Little Bear - Cascade Crest 100

Last week I had the pleasure of once again visiting and volunteering at Cascade Crest 100.  I helped out at the Little Bear Aid Station with BJ, Rich, and many other friends, some new, some old. The aid station was at Mile 16 or so. The weather was warm to hot, but not so much at the aid station itself. BJ made some great signs coming into the aid station. 

The drive to Little Bear is a bit of a beast, out past Stampede Pass and lots of rugged forest roads. Glad to catch a ride with Chris and Suze--good times. A bit of mountain time felt like one extended exhale. Many laughs, too.

Props to all those who carried up the water to Little Bear on the day before. This is no small task--steep hill, worthy of tall trees, tough trails.

I got up and out the door from Mount Vernon at 4:30 AM, so I could meet at the start of the race. I got to see many old friends. This is a good place. It's a little harder to get up there with the Friday start, but I marked this day off on the calendar for some time.

After the aid station closed down, got to hang out a bit longer. Then I closed out the day with a drive further east to Thorp for some peaches and eastern WA fruit, and then the evening drive home.

A bit of a photo dump here...

 

The Great Sedro-Wolley Footrace

 

For the record, I participated in the Sedro-Wolley Footrace on the 4th of July, once again. My finish time was around 57 minutes for the 5.17 mile course. It was hot and I was very slow, as I just came off of COVID for the first time a week or two before. I felt it as I tried to shuffle through the loop. Glad to be able to run and be out there, nonetheless. Many of the usual suspects were there, and it was good to say hello to all before the race. After the race, I beelined for the car, home, and a movie on the couch.

I'm off pace this year for my once a month average. It seems like there are less 10ks around, and with the price of gas and other family and work duties, I'm not quite as anxious to find a line to toe. I do have a few things I'm signed up for in the months ahead. I'm also doing the GVRAT virtual run again, but I'm about 70 miles behind schedule as I write, due to travel and being sick in June. I'm not quire ready to throw in the towel though, and I can use the steady training.