Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544109
April 2026 21 As luck would have it, I'd arrived at the Silver Hawk Planta on with clouds par ng, and we were soon treated to bright blue skies and temps in the mid-60s, basically heaven for a guy who lives in Maine… My buds Beau Viens and Sco Kilton, sweepers for the event, had arrived a day earlier and had been working with Todd MacDonald, handling the final details of prep- ping the course. I'll never re of watching an event build. I love my race family, and it's always fun ge ng the band back together, so to speak. By Friday a er- noon, Silver Hawk Planta on was a buzz of ac- vity with tes ng, tuning, and general race prep in full swing. I enjoy taking it all in and talking shop with all on the scene. With some me to kill, Todd directed me out onto the property, with permission to explore the 1100 acres of trails and cart roads surrounding the property, and what a treat it was, as I hadn't ridden much since last fall. A great warm-up indeed. Saturday morning, 132 race entrants gathered for the riders' mee ng, where Dave Kutskel and Todd MacDonald described the course and what to expect. 5X Na onal Enduro Champion Terry Cunningham delivered a wonderful prayer that put us all in a fine mood, se ng the tone for what would become one incredible weekend of vintage cross-country racing. Fes vi es began, kicking off the Vintage class rows. It was US Enduro Vintage Trophy Team member Billy Burns who put on a clinic, ripping his 1974 Can-Am 175 TNT around the 5.5 mile course that consisted of a bit of moto, some two-track, and a fair amount of incredibly ght single track that required sawing the bars back and forth at a rapid pace then back into some sweet flowy single track, and a handful of steep climbs and descents. Watching Billy rip that old 'Ham is a sight to be seen. Billy floats through the woods seemingly effortlessly, yet those who understand appreciate his talent. What I found interes ng about the course was the lack of rocks. When I say lack, I mean none! What was plen ful were roots and lots of 'em, and all sizes to even the field. As for Post Vintage, it was a star-studded gate, includ- ing greats such as 19- me ISDE Gold Medal winner Fred Hoess, 5- me Na onal Enduro Champion Terry Cunningham, and ISDE vets Marc Grossman Billy Burns Billy Burns