This past weekend Kathryn and I volunteered to officiate the Hoodoo500 for Planet Ultra and was very impressed with their organization. The race owners, Deb and Brian, go out of their way to ensure that the racers have a good experience that includes a great start/finish line, great prizes, and a fantastic end of race banquet.
The Hoodoo 500 course is an amazing 520 mile route that takes place on scenic and relatively quiet roads. There is a lot of climbing, over 30,000 feet, with some steep grades that definately took their toll on the racers. The worst climb, in my opinion (the official in the car), was the climb up to Cedar Breaks. This climb would be tough on its own, but add in the fact that racers reach it around mile 400 and you have one hell of a challenge. I watched four racers tackle this climb and was impressed by all of their determination to not let it beat them.
Kathryn sent out this great write up of what we did through the weekend:
On Friday we helped do the bike and vehicle inspections – a fun way to get introduced to all of the riders and crew. We had them come to us so there was a line – but never more than one team waiting. It was very hot, so we used the shade in the covered area at the front of the hotel. There were 2 popup tents with tables underneath them and we had Hoodoo shirts on – so we looked official. That was from 2-5. About 5:30 we went to dinner across the street with Deb, Brian and 2 of the 3 other volunteers (Jann and Yvonne). At 7 there was the pre-race meeting – Planet Ultra prides themselves in short pre-race meetings. It was just a review of the most important rules and then introductions and pictures of all the riders. Then we helped packed up – divided all the gear into the right car so things ended up in the right place on the course – and then put ‘Race Official’ signs on our van.
On Saturday there were 4 starts: 5am for voyagers, 7am for solos, 9am for 2 man teams and 11am for 4 man teams. Deb told us not to worry about the voyager start but to be at the 7am start. Bill rode out with them – leading them on the unsupported turns through St George. I got to hold the stop sign to block traffic as they turned out of the hotel parking lot. Then I went on an 8 mile run – out a bike path through a beautiful canyon. I was back about 8:30 and watched the 9am start. Bill rode out with this group too. For the 11am start, we drove the van as the lead out vehicle. We then followed the teams through the first 50 miles and Bill took pictures.
Then off to find the next riders. About mile 67 we found a rider going the wrong way. Turned out it was one of the voyagers (Roberto Alvarado, the Puerto Rican with little English) who had already had enough. (He had attempted the race last year and was back for a second attempt. Bill was able to talk with him a bit – he had gotten a bunch of flats and was done – riding back to the start.) At the first time station, Kanab, we found the tandem voyager team had DNF-ed too – with a broken bottom bracket. What a bummer to have to stop because of your bike! We got lunch at a café and the fast 4 man team (Road Rage) passed through the time station while we were in town.
After leaving Kanab, we saw a bike propped against a pole along the road – in the middle of nowhere – and a rider laying in the bushes next to it. We thought it was a voyager because there was no one with him so we did a u-turn, found a good place to park and started walking up to him. At about the same time the rider’s crew appeared, did a u-turn behind our van and the rider (Adam Kingsford) got on his bike and started riding. When we caught him in the van, we talked to him briefly – he was tired, but decided to keep moving. He had been riding a little more than 8 hours, had gotten 93 miles and was already tired enough to lay in the bushes. He quit the race shortly after.
About 10 miles later we found 3 riders within sight of each other – 2 2-man teams and a solo. Bill got some good pictures of them together and individually. About 5 miles up the road we found another 2-man team climbing in light rain. Then we found 4 more solo riders in the next 20 miles – including Joan Grant – the only solo woman (one of only 2 women left in the race). We caught up to the 4th 2-man team in Bryce Canyon, mile 145 – and got some good hoodoo pictures.
When we passed time station 2 (unmanned at mile 154) we learned that the fastest voyager (Sean Nealy) was already through time station 3 in Escalante, 50 miles ahead of us. We had the voyager drop bags that were to be at time station 4 and we were supposed to pick up Yvonne at time station 3 and take her to Loa to run time station 4. So we picked up our pace, didn’t stop for more pictures and sped to Escalante. When we got there, Brian wasn’t worried and we even had time to walk down the street for dinner with Tom (the 3rd other volunteer).
After dinner, as we drove up and over Boulder mountain, we started to see cows and deer in the road. Now these are black cows and it’s getting dark – not easy to see! When we caught Nealy, he was about 100 feet from 5 or 6 cows standing on the road. We drove around him to scare the cows off the road. Since we had caught Nealy, we could slow down a little and stopped at the top of the climb for a picture. It was almost dark, but Bill put his camera on a tripod and took a great photo that shows way more than we could see. At this view point, there were also 4 hunters, 2 who had walked in from who knows where, looking down hill, pointing and talking quietly.
Before Loa, we passed through Torrey where our motel for the night was. We checked in on the way by, to get the key before the office closed. Cute office area and restaurant; weird room – stuck door, odd shape, 5 steps up to the bathroom, very worn beds, fly swatter hanging on the wall. Then on to Loa to set up the time station. We checked in to 2 rooms – one for Yvonne to hang out in, where the riders or crew check in; and another for the voyagers to change, shower and/or rest if they want. On our way back to Torrey we passed Nealy going in the other direction – looking very strong and fluid. We beat him, but not by much!
The next morning we get gas (we realized we were almost empty as we pulled into the motel lot) and a snack before driving to Loa. We learn that a solo rider (Blu Robinson) is missing and we need to locate him. When we don’t pass him on the 18 miles to Loa, we figure he must be way back. We stayed in Loa to try and upload the pictures that Bill had taken and Yvonne decided to take a nap – she’d been up all night. Bill was successful with some pictures, but the photo website and hotel’s internet connection were difficult and frustrating. We gave up after about 10 pictures and then drove back toward Torrey until our cell phones worked. About 11 we called Deb with the update (still no Robinson) and she said to close the time station and move down the road to Panguitch, time station 5, where Tom was.
We still hadn’t eaten breakfast and Yvonne only had cookies since dinner about 4 the day before. One thing to know about rural southwestern Utah on Sunday – nothing is open! We kept munching on Pringles and Sunchips. About 30 miles outside of Panguitch, we hit rain – pouring rain – huge drops of rain – rain that would hurt when it hits. Five miles later we found the last rider on the course, Matt Longson, riding through it. Just when you think you’ll be out of it, it starts again, heavier. We stopped for Bill to get a few pictures. We found four more riders before we got to the time station. They were out of the rain, but in terrible headwinds – up to 30 mph gusts.
In Panguitch there was a diner open where we finally ate at 3pm. There were 2 voyagers there who had decided to stop – too much wind and a 5000 ft climb (to almost 11K ft) in the next 30 miles sounded like too much. We told them we would take their bikes if Tom could take them and Yvonne to St George. Tom would get them back faster (after the last rider came through) since we would be driving the rest of the course. So we packed their 2 bikes and more voyager bags into the van so 4 people would fit in Tom’s car.
Then to climb up to Cedar Breaks, the highest point in the race at mile 408. Deb wanted pictures of riders from this area since they hadn’t gotten any in previous years. We found 2 solo riders (Jeramy Bonk and Joan Grant) and one of the last two voyagers on the course (John Fuoco) and got great shots of all 3. Fuoco was going very slowly and weaving a bit, but was very coherent when we talked with him. We knew there were at least 4 crews behind him and he was about 10 miles from the top so we drove on to Cedar City, time station 6.
After getting through Cedar City, we called Deb with an update on our location and asked if there was anything she needed us to do. She wanted us to check on 2 riders (Sean Nealy and David Elsberry) ahead on the course that might be riding together. (They are allowed only 15 minutes of riding time together, after that they need to be more than 10 yards apart.) Nealy ended up sleeping in Loa longer than he wanted to and then stopped when the rain went over and stopped again in Cedar City when he learned that his friend (Elsberry) needed some encouragement to keep going. He was no longer concerned about breaking any records – just wanted to finish and knew he would win if he stayed ahead of the one other voyager left.
When we caught them (around mile 445) they were within sight of each other, but definitely legal. We pulled ahead and stopped for some pictures. When Nealy reached us, he stopped to tell us that we would be taking assistance from Elsberry’s crew – he didn’t have his lights and would need them before the finish. (Voyagers are required to report to the race director if they receive help from anyone within the race – racer, crew or official. They get a time penalty for this since they are supposed to be out there self sufficient and any assistance can be seen as an advantage.) We told him that we have the drop bags from Loa and Panguitch and he could use his own light if it were in one of those bags. He was happy to take his own light and continued riding. We stopped up the road and talked with Elsberry’s crew – told them Nealy had his own light now and to make sure that the 2 didn’t ride together. We drove ahead to the next available bathroom and then drove back along the course to check on them one last time. There Bill got pictures of Elsberry and a great sunset shot.
Then to the finish, to stop driving and find dinner – hopefully something will still be open! When reading Under the Banner of Heaven, I learned about a wagon train massacre that occurred in a valley just north west of St George – the Mountain Meadows Massacre – and that there was a memorial built on the site. From maps I figured that it was on state route 18, part of the Hoodoo course. After leaving Nealy and Elsberry we started looking for the memorial. I thought there would be one of those ‘Historical Marker 500 Feet’ signs and a small plaque. But there were 3 signs: 1 mile, ½ mile and ¼ mile markers; a parking lot; a trail circling a hill that leads to a good size area with several descriptive signs, a list of all people killed on a stone wall and 2 lookouts: 1 pointing to the campsite another to the massacre site; the campsite is also the burial site and has a light and flag (and a separate driveway to it). I’m glad we found it and that there was enough light to look around quickly.
We got back to St George around 9:00 and were told at the hotel that our best bet for dinner would be Denny’s – across the street behind the hotel. Great – at least it’s not chips and candy and we don’t have to drive to get there! After eating, talking to several people and getting our stuff from the van we headed to the room. Right when we opened the door, Jann called us to let us know that Nealy and Elsberry would be coming in together in about 30 minutes. (We wanted to see at least one finish and asked Jann to let us know when the next one would come in.) Perfect timing – we headed back down and got to see the first voyager and 3rd solo finish together.
The last rider (Jeramy Frick) finished at 6:53 – he had 7 minutes to spare! His crew had called in about 4am and he should have finished within an hour from that. But he was going so slowly and was so confused, he thought he was lost. About 6:20, one of the voyagers who DNF-ed who was hanging around waiting for Frick to finish decided to go out and find him. He was on the course, just really slow and out of it. But he made it and finished officially.
Overall, all 8 teams finished (4 2-man and 4 4-man), 7 of 14 solo riders finished (one didn’t start), and 2 of 10 voyagers finished. The one solo woman did finish and by doing so set the course record. She is the first woman to finish as a solo. Janet is the only other woman to have completed the course, but she did it as a voyager.
On Monday at 9am there was a nice breakfast for everyone. There were prizes for all the top finishers – even one for the best dressed crew (they had a full gorilla suit!). There was also a raffle and someone from most groups got something (tires, drink mixes, bars, bags, lube, water bottles, socks…). I even won a small saddle bag!
Then we helped pack everything up: the banners, the start/finish truss and banners, flags, tables, the 2 tents where we did inspections. It was good we were able to stay because Brian has a broken wrist and Tom and Yvonne had already left. Then they took us to a tasty lunch and we drove out of St George by 3pm. We drove as far as Primm, NV (border of CA and NV) where we figured we could get a cheap room to sleep more before driving home – and to avoid driving at night which would put us to sleep faster.
The scenery was beautiful and so varied! I’m not sure I want to race it – but Planet Ultra has a Tour of Southern Utah which does a very similar route, but in 7 days. I think I can do that.
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