deso05

DESOLATION TRAIL MARATHON
24 SEPTEMBER 2005

	Name, Age	Finish Time
1	Alan Watson,56	4:34:38
2	Brian Hamos,42 Arnie Hulquist,47	4:42:47 4:42:47
4	Dan Hall,37	4:50:05
5	Pat McMurtry,46	5:02:50
6	Frederick Gabriel,46	5:11:20
7	Grizz Randall,61	5:12:45
8	Douglas Heinrich,43	5:37:50
9	Jill Bohney,41	5:38:20
10	Sandy Johnson,29 Laurel Wright,26	5:42:52 5:42:52
12	Marsha Wadsworth,43	5:51:22
13	Deborah Wagner,55	5:53:51
14	Bret Gallacher,39 Reyn Gallacher,42 John Moellmer,61	6:16:12 6:16:12 6:16:12
17	Jodi Martin,46	6:45:00
18	David Packham,44	6:48:55
19	Darren Anderson,36 Mindy Niitsuma	6:54:44 6:54:44
21	Michelle Allard Jen Roberts	7:33:00 7:33:00
23	Wayne Harrell,40 (Gobblers Knob plus Gabriel Lakey,28 ----Mt. Raymond addition)	8:50:20 8:50:20
25	Paula Eldredge,40 Lloyd Eldredge,53	9:39:45 9:39:45

The LONE DESO Marathon (23 Sep 2005)
Roger Adams,44	5:33:00

Started at Guardsman Pass	~ 23 miles
Marit Glenne,55	6:49:10

Started at Big Water trailhead up to Dog Lake & Desolation Trail	~ 18 miles
Kathie Utley-Schmutz,47 Duane Schmutz,58	5:59:12 5:59:12

Box Elder Picnic Grounds to Spring & Back - Mystery Miles

Joan Moellmer,56

Bail out at Mill D ~ 12 miles

Cynthia Daniels,56
John Diroll,48
Bob Henderson,59
Blyth Larrabee,50
Stan Larrabee,50

   The weather for the Desolation Marathon was superb.   The leaves were spectacular. "Stunning!" someone commented. The race was great for Alan Watson and Jill Bohney who were the men's and women's winners respectively. Brian Hamos and Arnie Hulquist tied for second, same as last year.
Grizz had a great run in the "Senior Men" category or is it "Veteran Men"? I have him down with twelve finishes although he particated in fifteen. The Gorilla has 11 finishes and Prince Many Dots has 10 finishes now.   I enjoyed this story Lloyd Eldredge sent by email and the pictures Paula took are really stunning (see the link near the bottom of the story below):
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                    "I guess there is some consolation to being DFL:
                    I really did have more time to enjoy the scenery!"
Lloyd Eldredge

"It was a very tough day, however. I had not felt completely well for a couple of days prior, nothing specific, just didn't feel right. I felt fine when I woke up Saturday morning, but no sooner than we started, and I found myself going backwards. I just didn't seem to have any energy, and by Puke Hill, I was last by so far, that I couldn't see anyone ahead of me at all. I was getting worried that the Blunder Fork aid station would be cleaned up and gone by the time I got there, so I asked some mountain bikers to let runners ahead know that I was still coming. About half way along the Crest, I started feeling pretty good, and picked it up. I ran all the way to the aid station, arriving there about 10:30am, not the last to arrive (I had passed two runners above the lake) and thought the day would
be fine. Nowhere near what I'd hope for, but acceptable.
I kept moving along pretty well past Dog Lake, and onto the Desolation Trail. However, just after starting the long traverse above Mill A Basin, I re-injured my left ankle. It came on gradually, but by the time I got to the area below Mt. Raymond, I was almost in slow motion. I compounded things by my fear that there wouldn't be any water left at the Utley Tree, and I was trying conserve my water just in case I needed it for the last nine miles. I figured there were about 30 runners ahead of me, and I knew that only 7 gallons had been cached. I calculated that if everyone took a quart, it would all be gone by the time I got there. The net result was that I wasn't drinking enough and was getting dehydrated, which meant I was moving even slower. At one point, I discovered that I had cell signal, so I called Paula, and was very surprised when she answered. She was several miles ahead, and told me that there was water left when she went through. She offered to wait for me, but I told her I'd be fine, and to keep going. However, about 45 minutes later, she called again, and said she'd taken a wrong turn (she ended up going 3-4 miles off course) and was backtracking. She was now back at the water cache, and was going to wait for me. I can't tell you what a relief it was to see her...and to see the water she was holding in her hands! I was a bit out of it, and probably wouldn't have even found the cache.
   After tanking up, and getting some food, I felt somewhat better, and we headed down together. It was really slow going, and any time we were on sections of the trail that canted down from left to right, my ankle was in agony. It honestly felt like someone was striking it with an axe with every step. Where the trail canted in the opposite direction, I had some relief. What's funny about that is that earlier in the day I was complaining to myself that the long traverse to the water cache (the Utley Tree) was difficult because the trail consistently canted to right to left, and it was making my knees a little sore. Some people are never happy, I guess.
   It really seemed like it took forever for us to get down the last few miles, and without Paula's support, it might have been hours longer. (BTW, I suspect Paula added at least three hours to her finish time.) I wouldn't have enjoyed coming down in the dark, and I'm glad Paula was with me so that she didn't have sit and worry about where I was, how I was doing, etc. It also really did help a lot just to have some company, and it meant a lot to me that she gave up her race to help me. It also meant a lot to see Irv, Reyn, Brett, Wayne and Gabriel at the finish. I would have been fine if no one had waited, but I grateful that they were there.
   The irony of the day is that on the climb toward Scott's Pass I was with Jodi Martin, who told me that in 2003 she and her sister had set the record for the slowest finish. I told her that since I was a not having my best day, that I still hoped to finish around 6 and half to 7 hours, but would at least do all I could to see that they kept their record. Letting them keep it was a victory of sorts...you take your victories where you find them.
   As I mentioned at the beginning, on the plus side, the scenery was amazing! Paula took a lot of pictures, and we've posted a web gallery here:

http://homepage.mac.com/lloydeldredge/Triathlon/PhotoAlbum73.html

Paula and I have been a bit stiff and sore this weekend, but otherwise alright. My ankle is already feeling a lot better too...except when touch it; funny how that goes. On the way home from Millcreek Canyon on Saturday, I called my friend, Greg Holmes, who had wanted to do the race, but couldn't because of family conflicts, and told him that he hadn't missed anything, and that I would NEVER do the Deso again. However, by Sunday evening, I was already thinking of all the ways I could do it better next time. I mentioned this to Paula, and she smacked me in the forehead a couple of times. She said she figured that was what I was thinking...are we sick people or what?
   Thanks to all those who made the Desolation Marathon possible...trail marking, water cache, aid station, timing, support in general. You guys are my heros."
                            --Lloyd Eldredge
Thanks Lloyd, your struggle to finish your trip was heroic.   The support you received was in the category of -> a job well done.   Here are the great guys who helped: Stan Crane was the trail marking guy (D.T. stakes), chopped several trees off the trail or chopped in a foot hold to get across them, carried 2 gallons of water to the Utley Tree, and cooked pancakes at the finish line. Grizz Randall carried two more gallons up to the Utley Tree and Stan Larrabee (and gang?) brought up 5 gallons to the Utley Tree.
The aid station at Blunder Fork was manned by John Grobben, Adam Grobben, Claude Grant, Paula Tober, Darren White, and Alan Spiers. They carried up around 10 gallons of water and goodies.
Thanks to you all. Another great year.
Irv