2018 AZTR300/750 Race Discussion Thread

[schillingsworth]

Congrats Mark!! You are the King of the AZTR!!

2018 is the year of the 6's, from Kurt's amazing 6:06:06 to your 6th finish. Incredible.

I'm sure Keith is ready to put a wrap on it. Then the final two are about to make the Canyon plunge. Looks like Steve was snaring a camping permit earlier. Have a good trek fellas.

[bmattingly]

Aho David Goldberg!!

Congratulations Mark, Your sticktuitiveness is commendable.  I hope Az shows you lots of love.

Impressive run everyone.  N Az. has been very cold and windy over the last week.  Tough being out there with limited shelter.

Spring is often windy up here.

[panick]

Anyone want to claim the pearl Izumi knee warmer I found a few miles after the freeman cache snagged on a branch? I'd be happy to mail it to the owner. I asked briefly around at the finish of the 300 but was focused on food and a beer.

[windowace]

I recently referred to the NPS ranger as a semi wild pig.  Done for entertainments sake.  No dis-respect to these folks. I appreciate the work they do and what they help make available to all of us.  I can't understand the position regarding riders north of the rim but whatever.  It ain't  easy one way or the other and this is just.... different.  Anyway, great job to all riders. Thanks Scott, John, Kurt, Max, Neil, Mark and all you other crazies.  My life is richer for you all.  Peace all!!

[joeydurango]

...when the bobcat passed in 10m front of me.

Thanks for the cat story!  Are you certain it was a bobcat, not a mountain lion?  Attacks on humans by North American wild cats are vanishingly rare regardless of species, but it's certainly not unheard of with lions.  My friend Jeff Hemperly got stalked by a lion during the 300 several years back.  Bobcats are so small and shy that they are rarely seen.  If a bobcat did attack the hiker, there was almost certainly something wrong with it - distemper, rabies, etc.  Bobcat = small, with tufted ears and a bobbed tail.  Lion = larger in size, major telltale is the long tail.

[aarond]

The game and fish guy stopped by azdot yard and specifically told me it was a bobcat.

[joeydurango]

Thanks, Aaron!  That's a first for me.  I wonder if it was in good health.

Nice work on the SoBo 750!

[aarond]

There was speculation it had rabies as several foxes in the area did.  Thanks!

[evdog]

Evan, he was super bummed about not finishing the 300 last year.  We had a manager that was.... not easy to coordinate things with shall we say.  We've got a new guy now and he's actually into this and been watching the tracker so it's been pretty fun and he's quite accommodating with schedules/time off.

Good to hear.  That's part of the reason I couldn't ride this year, work wouldn't give me time off for the earlier start.  I tried to egg him on into continuing to Kelvin.  I made into Kelvin just before midnight, there would have been plenty of time for him to make it in for work in Tucson the next am.  Doesn't matter now, though!

[dream4est]

Kurts split from Mogollon rim to Flag is blowing my mind. The lava rock road stuff that begins after the nice singletrack after crossing the highway near ranger station is a soul sucking brutal joint. Kurt would have probably crushed Nino Schurter that day lol.

The whole 90 plus miles is a really nice ride not in the race. For Kurt to do it like that after crushing course at near record pace and then drop the hammer there? Man that is legend type stuff right there.

And then to blast to the finish in 21ish hrs from the south rim? On no sleep?

Best effort ever Kurt? Neals Ctr record run is impressive. Mike Halls TD record ride is too. Kato dropping the hammer on Neal and Jayp is the only thing in my mind that can trump what Kurt just did to the AZT.

[Jeff Z]

The lava rock road stuff that begins after the nice singletrack after crossing the highway near ranger station is a soul sucking brutal joint.

Ah yes, Happy Jack. Probably my least favorite segment of the whole trail. Not the hardest - just the suckiest. They are working on re-routing that section, so one day it will not be the suckfest that it is today.

In other news. The last 2 750 riders are making a run for the border.

[dream4est]

There was a singletrack reroute at the end the "happy" roads. It was new with flags still out and very nice. If they are going to make it all like that it should be sweet.

[schillingsworth]

There was a singletrack reroute at the end the "happy" roads. It was new with flags still out and very nice. If they are going to make it all like that it should be sweet.

Pretty sure that's the plan!!

[ScottM]

That's a wrap folks, just shut down the tracker and updated the 750 results.

Congratulations to all the finishers and to everyone that gave it a go.  It was quite a year, and a zoomy one at that.  Here's an article from Aaron Gulley, who still has one of the fastest times in the 300:

https://www.outsideonline.com/2298346/two-new-records-arizona-trail-race

Thanks for all the energy and enthusiasm here, as well as the many kind notes of thanks I've received.  This race is quite a deal and something I hope will continue indefinitely.

Cheers everyone.

[treekiwi]

Howdy all,
I finished yesterday along with Ken Waring from Toronto.
First thing Monday morning I'm off to the Doc for antibiotics to kill this bronchitis thing I nursed all the way from Mexico.
Many bad nights coughing and not being able to breathe.
Few things, a ranger at the north rim must have been following my track, cos he showed up as soon as I arrived. Told me not to ride the road, take the trail. I did for awhile, then rejoined the road where it crossed. Walked a lot just to show good faith, skated a little, and rode some downhills. When I saw the entrance kiosk, I was sure sure to walk the bike all the way there, and there was a ranger vehicle waiting. As soon as he saw I was walking, he took off without a wave.
Re the cougar encounter: I ran into the two youngish hikers in the middle of the night somewhere between Oracle and Kelvin. They had been stalked by a cat large enough to mad padding sounds as it walked. If their account is accurate, there's no way it was a bobcat. I think they spotted the cat with their headlamps but they were not sufficient lumens to scare it off.
Congrats to all finishers this year....super hot down south and brutally cold and windy up north. I finished with an inch or so of snow in the ground at Jacob's Lake.
Right now I'm sipping a G&T and trying to get the swelling out of my calves. 
Stephen Elder

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

[flyboy]

Congrats Flyboy. Just checked in at Utah with Dave W hot on his heels.

Was a big party in the canyon last night!

Beagle, there was no party. It felt more like a wake! I am glad I didn’t know all of those guys were nipping at my heels.

[flyboy]

NPS only has jurisdiction to their boundary, which is the first ~9 miles.  ADOT says it is open after that (actually they say the whole thing is open, disagreeing with NPS). 

No one is aware of any closure of the road through USFS land.

Hey Scott, when Dave W and I were doing our epic hire car shuttle the day after our finish (15 hours driving) I noted a road sign just out of Flagstaff, on the road to Page, that said that “HIGHWAY 67 CLOSED FROM JACOB LAKE”. Maybe ADOT does have it officially closed as there were temporary barriers across the road at JL and a large locked gate about 500 yards down the 67 toward the North Rim.

Doing the AZT from the north rim would make this thing MUCH more challenging (it just never gets any easier  ) but that first 9 miles might have to be added as a permanent section of the race trail to avoid conflict. Pack ya snowshoes folks............

[Jdoobies]

What an experience! Congrats to all the finishers.

       I was lucky enough to have my bro and all-time hall of fame shuttle master Z. Bunch co pilot my rig to the Mexican border, for the start of the Arizona Trail race 2018. We meandered south, by way of the Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park and Flagstaff. Eventually we cruised into Bisbee,AZ. a wild bohemian art community tucked into the strangely verdant hills of southern Arizona. A large open pit copper mine sits directly in the middle of the little town. Odd place, but so interesting. With a whole day to relax and get ready, I was so set. Until, I noticed I had several broken spoke nipples on my rear wheel. I had just fixed a couple spokes with the same ailment, and quickly realized that the spoke nipples themselves were defective and breaking like crazy. I knew they wouldn't make it to Utah, 750 miles of desert savagery away. Now my time seemed strained, I called the number on the door of the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel, a legendary bike shop and museum in downtown Bisbee. Ken, the owner answered on the third ring.
I explained my predicament, and he agreed to open the shop and meet me. We proceeded to flail for the next several hours to replace all my aluminum spoke nipples with brass. nipples what? you say. met a rockstar who sells soap. he busted out his compressor for me.
After battling that, and arriving at the border at dusk to be greeted by friends old and new, my front tire was not holding air. More wrestling insued, with the help of Max Morris. A dramatic last minute KLANG! from the bead of my tire at sunset set the tone for what would be a battle from start to finish. I was lucky to have Zach along that day. He kept me calm, brought me food, and reminded me that
"This race ain't gonna be easy" he said.
"you're going to have to want it"
Oh how right he was.
3.2.1...go. 7AM start. way too fast a pace I thought. Then I'm ok with it. Pedal up to the front. Say hello to Kurt. Compliment his mullet. turn onto the singletrack. THIS IS HAPPENING! Max catches me and its on. We start going race pace. passing a few of the 300 racers. getting hot.BOOM Max Morris is gone. Why cant I hear anything? absolute meltdown. ears ringing. lost in Patagonia, 40 miles into a 750 mile race and Im dead. rolling on the ground cramped. Frankenstein legs. called Karla. out of my mind. "did I just blow my race?"watching riders go by. cramped. Hey there goes Ben! Ben Hanus, my spiritual Guru, who should be miles ahead, is there, like an angel. We slow pedal to Sonoita, stopping to smoke roadside dabs. like, real dabs from a glass bong. All the way high.I love this race. Ben drags me along into the surreal Santa Rita sunset. are we really here? dreamtime. Im recovering! I cant believe it but Im going to live! Ben zooms away into the night after a powerful high five. brothers! 10 minutes later, I'm feeling amazing, covering ground and smiling. trouble is, Im off route. 5 bours or more until I realize my mistake and get back on route. Almost run over by a truck sleeping in the road. no water. so much for recovery. Morning comes. down towards Tucson. dry as dirt. dead legs. everyone is in front of me. lost my hash smoking device. devastated. phones dead. no GPS. buy one from a racer for $100 without getting off trail. mo money mo problems. try to eat a burger at Saguaro Corners. can't. drink a gallon of ice water. didn't make a dent. Pedal ALL THE WAY to base of Reddington, forget to fill up. Its over half a day to the next water.
"SHIT!"
pedal back, looking for friendly house, spigot, something.
Fill up at an anonymous house with maybe people home maybe not...praying to not get shot. Back up Reddington. the most epic sunset that goes on and on and on and on. nuclear holocaust over Tucson. magic.
swamp ass. so gnarly. stripped naked pushing my bike for hours up Reddington.
Up at 1st light. on to Lemmon. takes FOREVER. a Gila Monster!! a little contrived HAB. wubs wubs. too hot. "I was afraid I was going to die."
"and then I was afraid I wasn't"
Summerhaven! well named. Salmon BLT. Beer. Pie. Gatorade. I drank a jar of pickle juice. I felt it hit my legs like ice water in the viens. Oracle Ridge. Windy. spectacular. frustrating, but only a little. sandy wash bivy with fear of Rattlers. wrong turn to start the day. backtrack to Oracle. Amazing bagel with lox. two bagels with lox. phone charge. life giving donuts.
Now. we come alive. mile after mile of twisty desert singlertrack. bunnyhop two rattlesnakes. fears allayed. "they react like youre no more than a hawk shadow." Stomping pedals up Ripsey in the twilight. Legs are back from the dead. Music pumps through my headphones." I love this race!" Pizza at Kelvin Bridge. drink 2 gallons of water. 2 gatorades and 3 cokes. power into the gila canyons at night. quick sleep. PICKETPOST!! carbondale boys show me love. They look so happy to be done. tempted to quit. GOTTA MOVE! queen valley bullshit. hotter than the devil's ballbag. Ice cream. Apache Junction singletrack. where the hell are we? Jack in the box. Jacob's crosscut trail in the dark. rocky. cursing. happy. great bivy. smoke the undercarriage in a 7 minute fire.
Tortilla Flats sunrise. sitting in traffic. Salt canyon lake looks soooo inviting. keep pedaling. Roosevelt Lake! Butcher hook burger! stopped at Jakes Corner for a beer. Hot climb to Payson. my wife is in payson. I have to call her and ask not to meet. I miss her too much to ride past. tears are shed. keep pushing.
PAYSON! wendy's. e-cig from chevron that will burn my hash cartridges. new man. shower. clean kit.
2:30 alpine start. wet kit underneath down jacket, smells like downy. pine for breakfast. gaining steam. hiline trail. "wow there's spring water in Arizona."
hike yer bike. ride yer bike. cosmic supplements. ride yer bike more! hellish push up to the mogollon rim.
"now who's feeling frisky?"
pine tress. windy ribbons of singletrack. power sliding in the needles. ripping and roosting like the good ol days. My legs are risen from the dead like Lazarus. ride until midnight. Flagstaff for lunch. making time now. Retail therapy at REI. prep for the Grand. the big ditch. the homestretch. Amazing riding out of Flag. aspens. wrong turn. "goddamn it". cursing. tantrum. apologies. another profoundly lovely sunset. cold wind. icy headwind. creeping downhill. mountain lion country. sleep anyway.
lay there all night and shiver. Brad rides out and I reluctantly follow. wearing everything Im carrying. shivering. Icicles on my water bottles until noon. headed to the south rim. try to drop Brad but he's always there. no reserves now. I can feel a single almond hit my stomach. eating everything.
Tusayan.Wendy's. power an obscene amount of fast food with more to go. Catch Adam at the trailhead. Bike on the back let's do this.
oh welcome to the Grand Canyon. 6pm drop in. Bhutan death march. make the river in great time. up we go! 30 minute shifts. walk. sleep.walk. sleep.
Cougar 6 yards from the trail. unblinking yellow eyes. death sphinx. mutual respect and wonder? walk backwards for an hour with the hair on my ass standing up. 3am sleep until 5. 2 sour patch kids and Im off." Theres Dan and Paul!"
good morning. stomp the north rim trail. screaming at rim to rim runners. feeling unstoppable. shouting in gratitude. mountain legs. years of slogging on skis and carrying bits of metal into the mountains has brought this power. I could walk forever. but now I get to ride again. props from all the runners. roll out. Kaibab plateau. beauty. cold headwind. almost home. look back. too often. 4th place!! tears of joy. of pride. of gratitude. middle fingers up too. earned my spot. all the emotions at once.I love this race.
Cookies at Jacob Lake. in a hurry now. drop into epic buffed pine racetrack singletrack. hero's finish. so close. my lady. my legs. don't crash. almost crashed! Hike a bike NO! insulting. 4 miles to go. more hike a bike. "you rude son of a bitch, let me out!" finally draining to the Red Rock. Utah is there!
twisties to the end! hero's welcome. my love. some friends.
a beer.
And just like that..........

[hanyo66]

One hell of a write up!

  

[ScottM]

Hey Scott, when Dave W and I were doing our epic hire car shuttle the day after our finish (15 hours driving) I noted a road sign just out of Flagstaff, on the road to Page, that said that “HIGHWAY 67 CLOSED FROM JACOB LAKE”. Maybe ADOT does have it officially closed as there were temporary barriers across the road at JL and a large locked gate about 500 yards down the 67 toward the North Rim.

Doing the AZT from the north rim would make this thing MUCH more challenging (it just never gets any easier  ) but that first 9 miles might have to be added as a permanent section of the race trail to avoid conflict. Pack ya snowshoes folks............

The road is definitely closed to cars until May 15.  But we had it from an engineer that ADOT considers it open to bikes and feet.  It's just that the NPS disagrees.

You are right that the first 9 miles may need to be required in the future, which is unfortunate.  Stephen, thanks for the report and that is too bad about the ranger with nothing better to do than enforce a "rule" that makes no sense.

Jdoob -- excellent stream of consciousness report.  Thanks for that.