On saturday afternoon I finished up all my errands and chores early and was a little bored so I decided to try and watch a bit of the Cascade Crest 100 mile race. I was hoping that if I timed it right I might be able to see some of my friends in the race. The trouble was that I wasn't totally sure of the course directions and I also wasn't sure how fast most people would be running. So I made an educated guess and decided to hike the Twin Lakes trail to the PCT then continue south to see who I would run into. The other smaller problem was that it was raining off and on and daylight was fading fast.
I hiked up a truly steep and overgrown trail a couple or three miles to get to the PCT just aways south of Olallie Meadows. Then I hiked to Yakima Pass/Twilight Lake before stopping to eat dinner and wait for the runners. About 20 minutes later the first place runner came running by and sarcastically commented on the stellar conditions (wet , dark and slightly windy). Twenty cold minutes later the 2nd place runner ran by and appeared somewhat surprised to see a fan so far out on the course! I stuck around for awhile longer watching the first 8 to 10 runners pass, including the first place woman, but it was getting dark and nasty so I started back. I ended up seeing a couple more runners before leaving the PCT but didn't get a chance to see most of the pack. The only person I saw who I knew by name was Ralph Pooler, who recognized me and said hi. There is Ralph (below) with his head down.
I hiked out in a truly miserable cold rain just as it became pitch black under the forest canopy. It was obvious to me that with approximately 60 miles of cold and wet running to go, all the runners were going to have a rough night. Based upon the results some people appear to have had amazing races, despite the rainy weather. Congrats to Arthur, Alison, Shawn, Van, Wendy, Eric, Glenn and everyone else!
On Sunday I went kayaking and saw this sunken upside-boat. I wish I knew more about the boat and why it sunk. But I don't. Someone probably just neglected to take care of the boat and left it tied to the mooring buoy when it should have been repaired. Just thought it was cool to see the bottom of a boat sticking up out of the water!
1 comment:
Hey Adam – thanks for coming out to cheer everyone on. One thru-hiker was camping out in a tent, reading a book, and he yelled out after me “keep the faith” and I thought that was the greatest! So thanks for being there in spirit, even if I didn’t see you. It would have been easier to cozy up at home and rent a movie – you’re a class act!
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