March 7, 2009
Seven Sisters Summit

Chris, Adam, Wendy and Jim joined me on the third annual Seven Sisters run. This is more of a hike than a run. Over the course of 14 miles, the total elevation change is approximately 9,000 feet, with much of it being extremely rugged.

I stayed with Jim, who was unfamiliar with the area, and the rest went ahead. On the rocky crag of Lookout, we met up with Adam, but Wendy and Chris were nowhere to be found. Adam went ahead to catch them since they had likely missed a turn and continued on trestle.

I soon went on my own again as Jim assured me he'd be able to follow the course. The rest of the way I'd be by myself. It was nice to take in the sights and go at my own pace. The steep ups and downs didn't bother me.

The views were tremendous! Every summit afforded a clear view of other mountain ranges. The view from Walker Knob was the most stellar, looking out over Black Mountain and the Swannanoa range.

I was running low on water despite filling up midway. Thankfully, there was snow here and there so I filled my bottle at every opportunity. The temperature had warmed considerably and I would have been in major trouble without the snow. I noticed only one pair of footprints in the snow, which concerned me a bit.

I reached Greybeard, the high point of the journey, at 5400 feet. Views were senational to the north and the east! After relaxing a while, I headed back down and onto the Westridge trail. This is very technical with some boulder hopping and fancy footwork. Fortunately, it's on a downward trend, so it's a little easier on the lungs.

Many view spots exist along Westrigde and I took them in. The Asheville watershed lies along the trail and the reservoir is visible below. At one point, there is a very convincing visage of the old man of the moutain. The nose is formed by one rock while the head is of a different one, giving a bit of a Pinocchio effect.

Heading down from the ridge, I came across another wonderful view spot. I soaked up a few rays and took in the views, then headed down. The last bit of trail becomes exceedingly steep, with a few rocks at 60 degrees. My Innovates handled the rocks well and gripped even at that angle.

A short road section led me back to the car. It took about 4:20 to do the loop. Adam had left but Chris's and Wendy's vehichles were still there. They came in shortly afterward. It turned out they'd down about five extra miles due to numerous wrong turns. They had passed Jim several times as well. Chris and I enjoyed grub at Camino's, which is once again a top notch eatery, due to new ownership.

B-Rex

February 28, 2009
Mount Mitchell Challenge

The weather appeared to be a non factor again. The forecast two days out called for 50's and mild weather. That changed on Friday, when rain, high winds and snow were forecast. My wardrobe plan would have to change.

I arrived close to start time so I didn't get to talk to everybody before the race. Rain was falling so I wanted to limit my time in it. That way I was warm at the start.

We started up Cherry Street and out onto Montreat. It was quite comfortable despite the steady sky tears. I ran with Bryan Hill for a while and Adam Hill cheered us on as we passed through the stone arches of Montreat. I slowed up a bit and met up with Travis Cowan. We stayed together on Rainbow road but then he went ahead.

I didn't push it on any part of the climb. The weather was miserable but I didn't let it get me down. My pace was slow and deliberate so I could save some for the downhill.

Nearing the Parkway, I was informed by search and rescue that the time cutoff had been changed. I'd been through two aid stations since the decision was made and no one communicated anything whatsoever about the change. I had made the official cutoff time with over 15 minutes to spare but was prevented from ascending Mt. Mitchell due to high winds and snow.

The purpose of having this race in February is to throw in the wild card of potentially severe weather. Some runners did suffer from hypothermia. The addition of drop bags at the Parkway aid station would have eliminated this problem.

I ran into Bryan Hill right before the aid station and he ran back to it with me. Our race was over so there was no hurry to finish up. We hadn't planned on running a marathon so the return trip plodded along at a leisurely pace. I helped out a woman who had lost all dexterity in her fingers. She couldn't open her pack. Hours upon hours of rain tend to render simple tasks impossible.

At the second to last aid station, I met up with Bedford Boyce. We trotted out the rest of the course together. It still meant plenty of time on our feet so it wasn't a lost cause.

B-Rex