Subject: Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 report Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 15:11:25 -0700 From: Stan Jensen Organization: Run100s - A Not-For-Profit UltraRunning Corporation Last Saturday I ran this Arizona ultra. This report is for those who are considering it for next year, so it has useful descriptions, but it also has general "stuff" about ultras and ultrarunners. Be sure to look at the pictures and splits at "http://www.Run100s.com/zgphotos/" I'd heard about this race a couple years ago, from reports on the ULTRA list, but hadn't considered it due to travel costs. However, when the Cal 50 was canceled and I found I couldn't run the Mi-Wok 100k, Duane Arter managed to get me to take an application. The logistics of this race are easy: fly to Phoenix, drive 2 hours to Payson, stay at the "race headquarters" motel, walk to the dinner/briefing, and get shuttled between the motel and the race. I arrived in Payson around 3pm and had the pleasure of finally meeting list members Laurie Staton and Randy Gehrke as I walked to my room and saw people spreading out their drop bag items on their beds. We walked over to Mario's for the 6pm dinner (all you can eat pasta for $10) and the briefing by co-RD Linda Van Tilborg. Co-RD Geri Kilgariff gave us our goodie bags: a whistle, a disposable cigarette lighter and our race #, which was written on a small rubber tag used for cattle! A nice, short briefing and we were heading back to the motel by 7:30. At 3:45am we piled into various vehicles for a 20-minute drive to the Pine Trailhead, where several runners had camped the previous night. There was a campfire going and we set out our drop bags for the five aid stations and the finish line, then checked in. At 5am, we walked a short way to the start of the trail and took off. Some runners took off without flashlights, but I used one since we were in a forest and the footing was rocky and uneven. Linda had said the temperature was around 60 degrees and after a few minutes I removed my Tyvek jacket and gloves as we climbed. The trail can be broken into the six stretches between aid stations, each between 8 and 11 miles long. Each aid station is in a canyon, close to a creek, so you have some idea when you're approaching one. The first stretch involved climbing from the 5400' start to about 6000', leaving the forest and then running through sagebrush(?) that grew over the trail in so many places that you couldn't avoid getting your legs scratched. I was trying not to go too fast, seeing how the altitude was affecting me, drinking as often as possible, and looking out over this huge valley and searching in vain for trail markers. On this stretch I met Frozen Ed Furtaw, who'd finished in 13:30 twice before and I picked his brain for course tips, which paid off several times later that day. He also pointed out the edge of the Mogollon Rim in the distance and said "we finish on the other side of that". Isn't it great to know that you'll be running to a spot further away than you can see? Ed and I played leap frog, exchanging the lead, and Ron Barrett joined us as we reached the first aid station at Camp Geronimo. We crossed a creek just before the aid station (with low runoff, it was possible to cross all the creeks without getting wet) and arrived to watch one of the runners performing a dance with his shorts at half-mast (he did win one of the Best Ass awards). Geri was there and several crew members as the volunteers filled my bottles. Good basic food and drink (and salt). I took off first, since Ed and Ron seemed to have drop bags everywhere, while I'd only left one with a flashlight at mile 44. The second stretch was mostly forest running, with minor climbs and descents. Most of the trail basically follows the contour, staying on a "high line" below the cliff that makes up the Mogollon Rim. If you find yourself going up- or downhill for too long, you're probably off course. Ed and Ron had caught up to me and as we came into one canyon we caught up with Connie Hayes and John McAward, who were at one of many points where the right trail wasn't obvious. We followed them on faith and soon saw the diamond marker on a tree. A short while later the two of them pulled over and we moved ahead of them as we came into the second aid station, where Geri magically appeared once more. Ron had stopped again for his drop bag, so I headed out "in the lead". It was nice to be in a small ultra and be alone in the forest for miles on end, with no sign of civilization other than the trail. As Ron caught up to me, we entered the area where there was a major forest fire in 1990. For 10-15 miles you run through a destroyed forest, with charred and fallen trees everywhere (i.e. no shade) and thick grass growing underfoot. Prior to 1998, runners had to climb over dozens of trees in this section. Last year Karsten Solheim took his chain saw and cleared miles of the trail, making it substantially faster. He went out again before this year's race and evidence of his handiwork was obvious, but even so I counted more than a dozen trees that I couldn't jump. We reached the third aid station, Hell's Gate Canyon, which has no crew access, but Geri was there again. Here the runner is at 25 miles and 6600', right in the middle of nowhere and one of the scenic low points, too. So, I grabbed a PBJ and headed out to get it over with. After a while my eyes spotted a flash of red up ahead and I was surprised to catch up with Joe Galope. He was recovering from an injury and wasn't having a good day, but we ran together through the burn area and were joined by Ken Greco. Joe seemed to have a good sense of direction, so I relaxed and just followed him for miles. We saw some power lines and a ranch and crossed a road, but it was another mile or so before we reached the fourth aid station, which had marvelous soup! Ron took off ahead of me, because I'd been warned that this would be the longest stretch (11 miles), so I'd stayed longer to get rehydrated. I'd been running all day in a short sleeve top, but on this stretch the wind would come up and the clouds would cover the sun and it was downright cool! I knew we were close to 7000' and I could see snow in the gullies above me, but it was still a surprise to be chilled. I passed a trail sign that said "See Canyon 4 miles", but we'd been warned that the trail mileages were off. Sure enough, in about 15 minutes I met a mountain biker who said his odometer showed 4.5 miles to the aid station. It was also on this stretch that I met a runner coming into a junction from the side, who said he'd missed that turn and lost half an hour. He took off ahead of me, but about ten minutes later I found him waiting at the next junction because he couldn't tell which way to go. I'd say that half of the runners got off course at least once and spent 30 minutes or more before they were back on the course. I knew this would be a problem, so one of my goals was to not get lost and although it slowed me down, I was successful. Whenever I passed a marker, I'd start a "countdown timer" in my head and if I hadn't seen another marker within about 3 minutes, I'd go on "alert" until I found another one. By following the diamonds, the occasional pink ribbons, the rock cairns, or bike tracks in the dirt I stayed on the course and probably saved some time and avoided major frustration. One of the top dozen finishers got lost four or five times and finally ended up following a dog that ran with him from mile 25 to 44! I finally reached the last aid station after almost 3 1/2 hours! I changed into a long-sleeve shirt and took a flashlight, just in case, although Ed had said it wouldn't be needed. On the far side of the aid station was Christopher Creek, which had a rope stretched across so you could safely cross on the rocks. As Ed had promised, there was one more gradual climb that ended about four miles from the finish. From there, it was mostly a level or downhill trail through the forest, with few rocks and lots of pine needles: pleasant running. I was passed by several people, but my "tank" was empty (altitude, recent races, ?) and I was content to settle into the 3mph "shuffle", knowing that I'd finish before dark, under 14 hours, and that my name wouldn't end up in the armpit of this year's T-shirt (where the DNF names go). You'll have to ask someone else what happened at the finish line, but let's just say that I exhibited my pleasure in finishing (29th of 46 in 13:33:34). Linda and Geri had a bonfire going, so I was able to change into warm clothes from my drop bag and get a bite to eat before catching a half hour ride back to the motel. Woke the next morning without overly sore legs, no blisters, but cuts and scratches over both legs. All in all, a very enjoyable day in the forest! At the risk of making this gem too popular, I'd recommend this ultra for anyone who wants a chance to run the equivalent of a trail 100k, wants a rocky course, needs a long run above 5000', enjoys a wilderness run, isn't afraid of getting lost, and/or doesn't mind going 2-3 hours between aid stations. Oh, and the T-shirt is priceless! -- Stan Jensen, P.O. Box 3426, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-3426 http://www.Run100s.com/ mailto:StanJ@Run100s.com