Going Long and Hard.
- Thread starter Steve Vai
- Start date
GSTim
Formerly M3Tim
Thinking the same thing?
search by last name in the participants box he pops right up
GSTim
Formerly M3Tim
Dingo
Well-Known Member
Friggin AWESOME!
Sven Migot
Well-Known Member
Jim isn't going that far. 350 miler ends in McGrath. Weather looks clear, but I don't think forecasts can be trusted up there. Anything can happen.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I'm gonna try to work through this in stages. The race was long and a LOT happened across that timespan.
I think there were 85 of us at the start? Biggest field in ITI history. Going into this I paid zero attention to who was in my class because I figured it wouldn't matter anyway.
Right from the gun a group always goes out hard. Stupid hard. Like XC start hard. I never understood it but I knew if I sat in that group I'd get a free ride out to the trail.
Rebecca and I got popped off the group going through the powerlines. She dropped her Garmin and I grabbed it and rode back up to her to give it to her. When we hit the road JayP was there screwing with his derailleur. I sat on his wheel as he bridged across to the lead group.
The powerline trail was soft and punchy, which I like. We stopped a few times to drop PSI.
Flat horn Lake had a bunch of overflow and blown up trails, was a mix of pushing and slow riding. Rebecca and I keep switching places as one of us would fall. It was kinda historical because you'd just be cruising along and then the bike would drop a foot and you'd flip into the snow.
The swamp was faster and I sat on Rebecca's wheel. I figured once we hit the Yetna she'd drop me so I didn't try to cover her attacks. But, she stopped a bunch to figure out clothing and I kept sneaking past her even though I was riding slightly slower.
She took this pic of me.
Once we were on the Yetna River the trail firmed up and we were able to get moving. My loose plan was to push up to Shell Lake Lodge but that pipe dream was quickly fading.
The temps kept going down as the sun set. Hovering somewhere around -25. With cold comes fast trail though so I pulled over to reinflate my tires.
I hit the first Checkpoint at Yetna Station around 11pm or so. I was pretty cold and wet so I stripped and hung all my layers next to the fire. Ordered a toasted cheese and Coke, grabbed a blanket, and sat in front of the wood stove for about an hour.
My plan adjusted to making the push up to Skwentna Roadhouse instead of Shell. I figured the 30 miles would go by relatively quick and I could catch a few hours nap. We were already 8 or 9 hours into the race.
I started to fade pretty hard once I left Yetna Station. The cold was sorta getting to me and making a somewhat boring river trail seem even more boring. I wanted to be in the mountains and was a little frustrated I wasn't farther along by now. Mentally I just needed to readjust before thoughts went too far south. I put in my earbuds and started singing out loud. It usually improves my mood, and it did.
About 15 miles out of Yetna, I went by a sign on the trail for a spot for ITI racers to stop and refresh. I pulled in. Trail Angel at the Mcdougall Lodge opened her place up to us. She had a huge fire, snacks, and warm beds to sleep in. It was an oasis!! $20 for a bed to take a nap. Done. Down I went for the first night. It was 2:30am.
I think there were 85 of us at the start? Biggest field in ITI history. Going into this I paid zero attention to who was in my class because I figured it wouldn't matter anyway.
Right from the gun a group always goes out hard. Stupid hard. Like XC start hard. I never understood it but I knew if I sat in that group I'd get a free ride out to the trail.
Rebecca and I got popped off the group going through the powerlines. She dropped her Garmin and I grabbed it and rode back up to her to give it to her. When we hit the road JayP was there screwing with his derailleur. I sat on his wheel as he bridged across to the lead group.
The powerline trail was soft and punchy, which I like. We stopped a few times to drop PSI.
Flat horn Lake had a bunch of overflow and blown up trails, was a mix of pushing and slow riding. Rebecca and I keep switching places as one of us would fall. It was kinda historical because you'd just be cruising along and then the bike would drop a foot and you'd flip into the snow.
The swamp was faster and I sat on Rebecca's wheel. I figured once we hit the Yetna she'd drop me so I didn't try to cover her attacks. But, she stopped a bunch to figure out clothing and I kept sneaking past her even though I was riding slightly slower.
She took this pic of me.
Once we were on the Yetna River the trail firmed up and we were able to get moving. My loose plan was to push up to Shell Lake Lodge but that pipe dream was quickly fading.
The temps kept going down as the sun set. Hovering somewhere around -25. With cold comes fast trail though so I pulled over to reinflate my tires.
I hit the first Checkpoint at Yetna Station around 11pm or so. I was pretty cold and wet so I stripped and hung all my layers next to the fire. Ordered a toasted cheese and Coke, grabbed a blanket, and sat in front of the wood stove for about an hour.
My plan adjusted to making the push up to Skwentna Roadhouse instead of Shell. I figured the 30 miles would go by relatively quick and I could catch a few hours nap. We were already 8 or 9 hours into the race.
I started to fade pretty hard once I left Yetna Station. The cold was sorta getting to me and making a somewhat boring river trail seem even more boring. I wanted to be in the mountains and was a little frustrated I wasn't farther along by now. Mentally I just needed to readjust before thoughts went too far south. I put in my earbuds and started singing out loud. It usually improves my mood, and it did.
About 15 miles out of Yetna, I went by a sign on the trail for a spot for ITI racers to stop and refresh. I pulled in. Trail Angel at the Mcdougall Lodge opened her place up to us. She had a huge fire, snacks, and warm beds to sleep in. It was an oasis!! $20 for a bed to take a nap. Done. Down I went for the first night. It was 2:30am.
Last edited:
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
Awesome recap and pics, looking forward to reading more
iman29
Well-Known Member
I know what updates I will be reading the next few days this is so epic.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Day 2.
I got up around 6am and wanted to be out the door before sunrise. 3ish hour nap really hit the spot. It was still cold that morning but my brain and body made the adjustment and things were much, much better. My goal for Day 2 was to get up to Rainy Pass Lodge, I wondered if that was still possible given I was about 25 miles behind where I was supposed to be. Figured worst case I could get close and Bivy.
The miles to Skwentna went by quick. Once I got there I found out Rebecca slept there last night and left just before I got there. I knew I got a better night's sleep and hoped that would pay dividends later on. I ordered a large plain pizza for breakfast.
My extra bottle froze overnight so I put it on the stove to melt. I spent about an hour here before heading off again.
I really like the Shell Lake section. It's rolling and mostly uphill to the Lodge. Some of the climbs were too steep to ride but mostly it's all good.
Didn't stop at the lodge and made the push up to Finger Lake.
Trail was good and I was plugging along. Hit Finger Lake around 5pm? 6pm? Not sure. I ate a burrito and rummaged through my first drop bag. I take my 2 Red Bulls and left everything else, my bike was still 75% full from the start.
Rebecca left the Lodge a few minutes before me, as well as the leader of the 150 mile race. I knew this section was HARD up to Rainy Pass Lodge.
Tons of pushing up short, incredibly steep hills. Crispin and I take turns leading. Rebecca was out front by enough that we never saw her.
I was amazed that dog sleds could make it through these super tight turns and punchy climbs. Like Six Mile Orange twisty.
The first 2 Happy Steps were super fun, the 3rd? Holy shit. It looked like a 10 story drop standing at the top. Ice. 3 foot walls of snow on either side so nowhere to go but down. I played my bike on it's side, grabbed the wheel, and slid down on my butt. My bike and I crashed so hard into the bank at the bottom.
I make sure I have everything and carry on to the opposite side where you go up out of the valley. The first step up out is notoriously hard. I've heard so many horror stories of people getting stuck in the valley because they can't get up the incline. It's literally a 20 foot high wall covered in ice.
Crispin is struggling to get up and his bike keeps sliding down the hill back into the valley. We decided to work together and make stairs in the snow on the side. Once he was at the top, he grabbed a tree and hung down to grab his bike as I pushed it up from the bottom. Then we did mine. Holy fuck balls.
We continue plugging along through the rollers and eventually Crispin pops off saying he needed a rest. A few miles later I get caught by Chris Lowry. He said Crispin was in his Bivy. He was only a few miles from his finish but sometimes that's how it goes.
Chris and I hit the long 5 mile climb up to the Lodge. I was definitely tired and looking forward to a few hours sleep. I have no idea how many hours went by before I was at the Lodge. I didn't know what time it was. I didn't know how much sleep I would get, all I knew is that I needed to be on the move again before day break.
I got up around 6am and wanted to be out the door before sunrise. 3ish hour nap really hit the spot. It was still cold that morning but my brain and body made the adjustment and things were much, much better. My goal for Day 2 was to get up to Rainy Pass Lodge, I wondered if that was still possible given I was about 25 miles behind where I was supposed to be. Figured worst case I could get close and Bivy.
The miles to Skwentna went by quick. Once I got there I found out Rebecca slept there last night and left just before I got there. I knew I got a better night's sleep and hoped that would pay dividends later on. I ordered a large plain pizza for breakfast.
My extra bottle froze overnight so I put it on the stove to melt. I spent about an hour here before heading off again.
I really like the Shell Lake section. It's rolling and mostly uphill to the Lodge. Some of the climbs were too steep to ride but mostly it's all good.
Didn't stop at the lodge and made the push up to Finger Lake.
Trail was good and I was plugging along. Hit Finger Lake around 5pm? 6pm? Not sure. I ate a burrito and rummaged through my first drop bag. I take my 2 Red Bulls and left everything else, my bike was still 75% full from the start.
Rebecca left the Lodge a few minutes before me, as well as the leader of the 150 mile race. I knew this section was HARD up to Rainy Pass Lodge.
Tons of pushing up short, incredibly steep hills. Crispin and I take turns leading. Rebecca was out front by enough that we never saw her.
I was amazed that dog sleds could make it through these super tight turns and punchy climbs. Like Six Mile Orange twisty.
The first 2 Happy Steps were super fun, the 3rd? Holy shit. It looked like a 10 story drop standing at the top. Ice. 3 foot walls of snow on either side so nowhere to go but down. I played my bike on it's side, grabbed the wheel, and slid down on my butt. My bike and I crashed so hard into the bank at the bottom.
I make sure I have everything and carry on to the opposite side where you go up out of the valley. The first step up out is notoriously hard. I've heard so many horror stories of people getting stuck in the valley because they can't get up the incline. It's literally a 20 foot high wall covered in ice.
Crispin is struggling to get up and his bike keeps sliding down the hill back into the valley. We decided to work together and make stairs in the snow on the side. Once he was at the top, he grabbed a tree and hung down to grab his bike as I pushed it up from the bottom. Then we did mine. Holy fuck balls.
We continue plugging along through the rollers and eventually Crispin pops off saying he needed a rest. A few miles later I get caught by Chris Lowry. He said Crispin was in his Bivy. He was only a few miles from his finish but sometimes that's how it goes.
Chris and I hit the long 5 mile climb up to the Lodge. I was definitely tired and looking forward to a few hours sleep. I have no idea how many hours went by before I was at the Lodge. I didn't know what time it was. I didn't know how much sleep I would get, all I knew is that I needed to be on the move again before day break.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Day 3, Rainy Pass - Rohn.
Our group of 5 was pretty nervous about the Pass. It's legendary. We were all sorta stalling but the sun was coming up quick. After 4 or 6 bags of oatmeal, I was the first one out. Figured if I got in too deep I could wait as there would be people behind me.
We got in when it was dark, so peeking out of the lodge in the morning was the first time we all saw the Alaska Range. It was awe inspiring.
Up. Up. Up. We went. I stopped to take pictures so Chris and Adam quickly went by me. Rebecca was still working up the courage to leave the lodge.
The trail quickly turned to shit and I started to push my bike. I knew this was going to be a long day, which meant I could enjoy the range longer. I had over a day's food and water on me.
Push. Push. Push. Push again. Keep pushing. More pushing. Water crossing. Push. Repeat for some unknown amount of hours.
Eventually. Summit!! I sat up here for a bit and just took in the view. This is why I signed up for this. To be here. I felt very small amongst the mountains.
The descent was unrideable. Soft in the sun and deep. Whatevs. I was heading through the pass proper and views like this can't be had in too many places.
A few more hours and I'd be on trail again heading into Delzell Gorge, another brutally infamous section of trail known for it's sketchy ice bridges and multiple deep river crossings. This is the section Peter went through the ice and got washed down river. Scary shit. Real actual danger kind of shit.
All sketchy ice. WTF? I walked the whole section. My heart raced the whole time. Some sections the ice was clear and you could see the water running underneath. Rohn was getting close so I pressed on.
Eventually I hit Rohn. Again I would ditch my drop bag. I still had daylight as the Pass took less time than expected. I would eat some plain Ramen noodles and take a short stop here. Change my shorts and base layers for the 80 mile self-sufficient stretch up to Nikolai.
Rebecca came in just as I was leaving. Adam, Josh, and Chris were asleep. I moved into 6th for the time being.
Our group of 5 was pretty nervous about the Pass. It's legendary. We were all sorta stalling but the sun was coming up quick. After 4 or 6 bags of oatmeal, I was the first one out. Figured if I got in too deep I could wait as there would be people behind me.
We got in when it was dark, so peeking out of the lodge in the morning was the first time we all saw the Alaska Range. It was awe inspiring.
Up. Up. Up. We went. I stopped to take pictures so Chris and Adam quickly went by me. Rebecca was still working up the courage to leave the lodge.
The trail quickly turned to shit and I started to push my bike. I knew this was going to be a long day, which meant I could enjoy the range longer. I had over a day's food and water on me.
Push. Push. Push. Push again. Keep pushing. More pushing. Water crossing. Push. Repeat for some unknown amount of hours.
Eventually. Summit!! I sat up here for a bit and just took in the view. This is why I signed up for this. To be here. I felt very small amongst the mountains.
The descent was unrideable. Soft in the sun and deep. Whatevs. I was heading through the pass proper and views like this can't be had in too many places.
A few more hours and I'd be on trail again heading into Delzell Gorge, another brutally infamous section of trail known for it's sketchy ice bridges and multiple deep river crossings. This is the section Peter went through the ice and got washed down river. Scary shit. Real actual danger kind of shit.
All sketchy ice. WTF? I walked the whole section. My heart raced the whole time. Some sections the ice was clear and you could see the water running underneath. Rohn was getting close so I pressed on.
Eventually I hit Rohn. Again I would ditch my drop bag. I still had daylight as the Pass took less time than expected. I would eat some plain Ramen noodles and take a short stop here. Change my shorts and base layers for the 80 mile self-sufficient stretch up to Nikolai.
Rebecca came in just as I was leaving. Adam, Josh, and Chris were asleep. I moved into 6th for the time being.
