Subject: Nolan's 14 notes 
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 12:21:25 -0600 

I trust everyone is recuperating from an extraordinary effort. I thought the
race was very successful and I for one was truly inspired. I am looking
forward to next year. Before that though I am looking for a date to make a
renewed attempt on eight 14ers in 24 hours, probably in September. :-)

Here are notes on the race from my vantage point. I would enjoy seeing
other's notes on the race whether participants or support crew.

I started with the runners at 6 A.M. on Saturday--just for the first
mountain, Mt Massive. I found myself falling in with Blake Wood as we
negotiated the maze leading us out of the fish hatchery. Soon we were on the
cross-country ski trail (blue diamond trail) that crosses the Colorado Trail
after about three miles. When we reached the junction Blake continued
straight ahead, intending to cross-country directly to the summit. I wanted
a training run for the Pikes Peak Marathon the following weekend so I took
the easy route up--left on the Colorado Trail to the main trail up Massive.
Shortly after I reached the summit Gordon and Blake arrived up top. After
another 20 minutes Eric and Matt summited. I continued over Massive Green to
North Massive where I took a nap for half an hour on North Massive's flat
and expansive summit before heading down the long ridge ramp connecting with
the Native Lake Trail leading back to the Fish Hatchery.

It was about 1 P.M. when I reached my truck. As I drove into Leadville for
lunch the rain started. I arrived in Leadville just in time to see the first
three finishers come in for the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Trail Race.

Later at the La Plata Trailhead I watched Blake, Gordon, then Matt and Eric
come through as the rain kept coming down. Eventually Fred showed up around
6 P.M. with my aid station kit. I set up my tent just before dark at the N.
Cottonwood Trailhead as the rain continued to come down. I could just
imagine the misery of the runners as I snuggled into a warm sleeping 
bag.

Next morning I hiked into the trail junction of Horn Fork Basin and Kroenke
Lake where I set up my camp. It was only a short two miles so I went ahead
and packed in a chair and a heavy queen size blow up mattress and the
motorized blowup machine. Might as well be comfortable!

At 12:20 P.M. on Sunday I heard the first radio transmission of the day from
Blake on the summit of Harvard, the eighth 14er of the trek, and 30 hours
twenty minutes into the race. He made good time from there up and over
Columbia and down to my aid station by 4:37 P.M. I think he got a little too
comfortable in my chair though because he didn't leave until 5:05 P.M. Jim
Nolan and Joe Florio hiked up from the trailhead right at about the time
Blake arrived with some much appreciated sandwiches and iced tea. Blake
downed three cans in rapid succession. Blake reported that when he was on
top of Harvard Eric and Matt were ascending Belford, so I estimated this
would put them about 8-9 hours back.

About an hour after Blake had started up Yale (via the avalanche gulley
directly across from the bridge at the junction) it started hailing and I
saw (and heard) thunder and lightning right where he had gone on the slopes
of Yale. At 7 P.M. Blake radioed to say he'd been holed up for an hour
waiting for the storm to clear.

At 7:50 P.M. Blake radioed in to say he was moving up the mountain again.
He'd reached the basin and estimated he had an hour to make Yale's summit. I
got out of the tent to place glow sticks for Matt and Eric's arrival in the
early morning. Patches of blue sky opened to the west and Blake reported an
awe-inspiring rainbow over Princeton.

At 9:34 P.M. Blake called from Yale's summit. He said he would be down in
about two hours following the east ridge route. As it would turn out this
estimate was optimistic by far.

At 10:53 I received a transmission from Matt on top of Harvard. He couldn't
hear me, though Blake answered. I couldn't hear everything Blake said, but
did copy that he was having a hard time on the east ridge descent. Matt said
he and Eric had timed the rain segment perfectly to coincide with their
arrival at the Pine Creek aid station. They waited the rain out for an hour
in the comfort of the tent before heading up Harvard.

Around midnight I was awakened by Jim and Joe with a pizza delivery! They
also brought much needed energy bars and gel.

At 3:18 A.M. on Monday I received a transmission from Matt and Eric on top
of Columbia. They couldn't hear me though.

At 4:09 A.M. Matt radioed that they were still above timberline on the south
ridge.

I got up about 4:30 A.M. and started some water boiling before starting up
the trail to meet them. At the first avalanche clearing I tried yelling for
them since they said they were "lost in the woods". They couldn't hear me so
I went back to the camp site. Eric's brother, John arrived shortly before
six.

Matt radioed that they were finally on the trail from Horn Fork Basin so
John and I started up the trail to meet them. They made it into the camp
site at 6:20 A.M. Matt succumbed to the comfortable chair while Eric decided
to head for the trail head because of tendon pain. Finally at 7:03 A.M. Matt
was ready to go for Yale. I hiked up to Kroenke Lake with him, turning
around above the lake at 8:30 A.M.

At 11:13 A.M. Matt called from Yale's summit, reporting that Blake was
climbing above 12,000 feet on Princeton. I broke camp and hiked down to my
truck. About 100 yards from the truck the sky fell in and dumped buckets. I
was drenched by the time I reached the safety of the vehicle.

I know what you runners went through and have the utmost admiration. As we
hiked up to Kroenke Lake Matt said, "this is one of the hardest races I've
ever run". I said "What! There are harder ones??". Matt thought it over and
amended his statement, "This is the hardest race I've ever run." That I can
believe. That is what makes this race so wonderful--knowing that you are
really putting forth your maximum effort and accomplishing an awesome
achievement.

Steve Bremner
http://www.crosswinds.net/~stevebremner