The Big Dog Hash

     While acting as the Hare Raiser for the Chicago Hash, Rear Loader heard the requests of many for continous hashing in the summer on Sunday afternoons. Answering this call, Rear Loader started The Big Dog Hash. It was designed to not interfere with the Second City Hash, which already hashed on alternate Sundays, or any other hash. This now gave Chicago area Hashers another Sunday hashing option year around. 

     The original concept was to take advantage of the many area forest preserves with picnic hashes. A woods hash, followed by grillables and good beers in a park like setting. Rear Loader set the first hash from the forest preserve around Devon and Milwaukee, followed by a picnic.

     The second Big Dog Hash was set in the Wicker Park neighborhood by Smell This. Already showing its flexibility, this was a pure city hash.

     Over the next several years, the Big Dog set a lot of short hashes and some long hashes. Many in the woods and many pure urban affairs.

     The Big Dog Hash moved to once a month Saturday hashes in the winter as it continued to provide weekend options for those wanting more weekend hashing.

     Along the way, Happy Ass Grabber used the Big Dog Hash for an annual February hash called the Idiotarod Hash. It is a long hard hash through urban shiggy, ranging over eight miles. The 2008 Idiotarod Hash was run on a cold February Day and went over 9 miles of great urban shiggy.

     In 2008, Horn-E brought his 8 Beer Stop Hash to the Big Dog Hash as a second big annual Big Dog Hash. It is an annual January Hash with eight beer stops, held in the woods. The first two 8 Beer Stop Hashes were Co-hared by Rear Loader as an annual Chicago Hash. The concept is to have one beer at the first stop, two at the second, etc. Who ever gets there first, gets the beer, it is a Check, and the rest of the pack moves on while the beer is being consumed. The 2009 hash had Horn-E haring and seven hounds in a foot of virgin snow in the woods with low visibility due to the continuous snowing conditions.

     2008 was a bad year for the Big Dog Hash with our founder, Rear Loader dropping out. EZ On The Ass started running the Big Dog Hash and it experienced a slow restart, and again faded after the Idiotarod Hash in early March of 2009. Now Lifa has reinvigorated the Big Dog name and weekend hashing and will hare a hash on Sun, Jun 14 in Thatcher Woods. Hashers are already lined up to hare future weekend events. Hopefully we will be having great weekend hashing on Saturdays and Sundays in the near future. Feel free to volunter to set a weekend hash. For information, contact Lifa at lifa_99@yahoo.com as we try to plan our future and hopefully your future. Now check out the Receeding Hareline and volunteer.

RIP: Willian Benjamin Wojtas 'Rear Loader'
May 12, 1969  -  July 17, 2020
the founder of the Big Dog Hash,
heart attack while riding a bike.

Here's to Rear Loader, he's Red White and Blue
He founded the Big Dog Hash for me and you.
He was a piss pot so they say.
But he's now hashing in Heaven, it was a long long way.