Notes
At our backs during the race, was a stunning vista overlooking the pemigewasset river valley and the surrounding peaks. On those peaks there was a Fat Ass 50k being hosted by Sherpa John La Croix, a truly dedicated young ultra runner I know from online forums. I don't believe in coincidence, this 50K was 2 miles down the road and I was going to participate in it somehow. I decided to go there for a 'cooldown' in the tradition of my Sunset Summit Cooldowns at the Elks, laden with as much water and calories as I could muster for any suffering ultra runners on this unsupported course. I've already typed about 1000 words about this day, and it was the brief experience on the pemi-loop that has me all fired up. Immediately after the race I went and grabbed 3 bagels and added them to the growing pile of race schwag that included about 6 hammer gels and a case of Smart Water. The Smart Water was awesome, fortified with non -sodium electrolytes. I wound up prepared with Smart Water in 2 - 24 oz. handhelds, and also my Nathan fanny Pack with 22 oz Smart Water. Each bottle was paired with 2 gels. In the Nathan and an addtional clip on pouch I had 2 - 5 oz. bottles with perpetuem. I had 9 or ten endurolytes and also 6 of these cheap-o-glucosamine chondroitin supplements from Walmart that have 120 mg sodium per pair. I threaded my new Loon Mtn. shirt over the strap at my waist and the load was quite bearable. My route would head in along the Pemi, then up the Osseo trail to Mt. Flume. I would continue on as many summits as possible with Mt. Llincoln as a goal. Osseo was a great gradual inclline and nicely runnable for the first 45 minutes. Then began the most grueling ascent of the day. It was hot, my watch was ticking toward my Mt. Washington time. I understood from online forum chatter that an easy time would be 10-13 hours, the race started at 6:30, so I figured I should see somene if I ran about 8 miles in. Doing some math I now figured these trails were way too technical and the weather too severe for an unsupported run under 13 at the outside. I was running and power hiking hard, and my water was going quick. This was quite a day, and I was really drained coming up Mt. Flume's summit. I popped up top between a couple boulders to be met by about 20 hikers, backpacks and the whole nine yards. I had put on my shirt due to the breeze, but I was still comparatively naked carrying only water and assorted calories. Looking past the hikers, my jaw hung and eyes gaped in awe at the endless procesion of crests and valleys surrounding me. If there wasn't company I'd probably have cried. I was on top of the world, this was my second summit of the whites, but stripped of all the civilized trappings at Mt. Washington this experience was utterly humbling and awesome. I hung around quite a bit taking in the vista before gazing across the impossible distance to the next peak and giddily barreling down the Mountain toward it. The ridge wasn't too far down and the climb not so bad to the next peak, and there I found fewer hikers, but an interesting crowd. I sat down and had my second batch of perpetuem, I was halfway through my water supply and couldn't go any further. Lincoln was 2 summits away and very far. Definitely beyond the reach of my supplies, but not my legs. I could imagine a case of summit fever if I had water to support myself. I sat and pondered, stretched and headed back. There are so many details to this run, the hikers and the trail and my sense of my ability, but I won't go on. I got back a little dehydrated, and brought a recovery drink down to the waters of the Pemi where I soaked for about ten minutes. I saw a car with HIKE4KS on the plate and knew Sherpa at least was out there , and figured I could chil out for an hour or two. I got myself changed, packed up and ready to go, then headed to town for some beer. I brought a 24 oz. handheld of Long Trail and a couple PB+J's to the bridge over the Pemi where I expected any finishers to cross and filled my belly. Soon enough, about 5:30 to be exact, three loping runners with camelbacks came along, crossed the bridge and immediately submerged themselvs in the Pemi's current. They admitted to having finished the 50k, and I was stunned. I was even more surprised when I learned they started at about 7:30 am. One face I recognized, Bob Mathis from Wapack 50, also Tim Roy who did the 42 at Wapack, and maybe Joe Holland? Bob Sharkey, who ran the Loon race, chatted with them and I got ready to go home. Sherpa John soon appeared trailing by about 20 minutes. These guys finished in 10-10:30 on a hot day across soaring peaks and grueling climbs, unbelieveable. The more I consider that the more I feel the need to get out there and find out what IS possible.