Held in the mts. out of Sheridan,Wyoming--on arrival via stump jumper plane I saw these hills were in their Sunday best--there were flowers everywhere grass up to my navel in places--the air is very very clean and crisp. I backpacked for 5 days to get acclimated[9k plus ft.] saw-bear,moose,deer--and had spring water out of the ground free flowing every few miles---the wild flowers were everywhere--

Late start 11am I believe: we prayed took off down a canyon trail--and aid stations far apart--I should have had a pack instead of bottles--straight up an 18 mile hill that everyone hiked after starting in the hot canyons---hit the rolling high meadows with the trail climbing steady--into the mts. we went and it could not have been prettier, but it got hot--we started washing like hogs at every spring we came to--some waterfalls small enough to stand under. I noticed I was rejecting the white stuff I was drinking--I was on high cal. stuff thought it would be cooler.

At dark my stomach went away[hammer endurance drink got me]--all I could do was rinse mouth w/ water for about 18 -20 miles--I do not remember much from mile 30 to 50 accept rain, sleet, and hail.---I got to turn around and was told if I could gain weight I could go back[gone from 190lb to 180 in 50 miles]--mentally I was shot. I did not know what had happened and I did not know how to fix it, but wait it out in aid station at ranger station. After some time my 18 yr. old son found me checked me out into the car and drove to Sheridan [50miles] before I knew what had happened--had real strange hallucinations.

I will go back and finish someday --race is difficult and in my opinion 50 miles up hill and 50 miles back down--very remote and the weather fickle oriented. The scenery is unbeatable and the land not traveled by man very much.

CONCLUSION:
Pack the stuff you will need on your back and watch the altitude it is deceptive here.
Nice people --sorry I do not remember the aid food or much else about race.
Warning!-the first animal I ran into in the canyon was a 3 ft rattlesnake--be careful.
DNF and do not remember much that day. 50 miles in the bighorns.