G O   T O     N  E  X  T     P  A  G  E
Race Start and The High Country  ( Squaw to Robinsons Flat)

I woke-up at 4am.      I had a larger breakfast than normal, since I planned to walk the first 4+mile ascent to the Escarpment.  I drank a High Protein Boost and prepared 3 packets of instant oatmeal.   I told Gigi, Doug and Katie that I'd see them at Robinsons Flat.  It was 4:25am and I left the unit at Squaw Valley Lodge and walked over to race start to get my bib number.  Then drank one more High Protein Boost . The Boost and oatmeal provided a 900 calorie breakfast.

Around 4:50am , I filed into the pack of runners lined up behind the start line . I found Sammy in the crowd. Then Gigi, Doug and  Katie found me .  I gave Gigi my long sleeve coolmax shirt, as I was comfortable standing still without it.   The rather warm morning temperature was  a popular topic of conversation among the runners:  If it was already warm enough to not need an extra upper layer, how warm would the temperatures be later in the canyons ?  The next 10minutes passed by quickly .  I started my watch timers.... they were programmed to beep on the hour as a reminder to take an Electrolyte cap. The race started promptly at 5am.      We runners became a line of ants filing up the service road.  I was carrying two 20oz bottles. One was full of water and the other contained  half Boost/half water.

Daylight gradually arrived.   I planned to carry a camera only until Red Star Ridge. (Photos taken during WS Training Camp of other sections of course:
www.oocities.org/wstc_2003 )   Since I had taken photos in the previous days, there were only about 10 photos remaining  on the roll of film. Leaving the service road , the WS course takes a sharp left turn onto single track continuing up  toward the Escarpment.   There was now adequate light to begin taking photos.  

Reaching the Escarpment Aid station,  I was a few minutes ahead of my plan.
Photo # 6: Beginning to see some snow .
Photo # 7: Approaching the high point on the course.
Photo # 8: Almost to the top, I take a photo looking south.
Photo # 9: A photo taken of me during the climb with Lake Tahoe in the far background.
Photo # 10: At the top of Escarpment , I took the time to stop and look back over the snowfield to Lake Tahoe.
Photo # 11:  Crossing the over the High Point , we begin the descent toward Granite Chief Wilderness... runners were   "woo-hoo-ing"  in this section.
Photo #12 :  Most of the WS trail was clear of snow except for a few short sections.  This photo was taken in the longest section of snow.. somewhere between Escaprment and Lyon Ridge.
Photo # 13:  A view from the trail.... French Meadows reservoir can be seen in background.  The middle fork of the American River comes out of this reservoir.  The area around French Meadows Reservoir was burned in the Red Star fire in August 2001, and led to the rerouted sections of WS course  between Red Star Ridge and Last Chance   for 2002 and 2003. 
About a half mile before Lyon Ridge AS, I saw Alan Deubner, a runner from Washington whom I had met at Rucky Chucky Roundabout 50Km. We ran together to Lyon Ridge AS.  I drank  the final water from my bottle just before reaching the aidstation and was happy to be staying hydrated.  I was trying to remember to drink down 2 bottles between aidstations .

Entering into Lyon Ridge AS, I  was a few minutes behind my plan  probably from taking photos and being careful in the snow and muddy sections.  I was not concerned. I was running at a comfortable pace and not feeling fatigued by the altitude.     Alan and I stayed together for another mile or so and then he went on ahead.  We would see each other 4 or 5 times throughout the race.

The first few miles after Lyon Ridge were memorable and  seemed to  be  full of those "Sound of Music" moments with the  beautiful scenery of the high country.
Then we entered into a more forested section  as the trail  snaked  around through pine trees and dropped into Red Star Ridge.   I was a minute behind at Red Star.  I got my drop bag and  drank a Boost. I also took my shoes off to clean out the debris that had collected  inside. I placed  the camera in the drop bag and continued on.

Just out of Red Star , I saw Wayne Coates from Tucson.  I had met him and his wife at the WS training camp  on the second day.   The stretch from RSR to RF seems uneventful in my memory.  The previous summer I had driven this stretch of the course in a rental car and occasionally would see things that  I remembered from that drive.  It was in this section that I ran a bit with Wendy from Minnesota.  Mostly I was trying to keep a decent pace moving forward.  Also,  I wanted to make up a few minutes and arrive to RF on time with respect to my schedule. 

I came into RF about 1 minute   ahead.   I weighed in at 152 pounds (12 pounds above my start weight).   I told the volunteer that I thought that the scales at the Friday  medical check-in were low, and my start weight was actually closer to 145 instead of 140.  Even so, with a start weight of 145 I was still up 7 pounds.  The volunteer did not seem overly concerned, and  let me go on along.  I was not overly concerned .  ( For the  remainder of race, my weight stabilized. It fluctuated  between 144 and 147 pounds at the weigh-in check points).    Another volunteer had filled my bottles with water while I was being weighed.   I took the bottles and I thanked him  . I spotted my crew in the crowd and  told them I was ready to go on and would see them at Bald Mtn Aid station.           25 miles down, 75miles to go.

The next section of the course that follows around Litle Bald Mtn is magnificently entertaining.  What a way to spend a Saturday morning!  Being treated to the  panoramic views, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven ....the scenery  brought tears to my eyes.   Before I realized it , the single track yielded to a forest service road and I could hear voices and  noise coming from Little Bald Mtn Aidstation.

I arrived ~5 minutes ahead of my plan.  This aidstation seemed easier for both  me and my crew to deal with... it was much more laid back and less crowded than RF.   Gigi wiped my face off with a wet towel, and she  had a Boost waiting for me  as I had requested.    I thanked Gigi, Doug and Katie  for being there and then said goodbye to them. I would not see them again until the early evening at Michigan Bluff.     Onward Ho to the canyons!
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