Since my move to St. Louis got in the way of my attempting Leadville and Wasatch (I think I was lucky that I had the excuse from what I have heard about those races), I decided to quench the 100 mile bug and run the Bear 100. I actually was not really planning to run this, since I am helping a friend attempt the Heartland 100 in 2 weeks, but I found myself in Utah on business that Wednesday before the race, and I needed a bit of catharsis after the past couple of months. So I called the RD and was able to enter.

The race is in Prescott, Idaho...just on the Utah/Idaho border, in the Cache Mountains. Absolutely gorgeous scenery. The late September timing means that Fall is out in all its glory......nice for us Texan's who don't get to see many leaves ( I think I will have plenty of leaves in St Louis!). Red Maples and Yellow Aspens were in full color, the fir trees maintained their greenery, and the landscape from the top of the mountain rims down on the valley was just spectacular...just a patchwork of red, yellow, and greens stretching out in the valleys below and the mountain sides across. Breathtaking views. Also lot's of wildlife.....I saw a group of elk, deer, and actually saw 2 big horn sheep, which was a first for me.

This race is pretty tough compared to others I have run, although I am sure nothing like Leadville or Wasatch. It is a loop course that has less than 1 mile of asphalt and is on single track trail or very rough 4WD dirt roads. Averages about 7700 ft elevation, with a high point of roughly 9500 ft. It is a small race, with only about 60 people or so entered.

We started at 6AM from a local restaurant - the Deer Creek in. A cool morning....about 40 degrees, and a black sky with the stars shining down (dawn does not come until after 7:00AM). There is no race gun or PA to start the race....they play music, and when the music ends, it is time to get going. So the music ended, and the journey began.

The first 9 miles were a good indication of what was in store. Nice single track trails, lots of rocks to trip over, and clear weather. Right off the bat, about 2 miles in I went down over a rock....no damage, but now definitely awake. The small line of runners crossed a small creek, and had to go right to get to the first aid station about 3/4 miles along the stream. I made it to aid station #1 in about 2 hours.......way ahead of the 3 hour cutoff. So far so good. The course would then retrace that 3/4 miles to where you crossed the stream, and then continue past and follow the creek for a few miles. I hooked up with Hans, and since he had run this before (surprise!!) I did not have to worry about staying on the trail and was able to just admire the scenery...in a tight little valley running along a stream with golden aspens and red maples. Humbling views, and the experience of being in nature with no phones or traffic is the reason we all do this stuff. However, the peaceful calm was soon interrupted by runners coming at us.....they had missed the original turn after crossing the creek and went left, instead of going right to the aid station and then retracing. Then there were more runners....I counted a total of 10 people that had missed the first turn (out of a total of 60). Not a good omen for the course marking, as I was to painfully learn.

I continued on, and made the mistake of leaving Hans and beginning the first big climb. This was about 2800 feet and took us to about 9500 feet elevation. I survived it, and although I spend no time at altitude, did not feel any real effects, although the pulse was clearly elevated. The view from the top was spectacular, and after stopping to admire it, I continued moving forward along the rim line, and then down to aid station #2. While there were only 60 runners, I was within sight of a few people, and we ventured out through a series of rises and descents towards mile 20 and aid station #3......Dry Basin. This was a key station, since the figure 8 loop course would take us back here at mile 39.

Made it through this station, and was 3 1/4 hours ahead of the 35 hour cutoff pace. I felt good, and was thinking that I had a shot at finishing around the 30 hour mark and maybe collecting a sub 30 hr buckle (they have sub 24, sub 30, and then finish). I hit the trail and hooked up with a woman who was an experienced ultra vet, although not on this course. I sort of tagged along following her down some dirt roads, then hit the trail crossed Beaver Creek, and headed down the road toward aid station #4...Beaver Creek. After about 15 minutes, I asked if she had seen any course markings.....ribbons. The course had not been well marked at all, but every 1/2 mile to mile you would usually see a yellow or red ribbon . I had not seen one, and after a couple of more minutes, we stopped jogging and started searching the ground for shoe tracks. I became very good at identifying shoe tracks and determining the direction the people were going by the end of this race. The sinking feeling started when we could not see tracks, and then a car came by to confirm that we were off course. We had come down the hill and crossed the stream too early, and should have followed the ridgeline for a couple of mile before descending. Talk about a Bummer. So turn around, walk a mile back up the road, recross the stream, shout out on big F@%K to get it out of my system, walk 15 minutes back up the hill . Yup, there was the ribbon. It was on the ground tied to a rock, and was maybe 3 inches long. Pretty easy to miss.

It is hard to put that behind you....wasted a solid hour, and more importantly, energy, but we were back on the trail. High five the woman I was following on the wrong trail and started moving forward. The pace was o.k., and even though I was ticked off about the wasted time, we made a pretty good pace to the Beaver Creek Aid station. I had lost an hour but was still 2 hours ahead of the 35 hour cutoff pace. I still felt strong, and as I left the station was still thinking that I might be able to break 30 hours.'

Next aid station was only 5 miles away, and no major climbs. Trotting along, but noticing that my new fanny pack was starting to hurt on my hip. I bought it a couple of months ago, and have run with it several times with no problem. But never more than 20 miles or so. Now it is starting to hurt and rub a bit raw, so I keep tinkering with the position while moving forward. Oh well, get some Vaseline at the next station and keep on moving.

A couple of good climbs now, and end up on the ridge line looking down on yellow and red colors. This is really a beautiful course. I am moving towards the Dry Basin aid station that we hit earlier at mile 20. It is now mile 40, and I am way ahead of schedule. I was concerned that I might need flashlights here, since the cutoff time was 6:30, but I am in around 4:30, so no problem, and no need to get the small lights I had left here just in case. I did stop to change socks.shoes..feet were getting a bit sore, and since my time was o.k., I spared a couple of minutes to revaseline up the feet, get some new socks, and now feeling much lighter, headed out for the next aid station 5 miles away.

I arrived at the Bloomington aid station at mile 44 around 6:00. I am not really gaining time on the cutoff, but am not losing any....I am now about 2 1/4 hours ahead. This station was scheduled for the cutoff pace at 8:30, so this is where I left my lights and glove/jacket for the night. I did not need it yet, but loaded up the lights, tied the jacket around my waist, put my Ipod in the pack for night time company, and headed out. Running solo all the way now...the station people said the prior runner had left about 15 minutes earlier.

The next station is only 5 1/2 miles away. It is great when you only have to go 5 miles between stations. Even when the marching starts, that means it is only 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours until the next station. The night descended, my pace slowed a bit , and I reached the 50 mile station in darkness.

Now the fun would begin. It was nice and dark, I was definitely running solo, and I had not seen another runner during the last couple of hours. I broke out the Ipod and hit some tunes (Janis Joplin Robert Palmer (ironic, since he passed away that night), the Dead, B-52's, Stones, etc.) ... it really helped. The next few hours were going to be rough....about 8 to 9 miles between stations, dark, chilly, but luckily not cold. I was no longer trotting, but doing a rather good march . Just look at the watch and tell myself "a bit less than 3 hours until the next station". Then "less than 2 hours until the station". Then, "less than 1 hour...it should be getting close. Is that a light or a runner lamp...YES, a station light"!! The night running was really tough. There were very few glo sticks on the course.........none on one stretch on stations, and the others seemed to be spread out 1/2 mile or so apart. Several rock fields needed to be crossed, with no real trail, and it was tough to figure out where to go....lot's of wasted time looking around, aiming lights at trees looking for ribbons, and looking at the dirt for sneaker marks......I became a good tracker and am now able to easily tell which direction someone was going by the traces left in the dirt. The lack of marking was a real bummer......it stinks not being sure where you are going, and the RD the night before had said that there would be lots of glo sticks at night.......wonder what he means by lots?

Anyway, I made it through the 58 mile station, slow but in decent spirits, and still a couple of hours ahead of cutoff. The next 8 1//2 miles were tough. The coyotes (wolves?) were howling pretty good, I am out on some trail, not even sure if it is the right one, alone, there are no other runners anywhere near me. But the starts were spectacular, it was not cold, so the march continued.....although at a slower pace. make it to aid station at mile 67...it is now about midnight. 8 miles until the next station, and then it is just a marathon left.

Boy am I tired.......starting to fade fast, weaving from side to side of the dirt road I am on. Sit down and close my eyes for a moment......I think it was a few minutes. Then get back up, eat part of a Butterfinger bar, and move forward. 3 hours for this 8 1/2 mile section......really faded, but I stagger in to station at mile 74. Sit by the fire, have some soup and hot chocolate, resist the offer to get in the tent for a quick nap, and keep on going. Only 5 miles until the next station, and that will take me to mile 78 at around 5AM. If I can do that, then I still have a shot at 30 hours, and even if I slow down, I should still finish well ahead of any cutoff pressure. I walk that 5 miles, and pull into the station. Get a PB &J, some soup, and head out....only 4 miles until the mile 82 station, where I have a drop bag with Ensure, Gu, and a change of clothes for the morning that will soon be upon us. I trudge up the road leading out of the station.....about a half mile up the hill it forks....left, straight, and right. I look for marks.....no ribbons or glo sticks....why should I be surprised? But this stinks. So I go left about 10 minutes or so. Nothing...no ribbons, and I can't really see shoe marks in the dirt. Turn around and go back. Option 2 is to head straight. Go this way for about 10 minutes....this must be the way. Still no ribbons, no glo sticks, just dark dirt. Damn!! I turn around and trudge back and am cursing like a sailor. Nice marking!!!! Wasting all my time!.. Well, I guess it must be the last fork to the right. so I head in this direction. Finally, about 10 minutes later, I see a small pink ribbon tied to a rock on the ground. This is the mark?? But at least I am now on the right path.

I pull into the mile 82 station pretty ticked. It took my 1 3/4 hours to cover this stretch, and it should have taken no more than an hour. Damn, I have lost serious time. But I am still o.k. Won't make 30 hours now, but should still be o.k. to finish well ahead of the 35 hour cutoff. But I am sore, tired, ticked off. Not in a very good mood. I change clothes, put on sunglasses since it is now daylight, and head out for the next 8 mile section. This will get me to mile 90, and from there I can smell the barn, right?? Not quite.

I walk up the road about 1/2 mile...a couple of ribbons so I know I am on course. There is a ribbon on a rock leading to a trail on the left. Got it. I jump on the trail and keep marching (walking) forward. No ribbons, no faded glo sticks. I keep going. Still no signs. But there are shoe prints on the dirt, so this must be the right path. I go for about 10 minutes, and see a pink ribbon. YES!! but then I see another pink ribbon, veering left. whoops.....which way do I go.....straight or right down the canyon? There are ribbons marking both ways. I decide to go straight, but do not have a good feeling. This section is 8 miles, and it is supposed to retrace part of the trail that we ran the night before. I sure do not recognize anything, but that was at night, and this is the morning, and I am not thinking that great anyhow. I go about 15 minutes, and then pull out the map. It is hard to tell, but it looks like maybe I should have veered right at that intersection. Should I keep going, or am I on the wrong trail, and am I headed nowhere, or to an already shut down aid station from the night before? I do not want to get lost out here, so I turn around....thinking I should have taken the right turn back there. II trudge up the mountain...20 minutes back....until I reach the intersection. I head right. There are pink ribbons. This must be the way. Down the mountain, into the valley, then up the mountain, and.....back to the original road that I had been on an hour ago that led to the trail. What the hell??? I had just made a big loop and was back where I started. But I had followed the ribbons?? Now I am ticked, depressed, mad, exhausted. worn out. I retrace my steps. O.k. here is the sign on the road. I go left on the trail....this is right. Still no ribbons.......here is the intersection. Now what do I do?? Right does not work, since I just did that for an hour, and straight does not seem right...I went that way for 15 minutes without seeing anything. The hell with it....I am going back to the last aid station and dropping. What can I do...I am lost......have no idea which way to go. And I have just wasted 1 1/2 hours and have gone no where. I start walking down the road back to the aid station when I see 2 runners. They have done this course before, and say they know where to go, so I say what the hell, and turn around and follow them. I am now right on the cutoff pace, and am tired, sore, and depressed. But I am not going to give up without a fight. I came out to do this race and I am going to do it. Even if I am not an official finisher, I am going to finish this!

So I follow behind them....we are all doing the ultra shuffle by now. We get to my infamous intersection, and they too are confused, but I am the voice of experience now.....I know for a fact that right is NOT the way to go. We go straight, and an hour and a half or so later hit the mile 90 aid station. It took me over 4 hours to go this 8 miles!! We have 10 miles to go....but only 4 hours to finish it in, and they say that the last 7 miles are really slow. Come on, I am thinking........I can do this. We cover the next 3 1/2 miles quickly...actually getting some air under my Montrails. I can smell the barn....I think I can finish this race under the cutoff. We get to the mile 93 station, with 3 hours and 10 minutes to spare. The people say that the first few miles will take 30 minutes per mile...it is just going through brush....no trail...just climb up the side of the mountain and over the ridge. I follow the 2 guys who I have been shadowing......the terrain is lousy. No trail, but ducking under tree limbs, stepping on brambles, rocks, etc. It is very rough, but we are making good time. We emerge out of the woods, and then descend down the mountain to flat, terrain. Rocks and sagebrush, but nothing too tough. Only 4 more miles. Keep moving, then crawl under a barbed wire fence and hit the road. 8/10s of a mile to go. I meet someone and we limp in to the Deer Creek finish . 34 hours and 15 minutes. Made it, despite getting lost, demoralized, and very very cranky!!

A beautiful course......but the marking was really poor. Lots of people got off trail , so I was not the only dummy out there. But I was a persistent one!!

I learned a lot about myself during this race, and about the mental approach needed for a 100 miler. Cannot wait to do another one (although my feet can!)

Stay healthy, and stay on course!!,
Bill