JayP

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• Friday, March 28, 2008

  Alaska Ultra Sport - to McGrath

  I had no idea how I was going to treat the race to McGrath (350 miles) considering my goal was to try in complete the route to Nome (1100 miles). I did know I wasn't going to lie down like a fish and just move to McGrath but I also wasn't going to take control and steer the ship either. I had a few things I knew I would do, follow somebody from the start through the short cut section of the start of the race, sleep a fair bit every night, and don't get caught up in somebody else's effort of suffering to McGrath. So I basically played a bit of cat and mouse, keeping a careful on eye on the others that were pressing the pace a bit more and of course paying close attention to taking care of myself.

  

  Start - Yentna. The start was quite calm, I usually like to put out big efforts at the start of a race even if it is weeks long but with my plan to follow someone through the short cut that I didn't know about helped me hold back. I followed Peter (knowing he was going to be competition) and after several hours it all sorted out and we were the ones leading out to Yentna up the frozen Su river. I was the first to arrive and while eating my grilled cheese, pops, and soup the masses were piling in. The ride to Yentna, actually all the way to Finger Lake was puuuurfect snow riding.

  

  

  Yentna - Skwentna. While everyone was doing there typical checkpoint maintenance of eating, drying out, and now getting ready for the darkness outside, I notice Rocky in and out and Tim traveling with the experience of Jeff O. following. I put myself back together and proceeded up the frozen river with the dark sky stars talking about as you glimpsed up. I pass Tim and Jeff shortly after and follow the lights of Rocky into the Skwentna roadhouse. At mile 90 and 9 hours into the race at 11:00pm it is a good place to catch some more real food and decide to catch some winks here or push onto Shell lake some 20 miles away and sleep there. I decided to eat, go upstairs to a bed sleep for 3.5 hours and eat again. At this point a lot of people are coming in deciding on the same but a few people did press on, 4 to be exact. Jeff a veteran strong arm traveling with a friend Tim from CO., Carl an experienced Ultra Sport fella from the UK and James a fast, happy, anxious first timer. I am no expert to this thing but it is my second time and I like to treat my multi day races like a "game" and not just a physical one. Anyway, what a very comfortable lodge, we are always welcome like family at Skwentna. I check out at 3:00am with 4 people ahead.

  

  Skwentna - Finger Lake. After getting the full details several times on leaving the checkpoint (sometimes the hardest navigation is arriving and leaving a checkpoint) I proceeded through the utility roads and am now on the trail. With 2 eyes starring at me up trail, I start yelling and turn my light to strobe, the moose continues running down the trail as I am following. He decides to stop, I stop. I proceed in my aggressive manner but he is busy eating and not caring no more. He no longer wants to go down trail and I continue this back and fourth game with him but clearly he is not going to give up the trail, can't blame him since it snowed something like 6 feet the week before and off trail is chest deep. My patience is running out and am quite frustrated after wasting more then an hour in less then a mile from the checkpoint. Now, Phil joins me as I explain and then Rocky. So finally after close to an 1.5 hours we all join and approach the moose knowing something was going to give, and it did, his head went down, ears back and charging he comes. We all jump off trail into the deep snow and he passes all of us. I don't blame him for not giving up the trail and he certainly didn't want to venture further then his usual area, it is more his land then mine.

  After the moose fiasco, I hit it hard looking back to see the others had dropped. I was fairly amped up to get through the Shell hills strongly and stop at the Shell Lake Lodge for a quick pit stop pick me up before carrying onto Finger Lake. The hills are very rollie and require on/off the bike quite a bit. So by the time you reach Shell lodge your probably, sweat wet. When I hit the lake I seen the headlamps of Tim and Jeff leaving the cabin, the other 2 were ahead of them which I am sure didn't sleep. I stop in the cabin and give myself 20 minutes. Chug a couple of pops, dry out what I can, make some adjustments, eat some more, and carry on. Shell Lake Lodge is basically a cabin, I stopped in here last year and found it to be unique in the way that I just walk into this persons home (they do sleep in the back), tip toe around, messing with my stuff hovering around the wood stove, help myself to there food and drinks behind the bar, leave more then enough money to cover what I had, and leave. I do sign the guest book, but with being my second year through this cabin in the middle of the night, I've yet to meet this kind women. Sort of weird. Thank you.

  

  

  Leaving Shell Lake with a gauge on the others ahead and the others behind were no where in sight even after my pit stop, I was very motivated to catch up. The trail after Shell is a dejavu of swamp crossing after swamp crossing. It was an ideal 1 snow-machine wide trail, fairly flat, indented down into the snow pack and very fast. I enjoyed some in the dark and then the transformation to day light. It was a very beautiful combination of trail and sunrise. I passed Tim and Jeff during day break and was moving steadily toward Finger Lake. I came across 2 women that were skijouring to McGrath for fun, I found that to be very cool. They let me know that the other 2 were not that far ahead. Seeing the back drop to Finger Lake is very exciting because when you get there you pick up your first food drop that you sent out there, weeks ago, curious to remember what you put in it and you get quite a good meal at the lodge. I arrive seeing Carl and James at the lodge which makes me very happy knowing I slept last night, been eating very well, and been holding back a bit on my exertion level. I take my time doing the same old routine maintenance. Eat, drink, eat, drink, resort my kit, go through my drop, pay attention to when the others leave and make sure I prep everything I can to move efficiently to Puntilla lake. Remembering from last year this section tends to be a bit demanding gaining elevation, steep hills, off camber trail and knowing when you arrive to Puntilla, Rainy pass the toughest section of trail is to be taken on. I leave Finger lake with the 2 leaders less then an hour ahead. That was mile 130, hour 20.

  Finger Lake - Puntilla Lake. I carry on to Puntilla Lake that sunshine filled day being able to ride quite a bit more then last year but still having to push the more consistant steeper hills, wondering how a musher with a dog team actually makes up, down and around some of these more technical fast tight turn areas. Into my afternoon I see Carl and James sliding down on there butts on one of the more steep down hill areas. I join them for a minute, have some brief chat and then I carry on. Whenever I catch someone I like to see where there at by pressing it a bit, if I can. I stay strong pushing and riding with the two behind but in sight for a while. After some passing time I arrive to Fin Bear lake, just short of the checkpoint (12 miles?). There is a couple that goes out to there lonely cabin on that lake each winter and welcomes us in for whatever it is we need. An oasis for sure. Carl and I enjoy a cup of hot coco here share a few minutes with Mike, the cabin owner, and carry on. It was one of those moments that was very comfortable and we both would of loved to spend some more time and enjoy Mikes company and cabin but with day light burning and the real checkpoint just a few short hours away we made the visit fairly quick without it being discussed. Hitting the trail I bumped it back up to a strong pace with Carl no longer around. Traveling to Puntilla Lake you now become surrounded by mountains and for me is when you feel like this little dot in this huge place. This feeling to me is Alaska, dwarfed, vulnerable, and where survival along with moving forward are 2 basic but most challenging things.

  

  

  Arriving to Puntilla Lake first I shout around looking for the checker and proceed to the correct cabin. I get myself stripped down with my clothes hanging around the wood stove to dry, soups and stews boiling on the Coleman stove, prepping to get some sleep, and taking the steps to be as close to ready when I wake. I really focus for this first 30-45 minutes trying to do as much as I can before the cabin fills up and things become confusing from all the people, chat, gear, and noise. My chores are done and I am sleeping and organized within my time allowance. Carl and James have arrived and were the only ones in the cabin when I went to sleep. When I woke some 5 hours later the cabin was full, beds full, people lying on the floor, people hovering and rotating there gear around the fire, food being eatin, and lots of chat. Whose leaving first and when? Is there a trail? Did trail breakers make it over Rainy Pass? The info one gets from the checkpoints usually can only be half believed or half correct about the trail, so you take it, throw the dice, and then make your own assumption, like worst case scenario is usually best. I rubbed my eyes looking to get in on some of the conversation. Peter who amazingly was there after a big layover the night before with a broken pedal and Rocky in the bed next to me were talking different scenarios. Peter was anxious to leave with who ever was first out, It seemed as if Carl and James were just about ready but I commented I didn't want to travel with them throughout the night because it didn't seem like they slept much there and I know they didn't the night before. I have had close to 10 hours at this point and knew when I was to leave for Rainy Pass I would be fine. If I am to travel with somebody I want it to be with somebody of same ability and rest, especially since its midnight. The sleep monster can really effect ones travel at night and since it is already not the most efficient traveling time you don't want other things to slow it down as well. After chatting with Pete I commented 1:00am I'll be ready. I rested an additional 30 minutes, got up, ate, put my kit together and Peter and I headed out about 1am for Rainy Pass.

  Puntilla Lake - over Rainy Pass to Rohn checkpoint. The trail up to the pass was what I call " in between" which means barely rideable, on and off a lot, takes effort and concentration to ride, so you just end up pushing because its less effort and not much slower if at all especially in darkness. During the night we caught up and passed Carl and James who were a bit spread out. Going up this wide valley on this calm night you could glance back and see the headlamps of others making there way. James in particular would not really let us gap him as he would catch, pass, and then drop off and this seemed to of happened all the way to Rohn, he was like a yo-yo. Arriving at the mouth of the pass at about daybreak Pete and I continue pushing up the windswept canyon that will take us over Rainy Pass. I am excited to be taking this route as last year we took an alternate which lead us around the range. Besides just being very comfortable, their is a feeling that I enjoy when I am "in" and surrounded by mountains. As we ascend, James of course comes up passes and we sort of watch as he is trying to ride and is being kicked on and off and falling into the sides of deeper snow. This is sort of entertaining to watch from behind as we continued to walk and ride when we can. We made it over the pass, which I was imagining was this crazy steep high elevation pass, not, giving the weather of clear and calm it made this wide open low elevation pass a beautiful one to cross during sunrise. Descending down through the other side James drops back and Pete and I carry on riding some fresh snowmobile track that was established the day before. We heard before leaving the Puntilla checkpoint that the trail breakers were bivying on this side of the pass and were going to continue in the morning to Rohn. We were hoping they were going to stay ahead of us and we would just follow. After an interesting little creek crossing, which I am totally comfortable with just walking straight through in my shoe system while others try to pick there way through or are slipping something on over what they are already wearing or some probably really are'nt prepared for open water and get wet. Cold and wet is not the combination I want to be involved with!

  

  

  So Pete and I continue a little further past the creek crossing to pass the camp the trail breakers made and then a little further to bump into the trail breakers themselves. 3 snow-machines with 3 people, 2 involved with the Ididarod dog race and 1 part of our race. The lady mentioned they were moving very slowly and it was quite a bit of work given the deep soft snow and the amount of down fall that had to be cleared as well. Our choices were for Pete and I to get in front of the machines and continue breaking trail or wait. My first suggestion without wasting anytime was, lets go to sleep for a while, seemed odd giving it was noon time but I wanted to do something of benefit with my time. We wasted no time beating down a spot along the trail in the sun to gain 3-4 hours sleep. By the time we gathered ourselves back together we continued up trail not more then 1 mile to bump back into the trail breakers, and with all this lapsed time 7 other bikers. It's a really good group of guys hanging around, busting funny comments and stories and just shaking our head on what the hell are we going to do next. Time is passing and as we sit idle people are getting cold. Kind of funny after 2 plus days of racing, everybody reaching this point with a different story, we are now all equal in distance but not sleep and physical fatigue. I am proud of my current condition of aprox. 13 plus hours of sleep, been eating and drinking really well, and I haven't had to put out any big physical efforts yet.

  After a bit of time, Rocky rallies the troops and says lets go, with this many of us we decide to break trail ourselves trying to rotate the trail breaker. We continue in front of the snowmachines and break trail through the gorge. It was mostly a knee deep slog, trying to find the old trail markers, crossing the creek from side to side with ice, running water and weak snow bridges all the way down the gorge. We all took our turns some more then others but all and all the camaraderie, positive attitudes, and sarcastic heckling kept us moving steadily. We finally made it through this section to the wide frozen river below with a bit of dusk light to spare. New attitudes and thoughts appear as we are closing in on the last mile to the Rohn checkpoint. Who is going to check in and out? How long is each person going to sleep? At this point its anybodies game and a new starting line.

  

  

  I am always thinking about my game and decided I would use the warm cabin that Jasper, the Ididarod checker, was so generously accommodating us all in. Rohn is also another checkpoint that we pick up another one of our resupply drops from. I gathered myself into the corner next to the wood stove and fixed myself some warm food while drying out all my clothing. Going through my drop bag, reorganizing my kit, and thinking what my best strategy will be all seem to be simple right now but then it seemed to be overwhelming and quite busy especially with 10 of us in this 15x20 cabin and everybody talking trying to figure there plan. I wasn't concerned with to many peoples plans but I was curious what Pete was going to do so I asked. He looked at me and said will you be ready in 15 minute, I'm out of here. I looked up and said I need some sleep. Not that I needed sleep but wanted it and thought it would be to my benefit and my last, before McGrath if played out right. I sort off thought it was an intense day, we left the night before, pushed all night, post holed the last few hours and even though it wasn't 9pm it was warm and comfortable. I look at this way with the option to leave, it was the first colder night in the negatives, if i push on the sleep monster is going to nail me in a few hours, and I will be riding slower or even pushing when I should be moving efficiently. The warm cabin allowed me 5+ hours sleep and I was on the trail by 3am, well rested and situated to hit hard until sunrise.

  

  Rohn to Nickoli. I leave and realize what a firm trail it is and try to gain what I can from such trail. I catch up to pass James and then Carl, both have been out for about 5 hours to my 3, I realize how good i am moving and just keep up the pace.

  

  Traveling through the "burn" can be very repetitive with being able to see into the distance and to constantly roll up and down with nothing changing. It's always nice to go through these types of areas during a change of day light so that the transformation helps break the monotony up. This particular morning was very brisk (-20) and so moving quickly is encouraged. Also, Bison camp, a tent camp within the burn area is a nice pit stop at usually the best time. Funny how shelters in the middle of nowhere are always stumbled across at the best time. So I arrive at Bison camp at around 9am to find Pete sacked up catching a few z's. I asked the fellow hunter next store how long Pete's been around he thought just a few hours maybe 3. I did some quick figuring to think i probably had a few more hours of quality sleep back at Rohn and with following Pete's trail I thought maybe I rode a bit more. At this point I felt to have a bit of edge, I wasn't going to stop until the finish. I took my time here drying out and heating up some hot food and refilling some water. Meanwhile Pete has taken off. I knew I had another 40 miles to Nickoli the last checkpoint and then another 50 to McGrath the first finish line where I had a planned 24 hour layover. I get back to ticking off the miles through the burn, past Sullivyn bridge I come across Pete resting in the trail, he said he had some stomach issues. Nothing I can do, I carry on making it into Nickoli around 6pm.

  

  

  Nickoli, is a small village where a family hosts the race in there home and is a checkpoint. Nick and Joleen(?), had some moose stew with bread going for us. Oh yea some desert and several cups of coffee to get me jump started.What an incredible meal. When I showed up I was the first to arrive, they have been anticipating somebodies arrival as it is just as exciting for them as it is for us. I made it clear when I showed up I just wanted to dry out , eat, and get on going using the little day light left to get me on my way and I would hopefully arrive in McGrath in the wee hours of the night. Last year at Nick's we walked in to him stretching a beaver hide on a sheet of plywood, this year he had lots of martin furs hanging to be taken and sold in Fairbanks. After this much comforting hour of replenishment I put myself back together for this 50 miles to McGrath.

  

  Nickoli - McGrath. The only thing exciting about this stretch of trail is knowing what waits at Peter's house, the checkpoint/finish, in McGrath. I set out on the frozen river trail with just enough light to navigate my way to a comfortable feeling of being on the right trail going in the right direction. With darkness setting in along with the -20 degree temps it was sure going to be a long evening. The trail also decided to go to the in "between" in lots of spots, it wasn't a bad thing because it made me warm up as I walked briskly throwing my feet forward to get the blood into my feet. McGrath wasn't my finish line but it was the first finish line for the 350 mile event. Whenever I close in with a finish line in sight I spend a lot of my time thinking of how lucky I am to do such a thing and all the people that have contributed to me being in this moment. I am sure I shed some tears as I starred at the airport light tower in McGrath as I closed in on it. It was one of those key features you pay attention to but never really gets closer as the hours go by until you are actually next to it. Arriving in McGrath at 4:20am with all my skin covered, goggles on, and even an extra layer, I can actually say I never even payed attention to how cold it really was until I walked into Peter's house and he said it is -25 and I looked like "The Iceman" covered in my frozen breath. Within about 2-3 minutes Peter had hot coco exploding with whip cream on it, a generous portion of some delicious lasagna and bread, and a fresh salad with fixins' all in front of me. Then a second helping of the same, followed by a wonderful hot shower. This was my second time arriving to Peter's in McGrath and I am now in belief this is the reason to do the event.

  

  Thanxs for checking in reading and maybe just looking at the pictures, sooner or later I will have a part 2 which was a journey to a small village of Koyukuk before I surrendered to the trail.

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