June 17
It is Friday afternoon, and I am flying to Davis, WV. Fortunately, there is a little private airport near Davis that has allowed me to land and spend the night. The controller lets me down through the cloud cover, and I am left trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. At first, I am searching for the airport about 30 miles to the west of where it actually is, but then I look at my iPad, and it shows that the airport is actually to the east. Upon touching down on the runway, my front landing gear shimmies quite a bit from the bumpiness of the runway. No issues though, and I tie the plane down and head up to the Windwood Fly-in Resort. Note, resort should be in quotation marks, but it is inhabitable, and my room is fine. It just isn’t a Hilton.
After checking in and catching up on emails and finishing up my work for the week, I rent a car from the resort to drive over to the race headquarters to check in and eat dinner. The car that I get is a little bit old and well used, but it works for my few trips back and forth. At the dinner, I sit across from Jay and Anita Finkle and next to Marty Lindemann. Caroline Williams is also close to us. Jay and Anita had their own adventures getting here as they had a flat tire, but were fortunate to find a shop to repair it so that they didn’t have to drive on the spare donut for too long.
During the race briefing, Dan makes me and Aaron Schwartzbard stand up as the two of us and Dan are three of the remaining six survivors that have finished all eight Hellgate races. Dan has to mention that apparently I said he would be the next to not finish Hellgate, but I am not sure that is accurate. Anyway, the food was outstanding, and I got plenty of it. Then I drive back to the resort and turn in early.
June 18
The race starts at 6:00am and there is a bus to ride that leaves the race headquarters at 5:00am. I make it with time to spare, although David Snipes did laugh at my “rental car” when he saw me pull into the parking lot. Our bus driver to the start tells us all of the history of the area, which includes the logging towns that used to be here, but are no longer. I debate whether to wear a shirt or not, but decide to wear one as it isn’t going to be that hot, there is a chance of rain, and I will only see my drop bag once at about the halfway point. Before the start, it is a VHTRC reunion, and we even take a picture. Snipes, Martha Nelson, Aaron, Caroline, and many others are there. Aaron and I talk about Hellgate and whether Dan will be the next to drop. Unfortunately, Aaron says he is in until the bitter end.
Mile 2.4 18:38 (7:46 avg./mile) Aid Station #1
Snipes and several others are with me. Rick Gray is back about five or six people. I am leading a line of runners down the road, and Snipes likes my pace. We hit the first aid station, and I don’t think any of us stop as they just have water and such.
Mile 10.5 2:07:45 (15:46 avg./mile) Aid Station #2
This section begins the single track trail portion. It is mostly a good long climb. I have a large pack behind me for the first half until I have to take a leak. There were about a dozen other runners close behind me. There are stinging nettles on this part of the course, but I don’t think they are terrible—just a little annoying.
Mile 16.0 1:24:14 (15:19 avg./mile) Aid Station #3
Rick and I are together across the rocky plain. There is some water standing but not too much. Bushes are tight on both sides of the trail, and it is hard to see the rocks. One guy is out of water as his Camelbak sprung a leak, but we are almost to the aid station by that point. At the aid station, I grab more food and water. I still have my original water in my Camelbak. While I am in the aid station, Doug Blackford goes by me.
Mile 19.7 54:38 (14:46 avg./mile) Aid Station #4
My pace quickens as I push a little nearing the halfway point. The bridges in this section are neat, but I almost slip passing another runner. I climb to the top and the aid station with Ed Duval, and I ask him about Charlottesville. We debate about changing shoes or not. I decide to change my shoes when I see Ed changing his. As I sit down with my drop bag to start changing my shoes, I remember the Conquest and bagel I have in my drop bag. The Conquest is outstanding, and I take the bagel with me to eat on the next section.
Mile 22.7 36:08 (12:03 avg./mile) Aid Station #5
While I was changing my shoes, Rick went on ahead, and I don’t see him again until the finish. I don’t think I was ever more than 5-10 minutes behind him, but we must have kept a very similar pace. This section is just three miles on a dirt road. For some reason they put the next aid station at this spot, but we aren’t even halfway done with the dirt road part of the race.
Mile 27.0 54:07 (12:35 avg./mile) Aid Station #6
This aid station (finally!) marks the end of the dirt road section. An aid station worker says the next section is not marked as someone apparently stole the markers. However, after the first half mile on the next section, there were plenty of markers. I grab some more food and water as I am trying to stay ahead of my calorie and fluid needs.
Mile 32.9 1:33:33 (15:51 avg./mile) Aid Station #7
This section is actually marked and well marked at that. Up and down my energy and course goes over the Dolly Sods. I am glad that I changed shoes at AS#4 as they are dry until most of the way through this section. Then the course gets muddy to go along with the rocks. Boulder hopping is necessary near the end of this section in two different places. When I get to the aid station, Dan’s children are working it. I am spent, and I stay quite a while shoveling food and drink into my mouth.
Mile 36.9 1:03:11 (15:48 avg./mile) Aid Station #8
Down and down the course goes, and then up a ski slope. Then the best section (in my opinion) of all—they call it the butt slide. It is down through the trees in between a couple of ski slopes. The ground is muddy and slippery. I still have my legs and have a blast cruising down the hill and manage not to end up on my butt! At this aid station, Kimba is here. She is from Ohio, and I know her from the Mohican Trail 100. I congratulate her on her Massanutten finish this year. Before leaving the aid station, I grab a couple of Cokes and then am ready for the charge to the finish.
Mile 41.0 43:15 (10:33 avg./mile) FINISH!
With the Cokes and my legs still feeling okay, I am ready to roll. I run most of the way to the finish. I barely manage to finish ahead of Ashley Dolin and her friend that is running with her.
Official Finishing Time 9:35:29
85th out of 210 starters (178 finishers)
17th out of 38 Males, 40-49
This was a great, challenging race. I am not sure how many times I will make it back to run it again, but it is definitely something that I would recommend to everyone. The views in the West Virginia highlands are wonderful, and the course is an excellent challenge that runs like a 50-miler.
I am able to fly home Saturday evening, and the next day I start a four-day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail with Nathan and his Boy Scout Troop. My legs are sore, but it is still a good time. My summer has been extremely busy thus far, but I now have a couple of weeks until I fly myself out to Colorado for a convention and then the Leadville 100 miler. Until then…
Never stop running,
Darin
