a central sign, with an amber background and a gold stylized scallop shell above the name, “BENT TREE”, in capital letters. The scallop shell in this context would convey beauty, refinement, and luxury. From the community’s upscale homes to Honeycutt Trail’s boardwalk, the pack experienced this elegance at every turn. Tight Lips was sweeping as we jogged up hills lined with statuesque houses, drawing “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from the pack. Halloween ornaments, including jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, and RIP gravestones, also brightened some of the yards.
As we continued, a Turkey-Eagle split appeared - the hares’ clever way to keep hashers of different paces together. Just beyond the split, a home stood, brick veneer painted pristine white and topped by a gabled grey roof. The front porch was camouflaged by foliage for privacy, and ornamental bushes fronted the yard.
Then, after Eagles and Turkeys regrouped, a “Check Back-3” gave the cue to retrace three dollops from that symbol, but we lingered at the second mark -possibly thinking it was the third and wondering where the true trail would tangent from there. Looking down, I noticed a “Capital Area Greenway” sidewalk marker that piqued my curiosity.
Interestingly, the Honeycutt Creek Trail connects with the Mountain-to-Sea Trail (MST), North Carolina’s official hiking route stretching from the Great Smoky Mountains all the way to the Outer Banks. The MST also overlaps with portions of the Capital Area Greenway, so it makes sense that the Honeycutt Creek Trail would also integrate with that system. It was easy to see how these interwoven networks could spark the hares’ trail creativity!
As other hashers were milling around, my gaze drifted from the ground to another white house, a ranch-style perched at the top of the knoll, its expansive ends disappearing behind tall, majestic trees. My focus then shifted back to the trail when someone asked where A$$ Clown had gone. It then dawned on us that he must have found that third dollop of the CB, so we trudged down the slope to see where it was. The pivotal mark appeared at a turnoff where we would enter the serpentine boardwalk section of Honeycutt Trail—a run of broad wooden planks bordered by wood and wire mesh railing to provide safety, visibility, and rustic charm. Raised above the ground, we felt closer to the treetops, with gold, amber, and scarlet leaves shimmering practically at eye level.
The boardwalk led to a tunnel, an underpass for Interstate 540, with a chalk symbol for ‘Music Halt” inside, beneath fluorescent lights. Once gathered, we united in a verse of ‘Bestiality’s Best’, and after the ribald singing, passed through the other end of the tunnel. Back on the boardwalk, with a backdrop of colorful canopies as eye candy, we would find another Eagle-Turkey split. The Eagles took a longer, curvy asphalt pass while we Turkeys cut through on a path of tall grass. The pack regrouped on a transmission corridor beneath towers lifting high‑voltage lines skyward. These weren’t the same style as towers we’ve passed on other trails, which made them a new curiosity for me.
More dollops continued in a patch of woods, and as thirst set in, thoughts of beer did, too. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a flour “BN” appeared beneath a tree, and then we found Gockel Stumper’s vehicle parked in a lot bordering a large field. He snapped a photo of us gathering around the open back hatch, where refreshments were in easy reach.
As we mingled, Field and Stream—a Sir Walter’s member over two decades ago—shared an anecdote about an incident long ago when trail marks merged with those behind a school where a track meet took place earlier that day. Part of the pack accidentally transitioned from hash flour to the school’s marks. A few students appeared and, when questioned, confirmed that the trail was part of their cross-country course. By then, most of Sir Walter’s pack was already out of sight! This group of stranded hashers included Field & Stream and Rod n Staff, so, as proficient runners, they decided that one of them should run and find the hare, Horny Horsey Humper (and SWH3’s GM at the time). He would already be at the On-After, “He’s Not Here” in Chapel Hill, and the plan was to enlist a volunteer to retrieve the other lost hashers. Years later, neither Field nor Staff could recall which of them had run for help, but what mattered was that the group got rescued and delivered to join the others. The takeaway, even nowadays, is simple: there’s safety in numbers—you’re never truly lost if you’re not alone.
Before we disbanded from the Beer Break, one hasher spotted a muddy pail at the site and suggested it might serve as our trail treasure. The dilemma was whether to drag it along without knowing how the rest of the trail would shape up - or, conversely, to ask Gockel Stumper if he would retrieve it in his car. But that was a “no-go” because the interior would have become a real mess! So, we resigned to leave the pail behind.
From the BB, we spilled from the parking lot onto a connected asphalt road, then veered into the forest beside it to reach a spectacular creek crossing. The edges were very steep, but A$$ Clown found what seemed like a tidier option—until it wasn’t. Ooh, how fellow hashers groaned on his behalf! Stepping on what appeared to be a dry surface, he unexpectedly coated his shoes in mud cleverly concealed by a carpet of leaves.
Exiting the woods, the final Eagle-Turkey split was written
in chalk on the edge of a road. Those of us taking the Turkey route
followed it and passed a large sign with "Honeycutt Creek Trail" in
large letters and above it, in smaller print, "Capital Area Greenway".
Just beyond it, a crossing marked the road between stretches of the greenway,
but dollops continued straight ahead where we found a placard announcing a “Barbecue
& Brunswick Dinner” and "All Welcome! nrumc.org" (North Raleigh
United Methodist Church).
The church grounds, bordered by neatly pruned burgundy shrubs, were to the
right of the road, and its parking lot was reserved for “Trunk or Treat”.
Curious, we peeked over to see rows of vehicles parked with open trunks, and kids joyfully weaving in between on their quest for treats. In retrospect, this family-friendly Halloween celebration could be considered the youngsters’ version of a tailgate party!
It occurred to me that the Eagle trail features would also be noteworthy, so I wanted to include those details. A few days after the hash, I sent my inquiry to some of the Eagles and received three responses. Otter Ear described it as “steepish with mild shiggy”; Minute Clinic candidly replied that it was “a jaunt downhill on the greenways next to the road, then a steady and long uphill route with several checks through a neighborhood.” Scrummie Seconds gave the most elaborate response: “The final Eagle split went through a very beautiful neighborhood with nice custom gates and one house with actual functioning shutters instead of the fake bullshit ones. The road was freshly paved and made for easy traversing. The lack of traffic also made for a good opportunity to chat and catch up with fellow hashers!”
While the Turkey trail was scenic, I also appreciated its shorter length and easy terrain. With that in mind, the Eagles’ feedback rounded out the story, making it possible to share the full trail experience.
Delicious Delivery: Pizza Selections from Farina Neighborhood Italian
The Turkey trail concluded with a chalk mark pointing to our original meeting place, so we hurried to the parking lot, found our cars, and retrieved lawn chairs, claiming spots to unfold them. Gockel Stumper was already there, coolers lined up behind his car, so we helped ourselves to drinks before taking our seats.
Eagles trickled in gradually until all the hashers had returned - collecting their chairs, scarfing drinks from the coolers – settling in and making themselves comfortable.
Tight Lips brought out a long fold-up table and set it up as Gockel Stumper departed to Farina Neighborhood Italian, and we looked forward to his return. It wasn’t long before he delivered the pizza, with heat and seductive aromas emanating from the boxes. The hares ordered a mouthwatering variety: chicken pesto, margherita, pepperoni, and mushroom, with doubles of the pepperoni & chicken pesto, knowing these would be popular choices.
We crowded around the table, eagerly opening those boxes to reveal the selection of Italian pies. Along with the rest of the group, I eyed the assortment and then placed a couple of chosen slices on a plate before taking a seat once more.
Suddenly, the group became silent –the fare was greatly appreciated, and at that moment, everybody preferred eating to talking.
As the sun crept slowly toward the horizon, its light filtered through canopies of maroon, amber, and gold. What a spectacular day of hashing! Massive Kudos to the hares, Tight Lips and Gockel Stumper, for making all of this possible for two local kennels instead of one. Grazie tanto!
Acknowledgements:
Photographer
Gockel Stumper contributed some really good photos! I like the way he captured the Hybrid hash’s social gathering. Snapshots at the meeting place showed them circling up, listening to the “chalk talk”, and packing off. Then, at the Beer Break, photos reflected a playful mood as hashers enjoyed refreshments and socialized. Then, as the hashers resumed trail, the background, with autumn’s warm colors, was a fine finish. Thank you, Gockel Stumper!
Hares
Tight Lips and her husband Gockel Stumper did an amazing job in every respect, working together like a well-oiled machine.
What a great place to gather! It was easy to find, with plenty of space for everyone to park and room to spare. Discreet? Yes! Surrounding trees provided privacy, always a consideration when we want to have some brews without getting hassled by the authorities. The Beer Break was ideal in the same way.
Trail itself gets an A+ for the artfully linked segments, and the I-540 underpass was a clever way to loop us back to the starting point. The Turkey-Eagle splits successfully kept hashers of various paces together, ensuring the pack wouldn’t spread out too far (and nobody would get lost).
The On-After was a super-delicious delivery - the pizza was awesome! Tight Lips set up the folding table and Gockel Stumper retrieved the generous selection from North Raleigh’s Farina Neighborhood Italian. What better way could there be to conclude this hybrid event? There was something for everyone, and plenty of it.
Thank you, Tight Lips and Gockel Stumper!