It has been long 9 months to finally become my best lifetime memory for finishing 2013 Hardrock 100. In fact that my whole summer experience in 2013 was like a dream. The experience was such wonderful and meaningful to myself being "alive".
I am probably not the only one to ask myself such question like "Why do I born and live for a life?", "What is a meaning of my life?", and "Am I be happy to satisfy in this circumstance and position, or I should look around for even better options?" So many these philosophical questions are never be answered by my relatives and friends. Although no matter how much I will become knowledgeable person to guide myself to be ready for answering these questions, the life always has some unexpected events to screw me around. It's just because of the life, and I think such unexpected events makes life certainly interesting and meaningful. The unexpected events like participating in Hardrock 100 in 2013 were the one of these better life experience than receiving promotion at the work for sure; however, two things are incomparable for its own values.
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| 2013 Hardrock hundred finisher mug |
The race day (Friday)
The morning right before the start of Hardrock 100 was still in overcast because thunder storm rolled in late last night at the town of Silverton. The mountain was settled with inversion and the wet ground from the last night rain settled misty fog in the town. I was strangely calm just like any other days to have a cup of coffee and breakfast. I went Silverton High School Gym to do my final check-in before the start, and we chatted with Fitz Cahall, who is a main producer of "Duct tape then beer", for a bit. "Are you ready for this?" he asked. "I guess, um, I don't know. Anything can happen during the race."
About 5 minutes to 6 am start time, all runners gathered up by famous hard rock a.k.a. "Kiss the Rock". High School student sing a national anthem, and RD Dale counted number backward from 10 seconds "3, 2, 1, GO!". All 139 runners started jogging with smile and giggle on their face, I was in middle pack to see the top runners gradually pull their distance away from the rest of crowds. Soon we run into the 3 mile stretches of single track to traverse the ski resort area, this spread more runners to a congo-line. The next jeep road section was straight up to the little giant basin. While the first big and sustained uphill continued, the inversion clouds settled earlier this morning were already starting to evaporate to spot the town of Silverton down the valley. There were no mountain goat to greet us this morning like the other day, but many crews are already up the basin to cheer runners. The single track started near the top of mountain to approach the Little Giant Peak for final accent. The view from the peak shined the next peak and meadows, like a miniature retro photograph. I look at watch at the top of the first peak, and it was just under 2 hours elapsed. I can still see my friend Darla Askew, who was already descending steep rocky downhill section.
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| Early morning descent. Still in fresh legs. |
My crew/pacer, Meghan Arbogast a.k.a. "The Queen" was ready to hand over the new bottle of perpetuem at the first aid station (AS) of Cunningham Campground. She told me that I have barely consumed water from my backpack bladder. I had a quick bathroom stop before leaving the AS, and exchanged words with her to see her later at Grouse Glutch AS (mile 42.1) hopefully the end of the day. The next giant uphill awaited to slow me down my power-walking pace, but I became a better user for Blackdiamond Trekking poles by months of practices to stabilize my upper body and core to reduce some stress to my big quads. Using these trekking poles took me several months to used to it, and I think someone who has an experience with cross country skiing would be a much better user than I do. First time I thought it would be like a downhill skiing, but it was quite different. I often stuck with one of the pole too close to my body, and I kicked it and got tripped over accidentally. Also I could not synchronize the timing of trekking poles and cadence of my legs resulting myself to stumble over. I think the rhythm is the key to use the trekking poles when I ascend steep hills. I maintained the rhythm like an elliptical trainer in a gym, kept small steps, and kept at least three point contacts to the ground with feet and poles (two legs one pole).
When I was at the ascent of Buffalo boy ridge, I saw Mike Burke a.k.a. Bushwhacker. He was already become a shirtless, like an usual style for seeing him at Oregon ultra trail events. It was so nice to see runners from Oregon. The other Oregonian runner that I finally caught up with was Darla near Pole creek AS, where trails were relatively less intense for up and down hills to maintain running smoothly. I was able to run with Billy Simpson at the long decent right before the Sherman AS. He is very unique character sensing nature. He said "Do you smell that?" The time was already past noon, and I was quite hungry for real food, and I wasn't smell something specials like food. I replied to him "not smells any (food)". He said "Do to feel and smell the mountain? (we're) back under timberline for fresh pine! Breath the fresh air and feel the coolness under canopies. " I now understood. "Um, I thought smell about food." He then suggested that I should take time at Sherman AS for having real food because the place has the best aid station for good food. I took his word and had vegetable soup, grilled quesadilla with avocado, and the best banana pudding. It was absolutely the best full meal I had from the Hardrock aid stations.
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| Me and fellow Oregonian runner, Mike "Bushwhacker" Burke |
From Sherman AS to Grouse Glutch AS, your true endurance was tested at this long 13.4 mile section. There was not only its long distances between AS's but also the 14'er elevation to go over. The view from Handies Peak was one of many scenic highlights of the race, but runners may face on rolling thunder storm if the timing went wrong. Typically, stormy black clouds showed up the sky here and there in mid to late afternoon. Darla and I were together uphill for most of the time, and we luckily did not hit the thunder storm at the top of the peak. Her strong legs pulled me away from last one mile of climbing, and she was already a tiny miniature size figure descending the mountain when I reach the top of the peak. While I was descending toward to Grouse Glutch AS, the man was laid down the top of table rock feeling weak from some stomach issues. I care the word for this weary guy named Jamil Coury, and He said fine and time will hopefully heal him better. Jamil was an amazing trail runner known from locally. In fact, he was able to came back from his downtime and showed his strength to pass me by near the top of Grant Swamp Pass next morning. He finished the race under 32 hours. So he knows what he needs and takes to come back.
While I was almost reaching to Grouse Glutch AS to see my long awaited pacer, I saw Speed goat Karl Meltzer looked painfully walking the downhill. In deed, he did his amazing 10th place finish at WS100 just two weeks earlier, his legs were still in recovery for Hardrock 100. Although the day wasn't for his day, he showed his toughness to participate the race and competed in the top group for 42 miles. He wished me a good luck for the race when I returned to continue the race.
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| View from the top of Handies Peak |
The rough 4x4 jeep road continued to the Engineer Pass, and we were running away from the dark thick clouds chasing after us. The lightnings flashed couple of times and rumbling thunder sounds reached us about 6 to 7 seconds later. Lightly rain started soon to put us on a rain jacket just about 2 miles before reaching to the top of the pass. I wasn't concerned about hitting rain storm as long as kept us moving at this point but was more concerned about slowed me down to approach Uncompahgre Gorge area on Bear Creek National Trail in complete darkness. The section had slick rocks on the trail, and the left side of trail dropped 400ft to Ouray Bear Creek. This rain drop may get even slicker rocks than in dry condition. We did quick stop and go at the Engineer AS and continued running down the single track trail which had beautifully bloomed wild flowers meadow I could see during daylight. Unfortunately the view was faded by light rain and twilight condition. We crossed over the Hwy 550 tunnel just past 9:15 p.m. The next 2.8 miles to Ouray AS was well studied before the race, so I was very comfortable with this section not confusing with many intersections on the trail.
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| Just after the Engineer Pass, full bloom at meadows |
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| Bear Creek National Trail |
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| 400+ feet drop right next to the trail, probably tumbling down? |
Just leaving the town of Ouray, the course has a very thoughtful idea to experience what miner's tunnel alike. We were going through this short tunnel in complete darkness, my flashlight surprised the bat started frying around in the tunnel. Meghan was more surprised by this thick black flying object than me. We got out of the tunnel and walked over the steel bridge seeing through the deep canyon directly under the feet. The short single track was connected to the jeep road. There were nothing technical this section, but then suddenly Meghan was kissing on the ground. She fell hard enough to scratch her knee bleeding bit. "Are you okay?" I asked, "I'm fine, I fell many times on the trail. It must be aftershock from that bat pound my heartbeat". She must be still in shock from fell and bat's surprise attack. (To be sure, the bat was not physically attacked us but let's blame it). When we reached the jeep road, I was power walking as soon as increased the grade of uphill. This section was bit of boring section for me especially in the dark. The distance felt even longer than what course description was on the manual. Tranquility and complete darkness of the night made my feel much more isolated, and the remoteness of the location felt insecurity of what I was doing there. It was just walking uphill hoping to see some light brighten up my soul of fear and loneliness. We walked more than hour from The town of Ouray, we saw that there were tree and mountain face lit up by strong light. I thought that the light must be from the next AS, but it turned me around by the light from the mining site. Ghaa, what a false alam for me to blighted up my feeling. However, I remember that the real Governor basin AS is just around the corner. We finally reached Governor basin AS just before the midnight.
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| Tunnel |
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| Inside of Tunnel |
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| View from steel bridge right after the tunnel |
Be continued to final part...
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