Hardrock 2009

I got accepted into Hardrock! I'm still in shock and sorting out my thoughts. Here are some of the things running through my head...

1. Holy Crap, what have I done?

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

A picture is worth 1000 words, so I updated my blog header picture with one of Island Lake taken from the Hardrock course.

With ultras an elevation profile is worth about 50,000 words.

Here are some of those words from the 2008 Runners Manual (69 pages!):

"The HARDROCK 100 is a mountain run that passes through some of the most beautiful and rugged mountains in the world."

"The course is designed to provide extreme challenges in altitude, steepness, and remoteness."

"Elevation changes range from a high of 14,048' to a low of 7680'. The total vertical climb and descent, accumulated while crossing thirteen ridges over 12000' in elevation, is about 66,000 feet."

"Animal life is abundant."

"This is a dangerous course! In addition to trail running, you will do some mild rock climbing (hands required), wade ice cold streams, struggle through snow which at night and in the early morning will be rock hard and slick and during the heat of the day will be so soft you can sink to your knees and above, cross cliffs where a fall could send you 300 feet straight down, use fixed ropes as handrails, and be expected to negotiate the course with or without markers."

"Feel free to include any specialized equipment such as ice axes, crampons, snow shoes, or skis that you are willing to carry between drop bag stations as part of your paraphernalia."

"This is a "post graduate" run, and not just a harder or higher version of some other trail hundred miler."

"Mountaineering, wilderness survival and wilderness navigation skills are as important in this event as your endurance."


Holy Crap, what have I done?