Foothills Trail: Sub 27:00 and First Female Double Finisher- Say WHAT?

Usually, after a “significant” run like FHT I find that it takes me for freaking ever to gather my thoughts in any kind of cohesive way and write a race report. By the time I’ve processed the experience emotionally, I find the details of the race have already begun to fade from my memory, which makes writing it up that much more difficult.

Not this time. No emotional processing necessary. Honey Badger just got...it...DONE!

So, here goes.

First, attempting the FHT over Thanksgiving weekend was a last minute decision. Originally, I passed on this organized attempt, thinking it too close to the Bartram 100’s on December 10. But then... I noticed Naresh was signed up for Bartram and was also attempting FHT...So, yes. To answer your question, if my friends jump off a cliff I will follow them.

The week leading up to FHT was a whirlwind of ADD-induced planning. For the first time, I found myself attempting FHT sans Charles and I was suddenly in the position of being the “experienced one” on the trail. Stop laughing. Stop it now.

The logistics of an FHT attempt are always daunting. It’s a point to point run, so you’re dealing with shuttling people and cars and aid between Table Rock and Oconee State Parks. Any logistical challenges like multiple start times only serve to amplify these challenges.

Also, you’re not allowed to be on the trails after 30 minutes before dark, so you have to commit to camping at one or both State Parks. And you can’t just book one night at a site, there’s a 2-night minimum at either of the State Parks. Then there’s cell phone reception/ coverage issues. What a nightmare! Cell reception is just plain crappy. You’re lucky if you can send a text, and if you’re able to, you may never know if the person you sent it to received it. More than anything, lack of cell phone coverage has caused a comedy of errors to play out again and again. This attempt would turn out to be no different in that respect.

The adventure begins....Thanksgiving Day.

Mimi was kind enough to get a site at Oconee for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. As I drove to Oconee State Park to meet Mimi and Naresh, my excitement began to build. Whereas up until that point, I had been preoccupied with planning a “finish”, I suddenly started to consider going for a 24-hour finish. I went as far as leaving a message on Naresh’s phone, saying something like “I hope you don’t get this- I’m losing my mind with excitement and actually thinking about going for the 24 hour finish. Please slap these thoughts out of my head when you see me.”

In my mind, I had no business thinking sub-24. I was going into this run after a 75 mile week culminating in a hard Saturday run on trails at Jones Gap State Park and a double SSSR (Seven Sisters Summit Run) on Sunday. But the little voice in my head reminded me that I recovered very well from the weekend, and my legs had felt downright bouncy on my recovery run on Tuesday. I was also thinking a Foothills Trail finish would go a long way in healing the wounds of not one but TWO Pitchell DNF's in October.

Thanksgiving At Oconee State Park - Cool
Soon after arriving at Oconee and finding the campsite, I met Scott Chapman for the first time - what a cool guy. His plans were to run from Table Rock to Laurel Valley entrance and then be available to run, crew and assist at various points on the trail.



Thanksgiving dinner was a wonderful meal of Tandoori chicken and Naan, courtesy of Naresh. Did I say it was wonderful? It was soooo yummy! As we stood around the campfire talking and drinking beer, the temperature began to drop- finally to the point it drove us in to our tents for the night around 9:30 p.m.



The next morning, Mimi, Naresh and I set about finalizing our drop bags and talking about the trail in general. I had made us all some navigation notes that highlighted some of the trickier parts of the trail.



We made a short trip over to the WWF overlook platform, which was jam packed full 'o tourists, and we hiked down to the bridge so they could get a feel for the climb over the rocks as you begin your ascent out of WWF.

We headed back to the campsite around 3:00 to meet Lester Farmer. Soon, Chad and Mark rolled up and shortly thereafter we all left Oconee and stopped along the way to drop a few aid bags, drop off vehicles, etc. Finally, we arrived at Table Rock around 7:30 pm.

It was incredibly cold! I ate some boiled peanuts and could not get warm around the fire, so I opted to get a couple of hours of sleep in the back of Naresh's car. At about 11:00 p.m., I went up to the restroom to change and to text Charles. When I returned to the car, I saw that Scott Hadukavich had arrived. Somehow, it just ain't a FHT run if Scott isn't there.

Last minute preparations, and before I knew it, we were moving silently as a group down to the Trailhead start point with our headlamps off. Memories of previous runs filled my head, where the fear of waking the ranger seemed far more intense than it did this time. As usual, we took a couple of group photos before someone called the official start time (12:04 a.m.) and off we went, climbing up, up, up, towards Pinnacle and Sassafrass Mountain.

Table Rock to Laurel Valley Entrance (14 miles)
12:04 - 4:35

I felt exhilarated at the start as I took in the beauty of the trail. Even at night, this trail is simply gorgeous. We all stayed pretty close to one another for the first few miles, as clothes and gear were adjusted, and everyone got used to the trail. I was a little worried about Mimi as she was apparently already having some issues with her headlamp.

I realized pretty quickly that I felt good. It's a good 9-mile hike up to Sassafrass, with tons of elevation gain, but I was handling it really well and my legs somehow felt fresh.

Near Pinnacle Mtn., I made a note of where Charles had broken his arm in February, and I found myself missing him. The run didn't feel quite the same without him. I love the way he's always ppointing out what's coming up next on the trail, and how we run together so comfortably.

Right about then, I turned to Naresh and said, "No offense, Naresh, but I miss Charles." Almost immediately after that, we came up on what I thought was a left-over Halloween joke. Someone had hung a skeleton on the trail! So weird...


A few minutes later we popped out of the trail at Sassafrass and started crossing the road to where Chad would be waiting for us with water. At first, nothing unusual registered with me. There were several cars parked here, but I assumed Big Easy and/ or Scott H. were there as well. Suddenly I see the "FARTHER" license plate and I realize Charles was there! He had totally tricked me and come up a day early to surprise me! In fact, he had to have already been on the road when I texted him right before the start. I love it!


After quick hello's to Charles' doggies, a water refill, and some food, we all took off for the LV entrance. I know that Naresh really enjoyed the nice downhill descent to Laurel Valley. He's an amazing downhill runner and when I caught up with him at Rocky Bottom he told me he'd turned off his headlamp and cruised down the trail. Sweet! I checked my watch at the Hwy 178
crossing and noted that we cam e in at 4:16 a.m.

We walked up to the Laurel Valley entrance parking lot and were treated to another awesome aid station. However, it got cold really fast when you weren't moving, so I tried my best to get what I needed and move out of there. I know Naresh was freezing, and I thought he headed back out a couple of minutes ahead of me. I noted that I left the parking lot at 4:34, and headed up the stairs to Laurel Valley. I remember hearing Chad tell Mark to take it slow and and to not try and “crush” it. Those two made a good team, I thought.

Laurel Valley To White Water Falls (34 Miles)
4:35 a.m. - 3:42 p.m

The Laurel Valley section is probably the most well-known section of the FHT, as it has it's very own race - the Laurel Valley Ultra. It's a beast of a section, but this time I had a very different experience running through here. I found it to be way more runnable than I ever remembered, and with few exceptions I had no difficulty staying on trail. I made it my main goal to run every runnable part of trail, and I found that I ran a lot more of this section than I ever have before.

Lester and I traded positions for a few miles, and eventually we caught up to Mark. This in itself was a big surprise, as I thought Naresh was ahead of me. I asked Mark if he'd seen Naresh, and he said no. I told Lester I was worried Naresh had maybe gone off trail, but I didn't know what we could do about it at this point.

I kept moving, but as Canebrake and Heartbreak Ridge closed in, I was so ready to be see humans again. I remember Charles saying he'd see me at 8:30 at Canebreak, and I think I ended up arriving around 9:00. As planned, Charles and Scott had hiked in to Cane Brake and set up a mini aid station of awesomeness, and when I finally heard some hollering, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was. I immediately went off trail and had to correct!

I asked them if they'd seen Naresh, and that's when Charles told me Naresh had taken the road at the LV parking lot instead of the stairs but had corrected himself after a few minutes. But instead of being a couple minutes ahead of me like I thought, he was a couple minutes behind me- I just didn't know it.

I got some food and Gatorade, and was eager to keep moving as I suspected I was making good time so far, and with no navigation problems, I was becoming increasingly confident I was having a good run. Plus, I really wanted to get in to WWF in under 12 hours.

At one point I began to overheat with two shirts on, so I had to take the long sleeve shirt off I was wearing underneath my shirt and tie it around my waist. This is when I noticed my watch band had broken and my watch had fallen off. I got my phone out of my pack to see what time it was, and I don't know if it was just me having nearly 50 miles on my brain and body, but I would swear that the clock that's usually on my phone display was no longer there! I went into my phone menu to try to find the clock, but...seriously? I can't do this shit on a normal Tuesday without Leopold's help. There was no way in hell I was gonna figure out how to display the time on my phone under these conditions.

As I got closer to reaching the WWF bridge, the not knowing what time it was started messing with me. Then the climb out of WWF started messing with me more. OK, there's no better way to say this than how Mark put it:

"The two mile trek up to the parking lot was, as I said about a hundred times on the way up, retarded. Many people quit at this point, and I totally get it; those last two miles were hell."

I was about to start yelling, to see if I got any yells back- good lord! Surely I had to be close enough for people to hear me by NOW? As I was about to scream, "CLIMBING OUT OF WWF SUUUUUCKS!!!", I heard music. Then, I see Scott Chapman at the top of thill, looking down at me and playing his accordion. Well, that's a first. Awesome!



God, it was so good to sit down! I desperately wanted to change my clothes, get a beer, and then get out before I had too much time to think. I asked Charles what time it was, and I was so surprised to hear it was 3:42. I made it through LV almost 45 minutes faster than planned!

Charles tended to my every need, and even moved the car strategically so I could change my clothes. I felt bad that I was cranky and tired and just didn't have the energy or inclination to show him how much I appreciated him being there. After 20 minutes, Charles put me back on trail, showering me with compliments and encouragement. To all you future crew members, I cannot tell you how much compliments help! Even when you know they are bold faced lies!!



White Water Falls To Sloan Bridge (4.7 Miles)
4:05 p.m. - ?

This section was a good confidence booster. As I began the initial climb, beer in hand, I remembered the last time I was here. Rob Rivas was pacing me and Charles, and I had not gotten enough food through WWF. Everything I ate and drank at WWF did not stay down, and I was puking before the first climb ended. Essentially, my last attempt ended right here. In contrast, I felt super good this time, and I was working on faster leg turnover up the hills and running anything resembling flat or downhill.

I remembered that this section ended where you would hear cars and so I just kept listening.
Knowing that Charles would be at every point between here and the end was extremely reassuring. Also helpful- the way he would focus me on just the next section as he sent me off each time. He'd say things like, "This next section is just 3.9 miles. Remember how it's technical at first, then it gets more runnable?"

Sloan Bridge to Fish Hatchery (3.3 Miles)
? - 6:50 p.m.
I don't like this section.

Fish Hatchery To Burrell's Ford (3.9 Miles)
6:50 p.m. - Where is everybody?

Best...section....ever! After the technical torturefest that was the last section, the trail suddenly seemed very runnable. Runnable, and somehow downhill, too! There were some narrow ridges here, and some technical spots, but overall I was able to get into a really nice groove through this section.

I came up on Mark and Chad and hesitated to pass because in all likelihood they'd just be passing me back. But pass I did, and I remember Chad saying I was on my way to a PR, which totally fueled my fire, and I could not WAIT to get to Burrell's Ford to share my excitement with Charles. When I thought I surely had to be getting close to where he could hear me, I started yelling out. I did this several times, and eventually I figured he was inside his car and couldn't hear me.
The next thing that happened freaked me out. I fully expected to run into the parking lot from the trail. I know when we drop aid there, the trail leads directly to the parking lot (right?). So, when suddenly I was dumped onto paved road and not in to parking lot, I panicked. Did I get off trail somehow? WTF?

Burrell’s Ford To Cheohee Road (10.4 Miles)
? - 11:52 p.m.

I probably made a mistake in not spending more time trying to find Charles. I'd only taken 1 hand-held with me for this last section because it was so short, so I was out of water completely, although I did still have food in my pack. More important than the water situation, was the anxiety produced by missing the aid station. I didn't know if I had gone off trail or not. I didn't know if Charles was waiting for me or not. I had a lot of miles to dwell on this and it was a big distraction.

It's a testament to my state of mind that it never occurred to me that Chad and Mark were right behind me and they would tell Charles what happened.

At least going in to this section I knew I was on trail. It was anybody's guess for a lot of those miles. And I've heard this before, but this section is just plain freaky. You go by the Chattooga River for a lot of the miles, and I kept wondering how the freaking river could be on my right one minute and then my left the next. Does the river wind UNDER the trail somehow? Am I running in circles? Am I hallucinating?

At one point, I was worried I was going in circles, so I saved the last bite of my KitKat and placed it on a rock on the trail. I told myself to remember that the side with the bite on it is the direction I was going. WTF? Things were getting weird, alright.

I scared off two large animals in this section, although I never saw them- one was a deer for sure, but the other seemed much bigger. Most likely a bear.

I refilled my water at the river as I took the trail that goes all the way to the river instead of the "high tide" alternate trail. I was definitely dehydrated as I had plenty of food but couldn't eat it because my mouth was so dry I couldn't swallow. I was starting to get really tired through here, and all I wanted to do was get to the part of the trail where I stopped hearing the river- then I'd know I was almost to Cheohee Road.

Several hundred hours later, I thought I might be getting close and I started yelling out. No deal. Crap!

I came to a series of trail markers that confused the hell out of me. I think these are new, and they mark the FHT East, Chattooga River South, and some other shit. I wandered around these signs for quite a long time trying to figure out which way to go. Finally, it occurred to me that I didn't want ANY of these other trials, so I should just keep following the white blazes like I was doing. Shit! How stupid did I feel that it took me that long to figure that out! < When I got close to Charles and Scott's campfire, and they started yelling. What a relief!!! I tried not to stay too long, but when I got up from my chair I was so stiff I could barely walk. When Charles sent me off, I'm sure he thought it would take me several hours to cover the last 6 miles. I was moving like the Halloween lady I saw on the trail earlier.

Cheohee Road to Finish (6 Miles my ass)
11:52 p.m. - 2:55 a.m.

I started out walking so slowly I wondered if I would start hearing the river again. Then it just changed- just like that. I was like, "You have six miles left and you've been doing great. Is this how you're going to finish? You don't even hurt that bad. You can totally run the flats and walk everything else." So I started running, and it really wasn't that bad. Although I kept remembering that this section was long, so it was hard to get in to that, "I smell the barn" mode.

At this point, I had absolutely no sense of time. But I knew I was getting close because I saw the white triangular markers for Hidden Falls (the detour I took last time). Then I saw two triangular markers, one for FHT and one for Hidden Falls. I think this means that they both share the FHT for a portion of trail.

Then I saw a third triangular marker for Tamassee Knob Trail, and I'm like, Jesus, who else is gonna join in on this?

The next thing I know, I'm back on a ridgeline, then on trail that seemed to keep dropping, then rising, and then back on ridgeline, then winding around a hillside. It was my first bad feeling that something was wrong. But I didn't see how I could have done anything other than what I was doing, so I remained calm. I came up to a sign marking State Park property- and this, too, was unfamiliar. Unfamiliar is bad.

Next, I'm on a saddle where I looked down on either side of the trail...and then I started this vicious climb that literally brought me to my knees. To reference a private joke between Naresh and I, I knew I was fucked. I turned around, and headed back the way I'd come. I was so incredibly tired and a little bit scared, and a LOT wanting to be finished.

Eventually, I walked right in to the trail marking with a double white blaze indicating I'd gone down Tamassee Knob Trail. It was so clearly marked, I couldn't believe it. I took the FHT trail, and finished not long after that, thankful for the slight downhill.

There was no one at the Oconee sign, and I figured everyone had come in already and Charles probably had to take Chad back to his car. I sat there for a minute, then thought to get my phone to see what time it was. I turned the phone on, and the clock display was still missing, but if I hit the side button, it showed the time. Did my phone always do that?

Finish time: 2:55 a.m. (26:51)

I sat down on the ground and used my pack as a makeshift pillow. The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes, and I was laying flat on the ground in the leaves. I had completely fallen asleep - for 45 minutes! I had to laugh at the image of a car driving by and seeing me. Surely, I looked like a dead body.

I walked back to the campsite and put my pack in the tent so Charles would know I was there. I headed for the showers, and in the middle of my shower, Charles knocks on the door and everything was alright again.

I learned that he had gone down the trail to meet everyone, but of course by then I had taken Tamassee Knob. It turned out no one had finished before me, AND I had broken 27 hours. With bonus miles. It took a while to sink in, but I realized I was the first female double finisher.

I am crying as I finish writing this- I have no words to describe how freaking cool this run was and how happy I am.





P.S. A few "Thank You's"

Charles, Scott H, Scott C -
Thank you for the aid stations of awesomeness and your support. I wouldn't have finished without you guys.

Chad -You just ROCK. I want you as a pacer next time!

Lester, Naresh, and Mimi -
We didn’t share too much time on the trail, but it was enough to know you were out there. Glad you are all safe.

Naresh and Mark- Wow. I am so inspired by you both and Naresh, I am so happy to be your friend.

And, always, always, to Jason Sullivan - Thank you for bringing this trail to my attention and for all the work you do promoting these FHT runs.

Enoree Passage 40 Mile Trail Race

Wherein I celebrate my first anniversary of ultra running by going back to where it all began- a great little race called Enoree Passage 40 Mile Trail Race. As celebrations go, it was a blow out. As races go, not so much.

Part I:
Let's Get This Party Started! Charles and I wanted to do something special in honor of the race where we first met last year *. In the past, we've tried to get his two youngest (Devin and Alex) to come camp with us at key races, but it's never quite worked out. This time, however, Devin was able to make it, and it so happened that both of his older daughters (Paige and Lindsay) could also be there, along with Lindsay's husband Fletcher and their twin boys, Spencer and Logan. (Now, it's a party!)
So on Friday, Leopold and I drove down to the Brick House Camp Ground in Whitmire, SC in order to secure 2 side-by-side campsites. All week, I'd been dealing with flat tire issues, so it should not have surprised me when, as soon as we pulled in and were paying for the sites, Leopold comes up to me and says, "Mom, you better come hear this." I followed him over to my rear tire, only to hear the not-so-faint whisper of air whooshing out of my tire. "How have I offended ye, oh gods of Good Year?" I wondered.

I figured I'd call AAA the next day. There was (literally) nothing else to do, so Leopold and I set up camp, settled in, went for a little run, and goofed around until even the fascinating campfire fire no longer held our interest.

After a good night's sleep, Saturday greeted us with sunny, warm weather. I noticed it was about 5-10 degrees hotter than the day before. It felt great if you were in the shade, but I began sweating immediately in the open sun. [For those of you who need me to point this out- this is what's known as foreshadowing].

We eventually caught up with Terri Hayes and chatted about the course and how the race was coming together. I always look forward to seeing Terri -seeing Terri Hayes is how ultra runners know it's summer [again with the foreshadowing!]. Eventually, a few other people trickled in, including Denise Martin, volunteer extraordinnaire.

Jason Steinberg and Wendy Oates arrived while I was waiting for the AAA guy to arrive. They came down for a little run and to check out the course, but were not camping. The AAA guy got totally lost and Jason helped by giving him the GPS coordinates. Then the two of them were off, down the trail...

A bit later...Team Raffensperger/ Worley finally arrive! Yay!! Lindsay's twin sons Spencer and Logan are adorable and clearly they found Leopold irrisistable. It was a crack up to watch them interact with each other. Part puppy love, part Monte Python's Flying Circus.


It was just a joy to hang out and play ball with the boys and Devin (who is an amazing natural athlete). We were all just relaxed and happy to be outside. Every once in a while we'd see a fellow runner and catch up with them. It was nice to see Jimbo again (who I shared some trail time with last year as well) and to meet his friend Connie. Later, Fletcher cooked us all some amazing burgers and we all enjoyed another camp fire. It was one of the best camping experiences I've ever had. Had this trip ended there, I would have been perfectly happy**.






Part II: Pre-Race
We didn't have to get up too awfully early, as the race start was at 7:30 and we were literally just yards away from the starting line. As we got coffee, and readied ourselves, I grew excited as cars pulled in and I recognized old friends- Dan Hartley and fam, Jason Sullivan, Weezy, Mark Elson, Brian Guzik (The Guz), and a surprise visit by Scott and Greta.


Unannounced visit by Scott and Greta- sweet!

One of the best thing about these events is seeing all the people you've come to know over time. The sense of community among ultra runners is simply amazing. Absent is the sense of nervousness and foreboding that you fnd at most marathons- people here know the value of the run does not lie in your finishing time, but in your experience. In that sense, it's all good.

Part III: The Race
Enoree is a 20-mile out and back course. There's some moderate climbing, some moderately technical trails, but mainly it's flat and mainly runnable. It has a lot of unique features, and a cool lake at the turnaround point, too.

So, 7:30 approaches, and before I know it, we're all heading down the trail. I found myself running with Big Easy and the Library Lady for a few miles, but keeping Charles in sight. We had a few good laughs, and I was enjoying just being there as the memories of last year flooded back.
I had several nice moments where I remembered good times from the previous year- laughing with Sam and Big Easy about phantom race pains, talking with Jimbo about Magnum Track Club, running with Rebecca and Doug for the final miles. Good stuff.

After the initial few miles, I saw Scott and Greta- I didn't realize they were even out on the trail before this, but it was good to see them. That is, until Greta took a fall on the rocks. This is so what she did not need, with Massanutten 100 coming up. I stayed with her for a few minutes, watching as her knee swelled, and gave her some ibuprofen. They both told me to go on, so I did.

Just for a moment, I had a bad feeling. No people ahead of me...and no one behind me. Oh, dear god..please let me be able to stay on trail!! Getting lost is not the experience I want to have here today.

Luckily, I met up with Charles just a few minutes later. He was waiting patiently for my slow ass. Before I came up to him, though, I passed William and Kristin, another "ultra couple" who were running their longest distance to date. We all ended up running many miles together. They are a hoot.

About 10 miles in, I knew I was in for a bad day. My legs were hurting, I felt overly fatigued, and I was going through 40 ounces of water between aid stations and still felt thirsty. Turns out, this would be my theme song until mile 25, where it finally became intolerable and (wisely) we called it a day.

From what I gather, many others experienced this same phenomenon, including my friend Jimbo (who's awesome rendering of his predicament is seen here).

It took me a while to see that dehydration was the problem, but once I did, I was fine with calling it a day. But I will say that now that I've experienced this phenomenon twice in a row, I'm not exactly jumping at the opportunity for another hot weather race. In fact, Big Easy and I both concluded that the May 21 Foothills Trail attempt should be postponed until September.

In conclusion, the best thing about this race this year(unfortunately) was EVERYTHING but the race! And I'm perfectly happy with that. I can always redeem myself next year, but I could never replace all the valuable friendships I've gained through this sport. I don’t have to mention names, but you all know who you are. I would come out and support each and every one of you even if I could not run at all. I am extremely inspired by you guys. Every single one of you are doing something magnificent. As am I. How cool is that?

So, to all of you I say “THANK YOU” so much. If I could give each and every one of you a hug I would. I would say “lets hug it out, bitches.”





* Technically, I did not "meet" Charles at this race. We were formally introduced at the Outkasts Run. But we shared a great trail moment at Enoree last year. As we were running through the forest, I told Charles (then a total stranger) that I thought it seemed like there should be houses "on the left". Apparently, I told that to the ONE other person in the universe who was experiencing the same thing at the same time.

** Yep. More foreshadowing.

FHT WINTERFEST 2011: 77-Mile Foothills Trail Attempt

It Ain't An Adventure Unless There's A Chance of DYING!

There are certain elements that combine to turn an otherwise typical run into an actual story. Danger, adventure, tragedy, love. Exuberant joy and connection. This most recent attempt at the Foothills Trail comprised just such a story.

We all knew going in to this run that we did not have optimal weather or trail conditions. Yet there we were, big grins on our faces, eager to run for the sheer hell of it- ready for the challenge of crossing streams, scrambling over rocks and climbing up and down thousands upon thousands of stairs, all of which is par for the course when it comes to the Foothills Trail. I think Scott called it, "Getting our stupid on."

The following quote, more than any other I could find, sums up this most recent attempt to finish the Foothills Trail.

“To break the moulds, to be heedless of the seductions of security, is an impossible struggle, but one of the few that count. To be free is to learn, to test yourself constantly, to gamble. It is not safe.”

-Tracks, Robyn Davidson

For the month leading up to this run, no one was even certain it would happen. The weather looked ominous right up through the week of the run, and most of us decided to only run if the temps remained above 20 degrees and the weather did not call for icy rain. As luck would have it, we got our wish. So, on the afternoon of February 4, we all set out to meet at our cabin at Oconee State Park where the run would end.

Foothills Trail google earth map. Just one week prior to the run, there is still plenty of snow at Table Rock and Sassafrass Mountain

FHT WINTERFEST 2011: The Plan

So the plan was to gather our things at the cabin at Oconee, get our drop bags ready, then drop aid at each of the sections along the way up to Table Rock State Park where we would start the run. Byron, Abi, Charles, myself, and Greta and Scott all planned to start at 6:00PM Friday night. Chad Henderson, Lester Farmer and Anne Lundblad (who planned to run only tto WWF) were going to start early the next morning.

On Friday afternoon, Leopold and I arrived at the cabin at around 2:00 PM. Soon, Greta and Scott arrived followed by Chad and then Byron and Abi. It was a literal mess of running gear and food as we all gathered our stuff in drop bags.

As I watched everybody, it occurred to me that running any distance over 50 miles suddenly seems to require a huge increase in the amount of stuff you need.

Charles is a blur of motion as he gets his drop bags ready

Hardly room for Scott and Greta with all this running gear!

It was after 5:00 as we headed out to make the aid drops. We had planned on a 6:00 PM start, so that was obviously off the table, but with so many people to coordinate, you just have to do the best you can.

As is with a lot of things, sometimes it's the small memories that make a trip. As we headedup to our first stop, we passed the lookout as we headed to the Whitewater Falls parking lot and got a fantastic cloud-covered mountain view that was jsut breathtaking.


Charles, Greta, Scott and Leopold are "wowed" by the stunning view


Overlook on the way to Whitewater Falls

We dropped our aid along the way to Table Rock State Park and after arriving in the dark and a little car sick from the windy Rocky Bottom road, we were finally at Lester's cabin where we had a nice visit with Lester, his friend Chris, and Anne ("Dixie Cat") and Mark Lundblad. It was a pleasure to meet the Lundblads for the first time (officially).

Mark, Abi, Chris, Charles, Leopold, and Lester (the Breeze) all enjoying Base Camp 1.

As we chatted, we had a bite to eat, and tried to organize Leopold's crewing efforts with Lester, Chris, Jon Harrison and Rob Rives (who would be arriving early the next morning). It was awesome to have Leopold on this trip and I'm really grateful for everyone who looked out for him. And I suspect Leopold had a better time than he's even let on (wink).

Moment of Truth
Instead of a 6:00 PM start, we ended up starting at 8:48 PM. As usual, we drove over to the start of the trail, took a few pics, and off we went, up Pinnacle Mountain into the cold, dark, rainy night. Abi and Byron took off as they were running a faster pace, and the four of us never saw them again until the finish.

Smiley happy people who have no idea what's gonna happen in 5 miles.

For those of you who have been on this journey before, you know the first section of the trail is about 14 miles long and takes us from Table Rock State Park To Laurel Valley parking area on Hwy 178. The four of us were braving the elements and finding we were all overheating from the ponchos (or as Leopold called them, "Ponkos").

Trying to figure out how to take good pictures in the rain

Somewhere near the Pinnacle viewpoint, about 5 miles in, we came upon a large expanse of flat granite with water running over it. As Charles was in the lead, he took the first tentative step across, but was abruptly swept off of his feet. It happened so fast- and he landed directly on his wrist.

Charles crawled across the water to the other side, but we all knew he had fallen with all his weight directly on his wrist, and by the way he was holding it, it was almost certainly broken.

When it happened, I had to fight the urge to go out there to help him, otherwise there would be two people that needed help. I tested the ground to try to walk across and was amazed at how slick it was. I would fall, too, if I tried to cross. Before starting over, I threw my amphipod across the water to the other side, so it wouldn't be a distraction. It took flight and the hand strap caught in a branch of a tree far above our heads. Really? I couldn't re-create that throw if you gave me a million tries!

I got on hands and knees and tried to cross, and was shocked to see that the water was pulling my knees down stream because the material on my pants was fairly slick. Luckily, my gloves held and I made it on all fours across the water, with Greta and Scott behind me. As Scott used his Trekking Stick to unlodge my water bottle from the tree, we all checked out Charles' wrist.

Love how we're not shy of photographing each other's gnarly injuries:)

Not looking good- it's definitely broken

We were about 5 miles in, so the decision quickly became do we go back 5 miles or forward 9 miles? Charles decided that traversing the rocky, technical climb back down would be more difficult than facing the easier route that led to the Laurel Valley Entrance. We had another 4 miles or so to the top of Sassadrass Mountain, then the nice downhill section to Laurel Valley.

At the top of Sassafrass Mountain

As we made our way down to Hwy 178, I noticed that it took us about five hours and 15 minutes. This was only about 15 minutes slower than our usual pace for this section, which surprised me. I really expected to hear voices and see signs of life as we made our way I hoped that Lester or someone would be there to take care of Charles. Unfortunately, we arrived and there was no one there. It looked like Charles was not going to have a choice of dropping here.

We got to our drop bags, and this was where I encountered my first problem. I had expected to have aid here, and so I had only brought Cup 'O Noodles soup and instant coffe. But now we had no hot water, so I really didn't have enough food going in to this section. There is no bail out point or crew access through here. Once you are in you have to either get to the end at Whitewater Falls or turn around and head back to the parking lot.

Laurel Valley Entrance to White Water Falls 34-mile Section

As the four of us headed into the Laurel Valley section, it was still raining, and Charles was expending a lot of energy just to make sure he didn't fall again. I think we were all in a kind of shock about what had happened.

After Laurel Falls the trail gets really difficult and takes you through a lot of steep climbs and descents. This section is called "Canebrake" and home of many bad memories for Charles and I. This is where Ken Sturm rescued Charles from in the July FHT attempt. I imagine this stretch of trail was a difficult trek for him.

Maybe we were looking at yet ANOTHER set of freaking steps

Charles is running pretty good for a dude with a broken wrist

Slippery, wet steps from Hell. Again.

You're My Hero

Finally, we all made it to White Water Falls at around 5:00PM. One of the highlights of the run was getting near White Water Falls and hearing Jon and Rob call out to us. Crew members have no idea (unless they've been on the other side of things) how good it makes you feel to know someone is waiting for you. I It was just awesome knowing Leopold was up there, too.

Rob and Jon were excellent crew members. They fed us, helped us with everything and even ran with us. Thank you both!!!

I was certain Charles was going to stop here, as Greta and Scott were. Yet, somehow I was not entirely surprised when Charles said he was going on and we'd just take it section by section. I think he'd figured he'd made it that far, why not keep going?

As we headed out of WWF, I realized that my food was not settling well and my stomach was producing a lot of acid. Towards the top of the mountain, I went ahead and made myself get sick, having learned from previous experience not to wait until it's really bad. I did feel better afterwards, but I also felt really light headed and like I couldn't take anything in to my system without risking getting sick again. It was a terrible feeling that I just prayed corrected itself.

Rob was rolling easily along with Charles and they seemed to be having a good time while I slowly died a miserable death on the trail. By the time we pulled in to Sloan Bridge, I was dizzy and nauseaus and felt like I desperately needed food. I actually remember laying down on the pavement and just staring up at the stars praying the nausea would pass.

Jon Harrison came to the rescue with soup and bread, and as I sat there trying to eat, I saw Marmot Traihead pull in to check on us. I was so happy to see him, but also completely out of it at the same time. I was really worried that I wouldn't come around in time, and I was aware that the longer we stayed there, the less chance we had of getting back on the Trail.

I think I knew I was done, I was just hoping against hope I still had a shot of feeling good enough to get back out there. Finally, I said OK, enough. I was done.

Sorry, Scott!

I got a ride back to Oconee State Park with Scott and Greta. However, as soon as we started driving I began to feel carsick. Greta must've seen this coming, because as soon as I
started to say something, she pointed to the Hefty Bag on the floor. I pretty much puked all the way back to the cabin. I was just too sick to even care...until I thought about it later.

When we got back to the cabin and I went in the bathroom and looked in the mirror, I had to laugh when I saw how bad I looked and how I had puke in my hair. It was a definite "mug shot" for sure. Ultra Runner OR... Binge Drinking Weekend In Tijuana? Hahaha!

And Then There Were 2 Finishers!!

At Whitewater Falls, we had heard that Byron was on fire and had come through hours earlier, looking really good. We assumed that he had finished and left already. So, after hanging out for a while at the cabin, we were all surprised to see him come in the door! He said he had faded badly at the end, but had just finished. His time - 24:44.

We were all so happy for him, but disappointed that we weren't there at the sign for him.

I gave him his BMF wallet, and we talked for a short while. Congratulations, Byron!! Finish #3, done!

At this point, Chad was the only one still on the Trail. Charles and I decided to get a few hours of sleep and wake up at 5:00am to go out to the FHT sign to wait for him. We figured he would finish around 6:00 AM based on his starting time.

5:00AM came really early, and as we were leaving the cabin, who strolls up the driveway but Chad!! It was so weird- he looked so good. His finish time: 23:44!! Awesome time and he looked great!

Chad Henderson- looking too good to have just finished a 77-Mile run

This was yet another incredible adventure on the Foothills Trail, made better by all the friends who joined in. For me, the Foothills Trail lives as more than just a line on a map. It has become a thread that reaches back through time, connecting places, times and people from my past to those in my present.

The Laurel Valley "Outkasts": Jason Sullivan, Dave Wood, Sherrie Marie Carr, Byron Backer, Lester Farmer, myself, Terry Hayes, Charles Raffensperger

Chattooga Night Run: Charles raffensperger, Sam Weigand, Dave Pryor, Jason Sullivan, myself, Chad Henderson, Dan Hartley

JULY 2010 FIRST ATTEMPT: Dan Hartley, Chad henderson, Jim Cobb, Charles Raffensperger, myself, Jason Sullivan

SEPTEMBER 2010 SECOND ATTEMPT: Jason Sullivan, Denise Davis, myself, Charles Raffesnperger, Scott Hodukavich

NOVEMBER 2010 ATTEMPT: Marmot Trailhead, Richard Lilly, Byron Backer

FEBRUARY 2011 THIRD ATTEMPT: Byron Backer, Abi Meadows, Greta Dobe, myself, Charles Raffensperger

I'm not done with this trail by a long shot.

P.S. For all documented attempts made on the FHT, including DNF's, please visit Big Easy's website. There, you will see all things FHT. Enjoy!

Foothills Trail Attempt Redux

I've thought long and hard about where and how to start my report for the Foothills Trail Attempt Redux. So much went on before, during and after the run that it's hard to decide where to start. It was one crazy adventure and it's taken a few days to finally decompress from from it. A great deal of it still seems very surreal.

For those that want the short version. I went, I ran, I managed to finish. I earned my BMF wallet* and my name on the Foothills Trail Ultra Running Blog, and for that I am extremely grateful and happy.

For those of you with longer attention spans or have nothing better to do while you surf the internet at work instead of doing your job (that's right I can tell but we will keep it our little secret) please read on.

In The Beginning
To understand why finishing the Foothills Trail Run is so important to me you first have to understand the context in which I came to this run. I ran my first ultra marathon (Enoree Passage 40 Mile) in May. At the end of Enoree, I knew that up until that point I had only experienced shadows of what I had been looking for in running. In my heart I know running is ultimately a vehicle for finding enlightenment and truth; for finding and embracing your role in the cosmos. With Enoree Passage I made the connection that if you are ever to find any of these things, you have to make it to the starting line of a great challenge and be open to the possibility that they're out there. Ever since then, I've been looking for the next ultimate spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical challenge.


The Foothills Trail
The Foothills Trail meets my need to "seek inner revelation" through making that which is most difficult or unattainable my goal. It's been said that although the Foothills Trail may not be as "difficult" as completing the SCAR (Smokies Challenge Adventure Run), based on the ratio of failures to successes it is harder to finish. As evidenced by my last attempt, I must agree.

Two months ago, Dan Hartley, Jim Cobb, Chad Henderson, Jason Sullivan, Charles Raffensperger and myself set off to finish the Trail. We started at 4:00 A.M., and the weather was very hot- 100 degree heat index. Jim, Dan, and Chad began the run together. Dan dropped from heat exhaustion around Canebrake. Jim made it to White Water Falls before dropping, and Chad made it 71 miles to Cheeohee Road before deciding he'd had enouugh. Jason bailed out at Bad Creek after 18+ hours and walked out through the guard gate. Charles left the course up a spur trail while vomiting with heat exhaustion. I went off course near Hilliard Falls and ended up running bonus miles through the night on various logging roads. I made my way out at Bad Creek after 29+ hours on the trail and after Search and Rescue had been called.

Try it again? Hell to the YES!

Foothills Trail Run Redux - The Plan
The runners for this attempt were Denise Davis, Scott Hodukavich, Jason Sullivan, Charles Raffensperger, and myself. This time, our plan was to start from Table Rock State Park on Friday night (9/24/10) at 7:00 P.M. We wanted to run the Table Rock & Laurel Valley sections of the trail while it was dark & cool and then face the remaining 29 miles in the daylight on Saturday.

Byron Backer was also there to help us. He provided support for us at every possible juncture- Sassafrass Mountain, Laurel Valley Parking Lot, Whitewater Falls, Sloan Bridge, Burrell's Ford, and Cheeohee Road (although he was running with me by that time).


Pre Run
Charles, Scott, Jason and I were to meet at Oconee State Park Friday afternoon. The plan was to set up camp and cook a meal that would serve as both pre-race dinner and post race food. I arrived and set up around 1:30, and Jason joined us shortly after 2:00. We soon decided the site we were at was one of the worst sites in the campground, so we headed over to the office and switched to a more remote site.

We watched out for Scott, and got a bit worried as it got closer to our 5:00 departure time. Cell service is sketchy at best, but we left him several messages. Finally, we headed for Table Rock without him, hoping we hadn't already lost one of our runners before the run even began. I'll be honest, on the drive to Table Rock, I began to feel less and less excited as the task before us seemed to get more and more real.

When we arrived at Table Rock, Scott pulled in the gate right behind us, which was such a relief. We found Byron and Denise waiting for us inthe parking lot, and after a few group shots, our adventure began.



From left: Jason Sullivan, Denise Davis, Psyche Wimberly, Charles Raffensperger, Scott Hodukavich

From left: Byron Backer, Scott Hodukavich, Psyche Wimberly, Jason Sullivan


The Run

Table Rock to Laurel Valley Entrance
The run started as planned at approximately 7:10 PM. Denise took the lead heading up Pinnacle Mt. while the rest of us fell into a speed hike as the sun began to set. We hit the overlook at Pinnacle in about 1:20 and were making great time. A beautiful orange full moon appeared behind a mostly clear sky and we were in great spirits.


The disposable camera does not do the view justice! The way the orange moon cast light on the clouds made me think I was looking down on Gotham City.


Denise Davis takes in the view.


As do Scott Hodukavich and Charles Raffensperger


Psyche likes the view the most!


But Big Easy is super stoked as well.

We were still having a great time as we met up with Byron at the top of Sassafras and refilled our supplies. Although I wasn't sure how he got up there, it was geat to see Byron. Just knowing he was "out there" looking out for us had a tremendous impact on our confidence.


Trail run or night of drinking? You decide.

Nice pic of Scott, Byron, Charles, and Jason

After hanging out with Byron for about 15 minutes we headed downhill to the Laurel Valley Parking area. Charles, Jason and I ran mostly together through this section as Scott and Denise went ahead. Charles took his one and only spill through this section. As we arrived at HWY 178 at the Foothills Trail crossing our split for this section was 4:40.

We met back up with Scott here who was waiting on us and Denise had taken off into Laurel Valley just as we arrived. This would be the last time we would see Denise during the run. Byron had a great spread of food put out for us again along with ice cold drinks. We all loaded lots of calories into our packs for the long 33 mile unsupported section through Laurel Valley.









Laurel Valley To Whitewater Falls


The four of us stuck together closely through the Laurel Valley section. As midnight came and went we pushed on & on as a group of four through the darkness making the best of the night with some jokes and ramblings.

Dawn began to break around 6:30 AM as we closed in on the Bear Camp creek section which was getting close to the halfway mark of the run. All our spirits were lifted as we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise together on some nice downhill sections of the trail. This was myffirst experience of literally running through the night, and my body was craving sleep.


Scott got ahead on this section and we eventually made it to Hilliard Falls. Charles and I decided to take the short spur trail to the falls and Jason made the decision to keep pressing towards Whitewater Falls where Byron & aid were waiting. Scott had decided to visit the falls as well so we got to visit with him for a few minutes.


Hilliard Falls ended up being a much needed foot-care break. By this point, my feet were aching and it was heaven to dip them in the cold water, then put on a pair of fresh socks.



As we headed to Bad Creek, there are some very gnarly climbs. My legs were beginning to complain about moving for 15 hours at this point, but I was also enjoying the cool fall morning listening to the forest come alive.





The steep climb out of Whitewater was tough, and it seemed to last forever. Charles and I kept hoping against hope that Scott and Jason would be waiting for us at Whitewater Falls, as it would be fantastic to start the next section as a group. We tried texting Byron to let them know we would be there soon, but Charles' phone was dead. As the climb began to get ridiculously long and frustrating, I began to laugh at Charles' rants. It wasn't what he was saying, but the way he was saying it that just made me completely crack up. I felt like this much-needed tension reliever saved my sanity. Thanks, baby!


Finally, we climbed our way up to the gravel parking lot on HWY 130 and were greeted by Byron, Tony (Denise's husband), Jason and Scott! Yay!! We were a group again!! Wow, was it ever great to see them. We heard news that Denise was doing well and we were all glad to hear it. It looked as if she would finish in 25-26 hours.

We spent about 30 minutes here and packed up heading towards mile 53 at Sloan Bridge. Scott had gone ahead as I think he had arrived a bit earlier and was ready to move. At this point, our spirits were lifted and we all felt so excited to be getting closer to the finish. The toughest part of the trail was behind us and we were all feeling secure in a finish.

Upper Whitewater Falls to Burrell's Ford
As we crossed the highway and began to climb, we were all feeling good. we stopped at the benches along the trail for a minute to enjoy the amazing view and take some pictures.



The next 5 mile sor so were not memorable, except for the fact Jason was running in to problems with severe chafing. I gave him my Glide, but I don't think anything was helping by this point. The section from Sloan Bridge to Fish Hatchery was very technical , with lots of roots and downed trees that made for tricky footing. The three of us reached the Fish Hatchery off HWY 107 around 6:45 PM which was about 23:50 hours into the run. We were about to face our second night on the trail.

Here is where we put our lights on and turned them on about 2 miles down the trail as we headed towards Burrell’s Ford. We all lost our minds a little as dusk settled into darkness. I'm not sure what happened here, but I went from feeling fine to feeling a bit disoriented, weak and out of it. Running along the ridge line was frightening as I felt like I couldn't count on my balance.
The three of us stumbled slowly downhill towards Burrell’s Ford. We tried to keep talking some, but we all had a hard time making conversation. At one point, I got in to a rhythm where I would aim my headlight at Jason's feet and let the flourescent lights on his shoes just pull me along. Strange mental tricks began. For instance, if Jason got a few steps ahead of my light, it made me think the ground dropped off where the light ended. I would actually start to stop myself so Iwouldn't "fall off the earth". At the time, that seemed perfectly reasonable.

We finally rolled into Burrell’s Ford around 8:15 (25 Hours Into the run) to find Byron patiently waiting for us once again with a truck full of aid waiting at our disposal. I ate some excellent hot chicken noodle soup, some potato chips, and had some coffee in hopes of getting another lift up.

Upon eating the food, I could not believe how fast I came out of my funk. I had no doubt I could continue on, but suddenly I became worried about Charles and Jason both. Charles did not look good- his breathing was fast labored. He had come in to this run sleep deprived, and we had both worried about this moment- that it had caught up with him. Then, Jason told the group that he was finished and Charles also said that he was dropping as well.

I had flashbacks from 2 months ago, when I had made a mistake by continuing on. But this time I was assured that Byron was ready to run with me. So, after arranging to get Byron's truck to Cheeohee Road, we geared up and headed off into the night down the technical Chattooga river.


Burrell's Ford to Oconnee State Park
As we began the 10 mile stretch to Cheeohee Road, I felt good, certainly better thanI thought I was going to. We began to run a little, and I continued to feel good. Once Byron and I started talking, the time seemed to really move by fast. The sounds of the river would come and go, come and go, and I was reminded f how much I love this stretch of trail.

I could not believe it when Byron said we had about 1.8 miles to Cheeohee Road. It had gone by so fast!

The sight of Cheeohee Road really hit me. I thought of Chad. I was so happy to be feeling good. As we left Cheeohee Rd, Byron did some figuring, and thought if we ran 13-14 minute miles, I could break 31 hours. I remember thinking that I didn't really care about the time, but then I thought I might care tomorrow. It might make a difference to me what number goes up on the blog so I better go for it. Just the fact that I was 70 miles in and prepared to run faster if I had to was an amazing feeling. We began to run more and more and I was hanging in there, although barely.

Only as this trail can do, we reached what should have been the end to find that it wasn't. It loooked like we had one or two miles left, and my watch said 30:48. I was not disappointed, but I did switch gears and was relieved to not have to concentrate so hard. Of course, the minute I did this, I went down on a root. Hard. First fall at 75 miles. Not bad.

We came to an intersection and started to follow signs that said Hidden Falls. We both were thinking it did not seem right to be heading downhill at this point. Byron said he'd been down here before but couldn't remember if he had gone back and seen it was the wrong way, or if he turned around again because it was the right way. I totally got this, and then it also occurred to me how funny it was that I was getting lost with 1 mile to go! Like I just had to squeeze getting lost in somehow!!

It started to rain, and I did have a moment where I wondering if I were ever going to finish this damn thing, but then we saw it- the sign at the west end of the Foothills Trail.

I was done!





I have to say, there is a great amount of satisfaction from having accomplished something that has proven so difficult to so many runners greater than I.

Current Finishers (Under 48 Hours)

03/05/2005 Matt Kirk 16:52
03/15/2008 Matt Kirk 18:40
09/05/2009 Byron Backer 20:14
05/26/2006 Brian (Phreak)*** 22:40
03/31/2010 Jennifer Davis*** 23:00
09/05/2009 Joe Sauerbrey*** 23:11
11/22/2008 Richard Lilly 23:50
11/22/2008 Byron Backer 24:03
09/25/2010 Denise Davis 26:58
09/25/2010 Scott Hodukavich 30:37
09/25/2010 Psyche Wimberly 31:40


Here is how the run turned out for the group:

Denise Davis – 1st Female to ultra run the Foothills Trail and she finished on her first attempt in 26:58

Scott Hodukavich – Finished on his 1st attempt 30:37



Psyche Wimberly – Finished on her 2nd attempt 31:40

Charles Raffensperger – Dropped at Burrell’s Ford Mile 59.8

Jason Sullivan – Dropped at Burrell’s Ford Mile 59.8




* the ultimate gift for all bad mother fuckers who can find their way to the west end of the FHT.