Why Mongo?

Mongo is my 'trail name'
It all started the first year I attended Coyote Four Play (C4P as it is often referred - sadly no longer held) the folks 'in charge' (HA, more like the inmates running the asylum - the JABOYS, Just Another Bunch of Yahoos - and the best bunch of folks you could ask for to support your trail running holiday) wanted a name to put on our Bowling Shirts (Bowling and Trail Running? Are you kidding me? No, actually, that was part of the 'fun'...) Choosing a name....well, when in the later stages of a 100 mile race, most back-of-the-pack folks like myself can tell you how the brain starts working at the most basic levels; like no really articulate thought. Who better to personify this than good old Alex Karras' adored character (from Blazing Saddles) Mongo! ("Mongo not know, think it have something to do with the choo-choo...") I mean, I can't count the number of times I have had the attitude like 'Mongo hungry' or 'Mongo like downhill'
You know what I mean...or DO you?

Hardrock 100 2009 Putnam to the finish

Mile 94.5 to mile 100.4
Arrived 4:02 am – Kissed the rock 46:02:24
2:26 from Putnam (3:41 total in aid stations)

I knew the Bear Creek (Silverton) trail would be gnarly, having covered it 2 years ago in this direction and also in the other direction last year in the daylight. I knew I was moving slowly, but that my feet weren’t as trashed as 2 years ago. The trail contours along moving in and out of drainages and avalanche chutes; the latter bring with them large boulder fields. There is even a short stretch where you have to navigate thorough a stream of sorts, ducking between tree trunks and branches while dancing on wet rocks. Another interesting thing that I noticed, and others noticed as well, was how there was a sign marking a start of some measurement (I was assuming maybe a ‘1 mile’ sign about a mile later but didn’t see one.)

Since I shuffled through Putnam aid station, I had been hearing voices (or thought I was hallucinating them) for a while until, a couple of miles later, I finally saw a light up ahead. Eventually I caught up to Olga and her pacer/fiancé Larry. I hadn’t seen Olga since she outclimbed me going up Handies (I don’t even remember seeing her descending into American Basin) I asked how she was doing and she said ‘sleep walking’ I said ‘you have to get to the rock and give it a kiss’ she said ‘I am dreaming about it now’ to which I replied ‘you have to do it for real and Dale has to see you do it!’ I knew she would make it and Larry wouldn’t let her stop. I pressed on and told her I would see her at the finish. I didn’t realize until later that she and Larry were 2 of the lights I had seen ascending the final climb; they later said that they saw lightning strike a course marker and turn it into a ‘tootsie roll’ According to the results page, they left the aid station only 5 minutes before I strolled through…and it took me probably 2 miles to catch them, if not more – so much for sleep walking!

I saw another light ahead of me and recognized Rickie Redland, who I hadn’t seen since Pole creek a day and a half before. She asked if I wanted to pass and I said no. I saw her pacer and it was John McManus. Shortly after I caught up to them they made a wrong turn and I corrected them (it seemed there was a good reason I didn’t pass them.)

After another interval that seemed interminably long, the sound of rushing water finally started to get louder, as well as the sound of traffic on 550 and voila, we were at the Mineral Creek crossing. Rick and Liz Hodges were there, just getting ready to cross. I waited for them and Rickie and John then took my turn, since it looked like to rope had gotten a little loose. Of course, the water was deeper now and flowing faster, making an even greater dependence on the fixed rope. We all made it across and started going toward the road when Olga and Larry showed up on the other side. As we were waddling our way through the muck, Liz lost her balance and ended up sitting down (involuntarily) in the muck. I tried my hardest not to laugh and helped her back to her feet. At least we were on the final stretch. We all crossed 550 and started up Nute’s chute, all of us tiptoeing a bit - apparently we were all similarly afflicted with tender and beat-up feet. John led the way, followed by Rickie, he kept getting farther and farther ahead, then Liz and Rick and me. Eventually Liz told me to pass, so I did, staying behind Rickie the rest of the way in.

We were all a happy bunch, Liz congratulating all of us on finishing again; I reminded her that we still had to get to the High School in Silverton and kiss the rock.

Eventually we made the left turn onto the shrine road, only then did it started feeling like we had it ‘in the bag’.

As the road widened out a bit, we all drifted apart, spread out more or less abreast of each other. My periferal vision was getting a bit fuzzy at that point and I started hallucinating that Rickie was running into me, and I almost fell into the ditch on the left side of the road. I apologized to her for jumping around so much. Eventually, Rick and Liz got slightly ahead of me. I was watching their silhouettes in front of me when I swear it looked like Rick had somebody on his shoulders and that person was shining a light back towards me. I shook my head, removed my clear glasses and rubbed my eyes. Eventually I realized that the light, which was just above Rick’s head, was the light from the shrine of the mines! Wow, that was weird; I told Rickie about having a hallucination in that exact spot two years earlier, coming in with Margaret Heaphy. And just like two years ago, there was actually somebody IN the shrine, probably doing maintenance. Right around this time I saw a light coming up fast behind us and was surprised to see Bob Combs! I think he and I had the idea of us all kissing the rock at the same time (and now that I think of it, it may have sounded neat – Robert, Bob, Rick and Rickie all at the same time!) Just then we made the turn onto the trail down the hill into town. As we were on the trail I looked at my watch, noticed that we had about 2 minutes to break 46 hours and said “you know, if we hurry up, we might break 46 hours…” We all sort of felt each others desire to get the race over with and kiss the rock; unfortunately, our simultaneous finish didn’t happen. We all started shuffling down the hill, making the final left turn toward the gym. If felt good to actually move along at faster than a walking pace (the pain just sort of left temporarily while we focussed on finishing.) Bob had managed to move the fastest, almost breaking 46 hours (he missed by about 30 seconds) then Rickie made the turn. I waited for her to kiss the rock then made my way down the ‘tunnel’ of flagpoles that Rodger Wrublik had installed a few days ago (with the state and country flags that normally wave on the perimeter of the track at Nardini Manor during Across The Years) and kissed the rock, amazingly the third time I have done so. Then I got out of the way for Rick Hodges so he could have his turn (which was good to see since he didn’t finish last year.) Dale put the finishers medal over my head (which was a little difficult trying to clear my headlamp) I shook his hand and told him ‘Thank You’ for everything. I immediately sat down on the curb in front of the gym, glad to be done. Somebody asked if I wouldn’t be more comfortable in a folding chair but I kindly declined their offer; I was rollling from side to side massaging my glutes. I don’t know if was the same person or not, but somebody asked if I wanted anything from the grill; I knew Andrea was cooking, and had already confirmed that she would have veggie burgers at the end, so I asked for one. It even had cheese on it. I was surprised at how warm the weather was it was at the end, sitting in front of the gym on the cold concrete; usually I would be shivering. I took off my balaclava and gloves and heard Bob talking to Dale about his encounter with the lightning near-miss; he said the lightning struck so closely that he was knocked over, presumably by the concussion. He said that he was telling me he was O.K. after it happened (I remember a light shining up at me) but I told him that I couldn’t hear anything with the wind howling.

I asked Rebecca if Blake had any Desitin and she said that this year he went with Hydropel instead. I decided my feet could last a few more blocks to the Avon, so didn’t bother with taking my shoes off. I did grab my finish line drop bag, but didn’t need anything out of it, fortunately.

I finished my veggie burger and a slice of pumpkin pie, what a delightful experience. I thanked Andrea for keeping her ‘kitchen’ open for all of us slow folks and left the gym. –-The walk back to the hotel through the empty early-morning streets of Silverton was totally surreal. I saw what looked like a person sitting on the side of the street, I was going to wave and say hello until I was right next to...a motorcycle parked on the side of the road. I shook my head, glad that there wasn't much traffic to contend with.

I had finished Hardrock again, in a PR time (in spite of Mother Nature’s best efforts to slow me down) and had enough time to take a real shower and a nap before the awards breakfast – Wow!

Hardrock 100 2009 KT to Putnam

Mile 88.9 to mile 94.5
Arrived 1:36 am
3:57 from KT, 0 minutes in the aid station (3:41 total in aid stations)

I left the Aid Station with Bob and we caught up with Don Platt, who was wondering where the turn off of the road was…we went a lot further up the road than I remembered before we made the left turn to go down and cross South Mineral Creek. Bob had to pull over and take care of business so he said ‘don’t wait up for me’ I said ‘are you sure?’ and he said ‘Yes’ so I went on ahead with Don close behind. I would get ahead and then arrive at an intersection where I wasn’t 100% sure where to go so waited for Don to catch up, then realized that there were markers there, just on edge (I couldn’t see them with my flashlight until I was right on top of them)

The big full moon illuminated the sky like a carbon copy of the daylight sun, showing more clouds building up. After the next-to-last climb, and a couple of traverses across snowfields (which I was sure I went back and forth across, but realized the footprints were different) I started seeing lights ascending the final climb.

It started to drizzle a little, no problem, I just put on my jacket and everything was just fine. The clouds began to really build up, but no flash so I started the last ascent. Then the flash...I counted and reached '6' before the boom echoed off of the surrounding ridge lines. Well, just a short climb and I'll be past it, right? I started climbing again...another flash. One, two, three, BOOM! Uh Oh! Great, another delay (see, I wasn't worried about the weather so much as how it might cost me a finish... Alright, decision time, hunker down or keep climbing. That question was soon answered for me - flash BOOM! Crap, now it was right on top of me and the rain started comind down in sheets. I was soaked instantly (great, in a lightning storm AND wet!) I decided the prudent thing would be to get down and fast. I retreated down the trail, probably 100 feet in like a minute and a half. I found the closest thing to shelter that I could short of running all the way back to KT; and then I started shivering, great! No problem, this was the mountains and I was prepared! I pulled my balaclava and smartwool gloves out of my pack and put them on (the balaclava over the headlamp) then took my jacket off and unwrapped my long sleeve from around my waist and put it as well, replacing the jacket and cinching up the hood nice and tight. Finally I grabbed the tights that were also wrapped around my waist and put them on. Since I wasn't sure if I would be there for a while, I popped the package of hand warmers I carry and placed one in each jacket pocket. I didn't want to have to wait too long, but if I did, at least I wasn't going to freeze to death (I had a hard lesson in this at the Barkley the first year I was there...)
Finally, the worst of the storm seemed to have moved up the valley and I saw a light behind me; it was Don and he decided that the worst was over and started heading up the climb. I followed, still alert to the weather. The lightning continued for at least the next hour or more, fortunately it was far enough away that there was no thunder, and no danger of getting struck. The sky was still cloudy but the moon was at least providing some background lighting again. I didn't want to fool with anything and waste time so I just stayed with Don until the top of the climb. I asked if he thought we would make the cutoff and he said that it was only 12:30, that we had over 5 hours for the final 6 or 7 miles. Don mentioned that his feet were hurting so he would go slowly, but he would definitely make it. I knew at this point that he would be O.K. so I took off (if you could call it that, it was more like one snail going slightly faster than another snail, at least that's how it felt. I remembered that once we crested the final climb in 2007, we came to bunches of willows on the descent, but it seemed like a long time to get there; it also seemed like a longer time to get to the aid station. I seem to remember that it was just below tree line. I saw tree line but didn't see any aid station. Then I think I smelled a fire, and before long, there was the Putnam Aid Station (manned by John and Marcie Beard, who I had the pleasure of working the trails with) I said ‘I want to check in and out if it’s alright’ They said ‘sure, are you alright?’ and I said ‘yes, I just want to get to Silverton as soon as I can. I don't even know if any other runners were there. They checked me through and I said ‘Thank You’ as I say to all the aid stations I leave.

Hardrock 100 2009 Chapman to KT

Mile 81.9 to mile 88.9
Arrived 9:22 pm
4:02 from Chapman, 17 minutes in the aid station (3:41 total in aid stations)

I finally left the Aid Station about 10 min after Mike Bur, still being paced by his wife Laura; and roughly 5 minutes after Bob - so I was really pushing the uphill to try and catch any of them, hoping that my pace up to Wasatch saddle would hold... I finally did catch up to Bob, just after treeline. The course gets rockier as you leave the trees behind and ascend the head of the rocky canyon.

The sky was clear leaving Chapman, but gradually got darker as the next storm front rolled in - which seemed to have planted itself at the end of the canyon, right above Grant-Swamp pass - our next destination! We looked up toward the pass and noticed others who were waiting it out as well, we saw several folks hunkering down and even thought we could make out Mike Bur, but we weren't really sure. Bob found a nice big rock to hide under while we waited for the loud echoing thunder to cease (or at least for the storm to move off of the pass.) Bob said he would rather wait than get hit by lightning; I agreed with him wholeheartedly. The canyon rumbled and shook from the thunder, for what seemed like a half an hour at least. Eventually, the sky above the pass started to clear. We saw the folks above us ascending and then we decided to continue as well, even though the rumbling continued, further down the canyon from us as the storm moved away...it was at that time I noticed that I hadn't seen anyone behind me since I left Chapman...

Once we reached the base of the last climb (the 300 or so feet of scree to scramble up) we saw a few other runners toward the top of the pass, though I couldn’t be sure who each was – I thought I recognized Bur and his wife. I felt that we could catch them on the climb; we started to follow the traverse that was visible to try and avoid some of the scrambling; it was only partially successful as we kept having to find a better way (at least I did, Bob was below so I was also occupied with trying not to let any rocks fall on him.) I looked back and still didn’t see anybody behind us. I figured maybe they were still hiding below tree line waiting the storm out (the storm seems to have been blowing down Swamp Canyon, so anyone behind us would still be caught while the skies above us were clear.)

After what seemed like forever, Bob and I finally scrambled our way to the top of the pass, only to discover that all of those who we had seen ahead of us on the climb were now long gone on the descent. Fortunately, in spite of the wait for the storm we made it with about an hour, possibly more, of daylight left. We passed by Joel Zucker’s memorial plaque and placed a rock on the pile then got ready for some downhill sliding. I didn’t remember how steep it was to climb this last year until I went down it this year; treacherous footing indeed!

I got slightly ahead of Bob and realized why when I went back to look for him (he was just on the other side of some willows) and he was bent over and hacking. I asked if he was O.K. and he said ‘yeah, go ahead’ so I did, tentatively, to keep him in sight. I've had the hacking cough from the 'crud' before and know that it isn't very fun. I just wanted him to know I wasn't going to drop him.

Just before we arrived at the trail junction where the trail down to Ice Lake creek meets the trail down to the South Mineral campground, we saw a group of backpackers headed up the trail we were heading down (and it was starting to get dark, making me wonder where they were heading…) we asked if they saw any runners ahead of us. They looked at us like we were crazy (runners? who would be ‘running’ here) and then they asked if we knew about that Hardrock race…we said ‘yes, were in that race’ sheepishly, not looking much like we were actually running…we wished them well and continued the descent to ice lake creek.

The crossing at Ice Lake creek is not fun, and actually treacherous enough to turn people back (it happened to Joe Prusaitis two years ago as he had not seen how we put a few logs across during the course marking, that and it was dark…and the loss of his good friend Rick Gastelum was still at the front of his memory) This year, however, the course marking crew had brought some rope with them and lashed several logs together, making a fairly sturdy bridge! Of course, you still had to get your feet muddy to get to the bridge. We crossed, with the sky getting darker, but still with enough ambient light to find our way.

We trudged through the muddy sections, and I remembered the spot where Bill Losey was sitting last year, clearing out his shoes. I knew that eventually we would break out of the trees and onto the shelf that is the Kamm Traverse (KT.) Sure enough, we made it out, the waning light diminishing as we continued along the shelf. Bob and I kept moving down the trail, determined to get to KT aid station before turning our lights on (like I told him I had managed to do the night before heading down into Grouse Gulch aid station.)

It was along this stretch that we started talking about what Hardrock really is. Anybody who has finished knows the feelings that wash over you after you kiss the rock and then again when Dale calls your name and you go up to get your finishers print. I thought about it for a minute and told Bob that what we were doing right at that moment, as well as the 39+ hours before that point, is what it REALLY is all about. Since Bob had finished in the other direction in 2006, he was on his way to becoming a ‘real’ Hardrocker – one who has finished in both directions. He said that what most people think of Hardrock as is ‘camp Hardrock’ the two weeks or so leading up to the event with everyone hanging out, marking course, doing trail work, climbing 14ers, training on or scouting out the course, and generally hanging out with good friends. He said at that point that he probably wouldn’t put in for next years’ race but would be perfectly O.K. with being involved in 'camp Hardrock' once again, job and family committments permitting.

It finally got to the point, after 9th or 10th time we had to traverse mud we couldn't see, that we turned our headlamps on. Just a few minutes later, we were at the end of the traverse and at the junction of the road - and there was KT aid station!

Hardrock 100 2009 Telluride to Chapman

Mile 72.6 to mile 81.9
Arrived 4:52 pm
4:50 from Telluride, 28 minutes in the aid station (ouch!) (3:24 total in aid stations)

I couldn't believe I actually saw Bur and Bob at the aid station!

Linda VanTilborg was there, and as always was most helpful. She applied duct tape to my right heel (the left one seemed alright) I relubed my feet (particularly at the base of the toes, where it was getting wrinkly) with Desitin. I thanked Chip for pacing as long as he did and thanked his wife for letting him 'out to play in the mountains' She smiled, probably knowing there would be no way to keep him from the mountains, especially since they had moved to Colorado!

As I left the aid station, I crossed the open baseball fields on the way to the trail and BOOM! -Lightning struck rather close to Telluride. I stopped under the cover of some trees to wait a bit before continuing. I watched some clouds forming and I swear it looked like they had little tendrils wisping and curling, even intertwining with adjacent clouds like they were holding hands and performing some sort of ritual; ready to unleash some sort of evil on us unwary travellers. After a few minutes, when it seemed to have died down a bit, I continued up the jeep road that is the Bear Creek trail (Bear seems like a recurring theme in these mountains...)

I encountered several tourists, some seemed like they didn't care much about the weather; some asked about the race. I tried to describe it but was reluctant to use the word ‘run’ as not many of us 'back of the pack' folks were actually running much at that point (especially me.)

I caught up to Roger Ackerman, who was looking rather rough. I wished him well and told him that I knew he could do it, especially since he not only finished last year, he finished before me!

There was an orange plastic barricade fence that said "Closed - Do Not Enter" right at the turn off the main jeep road onto the Wasatch Trail, which had course marking before and after it. It was nice that they had the trail 'closed' for the race - two years ago, we had to dodge a woman riding her mountain bike down this trail!

Shortly after turning on to the Wasatch trail, I caught up to Pat Homelvig and Karen Pate. I stayed with them for a while, we were talking and trying to motivate each other, then I pulled ahead. I told them they were doing great. I crossed the bridge at the mine ruins and looked back; as I ascended, they seemed to be farther and farther behind; I was hoping that this was because I was climbing well and not because they were slowing down! (Pat did finish, happily)

I saw people ahead and above me in the distance, so I made it my goal to get closer and closer, hoping I would eventually catch them.

After another stream crossing, there was another orange barricade fence, just like the other one below, "Closed - Do Not Enter", only this one didn't have any coure marking flags. I went around it since it was the only place to go...I did get a little confused, however, after climbing a few switchbacks without seeing markers. The runner and pacer I just passed caught up and I shrugged my shoulders, after the next switchback or two, though, I found the next marker. I yelled “I’m On” knowing that they could probably neither see nor hear me, but hoping they continued on the right course.

After having done this course in both directions, every year when you go in the other direction, the climbs seemed to take a disproportionately longer amount of time that the descents on the same sections; especially the climbs later in the race compared to the descents earlier in the race... I found this to be especially true along this section.

The storm, which could have been part of the same system in Telluride or possibly a new one, seemed to blow away while on the ascent up the canyon but higher up it built again, rumbling in the next valley over from us…I hoped that it would stay there!

As I got to the meadow just below the last climb to Wasatch Saddle, I saw a group up ahead; actually two groups, two runners and their pacers climbing and another runner and his pacer closer to me but stationary, not following the higher group as it looked like they had been up until then. I stopped to see what was going on and it was Rich Hafele (one bib number after me) He said that he was going to drop, and that it will be his first ever DNF. I told him not to say those letters or talk like that; I've had people tell me that in the past and it really wiped me out. I continued on, wishing him well and hoping he would recover between here and Chapman and change his mind before it was too late…

I kept pushing up the hill, finally making it to Wasatch Saddle, and much to my suprise saw the group that was ahead of me was just making it over Oscar's Pass! I pushed as hard as I could, through the snow and rocky traverse. By the time I arrived at Oscar's, I saw Mike Bur and Bob Combs with their pacers only one or two switchbacks below me. Two years ago my feet were hamburger here and I had to tiptoe down (in fact, John DeWalt passed me on this downhill, but John is an excellent downhill runner.) This year, knowing what I was up against, I made sure to fix my feet at Telluride, and it was a good investment in my time at the Aid Station. I couldn't seem to make up any ground on Mike, but it seemed like I was getting closer to Bob. Just before we reached treeline, I caught up to Bob and his pacer, who was going to drop him off at Chapman and get a ride back to Telluride to meet her friends. I figured that I could hang with Bob, so I told her that wouldn't be a problem. It seemed like there were more switchbacks than I remembered from past years, but I finally arrived at the green gate toward the bottom of blixt road. It also seemed like a lot longer from there to Ophir pass road, but eventually I was on the road, with other crews cheering. After a quarter mile or so down the road, there was a bunch of vehicles, with everyone cheering me on and directing me on to the trail on the left. Bob and his pacer and I walked and shuffled into Chapman. I saw Joyce Prusaitis and Barb Hitzfeld here, waiting for Joe (George was pacing Joe from Telluride) and asked how he was doing; they smiled but something seemed like they weren't as optimistic about Joe this year as I had seen them in past years. I couldn't remember how far it was down the trail/jeep road to the aid station; last year they had moved the aid station up to the road where we had just passed all of the vehicles. Finally, there was the big white tent and Chapman Aid Station. I checked in and grabbed my drop bag.

Hardrock 100 2009 Virginius Pass to Telluride

Mile 67.6 to mile 72.6
Arrived 11:21 am
1:49 from Virginius (Kroger’s Canteen) , 51 minutes in the aid station (ouch!) (2:56 total in aid stations)

The first several feet of descent from the pass go straight down loose scree. In the other direction, there would be switchbacks cut into the crumbling hillside, and some of that was still present (and I tried to follow as much as I could) but for the most part, it was faster (not safer, of course) to just bomb straight down.

Eventually, I made it down to what passes for trail, though it is on the hillside, traversing Marshall Basin, and at any time you could take one step forward and some number sideways (which would take you right down the hill - NOT where I wanted to go!)

The trail wound around, we passed the powerlines below us but couldn't see where the Aid Station folks had parked their vehicle. I don't remember any snow this year, as there were several patches to cross in past years; just the same old scree, and, in places, the 'ball bearing' rocks. After another long time to cover a short distance, we came upon Mendota saddle, going through the pass and down some more short switchbacks to traverse Mendota mountain. It should have been going quickly here, with the morning sun warming my body and my spirits, but I started to get hot spots on my heels, so was going down gently. In 2007 I had bombed this LOOONG downhill, and fried my feet; I was going to try and be careful and not do that again. We
passed Liz Hodges, who had paced Rick from either Ouray or Grouse, I can’t remember. Rick had gotten ahead of her and she told him to go on. I figured she probably had a ride at Telluride and would meet him later. Chip and I continued on down the hill, finally reaching treeline, when he told me that he was done at Telluride. I tried to talk him in to going to Chapman or beyond but I think his decision was based more on just how he was feeling or how much more distance he had in his legs...

Eventually, I just had to stop to try to patch my feet. I pulled over to the side and tried, painfully, to sit down. As I was pulling my first aid/patch kit out of my pack, Liz caught back up to us. She asked if she could help but I let her know that I was alright and thanked her for offering. I couldn't really get the tape to adhere to my feet in any way that would have been of use (or would have lasted on the long grind) so it ended up just being a 'sit down' break. We finally started up again, going even slower now since I didn't want to fry my feet. I knew that I could get them patched up well enough once I got to Telluride.

The sun that was so welcome a short while ago was now starting to get a bit too warm. Fortunately, we were in the trees so it wasn't radiating too badly. This also meant that we couldn't initially see the dark clouds rolling in. Once we were closer to Telluride, we could see the dark clouds threatening, but it was still an overall nice day (and I was trying to focus on the positives...)

We passed several hikers and saw one woman, who was hiking with her dog, just ahead of us. I usually try to keep pace with, or preferably pass, anybody in front of me. This woman, however seemed like she was just trying to stay ahead of me; I thought this was unusual since she seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings (which I keyed on from the fact that she didn't acknowledge any 'hello' and that she had the telltale wires of some music player headphones which probably meant she wasn't going to hear much of anything around her...) Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about it as she turned off on to the Jud Wiebe trail just as I was about to pass her. Once we got to the last set of switchbacks before town, we could see the town - and the darkening clouds around town. I was hoping for some cloud cover and really wouldn't have minded a gentle rain, but Mother Nature had a bit more in store, as I was to find out.

There was a volunteer letting us know which way to turn at the bottom of the trail, and he took my number and radioed ahead to the Aid Station. We made the turn onto the long downhill street, the worst part of the downhill for me...the pavement.

As we crossed the bridge, we noticed some kids playing in the water...I may have been a bit warm but I wasn't going to get wet just before stopping. Then, I arrived with all of the folks cheering; it was nice to be there, but I knew I couldn't stay very long.

Hardrock 100 2009 Governor’s Basin to Virginius Pass (Kroger’s Canteen)

Mile 64.4 to mile 67.6
Arrived 9:28 am
1:56 from Governor’s Basin, 4 minutes in the aid station (2:05 total in aid stations)


There was a fire there, I didn't want to get close or I would not want to get away


I didn’t want to leave, so had another breakfast burrito.



Murray Schart caught up to us...it turns out that he was one of the folks wrapped up in sleeping bags on the ground in the tent back in Ouray.

Hardrock 100 2009 Ouray to Governor’s Basin

Mile 56.5 to mile 64.4
Arrived 7:16 am
3:07 from Ouray, 16 minutes in the aid station (ouch!) (2:01 total in aid stations)

-maybe I was getting tired (it was around 3:30 am) but I seem to have lost focus at the aid station. Sue Norwood was there to greet me and fill my water bottles (Thanks Sue!) and I walked over to the tent. There were a couple of folks in sleeping bags on the ground inside the tent so I tried to be quiet (which may have made me more sleepy…) I sat down on an open cot with my drop bag. I dumped the contents out and started to repack my pack with batteries, calories and more maltodextrin mix. At the same time I decided to leave my main headlamp in this drop bag since it would be getting light soon and all we had to negotiate would be roads, basically.
-while I was sitting there, somebody asked if I would vacate the cot since another runner was feeling bad (I think it was Mark Blenden) and needed to lay down. I grabbed my stuff and moved over to the picnic table, since the folks in sleeping bags (couldn’t tell who they were because even their heads were buried in the bag) were under the table and I certainly did not want to kick them. I noticed Mark Weineke fixing Patty Bryant’s feet (Mark crewed and paced Patty last year but she had some really bad foot issues which slowed her down; I hoped Mark could keep her going this year so she could finish.) I also noticed Beth and Larry getting ready to leave (It was a surprise to see them still there until Larry told me after the race that he can’t see as well at night, so he was depending a little more on Beth.)


-I finally got done eating, drinking, repacking my bag and changing socks, then had to use the restroom. As I was using the facilities, a line started to form (that seems to happen often, not just in restrooms...)



Chip asked if I was ready to go and I told him as soon as I get my stuff back in my drop bag, then it would be time to boogie. I made a quick check of my supplies, to make sure that I not only had what I needed but I didn't take anything I didn't. We were about to start the longest climb of the race, after all...



We headed out of the aid station, I thanked all of the volunteers as I usually do and made the two left turns and headed out the road past the RV/Trailer park. I was glad that I had covered this section a couple of times since last year so I wouldn't be totally lost. The suprising thing to me was the fact that it was still dark, and the sky was not quite to getting light yet - that was a nice suprise. We passed by some more houses and made the turn onto _____. Of course, being in the dark and having 50+ miles on my legs, it went a bit more slowly than the recon trip a few days ago...but we reached the turnoff for ____ and then the left turn at the trailhead. Up the steep steps and finally to the tunnel entrance. Last year, going in the other direction, Joe Prusaitis and I encountered a bat in the tunnel, this year there didn't seem to be any (or I was just too tired to notice...) As we exited the tunnel I didn’t bang my head on the tunnel or the gate at the end of the tunnel (like when we scouted it out a couple of days before…) so that was nice. After a short bit of trail we made the right turn on to Camp Bird road for the Long Slow climb to Governor's Basin.



-Lori Bantekas and her pacer were the first to catch up to us, as Chip tried to keep me on task. If I am focussed, I can keep up a moderate pace (except for the climb up Engineer a few hours before when I was just plain out of breath) but the sleepies hit me and I found it difficult to concentrate. Of course, when this happens, it's a vicious cycle...you get more frustrated that you are not moving well and move even more slowly...Fortunately, I decided to just go with whatever pace I could keep up, knowing that once the sun came up I would return to the world of the conscious...



We kept up with Lori and her pacer for quite a while, but I think she had to pull over to the side of the trail. We also caught up to Rick Hodges, being paced by his wife Liz, who had apparently just gotten out of the outhouse. I talked with them for a while until Rick started to pull away - he is an awesome climber. Chip stayed with Rick and Liz for a bit (we are all past C4P participants) then finally decided to get back with me. Eventually the sky lightened and as I looked up I saw the sun shining on the peaks higher up...it made it so that I was a bit more awake, but I was frustrated because I wasn't moving any faster. Not long after this, I heard the tick, tick, tick, tick of someone using trekking poles coming up behind me. I decided that was going to be my test, to see how long I could stay ahead of that person. I wasn't trying to be personal about it, so I didn't even look back to see who it was, I just started pumping my arms and walking faster. I noticed that Chip, who was the one leading, was now the one starting to try and keep up. I don't know how long I stayed ahead, but I would like to think it was the better part of a mile or maybe more. Finally, I saw in my periferal vison that they were pulling alongside me. I saw Lori and her pacer go by and I wanted to say 'good morning' or 'good job' or some other nice greeting but all I could concentrate on was keeping my breathing and my pace. They walked past and all I could manage was a grunt (I felt bad, I don't like being mean to anyone and I know that what may be in the runner's mind at any given point may not translate well to those around them...) I later apologized (after the finish) but it seems she didn't even realize or remember it. We passed some college-age looking people with their car on the side of the road. How they got that particular car up this far I couldn't guess, but Chip and I were sure that they wouldn't go any farther with it. Chip stopped to talk to them and helped them decide their route up to Sneffels. They wisely decided to hike the rest of the way up the road to Yankee Boy basin - while we continued up the road to Governor's Basin, the next aid station. Chip pointed out the tailings and ruins across the valley toward the upper end of the valley and gave me a detailed description of what type of mining it was and....I was truly interested but can't remember anything of what he told me...


-Murray Schart caught up to us just before the aid station…it turns out that he was the one sleeping in the bag at Ouray

Hardrock 100 2009 Engineer to Ouray

Mile 48.6 to mile 56.5
Arrived 3:17 am
2:49 from Engineer, 52 minutes in the aid station (ouch!) (1:45 total in aid stations)

-“45 in, with pacer”
-I didn’t even realize that the friendly person welcoming us to the aid station was Stu Gleman! He said he would be on the course, maybe even volunteering at an aid station, but I had no idea he would help these fine folks hump in supplies and then hump them back out after the race (and after being up all night!)
-
-Mark Heaphy caught us here. Last year he caught me at Telluride (he usually stays with his wife Margaret for the first few miles and then they part company) He must have been taking it easy since I was not breaking any speed records here…
-Had some Ramen noodles – they were hot but I asked for some cold water to top off the cup with. It really hit the spot. I knew we were taking too much time but surprisingly it wasn’t that cold (I made sure not to get too close to the fire or I wouldn’t want to leave)

-Had some stream crossings – expected for this section - but kept the feet mostly dry
-While climbing Bear Creek trail last year, I completely missed Yellow Jacket mine; this year I saw it and had an easy shuffle down the trail from there; only a couple of creek/drainage crossings and then a lot of dry drainages to negotiate. We crossed over the trail work we completed a week before (a little over a quarter mile uphill from the Grizzly Bear mine ruins) and it didn’t look as scary; of course I warned Chip about the re-bar, but it didn’t seem like as much of an issue now as it did in the daylight.
-we saw lights ahead of us and eventually caught up to them, it was Bur and his pacer. I don’t know how I caught up to him again (he was climbing well and I was downhilling well I guess)
-We finally arrived at the top of the switchbacks – the ones with slate all over, that sound like you are walking on dinner plates. I counted the switchbacks on the way down to stay focused; Rick Trujillo had told us there were 13…I counted them on the way down after our trail work but must have missed one or counted twice – during the race, however, I counted them exactly, finding the sign-in box at the bottom right on schedule.
-We crossed over the 550 tunnel and finally made it down to the road. I had covered this section twice before, in this direction two years ago as well as in the other direction last year. During the race it seemed to go on forever. A few days before the race, Mike Dobies, Bob Combs and I did a recon trip (Lori and Olga and Larry went with us part of the way) Just like knowing how many switchbacks to cover, it was nice to know that there were 4 downhills and 4 climbs (I think it was 4, maybe it was 5 ;^) In any case, I knew what we were in for and eventually we were on the road that went past the box canyon park and into town. Turned left at the Best Western and down a few blocks to the park.

Hardrock 100 2009 Grouse Gulch to Engineer

Mile 42.1 to mile 48.6
Arrived 12:21 am
2:53 from Grouse Gulch, 7 minutes in the aid station (:53 total in aid stations)

-slow climb, Bur caught up to us…we stayed together for a while then he passed us
-kept seeing lights behind and ahead of us, though with the turns it got awfully dark at times as the moon hadn’t risen yet – we were resolute that we would not take any wrong turns, particularly with the confusion of the darkness
-The drive up this road was long (and bumpy) when I rode up with Corey Johnson for the trail work a few days ago…it was literally taking us HOURS to walk up it now.
-We could finally see the silhouette of the pass ahead…it didn’t take long from there to the pass itself
-I saw the last flag before the drop and then…the drop. I swore we had switchbacks on the way up here last year, but in this direction we dropped almost straight down into the basin.
-I apparently had put the wrong set of batteries in my headlamp and it was starting to become an issue: the Brunton L3 will maintain a lower, reduced power setting if the batteries are dying, which they obviously were. We stopped just past a stream crossing before Engineer aid station and I changed the batteries in my headlamp. I don’t know if it was here or on the climb up the road but somehow I had lost my sunglasses (I had them on my head but under the headlamp strap, somehow they got lost

Hardrock 100 2009 Sherman to Grouse Gulch

Mile 28.7 to mile 42.1
Arrived 9:08 pm
5:30 from Sherman, 20 minutes in the aid station (:46 total in aid stations)

-John Sharp pulled ahead of me
-Jody caught up to me, we walked into Burrows together
-saw Karen again, at Burrows, she asked if there was anything she could get for me and I said ‘heroine’ (jokingly) and she said ‘here I am!’ it took a few seconds to click but then I agreed with her. She filled my bottles for me while we conversed

-Jody followed me up Handies, I thought she would pass me but she seemed content to let me pull, which I did as well as I could.
-When we got to the point where the lower group had done some trail work in 2005, I pointed it out to Jody.
-it took forever to get to tree line
-we caught up to John again, Jody was stretching and John asked her what she was stretching (I forgot what she said) and he started showing her some stretches, I kept climbing…eventually they caught up at the higher stream crossing
-Bur caught up to me just past the trail work we had done in 2005 (he mentioned it not a minute after I had pointed it out to Jody)
-Olga caught us; I jokingly asked where the bungie cord was that she could use to pull me up the hill and she said ‘Fuck You’ and went on ahead. She did stop to take a photo of me just before she turned on the afterburners and flew up to the summit
-I managed to summit just ahead of Bur and Jody, perhaps by 2 or 3 minutes
-After the summit I cruised down the trail, the steep part down to the saddle, then through the switchbacks through the tundra then to the rock field and then to Sloan Lake and when I looked back, I saw nobody there

-I looked back while climbing Grouse-American pass and saw what looked like Jody’s jacket still high up on the trail…
-caught up to Frank Banton climbing Grouse-American pass and we actually made it to Grouse Gulch Aid Station without turning our lights on (though it was a little dicey going down those last few switchbacks)
-I arrived at Grouse to find Chip Tuthill, ready to pace me. What a surprise (he later told me that he had paced Dobies in this direction 2 years ago and Dobies dropped him on the climb up Engineer…there was no danger of me doing that to him this day…)
-Naresh was also there to help, and he actually untied my shoes and pulled them off for me while I was eating so I could reapply Desitin, change socks and put my shoes back on after I ate – the guy is so dedicated, friendly and helpful I couldn’t believe it. I thanked him profusely. He stayed after I left to continue crewing for John Sharp. I also saw Jim Sweat, who jumped in to help by getting some food while I was taking care of my feet and repacking my calories.
-I was telling those around me about Jody and that I hoped she would be in soon. I saw a green light coming down the switchbacks and thought it was her. I never did see her before I left.

Once again, I'm certain that I spent way too much time here,

Hardrock 100 2009 Pole Creek to Sherman

Mile 19.6 to mile 28.7
Arrived 3:23 pm
2:36 from Pole Creek, 15 minutes in the aid station (:26 total in aid stations)

-left the aid station right behind Liz and Rickie, Rodger had left about a minute earlier


Liz passed Rickie and took off down the hill toward the creek, she was running well downhill and said that her plan was to walk the ups (power walk, I'm sure she wasn't doing any 'mall strolling') and to cruise on the flats and the downs. It looked like she was keeping well on that plan.
-Rickie and I stopped at one of the creek crossings to wash off our legs, the mud was starting to get to the consistency of hardening plaster
-Followed Liz but finally lost sight of her about 3 miles before Sherman
-Dobies got ahead of me here as well, I lost sight of him before Liz
-It started getting a bit gloomy, then it started raining with lightning off in the distance, fortunately not too close judging from the flash to bang time. It rained consistently all the way to Sherman
-ran with Fred Abramowitz once I caught up to him. We kept seeing Liz just up ahead of us and wondered why we couldn't catch up to her...


-Fred and I crossed the boulder fields above cataract gulch then started the numerous stream crossings. Since it was raining, I wasn't nearly as concerned about getting my feet wet; that and I knew that I had more Desitin and a dry pair of socks at Sherman.


-Fred and I caught up to Rickie Redland just below tree line and she let us pass her by.


-As we descended the switchbacks, I started to tell Fred about how two years ago they had signs for about the last half mile or so before the aid station advertising their menu and giving the runners (who would read them) encouragement. Once I saw the first of these signs, I told Fred ‘it is as I have foretold.' I couldn't tell if he thought it was funny, but we continued on just the same.


-There was a radio person about ¼ mile before the aid station and asked my number. He also asked if I had a drop bag and I told him I did and thanked him for being there for all of runners, especially standing in the rain (even with the cover of the trees it was clear he had been getting wet for probably several hours...)
-I arrived at the aid station and my drop bag was on the table with all of the contents on top of it, neatly laid out
-I ate and drank, then ate and drank some more
-Saw Dobies at the aid station, he asked ‘do you need any malto?’ I said ‘what are you still doing here?’ and he said ‘stuffing my face’…he left about 5 minutes before me and I never saw him again
-Saw Karen waiting for Pat
-Said hello to Annette Anthony (she comes down to AZ occasionally for training runs, usually in the winter time, when the AZ weather is nice)
-I was getting ready to leave and Jody rolled in. I asked if she felt better and she said ‘about 10% better’ so I said ‘you look 25% better!’ I knew I had to hurry out of there or she would get ahead of me (which I figured would happen eventually, I just wanted to put it off as long as I could)
-As I was leaving I noticed a table with some smoothies on it and a bottle of tequila. I asked if there was any tequila in any of the smoothies and the volunteer said that they wouldn’t let them. I said that maybe it would make them better. I debated but finally grabbed one, drank about half of it and dumped it into the trash (I didn’t want to waste, but I really was full.)
-I guess the smoothie put me over the top (or maybe it was the veggie quesadilla, all the food I ate from my drop bag, the potato soup, etc.) because my stomach started to bug me quite a bit for about the next 45 minutes or so; I knew I was going to walk the shortcut trail that links the road to Sherman with the road to Burrows, but I was reduced to walking the easily runnable road. I decided that it was alright to walk a bit and let the food digest; and not wear myself out so early in the race.


Once I reached the top of the climb to the Burrows Park road, John Sharp caught up to me..

Hardrock 100 2009 Maggie Gulch to Pole Creek

Mile 15.3 to mile 19.6
Arrived 12:43 pm
1:18 from Maggie Gulch, 4 minutes in the aid station (:11 total in aid stations)

-I left the aid station and somehow was ahead of Bur and Dobies again
-it seemed like there was a lot less water and muck through the willows between the pass and the traverse (as opposed to last year)
-Stepped into the mud puddle that Howie Stern told me about from last year, just about a ¼ mile before the aid station Right leg up to the knee. I saw Rickie Redland behind me, and she was a bookend (her left leg found the mud hole)
-Dobies asked if I needed any malto, at the aid station, I said I was O.K.

Hardrock 100 2009 Cunningham to Maggie Gulch

Mile 9.1 to mile 15.3
Arrived 11:23 am
2:28 from Cunningham, 2 minutes in the aid station (:07 total in aid stations)
Finally got walking out of Cunningham, and noticed that Blake Wood's crew was changing a flat on his VW camper van. It seems that they have the worst luck on race day, though I guess they are experts on repairs and flat tires now...


The road didn't seem so far, fresh, in this direction, and in the daylight. I almost missed the turn until one of the volunteers (or maybe just somebody crewing or spectating) pointed me in the right direction - I thanked them profusely.


I started up the insane switchbacks - the part of the course that worries me more than Bear Creek into Ouray does...you are on the side of a hanging valley with a fairly steep fall (which is higher and higher the more you climb)


After a few switchbacks, I looked back and saw...Jody!


I caught up to Wendell Doman just before we topped out and headed up the basin toward Green Mountain. I seem to recall catching him in this same location 2 years before, and mentioned that this year he would finish. He thanked me for the support as I passed him on the climb. The funny thing was that this year I was downhilling well but hadn't seemed to train too well on the climbs. Of course, this was early in the race, the slow climbing would come in abundance as the race wore on and I knew it, so was happy with whatever climb rate I could sustain.

I crossed a stream and looked back and saw that I was actually ahead of the Mikes (Bur and Dobies!) They caught up just before the climb over the upper part of Green Mountain

-As we started climbing Stony Pass, I heard Liz Hodges cheering for ‘Poppie’ (I guess she had one or more of their grandchildren with her) and I noticed that Rick was right behind me

-Andy Hewatt caught up climbing Stony Pass, we cheered each other on...and he promptly left me in his dust...

-Rob Hacker passed me and mentioned that this time last year he was following my progress online. I didn't recognize him in the daylight, because the first time I met him was at Angeles Crest in 2005 or 2006 between Chilao and Shortcut Saddle. We slogged along for a while but he made it clear that his day would be done at Shortcut, in spite of my encouragement (once the switch is flipped, it's hard to switch it back on...) It was great to see him doing so well here, though it was early. I had a feeling he would do well and finish, and he did.

-It started getting a little windy on the ridges, enough to pull my sleeves up and even put my jacket on at one point.

-We crested Buffalo Boy ridge and descended into Maggie Gulch, I could see runners strung out ahead of me. A few passed me on the descent.

-I spent just enough time to fill my bottles (I started explaining that it is better to fill the bottle half full, then shake it, then top it off, that way things are a ‘little less lumpy’ I hoped that I had done a service for those behind me coming through the aid stations who had to fill bottles with various sport drink powders in them.


Probably too much time in the aid station again, especially since the next section was the shortest on the course.

Hardrock 100 2009 Start to Cunningham

Mile 0 to mile 9.1
Arrived 8:50 am
2:50 from Start, 5 minutes in the aid station

I arrived at the gym with enough time to check in, though not as early as the past two years. As usual, everyone sort of milled around the High School, preparing for the race, shaking hands and wishing "Good Luck" to old friends and new and taking photographs. I have learned that the nervous energy before a race can really drain a person, so I have tried in recent years to let it add to the energy I have before a race rather than just burning it off. After I had dropped my finish line drop bag, applied sunscreen, set up my bottles, checked my clothes and generally made sure that I was ready to go, I started looking for friends to take photgraphs with:

Joe took a photo with 5 of the 6 WMRC runners (we were missing Jamil)

Photo (courtesy of Mike Bur) with a few VHTRC members (missing John DeWalt and Joe Clapper)

We started walking outside when Dale said '5 minutes!'

Everybody sang 'Happy Birthday' to Honey Albrecht (what a present for your 50th Birthday, run Hardrock!)

I decided to just go with a handheld bottle and a throw-away bottle for a backup until Cunningham and then pick up my pack there. In fact, I decided to leave the camera; this meant that I would not take any photos, but it also meant that I would be lighter and a little more focussed (I hoped) on moving forward.

Started the countdown...3, 2, 1 Dale said "Get Out of Here!"

Shuffled slowly down the street and turned left and followed the crowd.

Down Reese, turned right, passed the Wyman (waved to Tana, Jimmy and family as we passed) It was great having everyone cheering, but it made it too easy to set too fast of a pace from the start.

-got ahead of Liz as she pulled off the side of the trail, I knew that I would see her fly by me later, it was just a matter of time.

-stayed with Kirk a while, though he pulled ahead before Arrastra crossing

-Kept up with a group, though some pulled ahead and some fell behind.

-met John Sharp from Texas, the guy that Joe Prusaitis had mentioned calling him from the top of Grant-Swamp pass on a training run

-Don Platt must have gotten ahead of me, I thought I was ahead of him

-caught up to Jody just before the first pass, She obviously wasn't feeling well, since I caught her...normally I wouldn't see her after the first mile or two after the start

-As we dropped down toward Cunningham, Jody was behind Rickie Redland and they had quite a line of runners stacking up behind them. I finally got past on a switchback and flew down into Cunningham hootin’ and hollerin’ and singing ‘Blazing Saddles’

-I crossed the creek, saw Nick and told him to take care of Jody because she looked and sounded bad…

-Naresh (who paced me at Cactus Rose last year) was at the aid station crewing his fellow Texans, and he even helped me out along with Chip Gosewich, who was crewing and pacing for Andrew Heard. I thought I asked Naresh for some Fritos, but apparently I said Cheetos, so he got a bag of those for me to take with out of the aid station. I knew I wasn't going to eat them and handed them back, apologizing...Naresh took it all in stride. While Naresh was getting my Fritos/Cheetos, I had the bottles in my pack filled, loaded up my pockets with gels, shot blocks, etc. and made sure that everything was ready to go. I knew I spent more time than I alloted at Cunningham, but I wanted to make sure that I brought what I had planned since the next drop bag wasn't until Sherman, 19.5 miles away (with Maggie Gulch and Pole Creek in between)