Just over 5 years ago, in August 2017, I participated in my first Ragnar Trail Team Relay Run (if you’re reading this on the blog, you can go back to the August 18, 2017 entry to see more about that one). This past Thursday afternoon, I found myself staring up at a ski gondola disappearing into the sky, contemplating a second bite of the Ragnarian apple.
I was an impetuous young guy of 66 back in 2017, so you’d think the 71 year old version of me would have enough sense to simply bask in the glow of a single Ragnar experience and rest on my laurels, so to speak. By the way, the finisher ‘laurels’ handed out last time were actually metal ‘sporks’, so resting on them is simply not a comfortable option. I can thank my nephew, Adam, and his wife, Amy for getting me up to Washington for this year’s race.
When we passed through Everett last October (you can also read about that trip on the blog if you’re so inclined), we stopped for a short visit with the ‘Northern Wrights’. Inevitably, the subject of running came up and Adam mentioned he and Amy might be doing another Ragnar Trail Run. I volunteered to fill a slot if they had trouble recruiting team members. As it turned out, they had 7 solid experienced team members and they only required one more - me! Karen volunteered to stay with Amy’s and Adam’s boys while we went off into the mountains, so we caught a flight into Everett the Wednesday before the race.
THE TEAM NAME
In the months leading up to the race, we submitted our suggestions for a team name. Ultimately, we landed on ‘Run Hit Wonders’. Each of us picked a popular tune that somehow said something about us. I apologize in advance for not having a comprehensive list of the team’s tunes. Ben and Emily decorated the shirts for us.
MEET THE TEAM
Adam: Our team captain. Has run Ragnar Trail and Road races; a 50K trail run; and is currently finishing up a 10-race trail series with his son, Finn.
Amy: Adam’s wife. Has run the same Ragnar races as Adam, as well as various half-marathons, and other hiking/running trail adventures.
Ben: Adam refers to Ben as his ‘running and adventure buddy’. In addition, he’s done some serious hikes up some big mountains as well as a previous Ragnar Trail and Road Runs.
Emily: According to Adam, Emily is Ben’s ‘better half’. She’s participated in a previous Ragnar Trail and Road Runs, as well as other outdoor adventures. Ben and Emily have known Amy and Adam for several years, having met through their respective kids’ sports activities.
Nate: He’s Emily’s brother. And, he also got to be my tent-mate. He’s done Ragnar Trail and Road Runs, along with other outdoor adventures.
Justin: Adam and Justin have been friends since they were young 20-somethings. He’s done Ragnar Trail, along with several non-sanctioned Adam/Justin adventures.
Lynne: This whole 2022 Ragnar Trail Run was all her idea - at least according to Adam. Adam also says she’s ‘by far the better half’ of Justin. Lynne’s done Ragnar Trail before. In fact, local legend has it that she was somehow responsible for the mysterious ‘glowing portable toilet’ seen in the tent camping area at the Ragnar Trail Run here 4 years ago. Although there were no direct eyewitnesses, her missing flashlight was powerful circumstantial evidence…
WHY THEY’RE HERE AGAIN
Four years ago, the team came into this Ragnar Trail Run with lots of enthusiasm, but not a lot of experience. They came away with just as much enthusiasm, and loads more experience. Here’s a short list of the 2022 goals, based upon our captain’s introductory note to all of us:
-Secure your flashlights (and, any other hand-held devices) while leaning over or near dark mysterious chasms;
-Get enough sleep between your turns on the trail loops;
-Bring enough warm clothing to accommodate sudden changes in weather/temperature;
-Use trekking poles for use on the steep sections of the trail loops;
-Prepare real meals to keep energy levels up;
-Use the ‘Glamping’ option in order to avoid having to bring and set up your own shelters.
All of this would, hopefully, allow for better performance (code for faster overall team elapsed time) and a more rested group of trail runners.
WHAT IS GLAMPING?
For an additional expense beyond the entry fees, you can upgrade to an 8-person pod of tents and canopies. This includes 8 cots, 8 chairs, 2 camping tables, numerous solar lanterns, and access to VIP portable toilets, a phone charging station, ice chest and ice, and an actual concierge person. It’s worth every penny.
The canopies (4) are set up in a configuration that produces small hallways and a living room space. There are zippered side panels that allow you to keep out the bad weather, or let the nice weather in. The four tents are 2-person modified domes that connect to the canopy side panels so that once you’re inside the ‘living room’ area, the tent doors all open to the interior space. This goes a long way toward creating a cozy team environment.
LET’S EAT!
We had enough food to last us several days. One of our hallways was made into the kitchen/pantry and it became a favorite place to visit both before and after each runner’s loop. With our propane stove and fully stocked ice chests, we were prepared for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Lynne and Justin brought the dinners for Thursday and Friday night. Amy brought 30 hard-boiled eggs, along with waffles and lots of lunch/sandwich fixings. Ben, Emily, and Nate brought more food and we were set.
BELLA NOTTE
Thursday night was the only time all 8 of us would be in the pod together at the same time, so we had a nice meat and pasta dinner with salad. Justin even came prepared with an Italian dinner music playlist. It was quite charming to sit beneath the warm glow of the solar lantern light with the quaint strains of Italian music wafting through the air. However, we did have to dial it back a bit after Adam and Justin offered to recreate the spaghetti eating scene from Disney’s ‘Lady and the Tramp’. After this great meal, we were set up to get a good night’s sleep the night before the race.
RUNNING ORDER
For the ‘Mixed Open Division’, each team consists of 8 runners. There are 3 separate trail loops (green, yellow, red), and each runner must complete each of the 3 trail loops. Each team designates their runners with a number between 1 and 8. This determines the running order for that team. Once the race starts, your team rotates consecutively through the loops in green, yellow, red order. This means there will always be one of your team’s runners out on the trail, and another one waiting to start when the previous runner finishes her/his loop. Your team is done running once each member has completed the 3 separate trail loops. By continuing to run in numerical order, your team will cycle through all the required loops. This format also ensures that each runner will run at least one loop in darkness. There is one runner’s bib with a timing chip in it for each team. You wear the bib when you run your loop and you give it to the next runner when you meet in the transition tent.
Here’s our running order:
1) Steve
2) Justin
3) Emily
4) Nate
5) Ben
6) Lynne
7) Adam
8) Amy
TRAIL LOOPS
GREEN LOOP - 3 miles - (Easy) - Well, it’s all relative. This a ski resort and everything seems to either go straight up or straight down. There’s not a lot of in between. We were camped at 4300 feet elevation, which is the same as the starting line. This loop takes you immediately up over 400 feet in elevation before the first mile is over, and then you drop down below 4000 before climbing back up to 4300 at the end. The cumulative gain/loss is 1350 feet.
YELLOW LOOP - 5 miles (Moderate) - This one’s all uphill. You start at 4300 feet and don’t stop until you reach the gondola station at the top of Crystal Mountain at 6800 feet. That’s a lot of climbing in a relatively short distance.
RED LOOP - 7.6 miles (Difficult) - This one’s all downhill - except for the uphill at the end! It features some tricky single track switchbacks and several very steep downhill sections. You go from 6800 feet to 3800 feet in the first 5 miles, then climb back up to 4300 feet, part of which runs through a small swampy area.
Our glampsite was a couple hundred yards from the starting line/transition tent in the village area, which made it easy to get to and from our scheduled loop runs. Normally, the trail loops all begin and end in the village transition tent. For this race, there was a secondary transition tent at the top of Crystal Mountain. The green loop began and ended at the village transition tent. The yellow loop began at the village transition tent. The red loop ended at the village transition tent. The yellow loop ended at the top of the mountain, and the red loop began at the top of the mountain.
This meant that runners who were starting the red loop would have to ride the gondola up to the top of the mountain to meet their teammate who was finishing up the yellow loop. Those finishing the yellow loop got to ride the gondola back down to the village. Our team’s previous experience with this trail run showed the value in having the red loop runner bring a bag of clothing and snacks up to the top for the yellow loop runner to have for the sometimes chilly ride down the gondola.
RUNNER’S LOG
This is my blog, so the following represents my personal observations while running the loops and hanging with the team. However, I’m sure my experiences are similar in many respects to those of my fellow team members.
Green Loop
Our team start time was 7:30AM Friday morning and I was runner number 1, starting on the Green Loop. Despite all the glamping creature comforts, I still didn’t get a whole lot of sleep Thursday night. Other teams were rolling in at all hours and there was an unmistakeable (and, quite audible) hum of excitement in the air that would not subside until the race was winding down Saturday afternoon.
Friday morning was warm and clear with blue mountain skies above and a trail loop of boundless opportunities below.The thing I noticed when I started up the first hill was the lack of oxygen at this elevation, as opposed to my normal operating zone at sea level. As the adrenaline quickly went down and the lactic acid went up, it became clear to me that walking up the steep pitches would be the order of the day.
Part of the way up the slope, the trail branched to the right for the yellow loop (it seemed to continue straight up the mountain) and to the left for the green loop. After a little more climbing I was on a dirt service road that began descending. This allowed for some running and an opportunity to replenish my oxygen. Within a mile or so, I caught a glimpse of something green out of the corner of my left eye. By the time I slowed, I realized I had nearly passed a trail sign directing me to the left to continue the green loop. This section of the loop became a narrow single-track with the dusty equine aroma of an equestrian trail. It wound around up and down through the trees until it came out onto the main road into the ski area.
As I raced toward the transition tent, I felt smooth, fluid and fast. (Later, I reviewed some video of this finish and saw an old guy in my shirt lumbering toward the end of the loop.) I handed Justin the timing bib so he could start the yellow loop, and I went back to our glampsite for breakfast.
In our tent pod, team members were eating, checking their gear, or resting up for their upcoming run. Some would begin within the next hour or two, and others would not begin their first run until late into the afternoon. We all got wristbands when we checked in that allowed us to ride the gondola for free during the race. The down time between runs was a good opportunity to go up and check out the mountaintop scenery.
Early Friday afternoon was still clear and sunny at the top. The views of Mt. Rainier were spectacular.
Red Loop
Late on Friday afternoon the weather began to change. A breeze was blowing up the canyon into the ski area with clouds and fog moving in. At around 4:00PM I looked out of our tent and could not see any of the surrounding mountains - it was socked in.
Earlier, Amy had just started her yellow loop run, so I was up next for the red loop. Adam, Justin and Lynne had already ridden the gondola up to see Amy finish her loop (and to take her bag of clothes and snacks). In just a few hours the entire look of the mountain had changed. It was foggy and cold and looked almost like night time as I rode up the gondola. Amy was making better time than predicted, and I was cutting it close on the timing to get there to meet her in the transition tent at the top.
I made it in time to see Amy powering up the grueling final climb of the yellow loop. We cheered her all the way to the top. We exchanged the runner’s bib. Amy and her crew took the gondola back to camp, and I started down the red loop at around 5:00PM.
I had my waist pack loaded up with headlamps, flashlight and a small parka. I didn’t realize how much the extra weight would impact the ride of the pack, so I had to stop a couple of times to get the straps adjusted properly. Once this was sorted out, I was on my way. Strangely, there were no clouds on the back side of the mountain at the transition tent. However, the red loop was going to take me back down the mountain and into fog before too long.
This is a steep trail with lots of jagged rocks and gnarly tree roots jutting out. There are times when it feels like you are traveling directly down the fall line. Once the trail heads into the trees, it remains steep and begins a series of sharp switchbacks with even more rocks and more tree roots. It’s easy to pick up unwanted speed on this section.
The Fall
By now I was fully into the misty fog in the densely forested portion of the loop. I was doing a pretty good job of controlling my downhill speed with the use of my trekking poles, until I came to a sharp and steep switchback to the left. Somehow, I caught my left foot on a root and couldn’t get my right pole around fast enough to stabilize myself. At this point, I was airborne with both arms stretched forward (more like a Ragnarian Clark Kent than Superman) as I launched down the mountain and disappeared into the alpine brush below the trail. I finally stopped about 20 feet below. It was so thick that other runners coming up behind didn’t even know I was there.
I did a quick damage assessment (nothing broken or twisted) and managed to get my feet below me so I could crawl back up to the trail. I quickly dusted off, took a look around to make sure no one had seen this embarrassing stumble, and started back down the trail. It wasn’t long before I realized that I’d come back up onto the trail without my eyeglasses! So back I went to search for the missing spectacles. Speaking of spectacles, I’m sure I was quite the sight by then (I only realized this later after I got back to camp) with my face covered in dirt and bloody lacerations on my hand and legs.
I found the spot where I went off trail and went down to search for my glasses. One helpful runner offered assistance, but I assured her I’d be fine. After several minutes of foraging through the bushes, I found the glasses and returned to the trail with a new appreciation for downhill speed control.
It got progressively darker as the red loop dropped down through some beautiful wooded glens. There were little streams and mini-waterfalls at various points along the trail. When the trail got down to the main road into the ski area the sky became lighter and the air a little warmer. And, after miles of downhill, the trail began to climb. Part of the finishing 500 foot climb in elevation takes you through a small swampy area where a boggy stream becomes your trail for awhile.
The transition tent was a welcome sight as I trundled in to meet Justin for the start of his green loop. Adam and Ben happened to be there, too and they suggested that I should probably clean up a little before the next loop.
I went over to the concierge tent where there was plenty of water and paper towels for general clean up. The concierge recommended I go over to the medic tent to see about band aids for the minor (but quite bloody) abrasions. The guy at the medic tent was happy to finally see a customer, so I got VIP treatment and a supply of extra band aids.
It was dinner time back at the tent, so I had pulled chicken sandwiches with salad and cookies and lots of water. After that, it was another quick wash off and then time to tuck into the sleeping bag to rest up for my yellow loop at around 2:00AM.
Sleep
There’s no real sleep involved in these events. At most, you may get some twilight dozing. It is important, though, to lay down and rest for as long as you can. It does make a difference when it’s time to roll out of bed at some insane time of night to begin your next run.
Yellow Loop
I know I said I didn’t get much sleep. Why then, was I dreaming of falling when I awoke for my yellow loop run??
At 2:00AM on Saturday morning, the sky had begun to clear and a few stars came out. There were still clouds lingering near the mountains in the vicinity of the yellow loop. Things were pretty quiet in our tent pod as I left to meet Amy in the transition tent.
In the village, there were some propane fire pits with chairs and groggy runners seated around them. It was cold, and I joined a small group while I waited for Amy. A couple of guys had just come down the gondola after completing the yellow loop and they said it was pretty cold and windy at the top. This made me briefly wonder what it would be like to have just finished the yellow loop and be headed back to a warm sleeping bag.
The transition tent was pretty mellow at this hour, with just a few anxious runners waiting for their next turn and one or two sleepy volunteers seated at the timing table. And, there was a great heater in there - nice and warm!
At about 2:40AM Amy came racing in from her green loop and it was time for me to take on the yellow loop.
Staying warm was not a concern. Right out of the gate you’re going uphill and you really don’t stop climbing until you reach the top of the mountain. When the green and yellow loops diverge, the yellow loop seems to get even more steep as it climbs into the forest. You’re (at least me) not running on this trail - you’re trying to hike as fast as you can.
Many sections of the three loops seemed to be used as equestrian trails and they had the dust to prove it. In the darkness of night and the glow of my headlamp, it looked like I was moving through some kind of weird snow globe - the combination of trail dust motes and condensation from my breathing formed a gauzy halo through which I could see vague outlines of my surroundings. Or, was I beginning to hallucinate due to fatigue and sleep deprivation?
The yellow loop had become a popular topic of conversation among our team since the beginning of the race. Some teammates sent selfies when they reached the small alpine Lake Henskin near the halfway point. I was wondering if I’d even see the lake in the dark.
In one of the few ‘flat’ spots on the loop, there was a series of small streams with logs and planks crossing them. This is where the trekking poles really helped keep me from taking a night time swim. Just after this, the trail began another serious climb.
Adam and others had told me that when you got to this point in the dark, you could look up and see the headlamps of other runners going up the mountain. Sure enough, I could see several lights bouncing along way up the mountainside.
Somewhere along the last half mile, there’s a tent with a timing mat. This lets your teammates down in the village know that it’s time to send up the red loop runner. The last half mile just seems steeper and steeper.
I looked up toward the mountain and could see lights going on up into the sky. It seemed like I’d never see the top. A little later, I realized the lights I saw going into the sky were actually stars, not headlamps! Whew! I was closer than I thought.
Somehow, I was able to pass several runners who had passed me earlier. I came up behind one person who had a similar pace to mine and he told me that he was sure we were very close to the end of the run. I wasn’t so sure, but I grunted agreement and pushed on. Soon, my running mate fell behind and was swallowed by the darkness.
Before long, I could see the faint orange glow of the transition tent way up the road. Things were a lot different at this hour than they were the previous afternoon. No cheering teammates and other onlookers - just a few runners huddling for warmth in the heated tent anxiously awaiting their turn on the red loop. Justin was there with my bag of clothes and snacks. We exchanged the bib and he was off and running.
I rode down the gondola with a young guy who was part of an ultra team. He’d just run several consecutive loops and was heading down for a quick rest before doing it all over again! It was so dark and foggy on the ride down, we didn’t even realize we’d reached the bottom until the gondola door began to open for unloading.
Things were very quiet back at the tent at around 5:00AM, although I think I woke up Nate (he was going to run his yellow loop in a couple of hours). After a big breakfast, I climbed back into the sleeping bag as the sun began to rise.
Gallery
Adam: Team Captain and Hardest Working Ragnar Volunteer
Adam: Finishing Green Loop
Amy: Starting Yellow Loop
Ben: Finishing Red Loop
Emily: Checking Status
Lynne and Justin: Chilling between Loops
Nate: Taming the mountain on the Yellow Loop
Lake Shots: Amy, Nate Adam, Lynne
"Mug Shots": Good Morning to You!
Fun At The Top
More Fun At The Top
Justin: Before
Justin: After (Note the out-of-body experience he's having...)
Mr. and Mrs. Captain
Team Photo
Ragnar Bling
Specially Chosen Ragnar Commandment for Steve
Closing Thoughts
You have to be a little bit crazy to do one of these events. You have to be totally nuts to do it more than once. Having a good group of people to share the experience makes all the difference in the world. In this instance, I couldn’t have asked for a better group to join. They made me feel like I was a long-time member of the team and they were a complete joy to be around. Thank You, Run Hit Wonders!
