Four State Challenge 2017

The past year has been a bit tumultuous.  We rehabbed and moved into a new house, so this past weekend was my first time out in the woods in far to long.  Naturally I went from Zero to Four-State-Challenge.  Here is a hasty write up!

This was one for the record books.  With an incredible 18 participants, you knew it was going to be epic.

We all trickled into our prearranged campsite that conveniently straddled the Virginia/West Virginia border by various means.  We had the shuttle setup and the bailout vehicles in place;  everything was good to go for the next day.

Everyone dispersed and settled into their cowboy camps while Michael and Jen got some interviews.  I was feeling pretty unsure of myself; something I’m not accustomed to.  But settled into my hammock and got a solid 4 hours of sleep.  I awoke sometime after midnight to see the first of the headlamps flicking on.  About an hour later most people were up and ready to get going.  Worry about finishing in the rain was the main motivator. 

I figured I was unlikely to get anymore sleep, so said the hell with it and got up myself.  I hit the trail at 1:52am.  My legs felt squishy on the descent, but I set a fairly reckless pace anyway.  I passed a few people on the way to Harper’s Ferry, and was passed by James who rocketed down hill.  Then I was on my own after catching up with Shane at the railroad bridge.

I stumbled my way through the morning darkness despite my double headlight setup.  It got worse when my main lamp inexplicably started to die.  I messed up a turn when I couldn’t find the blazes in the dark, but didn’t want to stop to change batteries.  I started to feel more like myself by the time I approached the Washington Monument and caught the sunrise in the open fields.

I only stopped briefly in the park to top off my water, then pressed onto the I70 check-in where Michael and Jen were grabbing some footage.  They told me James was just 10 minutes ahead. I was feeling reasonably ok, and set a decent pace onwards to Wolfsville to try to catch him.  My lack of physical conditioning started to catch up with me on the rocky ridgeline, however, and my pace rapidly dwindled.  My left foot felt like it had been beaten with a sledgehammer.  Max cruised by me somewhere in this section.

When I finally got to Wolfsville to check in, I was feeling pretty shitty but never considered bailing.  I kept up a slow pace which led to some unfortunate chafing.  I caught up to Max briefly at the stream crossing just before the second to last climb.  He had taken a short break to vomit and was spraying down the rocks with his hydration bladder in an effort to clean it up.  We started the next climb together but he quickly left me in the dust.  I was looking on to Raven Rock and the descent from High Rock with dread.

After crawling over the climb, I tackled the fracture hell that followed.  I did reasonably well at following the terribly blazed path by correcting the previous two years’ mistakes in route finding.  I rejoiced when I hit the soft path that announced Pen Mar was just ahead.  I knew I was really slow when I couldn’t overtake a couple of day hikers meandering up the path!  I emerged from the tree line to find James, Christy, Max, Jen, and Michael.  Max had smashed the record with an 11:30ish run, and James edged out my previous record at 13:12.  I managed 13:37, which I’m ok with, all thing considered.  After having my 3rd completion memorialized by Michael at the PA line register, we returned to Pen Mar and I immediately started eating brownies.  Joan and Nala appeared to help cheer us on.  One by one, other finishers began to arrive, though I am fuzzy on the order: Dy, Russ, Dave, Sophie and Trevor.  Gen cruised in with another incredible time of 11:50ish.  He had wisely chosen to sleep in until 4am.

Ali (who had planned to exit at I70), Carrie, and Alex returned with all the bail-out cars, and Jen arrived with 6 pizzas which were quickly devoured.  A thru-hiker rolled up headed southbound and gladly accepted our offer of pizza and beer.  Sometime after dark, Evan and Andrew emerged from the darkness, and those who hadn’t already, started making their way to camp in PA.

I passed out the moment my head hit the hammock and never heard the arrival of Brian, Shane, and Steve.  My phone died in the night and I didn’t stir until Andrew woke me up at 7:30!  All the threatened rain amounted to little more than a few brief showers, so we had a dry walk back to Pen Mar and our cars.  Then it was off to Mountain Gate to devour a breakfast buffet.

Congrats to all the finishers!  This event is always fun, but also gruelling.  Everyone is to be commended on getting to the finish.  Max! takes the Gold, with Gen and James getting the Silver and Bronze.  And EzBake extends his record of consecutive finishes to 4!   Those who bailed all made it to an exit point in fine style, which is still one hell of a long day.  Champagne and medals for everyone!

Stay tuned for the upcoming documentary, which should recount the suffering in great detail.

There was also more serious talk of a yo-yo attempt next year as we drove to Harper’s...we shall see!


*Notes to self for next year:

1) Get your shit together and carry less weight!  My last minute packing (and struggle to find my gear) led to some wasted lbs going with me.  I had my full expedition first-aid/repair kit, and unnecessary layers.  Overkill.

2) Carry less food.  I finished with even more food than last year, and ate less.  Plus my usual snacks seemed to sit in my stomach.  Probably need an all-sugar diet for next year.  Stuff that rapidly absorbs.  Light and easy snacks to pound.  I never felt tanked out from lack of calories, but also had a slightly slower pace than last year.

3) Better headlamps and batteries.  Stick with the Eneloop AAA's.  Regular batteries started crapping out after 4 fours in my main headlamp.  My old lamp (which was on my hips) doesn't throw much light, and it's worn out hinge made it point straight at the ground most of the time.

4) Train.  It was nice to know I could do the event with no training and poor health, but it really didn't feel good.  I enjoyed the walk less than usual as a result.  Fortunately I don't plan on rehabbing any more houses or moving anytime soon...

5) Less bouncy pack.  I love my Zpacks, but it is a bit of overkill for this.  Already talking with Gen (Yama Mountain Gear) about acquiring a prototype of his latest running pack.  Should let me move faster with less random rubbing due to half empty bag.

6) Keep my normal walking rate.  Walking slower than normal leads to chafing is undesirable locations.

7) My protein shake was a bust, as it exploded in the back of the Forester at the trailhead.  Next time I'll just get single serving chocolate milk and freeze it.  Much simpler.  And if one bursts I don't lose the whole dram.

8) Miraculously I had no blistering beyond where I based my feet throughout the day.  Rockplates for my Altras would be a tremendous addition.

Four State Challenge 2016

Every year DCUL Backpacking sends forth a group of brave and/or crazy members to attempt the 4 state challenge.  Which involves hiking the entire stretch of the AT connecting Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania - all in one day.  This adds up to 44 miles (70.8km) and 8,000 feet (2480m) of elevation gain.

It’s important to stress that this is a backpacking challenge.  All participants must carry everything they need to be self-sufficient, and they must spend the night on the trail before and after the 44 mile day.  

It’s pretty hard.  

This would be the 4th consecutive year we’ve done it as a group, though one year we actually had two runnings.

I had last tackled this event 3 years prior, setting a good time of 14 hours 36 minutes, just 3 minutes behind Beastmode and Faceplant who I hiked with for the entire stretch.  I had a mega blood-sugar crash a few miles from the finish which forced an unscheduled 10 minute break.  But I was pretty darn happy with that time.

Last year, we actually had to cancel the event due to a hurricane. Karan led the make-up event, which I couldn’t attend.  And he went total B.A.-Mode, smashing the previous record with a time of 13:26.  So this year, I went out with the goal of cracking 13 hours.  I figured this was doable based on my first experience and a slightly different strategy: going balls to the walls and not stopping for nuttin’.

The original list of ten potential attendees was whittled down to just 4 due to various reasons; including several pre-event casualties like flu and a kitchen knife incident.  In the end I set out with EZbake and Sophie Friday afternoon to set up the shuttle and bail-out cars.  Heavy D joined the event at the last minute, hopping the train directly to Harper’s Ferry from D.C..

As we shouldered our packs at the National Park gated area, we hadn’t heard from Dan yet so we hit the Lower Trail to connect to the AT, and started the climb up to Loudoun Heights.  It was much less miserable than my previous attempt, with it not being rainy and dark.  We knocked out the 2ish miles and plopped down directly on the VA/WV border.  I sent Dan a text so he’d know where to find us.  

We chatted for a few minutes until the sun dipped, then climbed into our bags to try and get a solid 8 hours of sleep before our 3am wake up call.  We had our first “Where’s Dan?” moment, but figured he was probably chowing down in Harper’s Ferry.

My cell rang an hour later as I sat reading in my hammock - it was Dan!  He had blown by our camp having missed my text.  I gave him directions then met him at the trail.  He threw down his pad and settled in for the night.

I woke up at 1am to the wind howling and branches falling.  The moon was incredibly bright, making it hard to sleep (I hadn’t bothered to put up my tarp).  After an hour of restlessness, I heard Dan stirring.  Soon everyone was up, not having any better luck with sleep.  I ate a pop-tart to get some fuel onboard.  Dan hit the trail, and the rest of us followed shortly after.  It was 2:21am.

Everyone got bogged down at the typical spot on the rocky trail.  Going up, the route is clear, but going down, there isn’t a blaze.  The path is hard to discern over the solid rock.  But I remembered vaguely that is was straight across the slab, and found the bright white blaze.

This put me in front of the group, and as I hit the 340 bridge I went full-stride.  Soon my companion’s headlamps faded behind me.  I wouldn’t see any of them again for almost 15 hours.

I got sweaty climbing the hills above Pulp Mill, then cruised through Harper’s Ferry like a ghost.  Having been through once before really helped me stay on trail.  Spotting the white blazes of the AT by headlamp can be tricky at times.

I cruised over the slick rail-bridge, and blasted out the 2.5ish miles on the C & O.  Deer and rabbits jumped away from my headlamp beam.  I pounded another 500 calories or so while the walking was easy.  The turn off the canal trail was easier to spot this time, as someone had nailed up a couple of reflectors.

Next was the un-ending climb up to Weverton Cliff; I got to the overlook about 2 hours in.  After that the climbing continued but it wasn’t as steep.  I ate spider webs continuously, and washed them down with Doritos.

I felt like I was moving pretty fast, but my footing was somewhat hampered by the occasional rock I missed with my headlamp.  I still felt like I was making good time when I rolled into Gathland State Park, where I took a 5 minute break and stepped into the bathroom.  

All was quite still in the pre-dawn darkness.  As I climbed further north my right gracilis muscle locked up, rendering that leg useless.  I did some figure-4 stretches and verbally berated it until it got back in line, then kept walking.

I was finally able to turn off my headlamp as I was on the climb up to the Washington Monument, and saw other people for the first time since the start.  At the top I refilled my two 1.5 liter Smart Water bottles and pounded a Gatorade.  It was 8:30am , 6 hours and 10 minutes in.  About 20 minutes faster than my previous running.  I ate my reward twinkie as I moved on after a 10 minute break.  20 miles down.  24 to go.

I crushed the 4ish mile descent to I-70 where Shane was waiting.  He had kindly offered to be our emergency cut-out since he had to bail from the event himself.  We chatted for a minute, though I’m not certain I said anything intelligible.  Dave and Sophie sent a text that they were at the monument.  They were making good time!  I signed the check-in sheet, and accepted some potato chip trail magic.  I inhaled them as I pressed on.

I started blowing by scores of day hikers and a few backpackers as I tried to knock out the next 10 mile section as quickly as possible.  My legs were already feeling some pain but I pushed out a fast pace.  The rocks were definitely getting to me.  I felt a few blisters I didn’t know I had explode on my toes.

By the time I rolled into Wolfsville, real pain was setting in.  I wasn’t sure my legs had enough life in them to get me to the finish in 14 hours, let alone 13.  Shane hadn’t gotten there yet.  So I plowed on with only the slightest pause to sign the check-in sheet.

I had been rolling with a 5 mph pace on most of the flats, but I just didn’t have that in me anymore.  I managed 4mph most of the time when I wasn’t climbing or stumbling over rocks.  I knocked out the first two climbs, but knew I had Raven Rock ahead of me.  I wasn’t looking forward to it at all.

I practically crawled my way up its numerous switchbacks and was ever so glad to reach the top.  It wasn’t pretty, but at least I hadn’t crashed out like last time.  My legs were feeling unreliable and weak - both screaming that they wanted to stop.

I ignored them and blasted out the next section as fast as I could - at least until I reached the rocky hell of High Rock.  Maybe I was just cranky and delirious, but following the trail proved even harder than I remembered.  There is no discernable path, and blazes are missing in key places.  Several different times I came to a complete stop next to one blaze and couldn’t find the next one.  I barely managed 1-2 mph pace through this section.  

I wasn’t able to judge time or space anymore and thought I was still several miles away from Penmar - but suddenly the rock turned to a dirt track and I rejoiced, knowing I had maybe a mile left.  I willed my legs to keep moving and slowly worked my way back up to a descent pace.

I rolled into PenMar on the last of my legs to find two weddings going on.  I walked by the first pavilion and was greeted by the smell of BBQ.  It was torture.  I briefly considered trying to scam some food.  But first I had to get to PA.

As I made the last few hundred-foot walk to the Mason-Dixon line, I realized I was just over 13 hours, and had likely beaten Karan’s time.  I found it hard to believe since I was nearly ready to lay down and die 30 minutes prior.

I checked into the mailbox register with a time of 13:15, just glad to be done - except now I had to reverse back to the park!  It took me 15 minutes.  I found Shane who dropped off a bag of snacks and Gatorade before he had to head out for work.  Then I sat around staring into space to wait for my compatriots.

Dave rolled in looking pretty fresh with a solid sub-15 hour time and a new PR.  It was also his third finish!  Another DCUL record.  Not long after Sophie also arrived, looking strong, with her first finish!

We had our second “Where’s Dan?” moment, then I went to fetch pizza from Rocky’s.

The weddings were winding down when I returned.  We watched sunset and ate.  The pizza was glorious, and I felt life returning to my body.  Eventually we wandered up the trail to see if we could spot Dan coming down.

A little past dark, we saw his headlamp bounding down the trail.  He rolled in, moving fast!  We were 4 for 4!  He signed his name in the register, securing a victory on his first attempt.  He then attacked the lukewarm pizza.

We slept the sleep of the dead that night.  The next day, we retrieved all the cars and hit Cracker Barrel for our victory breakfast.

Big thanks to Jen for helping to coordinate all the drivers, and Shane for coming out to support us.  Huge congrats to Dave, Sophie, and Dan for an epic completion of a such a challenging event! 

Notes for next time (if there is a next time!):

-Do better on the pre-hydration.

-Sport beans are king!

-Front chest feed bag worked well.  It and my ginormous hip pockets held all the food for the day.

-Gatorade for the half way point was a good idea, and a nice change from guzzling water.

-Chips and Bridgeport meats sticks broke up the sugar high nicely.

-Need more protein - some sort of chocolate milk concoction or protein shake.  Soy milk so no spoilage?

-Ham sandwich? Menu felt ok but something more substantial with protein might have helped.

-Body glide in between toes.  Rest of feet were ok. No blisters on heel or soles.

-Double headlamps, one for hips for prolonged night hiking.

-Don’t ride 110 miles the weekend before (or be getting over a crash injury).

Four State Challenge

In a fit of madness, I signed up for DCUL's Four State Challenge this last October. For those unfamiliar, this is a challenge some AT thru-hikers undertake.

Essentially, you wake up super early at the Virginia border (or the PA border if you are headed southbound), cross into WV, and then plow through 40 plus miles of the AT through Maryland until you get to the Pennsylvania border at Pen Mar Park. Total mileage, 44ish. In one day.

DCUL'S way of doing is to backpack in to to the Harper's Ferry area, and do it as a section hike. Not a day hike or trail run. We camp out on both ends and have no support. Last year was the first year for this one, but I missed it for another trip. Sadly, I wasn't in the shape I was last year - but I was still optimistic I could finish.

This was a proper challenge, testing mental and physical endurance. I was mentally prepared to blast it out, but had no idea what would happen to my body past 30 miles - uncharted territory.

As is typical, we arrived in the rain, and had a cold, dark, foggy walk to Loudan Heights from Harpers Ferry.  We had 11 crazy backpackers attempted the challenge this year.  Once over the Virginia line, we made camp, then had a celebratory cake for U-turn's birthday.  We all turned in around 9:30ish.  I had a wet night, my new SoloMidXL needed some seem sealing!  I've been to used to Cuben shelters and forgot about properly prepping the sil nylon seams.  I didn't get much sleep, and was up and breaking camp at 2:30 to get on the trail at 3:00am on the dot.

After separating from the pack just after Harper's Ferry, EZBake, Faceplant, Beastmode and I blasted along the canal, and then Dave led us up the first climb in the rolling fog. After taking advantage of a rest stop, the sun was up and I stretched my legs - Kylie and Joffrey quickly caught up. We would hike together, swapping the lead until the very end - walking between a 3.5 and 4 mph pace. We banged out 20 miles by 9am, then took a long brunch break at the Washington Monument. Dave caught us up and continued on. We leaped frogged him again, then crushed the miles to I-70 and the sign-in sheet at Jen's car just before 11:30. We ran into Dave again just after this, he realized he had missed the turn for the parking lot and doubled back. Somewhere around Annapolis rocks we encountered a lethargic copperhead snake attempting to sun himself.

We all still felt pretty good at this point - though it seemed like I was crawling up the hills. I blamed it on crappy sleep, or maybe I wasn't quite over the cold I brought back from Arizona. Nonetheless, we knocked about the next 10 miles to Dave's car in no time - where we had a good laugh at his pain rating sheet! After a final fuel-up break, we pressed on. We still had a fast pace going. Just after Raven Rocks, I had a dizzy spell and stopped for several minutes to regroup. This is the second time in my life I remember having what I assume is a blood sugar crash.  Snickers to the rescue! Kylie and Joffrey pressed on.

The PenMar rocks made me want to scream - I've never felt unsure of my legs when walking over rocks before! They weren't responding normally, and extra concentration was needed. But after that I got my wind back and jogged the rest of the way, reaching the end just a couple minutes after Faceplant and Beastmode. Miles was a sight for sore eyes, and the pizza was everything I hoped it would be.

In the end, I finished just a couple minutes behind Beast Mode and Faceplant, who set a new time to beat at 14 hours 30 minutes.

With the temperature dropping, we retreated to a nearby camping spot.  I was asleep with seconds of my head hitting my pillow.