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Hashing in the Conch Republic year round!!
We are the Key West Hash House Harriers, a drinking club with a running problem. We have been regularly terrorizing tourists and traipsing trails for decades and have no intention of cooling our heels anytime soon. We meet rain or shine every other Wednesday/Saturday night at about 6:00 pm in the winter and around 7pm in the summer for a bit of running and beer (The running starts between 30 and 40 minutes later), so lace up those old running shoes and join us! We're also happy to host a pickup hash for visitors whenever! Click this link for details on our next event! |
HARING GUIDELINES
Note, these are not rules. They are merely tips and customs as practiced by the Key West Hash House Harriers and many other Hashes worldwide. Other Hashes may also have different customs. You may want to incorporate a custom you experienced elsewhere, feel free.
Notify The Hare Raiser. The first step is to inform the hare raiser that you want to hare a run. All members of Key West H3 are encouraged to hare at least a few times a year. Whether you do, or do not have a date in mind, speak to the hare raiser about available dates. Once you have decided, inform the hare raiser as far in advance as possible, even if you have not chosen a location yet; fill the calendar! First time hares are advised to pair up with an experienced co-hare. If you need help getting a co-hare, the hare raiser, can assist
Starting Location. You will need to find a starting location (on-in) for your run, this will also usually be the end location (on-after), but it does not have to be. If you start and end in the same location, it is an A-A run, if it is a different location, it is an A-B. If it is an A-B, please have a plan to get people back to A to get their vehicles.
Most of the time, the location will be a bar, the home of a hasher or even an outdoor meet up point or parking lot. The important factor is that a supply of beer be available for before the start and for circle. If it is a bar, then choose an establishment with affordable beer (one that sells pitchers is advisable) and that has a space where hashers can be hashers without offending the other patrons; a so called “hash friendly" bar.
It is helpful to make sure the location or someone's vehicle can safely store any items like backpacks or coats that hashers don’t want to take on trail. Often one or more hashers will drive to the on-in and will store these items in their cars (bag-wagon), but a back-up plan is good. Yu may wish to check the local activities or events schedule to see if you want to incorporate the trail into a local event.
Accessibility. We frown upon drinking and driving. While some people drive to a hash, we expect them to be responsible. When choosing a location, easy public transit access is very desirable. This is especially important for week night hashes where hashers may not have a lot of time to travel from work.
Beer Check. You will also need to choose a beer check location. The same criteria generally applies to this as the on-in/on-after: there is beer and the location is hash friendly.
Beer. Beer, seltzer, NA drinks, and water should be required at the beer check (BC) and for circle at the on-after. If these events are in a bar, then the treasurer (hash-cash) will take care of it. Other locations will require that you plan to have beer there in advance. Beer that is purchased for the beer checks and circle will be covered by the hash-cash (you will be reimbursed).
Hash Cash. Remember that we normally collect $5-$10 hash cash from everybody participating. As the hare, you will be exempt from this (just a little “thank you” from the Mismanagement). When planning beer, it is important to seek out inexpensive beer and seltzer so that the hash can afford it. Outdoor and private venues for beer checks and circle provide the best bang for buck, especially if you arrange low cost beer.
There may be times where you really have a great trail in mind, but there simply is no low cost bar around. If this happens and it looks like $5 is not enough to cover our activities, then you may suggest a higher hash cash, say $10, but you must notify the hash in advance so this is posted with the run details. A higher cost should somehow reflect a higher value such as more beer and seltzer, an exotic trail or maybe food. Even better, you may find a way to supply even cheaper beer (brew your own!) and you could choose to lower the hash cash for your run, say $5, or we could simply drink lots more.
Trail. Now the fun part. First you will need to decide what type of trail to set. This may be a preset trail (dead) or a live trail. First time hares are encouraged to lay their first couple of times haring with an experienced hare. The Hare Raiser can assist with this.
A preset, or dead trail, is one where you lay out the marks earlier in the day, or even the day before if there is no threat of it being washed away. Trail can be any length you are comfortable with, but the convention is between 4-6 KM. Weeknight trails are typically shorter than weekends. If the weather is cold, that might also lead to a shorter trail. Generally the goal would be to ensure the slowest in the pack can finish in under 90 minutes. If you are setting trail on a wonderful Saturday afternoon and plan to make it a long haul, it is a courtesy to have a Turkey/Eagle Split to allow the slower walkers to short cut the trail.
At the beginning of the hash, we will circle up, and you will be invited to provide a ‘chalk talk’. Here you will explain your marks and any information you think will be helpful to the hashers. For instance, “look out for the water/mud/stickers on trail!”
If you choose to set a live trail, then you need to inform the GM or acting GM. Once it is decided to head out on trail, you will be given a head start (typically 10-15 min) and the others will wait (probably have a beer) and then circle up. You can do the chalk Talk or have the GM or acting GM do the chalk talk on your behalf, so you need to put down your marks before leaving. It is a courtesy to the hash to make sure if there are people who can’t do trail (bashers not hashers) have an option to short cut to the beer check. One simple solution is to have a phone with you and let enough people know your number in case they get badly lost. Hashers should not expect too much coddling, but perhaps you just want to be a nice hare that day.
Finally, it is a custom that if the hare gets caught setting a live trail, they will lose their pants, to be returned in circle. There isn’t really any history of this having happened in Key West but it’s up to you!
Marking trail. By now you should have hashed enough to know the typical marks. Not all hashes use the same marks, so here are the main chalk Marks we use in Key West. We do not use flour, from an agreement with the Fire Chief many years ago, when the Fire Chief followed the pack into the On Home along with the HazMat Team. We agreed not to use flour again; he agreed not to put us in jail.
Hash marks (chalk lines). These indicate the path of the trail. It is good practice to place them generously, say every 20-30 meters apart or less on roadways and a similar distance when off-road (shiggy). When a hasher has seen three of these marks in a row after a check, they will assume they are on trail. If the trail changes direction you should provide either a check or arrow.
Arrows. Arrows indicate true may or may not be True Trail. They are most useful for when you want change direction, say around a corner. They are also useful if you know it might be a long distance before you can place your next mark. An arrow will lead the hashers to where trail picks up again. A True Trail or Hare Arrow will always show the direction of the True Trail.
Checks. These are circles (O) with an X in the middle, that indicate that the trail can be going in any direction from that point. From here hashers will need to check for trail by scouting around to see where it continues. They will be looking for at least three hash marks or a True Trail arrow or another check to find trail.
Falses. These are either YBF marks or ||| (three Parallel Lines, that indicate a false trail. When setting a check you may choose to set a few possible trails, with only one being true trail. False trails should be two or less hash marks that are followed by a YBF or |||. When a hasher encounters these, they will go back to the check and look in other directions.
BC and BN. These are religious marks that indicate the location of the beer check (BC) and the pending location of the beer check (BN or beer near). The BN is typically marked at the last change of direction before the BC, it might be in a check (BN with a circle around it) or it may be accompanied by an arrow. There are other variations on the BC, that indicate other religious experiences. These can be things like a shot check (SC), a candy check (CC) or something nice to look at: a scenic check.
Corrections. If you accidentally lay a wrong mark, it best to clear it or cross it out. A simple solution is to draw several lines though it. Hashers will know it was not what you intended.
Marking materials. Trail should be marked in non-permanent, biodegradable material. The two most common are sidewalk chalk and sheetrock. The benefit is that it is easy to draw elaborate marks and it is easy to draw on vertical surfaces, which can be helpful in bad weather. The downside to chalk is it takes longer to mark on the ground since you have to bend over at every mark and depending on the color, can be hard to see in the dark. Do not use blue, black nor green at night. You also can’t easily marks on off-road surfaces.
On rainy days , you should place marks on vertical surfaces or relatively high surfaces that are protected from the rain.
If you get stopped by someone, politely explain what you are doing. This will also be your opportunity to send them to our website (KeyWestHash.com) and invite them to the next hash.
Other tools. The best trails are ones you have explored yourself, however Google Maps is extremely helpful when searching and considering locations.
Strategies. When planning and laying a trail, it is important to keep in mind the spirit of hashing. Hashing is not a race, it is a social activity involving running. Obviously trail should be fun and challenges are fun. Group challenges are even more fun. The trail marks described above are your tools for making this happen. Marks should be close enough together that hashers don’t get frustrated or end up cold, miserable and lost. At the same time, if trail is too easy, it will quickly become boring. Remember that you want every hasher to complete trail.
One of the most important tools is the check. This not only provides the challenge to the hashers of finding trail, but it serves the valuable purpose of helping keep the pack together. A well laid trial will have very little distance between the front running bastard (FRB) and dead fucking last (DFL) hasher. Checks slow down the FRB and give others time to catch up. They also reward the FRB with the opportunity to do all the work checking for the others. It is, however, possible to have too many checks. When this happens it just ends up taking too long for hashers to finish trail.
When setting trail it is a good idea to assess your own ability and compare yourself to the other hashers you know. If you are a serious runner, remember others may not be, and if you are a casual runner, remember there may be those who will disappear from the pack and need to be reigned in, but will also get frustrated if they can’t stretch their legs a little. If you are setting a long trail, plan for a short cut option for the slowest of the pack, or even an alternate, shorter ‘turkey trail’.
Another consideration when laying trail is to mix up the running surfaces. For many hashers, concrete can be hard on the joints. Running off road trails (shiggy) is more interesting, a better workout and generally less painful. Again, remember the challenges, mud, river crossings obstacles are all key parts of a great hash trail. Be wary of serious danger like river crossings after a major storm, but be creative and see if you can lead the pack through that swamp!
Have fun! If you set a trail you enjoy, others will too. Challenge yourself and share the challenge. Haring as well as hashing in general is a great way to get to know your local area. Consider haring as a chance to go explore a corner of town you haven’t before. And remember, by haring (frequently) you are helping keep a great thing alive. Below are examples of the standard marks. If you choose to use other marks, please ensure that they are briefed at Chalk Talk.
Whichaway: The trail can go only one of the two ways. The next mark must be within 100 meters.:
Trail Arrow: This mark indicates which way the trail may go. If it is more than 3 arrows from a check, then it is probably the way the trail goes (unless it is marked as a False Trail.
Check Back #: The Checkback is always followed by a number. Stop at the CB and then count back the number of marks. Once you reach the number after the CB, consider that mark a check. If you have chalk, put a circle around it to indicate that is now a check.
Check (or Intersection): You are on the True Trail, but the trail can now go in any direction. Numerous trails can be marked in any of the directions, but there can only be one true trail. If a trail has less than 3 marks and no more, then that is not the True Trail. If a trail ends in a YBF or |||, then that is a False Trail. Go back to the last Check and Find the True Trail. If you have chalk, then mark it as a false trail by writing YBF or ||| in chalk on the outer side of the check circle in the direction of the False Trail. The first mark after a Check must be within 100 meters.
Beer Near: There are Beer and drinks close by, generally within 50 meters of this mark. The next mark you see should be a Beer Check.
Scenic Check: There is something that the hare wants you to see in the direction indicated by the flash at the top of the camera. After you see it or capture it with your camera, treat this mark as a check.
Beer Check: This mark should be within 5 meters of the refreshments either at a Beer Stop on trail or at the end of the trail.
ON IN: This marks the end of the trail. You should be close enough to see the hare and the coolers at the end of the trail.
Turkey/Eagle Split: There are two trails emanating from this mark in the directions indicated. The Turkey Trail should be shorter and Easier. The Eagle Trail should be longer and more challenging. If most or all of the pack is in front of you, then you should take the Turkey Trail. If you are at the front of the pack and are fit and up to the challenge, then you should take the Eagle Trail.
Other marks like BVC (Be Very Careful) can be added as long as they are included in Chalk Talk.
If you see a virgin on trail, point out the marks and explain the meaning to the virgin. If you bring a virgin, then you are expected to run with them and point out the marks as you see them or have an experienced hasher do that for you.
Note, these are not rules. They are merely tips and customs as practiced by the Key West Hash House Harriers and many other Hashes worldwide. Other Hashes may also have different customs. You may want to incorporate a custom you experienced elsewhere, feel free.
Notify The Hare Raiser. The first step is to inform the hare raiser that you want to hare a run. All members of Key West H3 are encouraged to hare at least a few times a year. Whether you do, or do not have a date in mind, speak to the hare raiser about available dates. Once you have decided, inform the hare raiser as far in advance as possible, even if you have not chosen a location yet; fill the calendar! First time hares are advised to pair up with an experienced co-hare. If you need help getting a co-hare, the hare raiser, can assist
Starting Location. You will need to find a starting location (on-in) for your run, this will also usually be the end location (on-after), but it does not have to be. If you start and end in the same location, it is an A-A run, if it is a different location, it is an A-B. If it is an A-B, please have a plan to get people back to A to get their vehicles.
Most of the time, the location will be a bar, the home of a hasher or even an outdoor meet up point or parking lot. The important factor is that a supply of beer be available for before the start and for circle. If it is a bar, then choose an establishment with affordable beer (one that sells pitchers is advisable) and that has a space where hashers can be hashers without offending the other patrons; a so called “hash friendly" bar.
It is helpful to make sure the location or someone's vehicle can safely store any items like backpacks or coats that hashers don’t want to take on trail. Often one or more hashers will drive to the on-in and will store these items in their cars (bag-wagon), but a back-up plan is good. Yu may wish to check the local activities or events schedule to see if you want to incorporate the trail into a local event.
Accessibility. We frown upon drinking and driving. While some people drive to a hash, we expect them to be responsible. When choosing a location, easy public transit access is very desirable. This is especially important for week night hashes where hashers may not have a lot of time to travel from work.
Beer Check. You will also need to choose a beer check location. The same criteria generally applies to this as the on-in/on-after: there is beer and the location is hash friendly.
Beer. Beer, seltzer, NA drinks, and water should be required at the beer check (BC) and for circle at the on-after. If these events are in a bar, then the treasurer (hash-cash) will take care of it. Other locations will require that you plan to have beer there in advance. Beer that is purchased for the beer checks and circle will be covered by the hash-cash (you will be reimbursed).
Hash Cash. Remember that we normally collect $5-$10 hash cash from everybody participating. As the hare, you will be exempt from this (just a little “thank you” from the Mismanagement). When planning beer, it is important to seek out inexpensive beer and seltzer so that the hash can afford it. Outdoor and private venues for beer checks and circle provide the best bang for buck, especially if you arrange low cost beer.
There may be times where you really have a great trail in mind, but there simply is no low cost bar around. If this happens and it looks like $5 is not enough to cover our activities, then you may suggest a higher hash cash, say $10, but you must notify the hash in advance so this is posted with the run details. A higher cost should somehow reflect a higher value such as more beer and seltzer, an exotic trail or maybe food. Even better, you may find a way to supply even cheaper beer (brew your own!) and you could choose to lower the hash cash for your run, say $5, or we could simply drink lots more.
Trail. Now the fun part. First you will need to decide what type of trail to set. This may be a preset trail (dead) or a live trail. First time hares are encouraged to lay their first couple of times haring with an experienced hare. The Hare Raiser can assist with this.
A preset, or dead trail, is one where you lay out the marks earlier in the day, or even the day before if there is no threat of it being washed away. Trail can be any length you are comfortable with, but the convention is between 4-6 KM. Weeknight trails are typically shorter than weekends. If the weather is cold, that might also lead to a shorter trail. Generally the goal would be to ensure the slowest in the pack can finish in under 90 minutes. If you are setting trail on a wonderful Saturday afternoon and plan to make it a long haul, it is a courtesy to have a Turkey/Eagle Split to allow the slower walkers to short cut the trail.
At the beginning of the hash, we will circle up, and you will be invited to provide a ‘chalk talk’. Here you will explain your marks and any information you think will be helpful to the hashers. For instance, “look out for the water/mud/stickers on trail!”
If you choose to set a live trail, then you need to inform the GM or acting GM. Once it is decided to head out on trail, you will be given a head start (typically 10-15 min) and the others will wait (probably have a beer) and then circle up. You can do the chalk Talk or have the GM or acting GM do the chalk talk on your behalf, so you need to put down your marks before leaving. It is a courtesy to the hash to make sure if there are people who can’t do trail (bashers not hashers) have an option to short cut to the beer check. One simple solution is to have a phone with you and let enough people know your number in case they get badly lost. Hashers should not expect too much coddling, but perhaps you just want to be a nice hare that day.
Finally, it is a custom that if the hare gets caught setting a live trail, they will lose their pants, to be returned in circle. There isn’t really any history of this having happened in Key West but it’s up to you!
Marking trail. By now you should have hashed enough to know the typical marks. Not all hashes use the same marks, so here are the main chalk Marks we use in Key West. We do not use flour, from an agreement with the Fire Chief many years ago, when the Fire Chief followed the pack into the On Home along with the HazMat Team. We agreed not to use flour again; he agreed not to put us in jail.
Hash marks (chalk lines). These indicate the path of the trail. It is good practice to place them generously, say every 20-30 meters apart or less on roadways and a similar distance when off-road (shiggy). When a hasher has seen three of these marks in a row after a check, they will assume they are on trail. If the trail changes direction you should provide either a check or arrow.
Arrows. Arrows indicate true may or may not be True Trail. They are most useful for when you want change direction, say around a corner. They are also useful if you know it might be a long distance before you can place your next mark. An arrow will lead the hashers to where trail picks up again. A True Trail or Hare Arrow will always show the direction of the True Trail.
Checks. These are circles (O) with an X in the middle, that indicate that the trail can be going in any direction from that point. From here hashers will need to check for trail by scouting around to see where it continues. They will be looking for at least three hash marks or a True Trail arrow or another check to find trail.
Falses. These are either YBF marks or ||| (three Parallel Lines, that indicate a false trail. When setting a check you may choose to set a few possible trails, with only one being true trail. False trails should be two or less hash marks that are followed by a YBF or |||. When a hasher encounters these, they will go back to the check and look in other directions.
BC and BN. These are religious marks that indicate the location of the beer check (BC) and the pending location of the beer check (BN or beer near). The BN is typically marked at the last change of direction before the BC, it might be in a check (BN with a circle around it) or it may be accompanied by an arrow. There are other variations on the BC, that indicate other religious experiences. These can be things like a shot check (SC), a candy check (CC) or something nice to look at: a scenic check.
Corrections. If you accidentally lay a wrong mark, it best to clear it or cross it out. A simple solution is to draw several lines though it. Hashers will know it was not what you intended.
Marking materials. Trail should be marked in non-permanent, biodegradable material. The two most common are sidewalk chalk and sheetrock. The benefit is that it is easy to draw elaborate marks and it is easy to draw on vertical surfaces, which can be helpful in bad weather. The downside to chalk is it takes longer to mark on the ground since you have to bend over at every mark and depending on the color, can be hard to see in the dark. Do not use blue, black nor green at night. You also can’t easily marks on off-road surfaces.
On rainy days , you should place marks on vertical surfaces or relatively high surfaces that are protected from the rain.
If you get stopped by someone, politely explain what you are doing. This will also be your opportunity to send them to our website (KeyWestHash.com) and invite them to the next hash.
Other tools. The best trails are ones you have explored yourself, however Google Maps is extremely helpful when searching and considering locations.
Strategies. When planning and laying a trail, it is important to keep in mind the spirit of hashing. Hashing is not a race, it is a social activity involving running. Obviously trail should be fun and challenges are fun. Group challenges are even more fun. The trail marks described above are your tools for making this happen. Marks should be close enough together that hashers don’t get frustrated or end up cold, miserable and lost. At the same time, if trail is too easy, it will quickly become boring. Remember that you want every hasher to complete trail.
One of the most important tools is the check. This not only provides the challenge to the hashers of finding trail, but it serves the valuable purpose of helping keep the pack together. A well laid trial will have very little distance between the front running bastard (FRB) and dead fucking last (DFL) hasher. Checks slow down the FRB and give others time to catch up. They also reward the FRB with the opportunity to do all the work checking for the others. It is, however, possible to have too many checks. When this happens it just ends up taking too long for hashers to finish trail.
When setting trail it is a good idea to assess your own ability and compare yourself to the other hashers you know. If you are a serious runner, remember others may not be, and if you are a casual runner, remember there may be those who will disappear from the pack and need to be reigned in, but will also get frustrated if they can’t stretch their legs a little. If you are setting a long trail, plan for a short cut option for the slowest of the pack, or even an alternate, shorter ‘turkey trail’.
Another consideration when laying trail is to mix up the running surfaces. For many hashers, concrete can be hard on the joints. Running off road trails (shiggy) is more interesting, a better workout and generally less painful. Again, remember the challenges, mud, river crossings obstacles are all key parts of a great hash trail. Be wary of serious danger like river crossings after a major storm, but be creative and see if you can lead the pack through that swamp!
Have fun! If you set a trail you enjoy, others will too. Challenge yourself and share the challenge. Haring as well as hashing in general is a great way to get to know your local area. Consider haring as a chance to go explore a corner of town you haven’t before. And remember, by haring (frequently) you are helping keep a great thing alive. Below are examples of the standard marks. If you choose to use other marks, please ensure that they are briefed at Chalk Talk.
Whichaway: The trail can go only one of the two ways. The next mark must be within 100 meters.:
Trail Arrow: This mark indicates which way the trail may go. If it is more than 3 arrows from a check, then it is probably the way the trail goes (unless it is marked as a False Trail.
Check Back #: The Checkback is always followed by a number. Stop at the CB and then count back the number of marks. Once you reach the number after the CB, consider that mark a check. If you have chalk, put a circle around it to indicate that is now a check.
Check (or Intersection): You are on the True Trail, but the trail can now go in any direction. Numerous trails can be marked in any of the directions, but there can only be one true trail. If a trail has less than 3 marks and no more, then that is not the True Trail. If a trail ends in a YBF or |||, then that is a False Trail. Go back to the last Check and Find the True Trail. If you have chalk, then mark it as a false trail by writing YBF or ||| in chalk on the outer side of the check circle in the direction of the False Trail. The first mark after a Check must be within 100 meters.
Beer Near: There are Beer and drinks close by, generally within 50 meters of this mark. The next mark you see should be a Beer Check.
Scenic Check: There is something that the hare wants you to see in the direction indicated by the flash at the top of the camera. After you see it or capture it with your camera, treat this mark as a check.
Beer Check: This mark should be within 5 meters of the refreshments either at a Beer Stop on trail or at the end of the trail.
ON IN: This marks the end of the trail. You should be close enough to see the hare and the coolers at the end of the trail.
Turkey/Eagle Split: There are two trails emanating from this mark in the directions indicated. The Turkey Trail should be shorter and Easier. The Eagle Trail should be longer and more challenging. If most or all of the pack is in front of you, then you should take the Turkey Trail. If you are at the front of the pack and are fit and up to the challenge, then you should take the Eagle Trail.
Other marks like BVC (Be Very Careful) can be added as long as they are included in Chalk Talk.
If you see a virgin on trail, point out the marks and explain the meaning to the virgin. If you bring a virgin, then you are expected to run with them and point out the marks as you see them or have an experienced hasher do that for you.
Hashing in the Conch Republic year round!!
We are the Key West Hash House Harriers, a drinking club with a running problem. We have been regularly terrorizing tourists and traipsing trails for decades and have no intention of cooling our heels anytime soon.
We meet rain or shine every other Wednesday/Saturday night at about 6:00 pm in the winter and around 7pm in the summer for a bit of running and beer (The running starts between 30 and 40 minutes later), so lace up those old running shoes and join us! We're also happy to host a pickup hash for visitors whenever!
Click this link for details on our next event!
HASH HOTLINE: 305-912-6795
Email: keywesthash@gmail.com
Email: keywesthash@gmail.com
We also frequently schedule a "Pick-Up Hash" on our off weeks.
Check the schedule for upcumming runs!!
New to hashing? Click here for more information and what to expect.
Questions? Send an e-mail, find us on HashSpace, or friend the GM on Facebook so they can add you to our top secret Facebook Page!
Visiting Hasher and want to join the fun? Click the links above or email keywesthash@gmail.com to schedule a pick-up or drinking practice!
