Humbled
by a Once in a Life Time Experience on the Appalachian Trail through Maine with Scott Jurek, Renowned
Ultra Runner and Author
By
John E Rodrigue, Trail Monster Running Club
It all began with an email from my good friend Ian Parlin, Trail Monster
Running Club president and one of the clubs founders. The email explained that
Ian and his wife, Emma, and their daughter Iona were hiking up Madison in NH
and had come across Scott Jurek, on the AT trail, had a few words and then, by
coincidence, met up with Scott’s wife Jenny and his crew in the parking lot on
their return from hiking. As Ian discussed the Trail Monster Running Club and
its members, he offered to help in any way that might be needed. Surprisingly,
Timmy O’Neil, Scott Jurek’s crew chief at the time, took Ian up on his offer.
It was at that point, Sunday July 5,2015, that the email was sent out to
members of the Trail Monster Running Club that would have the understanding,
skills and knowledge of the Maine AT trails and/or navigational skills to
assist Scott and his crew through Maine’s sections of the AT and roadways.
Fortunately and humbly, my name was on the email list.
The email simply explained that our job would be to get Scott to his
ultimate goal of breaking the Fastest Known Time (FKT) from South to North
through Maine’s rugged section of the AT. It wasn’t about meeting Scott and
asking questions or being able to run with one of the most well-known Ultra
Runners in the world, it was about getting, a fellow Ultra runner, to his
ultimate goal.
This is where it all begun, I was incredibly humbled and honored to have
been on the list. I have expressed to my club members as to how this group has
changed my life, this was one of those times. I immediately contacted my place
of employment as to my request to take 5 days of vacation with no notice. They
were a bit hesitant at first, although, I explained that if I was not allowed to
take the time off I would be composing my resignation. This was an opportunity
of a life time that I was not going to allow to pass. Needless to say, I am
still employed, thankfully.
My plan was to leave on Tuesday July 7, 2015 and meet several other Trail
Monsters that had already joined Scott’s team, Mindy Slovinsky and Mike Carbone
and Scott Jurek’s crew at South Arm Road AT crossing in Andover to let them
know I was available to help in any way they needed. Once I arrived, I was
greeted by my teammates, Mindy and Mike. We discussed their time on the trail
and how things were looking and they shared any details they had with me
regarding what had been happening and how Scott was doing. This is when i met
Hazel. Hazel was Scott's super fan. She was with the crew hanging out and
wanting to be a part of the action. She had been following Scott's tracker and
knew his every move. She was his super fan. Hazel was a great lady willing to
help in any way.
At this point it seemed things were a bit unclear as to what was happening
so I had to focus on the job at hand, but soon I was greeted by Timmy O’Neil,
Scott’s right hand man, the General of the operation, so to speak. The President
of the operation was Jenny, of course. She made the final decisions. Jenny is Scott’s
wife. Timmy hauled me aside, into my car, and had me roll the windows up, close
the sunroof and create an air tight atmosphere, as he didn’t like the flying
insects Maine has to offer, hahaha, and asked me one question…….”Why are you
here”?
My response was simple, “I am here to get Scott to the summit of Katahdin in
record time and to help you in any way needed to make it happen. ”Timmy’s
response was….”You’re in”. He then proceeded to yell…..”Holy shit, they are
here. ”I looked over my left shoulder at the exit of the AT trail onto South
Arm Road and there I see Scott Jurek, for the first time in Maine. He was running towards us with Mike Carbone pacing
right behind him. It was just Mike with Scott on that section. They were in
ahead of time and caught everyone off guard as the crew was not ready for their
speedy timing. It turned out that the adventure would begin at that point for
me. Scott decided that he needed several hours of sleep before continuing so we
all set up tents, found our cars or a spot along the road and got some sleep.
The plan was to be up at 4am to continue the journey.
I had literally loaded my car with everything I owned and would get me
through 6-7 days of running/hiking on the AT. Tents, Coleman stoves, table top
grill, 10 gallons of water, blankets, sleeping bags, gear for every weather
condition imaginable, maps, everything I owned for running gear and every
hiking pack I owned. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget all my first aid kits that my
running friends often poke fun at me about.
Well, my first night on the AT at South Arm Road did not go without
excitement. We had mentioned to the crew that setting up where we were might
not be the best idea. Tenting or sleeping on the shoulder or near the shoulder
of a busy logging road was not ideal and frankly dangerous. Loggers don’t pay
attention to things in the road and they travel fast with loaded trucks. Often
when they hit something in the road, they don’t stop to see what it was, but we
needed sleep and needed to hit the sack. During the wee hours of the morning a
ruckus arose. It was 3am in the morning and as I slept I heard a vehicle coming
down the road at a good rate of speed. It was not any cause for alarm other
than the sounds of what sounded like a horse running down the pavement!!!! Yes,
you guessed it, it was a moose being chased down the road by a vehicle. Moose
are not the most agile creatures on a pavement surface. I arose and peered out
the unzipped portion of my tent as Mike slept peacefully until I spoke the
words….”Mike, Mike, it’s a moose, wake up!. He didn’t really get up! I saw the
moose coming right at our tent only to see it spontaneously dart into the woods
on the opposite side of the road only a few feet from our tent. If the moose
had continued its path it surely would have run us over. The vehicle behind it
just sped by like nothing ever happened. Well, due to the ruckus, everyone was
up and stirring except Mike, he had fallen back asleep as I'm not sure he
believed me. It was soon after the logging trucks were running and it was time
to get the hell out of there.
Everyone was up and moving. Scott’s van had some movement as Scott and Jenny
were awake and getting ready. It was very early. Luis and Chris were gearing up
to take Scott through the next section from South Arm Road to Route 17, Height
of Land in Township D, just outside of Rangeley. We wished them good luck and
sent them off into the wilderness and said we would see them on the other side.
The rest of us packed our gear and headed into the town center of Andover to
The Little Red Hen restaurant for a good breakfast and an opportunity for Jenny
to do laundry as we knew the next several segments we may not be able to get it
done. We arrived a bit early, before opening time, so we all took the
opportunity to catch up on phone calls, texts and messages. I took some time to
check in on Iron Joe and get his plan for joining us to guide Scott through the
100 mile wilderness and for Joe to arrive and give his wisdom about the 100
mile logistics. He would be joining in and meeting us at Route 16/27. I was
looking forward to seeing him.
We all then walked into Little Red Hen Restaurant, kindly greeted by a very
nice young waitress who sat us for breakfast. I believe I had pancakes, bacon,
sausage and scrambled eggs. This might be the last real breakfast I have for a
few days. As we sat and ate our meal, I learned about Timmy and Jenny. Timmy is
a motivational speaker and stand-up comedian. He proved his comedic talents for
the next several days. Jenny was not only a runner but a professional rock
climber. She also spoke of her connections to Maine as she had friends who
attended Bowdoin College. To our surprise, Hazel walked in the restaurant as we
were sitting there. She had her tablet and was following Scott with the Delorme
tracker website. She knew his every move. At one point as we talked with her,
she stated to Timmy that he must be tired of her obsession with Scott. Timmy
promptly responded....."Hazel, YOUR obsession with Scott has become my
obsession"......it was tough to hold back the laughter but Hazel was
actually a great lady and really wanted to help. We realized that we needed to
get to the Height of Land soon as Scott was getting closer to that check point.
Only there was an issue. Jenny had started a load of laundry at the restaurant,
as they had a washer and dryer, and it wasn't done yet. Graciously, Hazel
offered to stay and make sure it got done and no she would deliver it to Jenny
at the Height of Land. We all jumped in our vehicles and off we drove. I knew
these roads well from my work in the region as a MaineDOT Project Manager so we
took the short route.
Once we arrived in Township D at the Height of Land, Route 17, we parked at
the new scenic outlook that I helped design and build years prior as a Project
Manager at MaineDOT. It was a proud moment to see AT through hikers,
sightseeing folks and others enjoying its beauty. It was the most beautiful
day, the sun was bright and warm and it just raised my energy. Sitting there
with the crew awaiting Scott's arrival was fun and exciting. A group of through
hikers had come up the trail before Scott, Chris and Luis. I walked down to
greet them and they were happy to know they were near the town of Rangeley and
could get hot meals there. As we discussed their AT journey they asked if we were
with Scott Jurek's crew, I answered “yes”. They were extremely excited and
asked to hang around to meet him. They waited along with us for Scott and
pacers to arrive. We had lots of fun repacking our gear, making fun
conversation, we picked up whoopee pies and Moxie for the camera crew to taste.
We had learned they had never had whoopie pies or Moxie. It was great to see
them react to the whoopie pies and then drink the Moxie, honestly, not a great
combination at all. I am not sure the Moxie was a fan favorite. Maybe it was
the combination or my explaining I used to use Moxie to clean the rust from my
bike as a kid. I also learned that Hunter, the camera crew chief, was from
Falmouth, ME. Who would have guessed! This was a time of completing the
organizing of vehicles, chatting, getting to know each other, enjoy the scenic
views and laugh and have fun. It was very clear that the segments ahead were
going to be more secluded and tougher.
It had been decided that Mindy (Squirrel) and Mike (Chaski) would gear up to
guide Scott from Height of Land to the next check point at Route 4,
roughly a 15 mile stretch. Mike and Mindy got their gear ready and were all set
to go. As we all waited there it was apparent that Scott had slowed, there was
concern of the mood. Scott, Luis and Chris soon arrived. They climbed the hill
into the scenic overlook and headed right for the van to refuel and restock for
the next segment. Before continuing the next segment.
He, Luis and Chris had appeared at the wood line as they climbed to the
parking area. There the care of Scott took place as it had so many times
before. It was precise, methodical and calculated. Like a finely tuned watch.
It was impressive to see how well it all clicked. Scott had the through hiker
group get together for a photo. They were very happy to have waited for Scott’s
arrival and have the photo op.
It was here at Height of Land I learned I would be joining Scott with Chris
to run the stretch from Route 4 in Sandy River Plantation to Route 27/16 in
Wyman Township, roughly a 32 mile stretch. We would be running through the
night and having to lay-over at Spaulding lean-to for 4 hours to get Scott some
rest. I began my prep and getting my gear together. This stretch was going to
be fun and rugged. It had great technical climbs over Saddleback, The Horn, Saddleback
Jr, Lone, Spaulding, Crocker Mountains. It turns out that between the food and
gear we needed to carry weighed about 30-35lbs for each Chris and I. I was
happy to have included my 33 liter pack into my gear before leaving home, it
came in handy for this section, very handy.
While Mike and Mindy were on the trail from Height of Land, we all headed
into Rangeley to sit and have a hot meal at the Red Onion, a great local iconic
restaurant. I had spoken very highly of its great food. We had thoughts of
sitting and eating but it was busy and the service was slow that day. We sat
for a half hour, or more, waiting for our food and had light, fun and
interesting conversations while we waited. We were getting to know each other
and asking fun questions. Timmy ended up waiting for the food while we all
traveled to the next check point as we did not miss Scott and pacers arriving
at the check point. Jenny stopped in Rangeley at the local grocerie store to
resupply the van with her food needs and we all fueled up the vehicles and
headed out. Once we got to the check point, Chris and I prepared and loaded our
backpacks, we split the gear out and equaled the load as best we could. Jenny
made sure we had plenty of food for Scott to last the 32 miles. I believe it
ended up being around 35lbs of food. We had to pack gear, food, fluids and
everything we needed not only for Scott but ourselves as well. It was going to
be a long time in the wilderness and we needed to have what we needed to stay
energized and strong.
I’m going to answer the question, that my TMR friends are asking themselves
right now, Yes, I carried a first aid kit and it had feminine napkins in it.
Hahahaha.
As Scott, Mindy and Mike appeared at the parking area at Route 4 they
informed us as to how their segment had gone, how Scott was feeling and
reacting to the terrain, his eating and getting in fluids. It gave us an idea
of what we would be facing in our overnight 32 miler.
I gave Mike and Mindy a congratulatory hug as they were heading home after a
few days of running with Scott and helping him through some rugged terrain.
Just before I headed out I explained to Mike that the plan had changed and we
were packing heavy. He reached over and grabbed my pack and said...."John,
that pack is heavy, are you sure you will be good for 32 miles?"......I
was going to make it work and I was there to do what I needed to do to get
Scott to that record so a little sacrifice was expected. Little did he know, I
had concern in my own mind as I was unsure of the climbing and terrain, but my
training this year had lots of Mountainous climbing, so I was in good shape and
relied on that to get me through. It was time to suck it up and get it done.
Once Scott was fed, watered, and tended to at the van we said our goodbyes. I
was sad to see Mike and Mindy head out, but it knew Joe was on his way to join
in the adventure soon and another teammate was joining in. We took a moment to
get a Trail Monster photo with Scott then gave each other hugs and wished good
luck. I peered over my shoulder as I entered the trail and noticed the
expression on both Mindy and Mikes faces.....it was and expression of pride, a
look of wanting to continue to support this adventure and goal. I will never
forget that moment we parted ways and how proud I was to be their teammate and
friend.
It was also at this point Timmy O'Neil would also be departing. He had prior
engagements and had to fly out with Luis Escobar. They had to drive their
rental car to Bangor to fly out. There was no easy way to do this as there was
no direct route. I did learn later that day that Luis was scheduled to be back
before Scott hit the 100 mile wilderness.
I said my goodbyes to Timmy and he gave me a hug and asked that I stay
in touch with him as to where we were and the progress. He then looked at me
and said...."Don't let him slow down, keep him moving and get him to that
record, its going to be close". That stuck with me.
The other thing that will stick with me is seeing Timmy at the summit of
Saddleback with PBR's in his hand. The climb up Saddleback was long and
difficult and having that beer was awesome. Chris and I pounded the PBR's down
and caught back up to Scott as the film crew wanted shots of him alone coming
out if the fog so we lagged behind for a bit. Timmy also promised to have beer
waiting for us when we finished that 32 mile stretch and I will be damned, he
did. he had placed a six pack of PBR in my cooler packed with ice as he was
moving my car ahead for me. It was unfortunate that Chris couldn't enjoy them
with me as he had to recompose himself as a photographer again and head right
back out on trail with Scott. Chris is a beast. He had little to no sleep and
then repacked his gear and camera and headed back out.
as Timmy departed, The crew of Topher Gaylord, Kim Gaylord, Krissy Moehl were
due to arrive at the next check point to take over until the end.
Up to this point the weather had been perfect. Sunny, warm days but not too
humid. Although, rain was now in the forecast for this 32 mile section, and the
meteorologists did not disappoint. It wasn't very long before the heavens open
the flood gates. We had light to heavy rain and it lasted through the night to
Spaulding lean-to. It wasn't just dealing with the rain, it brought the wind,
fog and slippery terrain. This section had a lot of climbing on ledge and large
rock deposit areas which can be slippery when wet, and it was. Footing had to
be deliberate and calculated. I led the group through most of this section
other than the first several miles where Chris had lead.
The rain made it fun and interesting to say the least, but when we the fog
rolled in, that's when it got dicey. I tried to stay back enough for Scott to
see my line and foot placements but also wanted to be far enough ahead to try
and motivate Scott to push harder to stay with me as I was pushing the pace. I
worked hard to climb, fast and efficiently and keep Scott moving. Between Chris
and me, we were reminding Scott of the top and bottom of the hour so that he
would eat and drink and how well he was moving and that we were making great
time through this section.
I can verify that Scott Jurek is an efficient eating machine. His eating
habits while running are incredibly spot-on. This man can put some food down. But
along with eating comes bodily functions. Yes, the body has to disperse waste
and gasses. Scott had several AT trail names that were shared with his crew
only. One name was, “Motor Boat”. This trail name came about due to the way
Scott would expel his breath on his exhale. He would exhale and let his lips
flap to make a motor boat sound, hence the name motor boat. The other Trail
name was “Crop Duster” as he passed gas frequently as you might imagine one
would if eating as much as he did and it was like a plane crop dusting fields. It's
hard to believe he lost 30lbs during the entire adventure. Jenny had packed
plenty of food and it truly was amazing to see Scott eat every last bit of it.
We worked hard through this section. Scott commented on how relentlessly
unforgiving the terrain is and how it plays on the mind constantly. We had
several Jurek fans find us along the way and join in to run for a short time. I
remember a 19 year old guy, Tyler. He was also a Nordic skier like Scott, so
there was good interesting conversation for a length of time. The one thing I
remember is Tyler asking what his favorite part of the run was for him! Scott
slowed, looked over his shoulder and said "Definitely not this part".
We all got a chuckle about his response. Once Tyler peeled off after we reached
a gravel road crossing, it was back to some silent times and concentration. I
would break the silence on occasion to let him know we were doing well and
moving along quickly. I could hear Chris and Scott behind me having discussions
as we moved along but I couldn't always hear or understand the topics.
The mountains came in this order…..from Route 4 in
Sandy River Plantation over Saddleback, The Horn, Saddleback Jr, Poplar Ridge,
Lone, Spaulding, Sugarloaf, Crocker Mountains to Route 16/27 at the border of
Woman Township and Carrabassett Valley.
The
plan was to steadily run to Spaulding Mountain lean-to then to bed down and get
a few hours, hopefully 4 hours, of sleep. This would all depend on how well we
were progressing. Chris and I checked in with each other along the way as to
our movement and we were assessing Scott as well and deciding if we may need to
bed down prior to Spaulding. since we were moving well, even though darkness
had fallen, we kept moving and forging ahead.
As
we climbed these beautiful, rugged, technical and brutal mountains the rain was
steady. It seemed to be negligent as far as slowing us down much. It was only
when the fog rolled in that it seemed to possibly slow us down. It was only
seemingly though as we kept a good hard steady pace through the nasty trying weather.
There were several times that it became so difficult to see the infamous white
blazes. As I lead through the fog, we had to stop to verify we were on trail
and had not wondered off. Scott was extremely cautious and conscious of staying
on trail. There was one short section of trail where it appeared the Appalation
Trail Club had relocated the trail but had not yet fully marked the new
location or removed the blazes on the old section so when we realized this was
the case we back-backtracked and did both sections to assure we did not go off
trail as it is known.
There
was a funny occurance on the trail. We passed a lean-to along the way and there
was a througo hiker sitting there talking on his cell phone so we ran past and
just said hey as we cruised by. He acknowledged with a hey in return. As we got
by him he yells out...."Is that Scott Jurek?".....Scott
replies...."yes".....but we kept running and I could hear him say to
the person on the other end of the phone call...."Holy shit, Scott Jurek
just ran by me"..... it was maybe 5 minutes later the hiker caught up to
us running. He had run to catch us to hopefully get a photo with Scott. The
funny Thing is he ran a long distance on the rugged terrain in a pair of pink
crocks. Scott, Chris and I all wondered if he was actually through hiking in
pink crocks.
The
stretch between Route 4 and Spaulding lean-to was the most difficult. It was
mostly in the darknees, in the rain, in the fog and wind. It was a distance of
roughly 19-20 miles. We had arrived at Spaulding around 1:30-2:00am. Chris and
I had talked about what needed to be done as we got to the lean-to as to be as
efficient as possible as to give Scott as much sleep as possible. I would get
Scott's food out and ready and get him fed and then get his change of clothes
ready for him. Chris would set up his tent and get his sleeping pad, sleeping
bag ready for him to just jump in the tent and sleep. Chris then got his tent
up and ready. I got my bivy sack and sleeping bag liner that Mike let me borrow
prepared to sleep under the stars, but yes, it was raining. Poor planning on my
part.
Scott
finished eating, changed into dry clothes and bedded down for 4 hours of sleep.
Chris also jumped into his tent as 4 hours would pass quickly. I jumped into my
bivy and felt good about our journey so far in this section.
It
want long after we bedded down that the rain got a bit more intense, this is
where it got dicey for me. I was exposed to the elements in my bivy. I was warm
and cozy for about an hour and half then the chills started. the next 2 1/2
hours were concerning. I began shivering uncontrollably and had to get up and
walk around while trying not to wake anyone. We were not the only ones at the
site. The site was packed. The lean-to was literally wall to wall bodies in
sleeping bags and there were several tents set up around the site. We actually
had to poke around for a somewhat flat area to pitch the tents. My 2 1/2 hours
went slowly. I found myself counting the minutes until we set out again, not a
good thing when needing sleep. This was the first time I've ever had concern I
might become hypothermic. I tried to focus on pleasant things and the section
we had ahead and seeing the crew and meeting Joe. It seemed to work and next
thing I know it was time to get Scott up and get going again. I was very
pleased to be moving and getting warm. It didn't take long to heat up.
We
are back on trail and rested and pressing on for roughly another 12-13 miles.
It was light out, the sun was peering through the remaining clouds and the day
was looking pretty good. We still had Spaulding and Crlocker Mountains to deal
with. There were major climbs ahead and brutal technical descents to negotiate.
All
three of us were happy to have gotten some sleep and were eager to get through
the next few mlies. It seemed to go pretty well and quickly. We had more
conversation and chatting along this stretch and enjoyed the beauty. We talked
about Maine facts and why we call it Vacationland. We discussed other beautiful
areas of Maine worthy of a visit, its coastline and islands, light houses and
cities. Before we knew it, we were descending to Route 16/27 Check point. It
was a brutal and very difficult descent as many areas it was necessary to slide
down portions on our butts due to its steepness and technicality, although, we
moved through this very well and quickly without incident.
We
had reached the check point. Chris and I had asked what Scott what he needed or
wanted prior to the check point and we conveyed that to the crew when we got
there. We get Scott to the crew van and it was amazing to see the excitement he
had to see his new crew of Topher, Kim and Krissy. He seemed to have found a
burst of energy that the rugged wilderness had stripped away. He now seemed energized and ready to get
back at it. Chris and I then let the crew know how it went and what we
encountered and how Scott appeared to be doing. The crew was right on top of it
and working to assess Scott and be ready for the next long stretch.
The
first thing I noticed was Iron Joe standing there and how many people were in
the parking area. Many had come to meet Scott and have a phot op. Just before
Scott headed out he took a minute to have his picture with his fans. Joe then approached
me and shook my hand and we had a quick bro hug and asked if I needed
anything....he then pointed out that Rebecca and Ally had traveled to the check
point and were awaiting our arrival. I walked up to the parking area and
greeted them with hugs as it was so awesome to see my friends and teammates
coming out to support Scott and the Trail Monsters. To my amazement and
surprise they had filled a cooler with food, drinks and ice for me. I was so
happy. They set up a chair and had me sit and eat and enjoy the food and I
totally enjoyed chatting with them and sharing the moment. They insisted I keep
the cooler and its contents which came in handy throughout the remainder of the
adventure. It definitely got plenty of use. They soon left the check point as
they were going to they and hike ahead if Scott and see him on the trail and
then do their own hike. I am so grateful for my friends.
I believe Krissy took over pacing with Scott to the next check point which
would be at Route 201 in Caratunk. This distance was another long one with one
intermediate check point at the road crossing at Flag Staff Lake. It was
planned that they would arrive at Flagstaff Road in the dark and that is what
happened. After Krissy and Scott were back on trail we knew it was going to be
a bit of time until we saw them again so we thought that we could head into Kingfield go to the
market to restock food and supplies as the available opportunities would be
sparse from here on out. Also, it was the perfect time to find a place to sit
and discuss the logistics of the 100 Mile Wilderness which was a concern for
Scott’s crew.
We found a nice spot to have a good meal, sit in the sun, dry out gear and
lay out maps and discuss logistics. Joe was the key to the 100 mile remote
area. Joe had made several attempts to run the 100 Mile Wilderness in under 48
hours and finally did it on his third attempt. This was an amazing feat to say
the least as Iron Joe did it unsupported and solo. The Trail Monsters have a
belt buckle for those that complete the 100 Mile Wilderness under 48 hours and
some have attempted but not completed in that time frame.
Joe was the perfect person/Ultra runner to assist the crew and Guide Scott
through this terrain as he was most familiar with it. We all sat and discussed
the trail, terrain, driving navigation, logging road restrictions, gates and
timing, nights and days they would be on the trail and any other logistics and
restrictions that could pose an issue. A plan was set in place and everyone was
on board. It was great to work with Tof, Kim and Jenny. Everyone was very
professional and calculated in their thoughts and scheduling the remainder of the
run in hopes to get Scott to the record, but ultimately it was up to Scott.
It was hear that I discussed with Scott’s crew that I am there to help in
anyway, although, my main concern at that point was to crew and care for Joe.
It would be extremely important that I be there for Joe. He would need someone
to make sure he has all he needs to make it through the sections he would be
running, stay fed, stay hydrated and be happy. Basically not have to worry
about much at all. My job as his teammate was to keep him happy. At this point
I really hadn’t had to do much, but that would change soon. More on that
subject to come.
We all traveled to Flagstaff Road, Joe in his car, me in mine and Jenny and
Kim in the crew van. We got there pretty early so we all took time to catch
some sleep, organize our gear, get ready for Krissy and Scott’s arrival and
refresh a bit by washing down.
We had plenty of time to chat and get to know each other. We talked about
most anything and interest we all had and how the adventure has gone since
leaving Georgia. We also discussed how we felt that we needed to crackdown on
getting this done as time was seemingly growing short for the record. We
decided that we would greet any other through hikers, fans or day hikers and
politely mention to them that we have a job to do and time is short so we would
keep moving along and not take too much time stopping for conversation or
photo’s.
It was beginning to get later in the day and there was a bit of concern as
to the time. We had expected them sooner, but we all did not know what they
were facing as it is a tough section through the Bigelow Mountain Range. It is
tough rocky climbing that would be slow and tedious. As we discussed where they
might be Joe had decided to gear up and run back on trail to meet them. Joe was
itching to get running and join in the fun so it was good to get him moving and
thinking about the 100 mile wilderness section which he would be guiding Scott.
Joe headed back on trail and it seemed like he was gone for a long time.
Darkness had come, the crew got a bit more concerned but we knew they were
still moving. I kept walking to the trail head on the road, It wasn’t too long
after dark that I spotted two headlamps up the mountain, which confused me as
there should have been three. Did something happen, did someone get injured,
who might it be? Well, those thoughts quickly went away as I saw three dark
outlined bodies emerge from the woods onto the gravel road. It appeared Joe’s
headlamp was not on, Fewwwwww, thank goodness everyone is here and safe.
Scott was directed to the van and was tended to. Everyone looked great, a
bit tired but looked great. Topher was ready to join Krissy as she was going to
continue to Caratunk. Krissy had to restock her food, fluids and gear as they
knew they would be out there through the night and need to bed down for the
night at some point. Both Krissy and Topher laid out all the gear they would
need between themselves and Scott and split the load. It wasn’t too long after
they arrived that they were ready to get back on the trail. I think Tof knew in
his mind that they couldn’t let Scott stay at the check points for extended
periods, so he pushed to get going quickly and if they needed to rest it would
be done on the trail.
From Flag Staff Road they would hope to make it to a lean-to at Peirce pond
during the night. If he couldn't make it that far without sleep they would bed
down somewhere on the trail that made sense. They ended up bedding down in a
random area for a good sleep period. I can't remember how long but 4-5 hours of
sleep comes to mind.
We directed them to the trail head and said our goodbyes and wished them
well. The crew then packed up and headed to Caratunk the easy way, on paved or
gravel roads, it just didn’t seem right.
While the three of them were on trail the rest of us knew we had to get to
the next check point and it was a good distance away. The crew also had to
finalize the arrangements for Scott to get across the Kennebec River. They had
contacted a local rafting company that could offer canoes and personnel to camp
out and wait for Scott to get to the west bank of the Kennebec in Caratunk. of
course nobody had any idea how long it would be before Scots arrival. It was
estimated it would be in the early hours of the morning.
As Scott, Tof and Krissy were out on trail the rest of the crew gathered and
decided we would head right out to Caratunk and I expressed my concern for
everyone's safety. We were ALL sleep deprived at this point and it was a long
drive on secluded roads in the dark with high probability of seeing large wildlife
in the road. I suggested we stay close together and if someone was having
trouble staying awake we flash out headlights as to stop and take a break. We
ended up stopping twice to get fresh air and stretch out and wake up a bit. The
one thing we didn't want was for the crew to be unsafe.
Once we got to Caratunk we ran into Aron Ralston and Walter Edwards. Aron
lives in boulder and is friends with Scott and are practically neighbors.
Walter is also an old friend of Scotts from Boulder. They flew in to Maine to
help Scott to his record breaking goal. At the time, Joe and I realized the
company we were in. Scott being a renowned Ultra runner and author, his wife
Jenny who I understand is an accomplished climber and runner, Krissy also being
a renowned Ultra runner, Tof being the founder of the Mountain Hardware and an
accomplished Ultra runner, Kim his wife being an Ultra runner, Aron being the
man featured in the film 127 Hours and an accomplished climber, Walter being an
Ultra runner and all around great guy. We were in great company but as Joe an
me understood, we were all just good people wanting to help an Ultra running
friend to a record breaking goal in the Maine wilderness. After we greeted
Walter and Aron we immediately found the off road parking for the trail head
that was on the east side of the Kennebec then we all set up camp there, some
in tents and most in vehicles. At this point Joe and I each had our cars. This
was going to be an issue from here on out as we couldn't move two cars ahead so
we decided we would get our cars to Monson, the location of the 100 mile
wilderness and then we would use my car for the remainder of the trip.
We all got a decent night sleep here. It felt great and was needed as the
next few days would be sleep deprivation again.
The morning came, we all awoke and started preparing for the runners
arrival. We were now on the east side of the Kennebec awaiting the runners
which meant they had to arrive at rivers edge, get into the canoes that were
waiting and be portaged across. Kim, who is now the general of the operation,
asked that Joe and I go to the river and spot Scott when he gets to the river
and let them know. Little did Joe and I know that when we got to the river we
would see the canoes waiting on the other side of the river. As we stood there
waiting for the gentleman, John, we learned when we met him, would paddle to
our side of the river and ask if we were there for Scott Jurek. We answered
"Yes". He then said, I can't wait any longer, we expected him here
sooner and I have to leave.
At that moment, a bit of panic hit Joe and I because we thought we were
losing Scotts transport across the river. But then, John the canoe guy
asked...."Do you two want to take the canoe over and paddle them
across?" Joe and I looked at each other as though we were kids in a candy
store with giant smokes and said "well yeahhhh". John the canoe guy
asked if we knew how to paddle. canoe, my response was .... "we live in
Maine and if we can't paddle a canoe we shouldn't be living here".
Joe and
I then got our life vests on, got into the canoe and paddle to the west side of
the river and met up with the other canoe which was handled by Judy. Now Judy
looked familiar to me but not sure why. Come to find out Judy has done some
ultra running and had raced at Pineland and Big Brad. How ironic is that? We
were very excited that we are now involved with getting him across the river.
We went from Ultra pacers/runners to canoeist extrodinaire.
Shortly after we chatted, along came Scott, Krissy and Tof from the trail
with great excitement and joy to be at the check point. It had been a long
night in the wilderness and yet Scott seemed very eager to get into the canoe.
He had a smoke like no other time. He got his vest on with a little help and
jumped into the front of the canoe and immediately grabbed a paddle and started
to paddle which he didn't really need to do but it was great to see him so
excited to do something other than run on those gnarley trails. We got across
safely, Joe and I pulled the canoes out up on shore as we were directed to do
and then caught up to the crew. At the van there was yet another celebration as
Scott did not know Aron and Walter would be waiting here for him. Again he had
a burst of energy to have new life as old friends and familiar faces join him.
Scott had food, fluids and gear waiting for him at the van as Jenny was
always ready with whatever Scott needed and prepared to have his gear and
nutrition packed and ready for the next segment as to not waste time getting him
back on the trail.
From here Walter and Aron would take Scott through the next section from
Caratunk to a road crossing at the head of Moxie Pond, I believe Troutdale
Road, roughly 9-10 miles. The travel to this check point was obviously getting
more difficult as we traveled on the back country logging roads. There were
areas that my little silver Ford Fiesta was having some difficulty, but I kept
her moving and didn’t look back. It was a long drive on these logging roads and
it was getting more and more remote. It was always interesting traveling behind
several other vehicles that were creating a massive dust cloud to a point that
you literally held onto the steering wheel and prayed you stayed on the road.
After this 6 day adventure my windshield was pitted and my windshield wipers
were destroyed. We finally began seeing more signs of inhabitance as camps
begun appearing and before we knew it we had found the trail crossing the road.
There was a tiny parking are so a few of us had to park on the road and
hoped that the logging trucks were not using this particular area on this day.
This crossing was extremely pleasant. It was adjacent to a wide rocky stream
crossing with the sound of running waters that were music to the ear.
We all gathered and started preparing for the runners arrival and setting up
our gear as we had done so many time before. It was becoming second nature
already as it was a systematic habit. It was decided that Joe and Aron would be
up next for pacing with Scott. They would get him to the road crossing just
outside of Monson at the Shirley Road. That would be roughly a 12-13 mile
segment. I worked with Joe to get him ready and geared up. As we all waited we
watched the camera crew set up for filming and photos for the crossing of the
rocky stream, Baker Stream to be exact. The camera crew had set up a cable
across the stream to attach a camera that would be on pulleys and roll along as
the runners jumped from rock to rock across the stream. This was pretty
awesome. There was a film crew and a camera crew. It was amazing to me that
they moved so quickly through the wilderness with all the gear they had to
carry and they always seemed to appear out of nowhere like trail ghosts in the
woods. Their presence was hardly noticed most of the time.
Ok, now things got a bit interesting. It was the first time that I felt
helpless as far as needing help in transporting Joes car to Monson and I had no
clue how I would get both his car and my car to the Monson trail crossing. It
was there that Joe and I decided to leave his car until the end of the
adventure.
We all nudged Scott, Joe and Aron onward, they crossed the stream one by one
and disappeared into the thick trees on the other side of the stream as we sent
them hoots and hollers of encouragement. They looked like children jumping
across the rocks and it looked like fun. We all laughed and thought the same
thing……we all wanted to be out there running, but we had work to do. We had to
navigate our way to Shirley Road.
I now had to refocus my efforts in finding someone to drive Joes car to
Monson. I approached Hunter, the film crew chief and asked if one of his staff
would be able to transport Joes car to Monson. With a bit of persuasion, he
agreed, what a relief that was. It would have been a logistical nightmare to leave
Joe’s car there and not know if it would be there when we returned! They were
headed that way anyway, but it was risky for them. If the car had broken down
or if something major happened it would cause a problem as Hunter needed ALL
his staff. I assured him this was the only time I would have to ask for his
help, and it was.
