Latest update 2/21/99 5:35 PM EST

NEW PICTURES AT BOTTOM OF PAGE!!!

 

  GREYHOUND
UNDERGROUND
RAILROAD


Valentine Puppy

HITCHHIKER: 4 month old female Greyhound puppy. Tentatively named Iruska Valentine.

STARTING POINT: Abilene KS (TLC)

DESTINATION: Port Allegany PA (Carol Stiles)

TARGET DATE: Feb 19-21

Please see the suggested route table below the map. Backup people are still needed on some of the legs. If you are willing to serve as a backup driver, please email Kate.

 

WHERE DID WE GO?

Map courtesy of MapBlast

 

OUR INTREPID VOLUNTEER DRIVERS AND FOSTERS

Click on city links for weather forecasts
Leg To - from Approx.
Miles
Approx. Hours ETA Volunteer Date
Avail.
1 Abilene to Kansas City KS 142 2h 30m DONE Jan Stewart 2/19
  Foster overnight in KC area -------- -------- DONE Jan Stewart 2/19
2 Kansas City to Kingdom City MO 154 2h 30m DONE Janie Nydegger 2/20
  backup       Gaye McKean 2/20
3 Kingdom City to St. Louis MO 104 1h 30m DONE Gaye McKean 2/20
  backup       Adrienne Forsythe 2/20
  backup       Jackie Wolfmeier 2/20
4 St. Louis to Bloomington IL 166 2h 45m DONE Adrienne Forsythe 2/20
  backup       Jackie Wolfmeier 2/20
5 Bloomington to Chicago IL 126 2h 15m DONE Donna Strawbridge 2/20
  backup       Anton Straughn 2/20
  Overnight foster in Chicago area -------- -------- DONE Ken & Donna Strawbridge 2/20
  backup foster/Toledo       Sue Williams 2/20
6 Chicago to Elkhart IN 104 1h 45m
plus time change
DONE Cammie Hernandez 2/21
  backup       Carol Wardzinski/ Ann McInerney 2/21
7 Elkhart to Toledo OH 137 2h 15m DONE Sue Williams 2/21
  backup       Manda Rice 2/21
8 Toledo to Akron OH 134 2h 15m DONE Jen Lyons 2/21
  backup       Manda Rice 2/21
9 Akron to Barkeyville PA 83 1h 30m DONE Michael Bollon 2/21
  backup       Jennifer West 2/21
10 Barkeyville to Port Allegany PA 116 2h 15m N/A Carol Stiles 2/21
Total Abilene KS to Port Allegany PA 1267 21h15m*   A lot of wonderful people! ------

* Total driving time only. Potty stops, meal stops and transfer times between runners have not been factored in. Figure at least 15 minutes per transfer stop.

ALL VOLUNTEERS: Some of you are old hands at this, but some are new, so here are some suggestions/instructions. You will be receiving email messages as a group from me as the plans develop. Please save these messages, as all the email addresses will be on the last few. If/when you reply to a group email, it's usually best to use your "Reply All" button.

If you have questions, ASK! The only dumb question is the one not asked.

Please contact both of the people you will be meeting (unless you're the first or last leg) as soon as possible. You will need to decide on specific meeting places, swap phone numbers (cell phone #s if you have them!), and descriptions of the vehicles you will be driving.

When you have decided on your meeting places, please let me know. For security reasons, these will NOT be published here, but I do need to know. If you are meeting at a truckstop, restaurant or other place that will have a phone, please try to get the phone number for me. Also send me the descriptions of your vehicles. This is so I can reach you at your meeting place if necessary.

If you have trouble coming up with a meeting place, let me know. I may be able to help find something.

I will start filling in the ETA blocks on the tables when I get the first start time. I'll check with each of you as I go through them to be sure you think you can make the posted times. If you can't, we can adjust.

On the day before the run, and the day of the run, please check the weather in the areas you will be driving and make necessary adjustments to your estimated driving time. If the weather becomes dangerous, the run will be postponed until it can be done safely. It's possible that dangerous weather conditions could develop without my being aware of it. Of course it is up to each driver's discretion whether or not he/she deems it safe enough to travel. If this happens and you can't make your leg, please let me know ASAP so that we can cancel the rest of the run and figure out what to do with the dog(s) until the weather improves.

As far as I know, I will be at home near my phone and computer during most of the run (at least until I have to leave for my leg). If I have to leave before that, I will arrange for somebody else to be the central contact and let you all know who it is. If you run into any kind of problem before you leave, email me. If you run into any kind of problem after you leave, call me.

When you get back from your run, email me so I'll know your leg has been safely completed. Better yet, email the whole group. Once everybody has gotten home, it's fun to hear how the other legs went. This is especially important for winter runs.

If you are listed as a backup, please make sure the primary driver for your leg knows all possible ways to contact you if you are needed.

In nearly all cases where there was more than one volunteer for the same leg, the first person who contacted me was chosen. This is absolutely no reflection on anybody, and to those of you who might not get to take part in this run, my sincere thanks. Your turn is coming!

The dog(s) will have enough food for the trip, a leash and safe collar, and whatever medical records and other documents are required.

Take with you:

Be safe and be prepared to have a ball!

Jan's son Drew, watching TV with Valentine on
Friday night 2/19


Janie and Valentine, leaving Kansas City 2/20

 

Checking out the new kid. Val's puppy party at the Strawbridge home. 2/20

OTHER GUR RUNS

See where we've been and sometimes see pictures of our passengers along the way and/or with their new families.

GUR Unofficial Homepage - what we do and why we do it.

Tambourine and Apollo - St. Louis MO to Port Allegany PA - Aug. 8-9, 1998

Grant - Sarasota FL to Raleigh NC - Aug. 8, 1998

Decoy - Goffstown NH to Durham NC - Sep. 12, 1998

Keeley - Belington WV to St. Louis MO - Nov. 7, 1998

Gabbi - Tupelo MS to Durham NC - Nov. 21, 1998

Robby - Exeter RI to Virginia Beach VA - Feb. 13, 1999

Sparky - Windham NH to Cedar Grove NC - Apr. 17, 1999

Rooster - Cache OK to Napoleon OH - May 1-2, 1999 - Run cancelled

AC - Rock Island IL to Cedar Grove NC - May 8-9, 1999