Starlight Overnight

April 23, 2016

What a fabulous idea! Running trails at night. This was a free run (not race) that was dreamed up by Gretchen Walla, and supported by Kerri and Matt Stebbins of Endless Trails (a nonprofit organization that's all about takin' care of the trails). It was also a fundraiser for Endless Trails. The aid station was a potluck - we brought our favorite aid station food to share with everyone.

The run was at Flying Horseshow Ranch near Cle Elum. My family stayed in a cabin overnight at the ranch while I was on the trail. Although the course was open until 5 am, I ran until 3 am (after about 28.6 miles) before I called it a night. Before I slid into my sleeping bag, I silently grabbed clean clothes and soap from the cabin and headed to the showers. After I took a 3 hour nap, everyone gathered at the mess hall for pancakes, sausage, and leftovers from the aid station.



The run is about ready to start! It was 8 pm.

 

Coming through the aid station after the first 2.6 mile lap.

 

 

I finished 2 laps before darkness set in.

 

Passing through the aid station after dark.

The trail was marked with glow sticks hanging from tree branches. I did not see them until I was pretty close to them. There were also pin flags with reflective tape. Those little beacons really glowed in the light of my headlamp! I could see them from many yards away. At one point, I was running behind someone with their headlamp on very bright. Their beam illuminated the ground so much that everything else around was pitch black. That made it really hard for me to see anything as I followed them. I had my headlamp on it's lowest setting. I couldn't wait to pass so that my blindness could dissipate and the forest around me could emerge once again.

 

After midnight, it got very quiet. There were only a few runners still on the trial. I didn't see a single runner on my last 2 laps. It was peaceful! Or maybe I was just falling asleep. At one point, the clouds separated and revealed the moon. I turned my headlamp off and ran for a short time using the shadows and my other senses to guide me.

 

The next morning, after a shower and 3 hours of sleep. I won this awesome sweatshirt in a drawing!!

 

Before the start of the run, we stopped near Suncadia for a trail ride on horseback. Maybe not the smartest thing to do before an ultra run, but we had a lot of fun!