run, bike, paddle

bear country

2008-07-05T18:09:00.001-07:00

I spent the week in Kalispell, Montana hanging out with some old friends. I logged 45 miles on foot, and got two days on the river. We did a burly hike on the east side of Glacier National Park, hiked Mount Aeneas, and hiked Big Mountain. I paddled the Middle Fork of the Flathead and the Wild Mile on the Swan.
There is still tons of snow in the mountains out there. People were back country skiing on Aeneas. Montana is as wild as it gets in the U.S. We saw mountain goats, big horn sheep, a wolf and some crazy ass people. It was a cool trip. For more Montana pics check out my Flickr account.

hell fuck 2008 a smashing success

2008-06-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Hell Fuck lived up to it's name once again, putting the beat down on Jed Hinkley, Stephen Kimmel, and I. The course was different this year. In '07 we started in Johnson City and road biked to Carvers Gap (Roan Mountain). Then we ran the AT to Indian Grave Gap near the Noli. We stashed bikes at the trail head and rode them to the put in, ran the river, and road biked back to JC. Alenda shuttled gear from Roan Mountain to the takeout while we were running. This year I eliminated the need for a shuttle by starting at Carvers Gap. We ran the same 25 mile section of AT, biked to the put in, paddled the Nolichucky (at 300 cfs), and finished with a long road bike ride back to Carvers Gap. Before.

After.

This years course was shorter by a few miles, but the bike ride was insane. We rode from Erwin to Iron Mountain. Iron Mountain Gap is a 6 mile, 7% climb. It kicked my ass all over the place. It was another 16 miles to Bakersville, where we started the climb to Carvers Gap. Highway 261 ascends Roan Mountain for 12 miles, and the last 6 miles gain nearly 3000 feet. Jed attacked it like he was racing, but I was in survival mode, crawling along at 7 miles per hour. We were all in severe pain at the end.

Stephen was hurting the worst. Here he is purging himself of the Hell Fuck and swearing he will never do it again. He will change his mind before next year.

The 2009 Hell Fuck will take place in the Northeast, but I hope that someone steps up to keep the torch burning in the South.

more fun at the fork

2008-06-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

I ran the Russell Fork at 200 cfs after a rescue class I participated in at the takeout. I had never seen the river below 600, but local guru Gerald Delong assured me I would have a good time. He did not dissapoint. The Fork is a blast at any level. David Howard double boofing Tower.

Jim Janney

We camped near this overlook in the Breaks State Park. The rescue course took place against the big wall on river left.

I dodged coal trucks on my road bike Friday before the class started, and I stayed until Monday morning. On my way out I stopped near Norton, Va and ran a thirteen mile stretch of the Chief Benge Scout Trail. It parallels this creek for several miles. It ends at the waterfalls on Little Stony, one of Virginia's finest steep creeks.

a trip to virginia, and a new toy

2008-05-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

I looked out my window last Friday morning and I could not believe my eyes. My neighbor was having a yard sale and her parents were hocking a sailboat. I knew I had to buy it. Now I just have to learn how to sail. It should be a fun summer at Watauga Lake.

Alenda and I took a short vacation this week. We started with a 10k run on the New River Trail. Ultramarathon badass Annette Bednosky is organizing a 50k foot race there in October. Too bad that's Russell Fork season.

Mom and Dad got us a couple of nights at a cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, VA. We spent day 2 hiking and trail running on the Parkway. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Southern VA gnar.
On the way home we stopped at the Virginia Creeper Trail. We did 30k in 3 days. We are both recovering from ankle injuries, so we were happy to be back on our feet.

Alenda blew hers out running at Buffalo Mountain a couple of months ago.

I was looking through pictures I took earlier this year and found a couple I liked:

Pond Mountain as seen from Iron Mountain.
Riley Cathcart in the middle of the shit (Linville Gorge).

Dr. Seuss on Linville.

nolichucky bi-tri

2008-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Caleb, Russell and I completed the first installment of the Johnson City Summer Series. The Series consist of the Bi-Tri, the Hell Fuck and the 40-40-40 (more about that later). This was the second annual Bi-Tri. It started with a 9 mile paddle down the Noli Gorge. The light at Quarter Mile is spectacular early in the morning.At the take out we transitioned into running gear and ran 7 miles up the AT to Indian Grave Gap. We picked up bikes left at the Gap and rode 5 miles down the mountain back to the put in.

Soon we were charging down Quarter Mile for the second time. Photo by Joe Huggins.

After our second paddle down the Noli, we got on road bikes and climbed Spivy Gap. The 30 mile ride brought us back to the put in, and our vehicles.

The only thing left was gear retrieval. We had a mountain of boats, bikes, shoes and paddles at the take out. Photo by Joe Huggins.

The 40-40-40 is going to be the most brutal of the 3 events. It starts in Hampton, TN where the AT crosses 321. I am going to run from Hampton to Damascus (40+ miles) where I will stash a road bike. Highway 91 will bring me over Holston Mountain and back to Hampton (40+ miles). The final 40 will be a cold 40 oz Steel Reserve that I will drink upon completing this punisher...if I finish.

the baddle

2008-04-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

Jerry's Baddle was a blast last Saturday. Over one hundred racers competed despite the rain. The party/transition area was at Wilderness Cove Campground. It was a great venue. Steep descents and bad weather made road hairier than the river. At one point both of my feet were unclipped, my chain was off the chain ring and I was swerving across both lanes of traffic on slick pavement. Somehow, I pulled it all together.

Transition area.

Later in the day the kegs were tapped and the sun poked out, providing a perfect setting for a kick ass party. Jed Hinkle and Clayton Gaar were fired up about winning the team event with the fastest time overall.

I was excited to bring this trophy back home. It will continue to be passed around the winners circle.

Green Man:

1. Adam Herzog 1:57:22

2. Mefford Williams 2:06:21

3. Tim Bell 2:07:44 (Tim crashed his bike on one of the hairpin turns)

Green Woman

1. Mariah Noakes 2:22:22

2. Jennifer Cribbs 2:25:30

3. Robin Betz 2:25:53

Teams

1. Clayton Garr/Jed Hinkle 1:56:37

2. Nathan Silsby/Nathan Wyatt 1:57:20

3. Brian Douglass/Adam Douchac 2:03:33

Full results.

Thanks to Brooks, Brid, Stephen, Liquid Logic, Pro Bikes, Wilderness Cove and all the volunteers, timers, and coordinators for making it happen.

russell fork "off season"

2008-04-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

The off season is on in Elkhorn City. Drew Austell and I made the trip yesterday for some high water action. The level was 2900 cfs (fall releases are 800). Tower and Fist were scary as hell, and when we got to Triple Drop we portaged the first one. This is Drew lining up for Second Drop.

Triple Drop is one of the most serious rapids on the Fork at high water. The bottom of Third Drop is nasty.

Me at Second Drop. All pics of me were taken by Drew.

Buried at Third Drop. The Grande performed well on the big water.
Calm before the storm at El Horrendo.
The storm.

The only thing sketchier than running the meat of Tower and El Ho at three grand is walking through this tunnel to get back to the put in (to do some more sketchy shit).

hell fuck 2008

2008-04-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last year, on the first Saturday after the summer solstice, Caleb Paquette and I initiated the First Annual Nolichucky Hell Fuck. The Hell Fuck started at my house in Johnson City with a 45 mile road bike ride to the top of Roan Mountain. The last 8 miles gained 3500 feet of elevation. At Carvers Gap we transitioned to a 25 mile run on the Appalachian Trail to Indian Grave Gap. A short downhill on TN 395 (we used cruiser bikes) brought us to the put in of the Nolichucky gorge. After running the gorge in long boats, we transitioned back onto road bikes for a 25 mile ride back home, completing the loop.
The Hell Fuck took me over 14 hours. It is the longest, most brutal event I have taken part in. This year the shit hits the fan on June 21st. If interested get in touch with me at herzog_adam@yahoo.com or 828 279 7230. If you would not want to attempt an Iron Man, this event is probably not for you.

virginia is for racers

2008-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Alenda and I spent the weekend racing in Abingdon, VA. She ran the Highlands Spring Chase 15K on Saturday, and I ran the Virginia Creeper Marathon on Sunday. The forecast looked good when we left, but on the way the temperature dropped into the forties and it started raining. Conditions were not ideal, but Alenda did well, running the course in 85 minutes. She got third place in the female division. The 15K was also on the Creeper Trail.

The area is beautiful.

The weather was worse on Sunday with rain and temps in the thirties. I was cold at the start line.

I still finished strong in 3:29. My goal was 8 minute miles and I averaged 7:59.

It was a great weekend.

I paddled the Watauga nearly 20 times in March. These shots are from an early run.

fired up

2008-03-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

My next race is the Virginia Creeper Marathon. I was training for it on Tuesday in the heaviest rain Johnson City has seen in a year. "I wonder if anything is running?" I thought as I slogged through deep puddles. I checked the gauges when I got home, but nothing was registering. I took a chance and drove up to the Doe. I was rewarded with 800 cfs of muddy, brown water. The next day Russell and I got a couple of runs on the Laurel Fork at a good level. Big R boofing the entrance rapid on the Laurel Fork.

This rapid has a couple of stout ledge holes and a gnarly corner pocket. The Laurel Fork is walled in and tight. Darwin's Hole is a mandatory class V rapid that consist of two, five foot ledges. The second one is a smooth, uniform ledge creating a potentially fatal hydraulic.
The portage around the Falls is badly eroded. We roped our boats down. The Falls are runnable, but not by me.

A couple of days later we were surprised by a juicy Watauga. This is Seth running Hydro. Russell on the traditional line at State Line.

Tennessee the Hard Way.

The Veil. All State Line photos by Seth.

linville gorge

2008-02-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

I missed the rain a few weeks ago due to a new job and a bad case of the flu. Yesterday, I made up for it with a fantastic run down my second favorite river-Linville. My all time favorite is the Russell Fork. We arrived at Babel Tower to find the river at 2.4, a great first time level for former C1 rodeo champ Brian Miller. Spencer wanted to shoot some video, so we took our time.

This is death penalty, and the portage around it. It's marginably runnable at high water.

Riley avoiding a nasty sieve at the first drop of Hallway (aka Jailhouse).

Dr. Seuss has a high beatdown potential.

Today we longboated the Nolichucky at 1700 cfs, a prime level. Hopefully this rain will keep up. There is more in the forecast for later in the week.

holston mountain death march

2008-02-03T18:31:00.001-08:00

On Sunday afternoon, after a leisurly breakfast, Alenda and I went to Holston Mountain for a "little" trail run. We contemplated a 13 mile loop, but decided on a shorter route instead. We had planned to drive up Panhandle road to the Short Spur trailhead. Panhandle was gated, so we started walking. Two and a half miles later, at the top of a long climb, we finally found the trail. Short Spur drops abruptly down the north side of Holston. It loses 1500 feet in 1.7 miles. This is Holston Lake from the top of Short Spur. We were heading to the valley floor in the foreground. We dropped straight down to the Flatwoods Horse Trail. Flatwoods Horse was relativly flat, but rocky terrain prevented us from running. It took us two and a half hours to reach the Flint Mill Trail. We looked at our map and realized we were in for a much longer day than the three hour run I had promised.

The Flint Mill Trail is the steepest mile I have ever climbed. It ascends 1500 feet in 1.4 miles.

One mile, and one hour later we reached Flint Mill Rock and this incredible view. The trail brought us to an intesection and a decision. We could climb 1000 feet on the Holston Mountain Trail to the fire tower, or we could take what we thought was a service road around the ridge. The problem was that the road was an unmarked horse trail, and our shadows were getting long. We started down the horse trail at 3:00 p.m. It forked several times and we ended up at a dead end. We began contemplating the reality of spending the night on Holston Mountain. We turned around and found the right fork, eventually coming back to the Short Spur trailhead. Relief swept over us. I had a space blanket, lighters, water tablets and extra food, but it would have been a cold, miserable evening under the stars. We finally got back to the truck six hours (and fifteen miles) after we started. Thirty minutes later darkness enveloped the mountain. Next time I try an unknown trail, I will leave early in the morning and give myself plenty of time to spare.

a good time was had by all

2008-01-13T07:30:00.001-08:00

The 5th annual Chatooga Race went off without a hitch Saturday, January 12th. The Chatooga Race is the most grassroots event of the year. It is the polar opposite of the Green Race. Instead of growing, it shrinks each year. This year was the lowest turnout yet. Only nine brave souls raced, but a big crew paddled in to check out the action. We had enough rain last week to bring the river up to 1.6, a difficult level to race. The pools are long and shallow.

Racing into Soc-em-Dog. Running the Five Falls while physically exhausted is challenging and scary (photo Jed Hinckley).Someone swims across the finish line every year (photo Jed Hinckley).

Post-race glow.

Todd won the party by bringing a full Bloody Mary bar including cracked pepper, lime, and Tabasco sauce. The results I remember:

1st place: Chris Gragtmans (he won a 40 oz of Miller High Life)

2nd place: Adam Herzog

3rd place: Chris Galloway

4th place: Daniel Windham

old school

2008-01-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

I got into some old pic's last week and scanned them into cyberspace.

Fear and loathing in Ontario. In 1999 I went on a trip up north and found this twenty five footer with a nasty entrance and a nastier exit. I christened it "Balls Falls".

The man who started it all. This is my Dad blasting Nanty Falls.

My sister was a teenage rodeo star.

I was known to surf in those days. 1995 or '96 Hell Hole Rodeo.

Glen Leplant at the Horns of God on the Nanty Cascades.

Funkin' the Monkey in a Redline, the first boat I ran it in.

Going deep on Lover's Leap. 2002 California trip.

A tight slot on a tributary of the Yuba.

Eclipse on the Lower Cullasaja before the 2004 floods. In 2002 and '03, we ran the 'Saja more than the Green.

High water Cascades.

boatin' again

2007-12-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

The South got some much needed rain this week.

On the 23rd, the Watauga came up to a runnable level. I went on a late solo run. This is Stateline Falls at about 130 cfs, the lowest I have seen the Watauga. It was still fun, but I walked the Falls (think Sunshine without a pillow).

The Smokies got hammered a few days later, and Stephen Kimmel and I went to Big Creek.

Stephen doing the Big Creek boogie.

Keith, Chris and crew in the midst of Action Alley at a respectable flow. Big Creek photos by Alenda Hartshorn.

The day after Big, we went back to the Watauga at a healthier flow and rode out the last of the water. Hopefully it will keep on raining!

mann's creek and a 10k

2007-12-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

Caleb and I drove to West Virginia after Fayetteville was hammered with rain. We left JC at 5:30 a.m. Friday. Three hours later, we were sitting in a parking lot in town without a clue. A creekboat laden truck drove by and I called out "chase that motherfucker"! I think we scared Justin, but he gave us some valuable beta. We talked to Brian Kirk and drove to Mann's to check the level.

Three hours later, we dropped the first of many falls.

When we put on, the level was 4 inches. This is the gauge several hours later. Zero is minimum, 4 inches is medium, and 8 inches is high.

We rolled back into JC at 8:30 that night. 15 hours of logistics for 3 hours of paddling, and it was well worth it. Mann's is reminiscent of the West Prong, but longer and more remote. Thanks to the local boys for showing us down.

The next day I ran a 10k at Davy Crockett State Park with Alenda and our friend Russell "the Big R" Marcus. It was Alenda's first road race and she performed well, coming in third in her division.

I was hoping to whip the Big R's ass. He maintained a 15 to 20 second lead on me for the first 2/3 of the course. I caught him at mile 4, and we were neck and neck coming into the finish. He saved some juice for the final sprint, and I blew my wad. He crossed the finish line 25 seconds in front of me, proving once again, that he is a superior road runner. He was 10th overall, finishing in 42:25. I was 11th with a time of 42:50.

morgantown...and a dry local creek

2007-12-09T07:40:00.001-08:00

Alenda and I drove to West Virginia last weekend to check out Morgantown. My impeccable timing delivered us on their only dry day this month. Instead of paddling, I ran a section of the Decker's Creek Trail. Decker's flows into the Monongahela river. It features a short, class V+ section of whitewater.

This is the entrance drop of the gorge (I think). Decker's is reminiscent of the Cullasaja in NC. It is always good to have some easily accessible roadside gnar for that after work fix.

Think about this next time you flip a light switch: nationwide, 57% of electricity comes from coal fired power plants. The number is higher in the South. Most of that coal comes from WV. This operation sits on top of Decker's Creek. Running out of the woods and into this was a surreal shock. Morgantown is the epicenter of WV creek boating. However, due to the environmental decimation that has occurred there, I give it a 7 out of 10 for outdoor living.

I did a couple of trail runs/picture taking trips in the Laurel Fork area last month. The creek is only 20 minutes from Johnson City. The watershed is currently threatened by a logging proposal. The Upper Laurel Fork Trail starts in Dennis Cove about a mile past the AT crossing. The run involves 15 or 20 stream crossings in the first 5 miles. Don't even try to keep your feet dry on this one. The Upper Laurel Fork would make an interesting whitewater run. A double drop starts the action 1 1/2 miles upstream of the trail head. It is not very steep, but it features continuous boulder gardens.

Laurel Falls is on the lower gorge on the Laurel Fork. The Falls have never been dropped, but they are runnable. This is the crux move. The mess leads directly into a 20 footer with a nasty shelf half way down it. Flipping here would be disastrous.

The middle line is disgusting. There are rumors of an inflatable descent years ago. The falls are 40 to 50 feet tall.

Groove Tube (above) is the last major rapid above the falls. The Laurel Fork is steep, tight, and scary as shit when it has good water. Darwin's Hole is in the heart of the gorge. It is a serious class V rapid that is difficult to scout and even tougher to portage.

The gorge from high up.

The fall colors were still going strong.

putting the remix to the test

2007-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

I spent a day on the Nolichucky the week before the Green Race. The level was around 280 cfs. I had never seen the river that low, and was not sure what to expect. It was a beautiful day, and I knew I would see some good fall colors. I was surprised to find plenty of water in the river. I paddled down to Rooster Tail, then attained back to my truck. It took a long time, and I had to portage a lot, but I eventually made it. It was a good way to get the Remix 100 (aka the Hungee) dialed on mellow water.

On Friday I went to Saluda and put the new boat through some rigorous testing. The race was the next day, and I wanted to get dialed. Caleb Coaplen met me at the takeout. We did two practice runs at a nice level. I felt good in the boat. It handled the steepness of the Green with ease. I rolled it for the first time in the Notch (above Gorilla). Fortunately, it rolls well.

I stayed with some friends in Asheville and got up early the next day, excited to race. The parking lot was buzzing with energy, but I felt surprisingly calm. This year was my fifth Green Race, and I have learned that it all comes down to that day. My strategy is have fun, clean the lines, and hope for the best.

"5...4...3...2...1...go!" The adrenaline rush during the countdown is overwhelming. I paddled into Frankenstein and all thoughts ceased. As I came into Gorilla I barely heard the roar of the crowd. Once I cleared the Speed Trap I hammered to the finish line. I looked at my watch-4:48. I knew I was pretty far behind the winner (11th place out of 124), but my best previous race time was 4:56. I was very happy, especially considering my limited number of practice runs.

The Hungee did well in the race, securing 7 of the top 14 spots. Thanks to all the homies at Liquidlogic for making it happen.

rain, racing, and the remix 100

2007-10-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

It finally rained! This was a really exciting week in Johnson City. I started with 5 Watauga laps on Wednesday and Thursday, a Linville double on Friday, and topped it off with a great day of racing on the Russell Fork Saturday. But first, a boat review is in order.

This is Liquidlogic's newest creation, the Remix 100. I was given the opportunity to test it out on race day in Elkhorn City. This boat is absolutely massive. At nearly 12 feet long and 100 gallons it is a true speed demon. To put the picture in perspective, I am 6'4" tall. The first thing I noticed about the 100 is it's ability to boof. Most long boats pencil, slowing forward momentum. The first rapid on the Fork, Tower, is a 5 foot tall, wet boof. There is no rock to assist the paddler in landing flat, but the 100 landed flat as a pancake, skipping over the hole. Triple Drop is always the hardest rapid in the Lord of the Fork Race. I am used to being under water from the neck down in Second and Third Drops, but Saturday I did not even get my skirt wet. The boat is a lot to handle in flat water. It is fast and accelerates quickly, but when I let it get away from me on the eddy lines, it went quick. This weekend I will put it to the test on the Green.

T Dub was in the house on Saturday. Congrats to Toby, who cruised into first once again. The top five spots were as follows: 1. Toby MacDermott 2. Geoff Calhoun 3. Matt Walker 4. Adam Herzog 5. Bryan Kirk. Huge thanks to Woody, Shane, John, and the rest of the crew at Liquidlogic for coming through with the 100. Those guys put a lot of effort into getting the boats to Kentucky in time for the race. Thanks to Jay Ditty and the Elkhorn locals for putting on the best extreme race/party in the country. Congrats, Jay, on setting the C1 course record in a 30 year old glass boat.

Race training consisted of a Linville double the day before the event. Drew Austell and I left Johnson City at 4:45 a.m. to get a full day of paddling.

We hiked down with head lamps and waited for the sun to come up. Here's Drew scouting Babel tower by camera flash.

The level was 2.4 on the first run and slightly lower on the second. This slot is a good indicator for The Cave rapid downstream. If you can't hit the boof river left in the slot, don't run the entrance to The Cave. If this one is no problem, The Cave entrance slide is good to go. Both lines come in around 2.6. This picture was taken on our second run (2.3ish).

birmingham

2007-10-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Alenda has almost completed medical school. She graduates in May 2008 (congrats, Alenda), and she has decided to specialize in neurology. The application process is complex and daunting. Residency programs interview applicants and rank each one. The applicants rank the programs. On "match day" a computer is going to tell us where we are spending the next four years. I am going to visit as many of the potential towns as possible while she interviews. I am going to give each city a rating, on a 1 to 10 scale, for outdoor lifestyle. I hope to do something hardcore in each town. Last week we went to Birmingham, Alabama.

While Alenda was interviewing I went to Oak Mountain State Park. Oak Mountain is 30 minutes from downtown Birmingham, and it contains 50 to 60 miles of trails. The terrain is a combination of technical single track and old roads. The trails are well maintained and well marked. I ran a 17 mile loop known as the Double Oak Trail that is maintained by the local mountain biking group.

The section I ran looked like great mountain biking. The first five miles of the loop is old, dirt road. The rest is singletrack like this.

Wildlife was plentiful at Oak Mountain. I saw this owl (upper right hand corner) hanging out in the trees. Birmingham is a great place to live for outdoor enthusiast. Mountain biking, running and paddling opportunities are plentiful. Little River Canyon, a classic class V river that runs frequently, is an easy hour and a half drive. Due to sketchy road biking and pretty flat terrain, I give it a seven out of ten.

Johnson City is a hard act to follow for outdoor living. It is one of the most underrated towns in the East. I took this shot and the ones below on road cycling routes over the last few weeks.

This is the Doe River Gorge (background) as seen from Johnson City. The Doe contains 5 miles of continuous, Colorado style class IV and IV+ whitewater. This scenic overlook is a ten minute bike ride from my house.

Buffalo Mountain overlooks Johnson City. It contains 10 to 15 miles of singletrack as well as 15+ miles of ATV trails. JC earns an 8.5 for the high density of whitewater, trails, and quality biking in the vicinity.

my favorite time of year...russell fork season

2007-10-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

Known as the "Grand Canyon of the South", the Russell Fork is one of my all time favorite rivers. Ten years ago some old school boaters took me down for the first time. It changed my life. At the time I was still doing a lot of park & play, and downriver class IV stuff. I had only dabbled in big hair. One weekend on the Fork and I wanted gnar all the time.

Caleb Paquette is the man. I owe most of my big water Johnson City days to this guy. Here he is charging through Fist.

Cooper Lambla got some race practice on Saturday. He was looking strong speeding through Fist in a Wave Sport Excell. He will be a contender in this years Lord of the Fork Race.

No matter how many times I run Tower and Fist, they always give me butterflies. This is the Fist rock, a place I never want to see up close.

On Sunday, Coop took his Riot Nitro for some downriver play. This is a ledgewheel sequence from El Horrendo.

We logged five runs in two days. It was a great weekend with many memorable moments including big downtime at Third Drop, shorty tops, and catching the water both days. Don't bother putting on before noon this year. The pools are taking longer than usual to fill due to nonexistent natural flow. It was my first day in the Grande on some real water, and it felt really good. The boat is predictable, stable and easy to figure out.

Last week I did some flat water training on Boone Lake and got a nice shot along the shore.

51 miles on foot

2007-09-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I successfully completed my first 50 mile ultramarathon. The race started and ended in Damascus, VA. The majority of the course was on the Iron Mountain Trail. The night before the race I stayed with some friends in Abingdon. The above photo was taken from Denise and Bob's front yard. The mountains in the background are the Iron Mountains. The race included long stretches of that ridge line.

The big mountain left of center is Mount Rogers, the tallest peak in VA. This photo was taken from the same spot. I hope to have a view like this someday.

The best thing about endurance sports is the athletes. I met some really cool people on the trail. The three in the center helped me get through some low points in my day. These people redefine hardcore. The woman on the left is 46 years old and beat me to the finish line. In ultramarathons everyone gets the same applause at the end. Spectators and competitors cheer equally loud for the winner and those that barely make the time limit.

This is my new friend Dean crossing the finish. Last year he and his wife competed in twelve ultramarathons and six marathons.

These are my worn out dogs after 51 miles of grueling trail. I was hurting the whole time, but I did not cramp up or bonk all day. Other than some severe indigestion my body dealt with the abuse well. It took me ten hours and nineteen minutes to complete the course. I placed 23rd out of 58 racers. Only 41 people finsished within the 12 hour limit. The winning time was sub-eight. I had lots of time to think on the trail, and I kept asking myself "Why am I doing this?". The answer is simple: to see what I am made of. Long distance running strips away all the bullshit. It forces the athlete to ignore the pain and put one foot in front of the other for endless hours.

As the sun set over Damascus I had a good conversation with a fellow runner. He asked me how I did and I told him, then added "I did not really care about my time, I just wanted to finish." He replied "That's what ultrarunning is all about".

Special thanks to Denise, Bob, Nick, and Elana for the grub and accommodations.

first dnf

2007-09-26T11:06:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I rode the Tour de Tuck, a 105 mile road bike ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway that gains 11000 feet of elevation. This ride is to be the first in a double header. Next Saturday, I am competing in the Iron Mtn Trail Race, a fifty mile run. On the way to my parents house in Cullowhee Friday, Alenda (my wife) and I stopped at Liquid Logic HQ and picked up a Jefe Grande. I knew the boat would be good for someone my size, but it totally blew me away. It is responsive, stable and boofs like a madman. I am really excited about taking it on some big water runs when it rains.

My 200 lb. frame bogs most boats down and I end up low in the water. This picture, taken at the bottom of Hammer Factor, shows my water line well above the surface. Sitting in the new seat, you will feel like you're paddling on a cloud. This is not a boat for a little guy (or gal), but for big boaters, this is the ride.

Alenda and I stayed at my folk's house that night and got up early in the a.m. for what would prove to be an epic day. I met up with my buddies Jed Hinckley and David Jacobsen before the race. The whole group of 200 or so bikers stuck together through Cherokee. Once on the Parkway, the climbing began in earnest. Last year I lost the group on the hills. This year Jed and I stayed in the front of the pack and ended up in a strong group of 15 people. We rode harder than I have ever ridden in a century. It was nice to see everyone working together. At Balsam Gap our group thinned out. Jed and I rode the next 20 mile climb at a moderate pace. We were feeling great at the highest point on the Parkway when someone told us we were only 10 minutes behind the rider in first place. Fired up, we got off the Parkway and headed down 215. On the way down I saw a sign for Transylvania County. I did not remember that from last year, but blew it off. It was not untill we got close to Rosman that I knew we missed a turn. First I was super pissed because we were smoking the course, but I quickly realized I just had to focus on the 10 to 15 miles of steep road we had just descended. Eventually we made it back on the course and headed for Cullowhee (we were still passing people). Alenda had gotten wind of our misfortune and picked my truck up. I told her we would meet her at my folks place instead of the start/finish area. Adding on unexpected miles is psychologically devastating. For the next few hours I thought about two things: cold beer and burning legs. We rode about 130 miles in 7.5 hours. I technically DNF'd it, but rode farther than the course. Jed rallied for the finish (and his car) after stopping at Mom and Dad's for a few egg burritos and beers. I hope he did not puke on that last seven miles.

Me and Jed partying after a brutal 130 with 15000 + feet of climbing. Thanks to Alenda for the shuttles and pictures, and Mom and Dad for the hospitality.

cheoah update

2007-09-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday after a couple of fun Cheoah laps, the first unofficial race was held. Turnout was strong. A bunch of really fast paddlers showed up with long boats and good attitudes. This sequence was shot early in the race.

Shane flipped coming out of the second ledge on the middle line. Joe Barkley and Chris Hipgrave were right behind him, neck and neck.

Here Joe maintains his lead on Chris and passes Shane as he rolls his 16 footer.

Joe is still fighting with the long boys at the washout. Shane is now becoming hypoxic.

Shane is upright and on Chris' stern, Joe now in front (did I mention he is in a Jefe?).

The biggest rapids are below the bridge. I think we were all feeling pretty lactic by the time we got there.

Joe still charging strong. Joe has a background in wild water and it showed at the Cheoah. He was the first short boat across the line, and he beat a bunch of long boats. Results as I remember them:

1. Chris Gragtmans (Dagger Green boat)

2. Chris Hipgrave (Perception Wavehopper)

3. Chan Jones (Prijon Tornado)

4. myself (Prijon T Canyon)

5. Shane Benedict (Liquid Logic Pisgah)
6. Howard Tidwell (Perception Dancer)

7. Maria Noakes (LL Pisgah)
8. Joe Barkley (LL Jefe)

This is race should become a regular event. The timing was good as we roll into my favorite time of year-race season. Thanks to Ronnie Dilbeck for shooting the pics.

75 K

2007-08-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I completed my longest run to date. The 40 mile trek turned out to be closer to 50.
I got off to a great start at 6:30 a.m. There is something magical about the forest as the sun comes up. At mile 2 I crossed a stream with pentiful flow. "Good", I thought, "water won't be a problem". But as I climbed in elevation things dried up. I arrived at my planned water refill to find a bone dry creek bed. From this point on water would be the primary objective.

I started rationing Gatorade (I still had about 20 0z and 2 hours to Allen Gap) and things moved along smoothly. At mile 13 I ran into this high altitude peacock (4800 feet). At first he would not budge, then he lead me down the trail, running, for 50 or so feet.

Everything changed at Allen Gap. The first 20.2 miles flew by in 4 hours 10 minutes. I thought I would find water here, but no luck. The nearest gas station was 5 miles away. I ran and hitched, and got a ride after about 1.5 miles. I restocked my Gatorade supply, drank a couple of Cokes and ran back. No one picked me up and I added on another 5 miles. The mountain in the background is Allen Gap. I was expecting the most grueling section to be the climb out of Allen Gap and it was. Little did I know I would already have pounded 6.5 extra miles of uphill road to get to the climb. Back on the trail I experienced my first major bonk.

During said bonk, I put my foot down about 8 inches in front of this rattler. The adrenaline gave me a needed boost.

This exposed ridge line trail features some of the best views I have ever seen from the AT. I was running low on water again and having the most painful abdominal cramps I have experienced. Dehydration and exhaustion were wearing me very thin. The abdominal cramps persisted for an hour or two and made running nearly impossible. I walked all the climbs and stumbled and ran the descents and flats. This run pushed me far past my pain threshold. After mile 32 the only thing that kept me going was the fact that I had no choice. Water was still a major issue and I was rationing again, trying to make 20 oz last 9 miles-not fun in 95 degree weather. As I floundered into a clearing and shelter at mile 40, I was shocked to see a gallon of pure water glinting in the sunlight. No one was around. I called out and found some hippies camping behind the shelter. We worked out a trade and they hooked me up with 64 oz of water and some ibuprofen (I forgot mine). Those last 7 miles would have been pure hell without them.

Beat down. I shot this self portrait at the trail head as the sun started to slide behind the mountains. It took me about 12 hours and 15 minutes to run 47 miles (just under 75 k) including breaks. I am glad I did it, but I hope I never hurt like that again.