Well, the good news is that I finished. Three for three still with a goal of ten for ten in the tenth year. Also, I got to see & spend time with a lot of good folks that I’ve been missing since my move to Colorado this summer. Paul, Stu, Deb, James, Darin, Darcy, Coleen, Debbie, Steve, Cindy, Shelley, etc – great to have your smiling faces around. J
The bad: I still haven’t figured this race out. I want to say there’s nothing good out of the experience other than finishing, but that wouldn’t be true. However, rather than go into all of that, with the number of people who came up to me mentioning how helpful they found my past race reports, I’m going to write this less about my experience (I think) and more adding on to an overview of the race.
Bass River Resort is a wonderful place for a race headquarters – large complex of lodges, cabins, camping sites, public showers, managers who fully support the race and beautiful Ozark country for miles in every direction, 9 miles from the closest town (which does have a grocery store). The main lodge is a fine hang-out place, with open Wi-Fi access and a well-equipped (and pricey) general store. The individual cabins are all within easy walking distance of the main lodge, where all the race activities take place. Two downsides are no internet access in the cabins, as well as the resort itself being in a cell-phone dead zone. This is true of Sprint, Verizon & T-Mobile that I know of. If you stand on the southeast corner of the upper level deck of the main lodge, you can typically get one bar, enough to make a call if you can curb the pacing-while-talking habit.
We had absolutely perfect weather this year – 60’s and sunny for pretty much the entire weekend. Lows in the mid-30’s, which of course meant it was the usual 10 degrees cooler in some of the creek bottoms. Clothing-wise, I spent the morning in a jersey with light jacket, afternoon in just the jersey, evening with a heavy long-sleeve over the jersey and extra jacket tied around the waste, and adding the jacket once the witching hour rolled around. Of course, as I told the RD Paul, weather this perfect this year means that next year will be…the blizzard year. We know it will happen – early November in Missouri - one of these first ten years will be a blizzard year. I foolishly look forward to it.
One other note on the weather – it had been an immensely dry fall in the Ozarks – less than a tenth of the usual amount of rain. This mean two things: First – a high risk for fire. There was a 5000’ acre fire approximately 20mi west of the starting point during the week leading up to the race. Thankfully, the forest service got it under control with the help of some much-needed rain on the Thursday before the race. Second – that much-needed rain drastically altered the creek-crossing forecast from when the RDs had marked the course the previous weekend. Rather than there being only two realistic foot-wetting spots (Bee Fork 14.1 & Lost Creek 79.8), each less than 3mi before drop bags, enough creeks and drainage ditches were higher than expected that I spent at least 60mi with unexpectedly wet feet, which led to some bad blister problems.
Hills – everyone always asks what the worst hills on a given course are. Ozark has no huge hills, nor especially tough ones, but of course everything’s relative. There are at least 1/2mi climbs after a creek crossing around mile 11, and leading up to Billy’s Branch aid station. Also, 9 of the 13 aid stations are located in valleys (hollows), with medium to large climbs out of them – particularly Stilwell & Johnson Hollows. Finally, the last section of the course always sneaks up on you. You leave Henpeck Hollow (mi 95) and seem to making decent progress along a gradual downhill towards the river & (you hope) the finish. Finally you catch sight of the river and some buildings, and hope builds that you are nearly there. Don’t be fooled – there are 4 quad-busting climbs in the last 4 miles that seem quite pointless – you go back & forth along ridges up from the river, teasingly twisting towards & away what your brain tells you is the direction of the finish line, up & down what feels like the same two hills without making any progress. These hills would be nothing too special in the early part of the race, but at this stage, coupled with the seeming lack of direction/purpose, they can be a heavy load mentally. You aren’t home free until you cross over the ridgeline and start down a long, switchbacking shallow downhill that dumps you out on a mown path next to a fenced pasture – a mile to go at this point.
Aid stations – as always, Ozark has rock stars at the aid stations. I may be biased – it’s a good feeling to look at the pre-race aid station captain list and know all but two names – I get to run my race friend-to-friend. J Several aid station crews pull double shifts – with OT100 being point-to-point, AS crews have time to take an early stage station, pack it up, and move to a later location in time to serve all runners at each. These double-duty folks – Cindy Schoenlaub, Dennis Haig, Steve Breeding and more are truly amazing endurance aiders.
Start to Grasshopper (8.0mi) – most of the way will be in the dark. I usually forget to put a decent headlamp in my start supplies until I’ve already placed my best & second-best in drop bags. The start location isn’t anything significant – just a place on a road where the trail crosses. If you’re driving to see the course ahead of time, you will likely not even recognize it for what it is. Everyone crowds into the 15 yard space between the road & the start line. If you’re someone who likes to go out hard, get up front – it’s tight single-track very quickly, and with the dark & brambles, passing is not suggested. No major hills, but high briar potential – I got scratched up in ’09 & ‘10. Thanks to the low rain & good trail maintenance, these were at a minimum in 2011.
Grasshopper Hollow (mile 8.0) – you won’t see it until you’re less than 100 yards out. Quick in-and-out, drop off your (labeled) headlamp, grab a bite, high-five one of the RDs, and head out. At the top of a small hill.
Grasshopper to Sutton (9.6mi) – It always goes faster than you expect – sun’s up, you’re warmed up, watch that you’re not pushing the pace too much. Watch the flags as you cross the clearing under the power lines a couple miles out of Grasshopper – there will be markings from other races that can lead you on the wrong direction if you’re not paying attention, and I’ve had to chase down runners who went off course here each year. Potential for foot wetting around mile 11, with a decent climb immediately after. Gradual climb up Sutton Bluff, and then long fun descent down to the aid station. This will also be one of the roughest parts of the course, footing-wise. A big ice storm in the winter of ’08-09 knocked down over a third of the three in some sections of the forest, and giant root holes from where trees were close to the trail formed. These get repaired bit-by-bit each year, but there’s still plenty of tripping points and the need for strong ankles.
Sutton Bluff (mile 17.6) – the best views of the entire race come from the cliff leading up to the aid station. You’ll catch glimpses of the campground by the river while still at the top of the bluff about 2 miles out from the aid station. It’s a bit further than expected – while still on the bluff, look for the concrete bridge across the river – that’s where you’re running to. You actually run a wide partial circle around the aid station before pulling in. First crew point is here at mile 17.6, but with the next crew point not until mile 43.5, I usually advise my crew to sleep in, skip Sutton, and not meet me until Brooks Creek. I’ve never needed crew that early in a 100miler. For local folks running OT, this can help if your crew can’t make it to the race until Saturday – the front runners don’t hit Brooks until after Noon, and mid-packers around 3-4p. My first year, my crew drove in from Kansas City, didn’t leave until mid-morning Saturday (plenty of time to sleep in) and just met me at Brooks.
Sutton to Stilwell (5.2mi) – trail stays rough, but better. About a half-mile of uphill pavement out of the aid station to the trail – I usually grab a bunch of eats and chow down while walking this section. Mid-morning in the Ozarks – enjoy the beauty. Creek crossing right before the aid station.
Stillwell Hollow (mile 22.8) – one of the least vital aid stations, just coming out of the major & crewed station at Sutton and just having traversed the shortest distance between aid stations on the entire course. Refill your water and grab a sandwich to munch on the uphill out of the aid station.
Stilwell to Johnson (5.2mi) – trail continually improving from rough, partially-filled in root holes & rocks to more even runnable single-track. I always advise taking the first 40mi easy, because they are much rougher than the later stages – it is a rather uneven, rocky trail at first, but if you have legs later on, you can really make some time. Mile long, runnable downhill into Johnson.
Johnson Hollow (mile 28.0) – It can be muddy/wet in the grass road leading up to the aid station. Still in the sequence of short distances between aid, rinse & repeat from Stilwell – top off the bottle & grab some munchies for the hill after the road crossing 100 yards out from the aid.
Johnson to Gunstock (6.8mi) – In this section is where I usually start feeling the miles, and start imagining the aid station is each moss-covered rock I see around a bend a half-mile up. You run up to the aid station is along a ridgeline, parallel & about 20 yards below a road you probably won’t be able see. The aid station is visible maybe a quarter mile out sitting on the ridgeline you’re running – no significant climb/descent to get to it.
Gunstock (mile 34.8) – One of two drop-bag without crew access aid stations, and I always stash an extra handheld water bottle here. You’ve got one of the longer stretches (8.7mi) from here to Brooks coming up, and it will be in the hottest part of the day. While it may not be all that warm, I always like to have the buffer in case my water consumption is higher than expected – I ran dry halfway between Gunstock & Brooks in ’09. This is typically where I pick up my MP3 player. I typically think the race in thirds: First 1/3 moving along for the sheer joy of it, feeling fine while fresh & plenty of people around to chat with. Then the second 1/3 my music motivates me to keep running when I may be less apt to. The third 1/3 is then with my pacer (from Hazel Creek) providing the motivation/distraction.
Gunstock to Brooks Creek (8.7mi) – Warmest part of the day, terrain getting more even & runnable with each mile. About three miles out from Brooks, the trail shifts into a well-groomed slight downhill for almost the entire way into Brooks. I have had my first real low of the race two out of three years coming out from Gunstock, and this downhill coupled with the knowledge of a crewed aid station with plenty of energy and hubbub coming up has brought my spirits up very well each time.
Brooks Creek (mile 43.5) – first significant crewed aid station, and first place to potentially pick up a pacer. You hear the cheers & catch flashes off of parked cars at least a half-mile out, and it’s a joyous downhill leading on in to the melodious sound of a cowbell. Back of the packers will want to pick up a light here, and perhaps an extra jacket. Mid packers may want to stash an extra light here, just in case something goes very south & you roll in later than expected. The aid station itself is located on a road where the trail crosses – no clearing on the side of the road for the aid – so occasionally local traffic will pass thru its midst. Crews – please pay very close attention to the pre-race instructions about parking, as this can easily turn into a vehicular traffic nightmare if instructions aren’t closely followed. While I haven’t ever picked up a pacer at Brooks, if I have crew, I typically have them walk with me out of the station for a few minutes while I give them the skinny on my race thus far & update on what I’ll need at the next point I see them - Hazel, 25 miles away.
Brooks to Highway DD (7.5mi) – Medium uphill out of Brooks, and then quality single-track on rolling hills through the forest. If you got a boost out of the station, this is a good place to translate it into some leg turnover. Left turn into a short out & back from the trail to the aid, but very straightforward.
Highway DD (mile 51.0) – Halfway! The second of two drop-bag locations that don’t have crew access. This is where I typically pick up a light, as generally only the front 2-3 make it to Hazel (next drop) before it gets dark. I also tie a jacket with light gloves in the pockets around my waist, as I know it will get cold once the sun goes down. This aid station usually sneaks up on me, as there’s no distinguishing features leading up to it and while not hidden, doesn’t stand out. Some nice AC/DC to signal the halfway point from a mile off would be welcome (hint, hint). J Good soup. You have two long stretches between aid stations coming up, so make sure you’re all set on gear, chafing, water & food before heading out. Night will come before you hit the next drop, and probably before the next aid station if you’re running outside of the top 15 or so.
Highway DD to Martin Road (8.2mi) – Here you hit one of the most runnable sections of the course. Coming out of the aid station, you hit a gradual downhill that takes you down to creek bottoms. The trail spends a goodly number of miles simply paralleling the creek on a flat, smooth runnable section of trail. I suspect some wet year, this section will be a marsh, but it hasn’t happened yet. In this portion, you also hit the one major junction of the Ozark Trail in the race. It will be well-marked, but do keep your head up because if you take the wrong turn, you will still be following OT markers, but be off course.
Martin Road (59.2mi) – A nice way station on a minor road crossing. They’ll have the basics, and typically hot soup (yum!). You have 9.3mi until Hazel, so make sure to take an extra minute to top off both fuel and water.
Martin Road to Hazel Creek (9.3mi) – More very runnable trail, slightly rolling with some creek crossings. If you have saved your legs, the previous section and this one should let you make some tracks. It will be dark by the time you hit Hazel. I’ve had a mental bonk here – it tends to happen along with sunset – and this section has seemed both short and long to me, depending on company (or lack thereof) and pace. Most folks will pick up a pacer at Hazel, but this isn’t a bad time to think about joining in with a fellow runner as an unofficial pacer to help keep your spirits up. Worked very well for me in ’09.
Hazel Creek (68.5mi) – To me, the most important aid station. Crew access, pacer pickup, drop bag, warm fire, and plenty of eats. You have a gradual uphill into the station, and will see its lights and fire from at least a half-mile out. There’s a significant creek crossing a mile+ before it, marked with glo-sticks. Know at that you are close at that point, but not quite there. Hazel is where I always duck behind the vehicles to do a complete clothing changeover for nightfall. You may not feel like it at the time, but the 13mi to Berryman will seem long enough and cold enough – you don’t want to be caught short. Refuel, get your gear, and get your mind set for the nighttime slog. Podog & PT, the aid station captains, have a “no chair & no scissors” policy – they won’t provide chairs for you to sit so you don’t spend too much time there, and they won’t cut off your wristband. No, there are no wristbands at OT100, but if you try to drop there, Podog will just point at the buckle he earned at OT100 in ’09, and then point to the trail.
Hazel to Machael Hollow (Pigeon Creek) (7.6mi) – This section always seems long to me. Perhaps it’s the mental shift & slow down with the nightfall, or the re-introduction of the usual rolling hills after the flat-ish past 17mi. I’ve battled bad cases of the sleepies twice here, as I have a strong regular sleep cycle and typically come through at my body’s bedtime. Half of a caffeine pill usually keeps me upright. Trail is better than the rough first 30ish, but rutted in a goodly amount of places.
Machael Hollow (Pigeon Creek) (76.1mi) – You will see it coming from at least a half-mile off as you climb a gradual uphill. Aid Station Captain Steve Breeding has erected large, inflatable, lighted creatures (such as a snowman) each of the past two years, so no, that is not a hallucination on the horizon. Access to this station is limited, so while a number of people drop here each year, you really want to keep powering on, as there will be a sizeable delay to get back to Bass River (and nothing is more certain during an ultra than change). The station was a mile closer to Hazel the first year, but was moved starting in ’10. Also, this station’s name is changing for ’12 because no one associated with the race can figure out how to pronounce “Machael”
Machael Hollow to Berryman Campground (5.4mi) – I’ll admit my memory of this section is lacking, as I have been in a funk every year thus far traversing it. There is a shoe-wetting creek crossing about two miles out from the aid station. More rolling hills & rocks. Major crossing of Highway 8 that was has been less than solidly assuringly marked each year – but there is a trail kiosk once you cross that will help. At this road crossing, you are 1.5mi from the aid station. Berryman will be very visible with its bright lights (and usually strings of Christmas lights), and anyone who has run the Berryman Trail (a 24mi loop subsection of the OT) will recognize the approach.
By this point, you will have learned the secret to traversing the OT in the dark in early November. There will be enough leaves down that in a lot of places, distinguishing between the trail itself and an alternate opening between a couple trees will be very difficult, and trail markings are still quite sparse (more on that later). How you tell, then, the correct direction is by feel. Under the leaves, the trail is hard-packed, while off-trail is much softer. Many times I have been saved from a wrong turn by being alert enough to notice the difference within 2-3 steps. It will be quite distinguishable once you’re actually out there.
Berryman Campground (81.5mi) – Not to set expectations high, but this aid station has always had amazing food. It has varied each year, but memories of freshly made French Toast & Bacon, homemade cookies & brownies, delicious made-from-scratch soup, etc has always hit the spot. Big sheltered aid station with a warm interior, so beware the chair – don’t let yourself linger. Also, this is the second of two out-and-back aid stations, and one where you leave go at least a half-mile off the trail on a side path. That turn is well marked, but make sure you stop and let your 80+ mile brain double-check the signage.
Berryman to Billy’s Branch (7.5mi, officially – probably more like 9.0mi) – Two important notes: 1. Coming out of the aid station for the first 1-2mi is very confusing. You backtrack from the station to the well-marked turn, and make sure you continue on the correct way. Markings have always seemed especially sparse between here & Billy’s, and twice I have had near panic attacks not remembering if I turned the right way or not at that junction. When you do turn the right way, the trail proceeds to double back on itself at least twice, and there are a good number of side trail. Keep your eyes open and pay attention – the only person who has gotten significantly lost on the OT did so here, and it is confusing if you’re not paying close attention. 2. The distance from Berryman to Billy’s is longer than advertised. I swear. The distance from Berryman to Henpeck (mi 95) is solid, but I believe Billy’s is at least a mile-and-a-half farther from Berryman than advertised (and thus closer to Henpeck). So don’t panic if it seems like it’s taking forever to get there. There be hills in this section, and you hit a long one on the climb up to the aid station. There is some runnable creek-bottom paralleling trail here, though, if you still have the legs.
Billy’s Branch (89.0mi, officially, probably 90.5mi) – You will be following a ridgeline on the approach, one that heads what I believe is first east and then curves 90 degrees to the left (north). Aid Station Co-Captain James always has a battery-powered motion detector along the trail that radio signals an alarm in the aid station tent. James is my friend, so I try to crawl along the brush circling the motion detector and take him by surprise (hasn’t worked yet). This AS is where I had my lowest point of any OT attempt – in ’10, I spent an hour here in a chair wrapped in four blankets and was still shivering upon emerging. Experience ultrarunners work this station, and they know how to take care of you. Listen to them.
Billy’s to Henpeck (7.0, officially) – Like I said, this section is at most 5.5mi. More runnable creek bottoms, followed by the run’s steepest (and medium distance) climb up a hill, then curving back and forth in a leaf-less tree flat hilltop section, gradually doing a short climb to a road crossing where the aid station is. Note: after that steep climb, you may see another dirt road ahead that you think is the one that the aid station straddles – it isn’t. Just keep moving along, and soon you will hear the sounds of people off to your right, as you make a hard right turn about a quarter mile out from the station to go into it.
Henpeck Hollow (95.0mi) – One last time to see crew’s smiling faces. Grab what eats you need to get into the finish, consider dropping a layer, and get moving. Smell the barn, and head to it. In ’11, I didn’t stop moving at Henpeck – 10 yards out, I yelled “#101 heading in”, grabbed a granola bar at the table without breaking stride, yelled “#101 heading out, and thanks” back over my shoulder, and kept moving. I’d recommend the same.
Henpeck to Bass River Resort (102.0mi) – You might not want to read this section. Coming out of Henpeck starts innocently enough, with rolling hills through more ridgeline bare tree surrounded, leaf-covered trail. But after about 3 miles, you start hitting the repaired trail that wasn’t part of the course in ’09. Simply put, you have four sizable climbs – ones that would be sizable even on fresh legs, on a hillside series that feels like it’s always doubling back on itself. Read the notes toward the start of this report for more detail. Eventually you’re dumped out along a fence, which the trail parallels on two sides, up to the road, cross the creek (1mi to go), run on the gravel road, through some vacant campsites, then cross back over the road to follow the white picket fence into the finish, which is right at the northeast corner of the deck at the main lodge for Bass River Resort. Congratulations!
Some other thoughts:
No aid stations at OT100 yet have a musical tradition, so there’s none of the experience you may have had before of hearing the aid station two miles off. Also, some but not all of the aid stations remember to hang trash bags 100 yards past the station for those who are munching as they leave, FYI. And please at each aid station, make a point to thank not only the aid station workers but also the radio operators. Each year a consortium of 5+ ham radio clubs and 70+ volunteers make up the essential communications network for the race in this area devoid of cell-phone signal. Without them, the race simply wouldn’t be possible.
Crewing OT100 is an interesting proposition, with the relatively few access points and long distances without crew. If you are a heavily crew-dependent runner, this may a good place to wean yourself off that reliance. As I always tell my crew, “You’re completely irrelevant at Ozark. So don’t worry – I don’t need you. I can do this race fine on aid stations & drop bags. Nothing you can do or worry about will screw up this race for me. However, (consolatory shoulder pat) there are a number of things you can do to help me through this.”
Course markings – OT has three different types of course markings. The primary race markings are ribbons – usually orange & silver striped. However, it depends nearly as much on official permanent OT trail markings, which are white rectangles with a superimposed green O & T. In sections where there are numerous permanent OT markers, there may be only 2-3 ribbons per mile. You rarely, if ever, are at a point where you can see the next marker of either type from the one before it. Ground flags, as I recall, are only used twice to mark significant turns. Glow sticks are also used a night, but only to mark the short distance into and out of aid stations, as well as each side of significant road crossings. You will likely find them to be “The most beautiful sight in the world”, denoting food & company upcoming before you can hear or see the aid stations themselves. You may get fooled a couple times, when there are glow sticks marking a road crossing making you think you’re near the aid station – know the difference. There will be at least two other types of markings out there – other ribbons, and plain gray diamond permanent markers. The former will be from other events, and can include some solid orange ribbons – make sure to look for the silver stripe on ribbons so you don’t get led astray. The white diamond markers follow the OT for quite some time, and I made the mistake the first year assuming they were synonymous with the regular OT markings, and after using them reliably for 30+ miles, lost 20min when they led me astray.
I’m sure there’s more to write, and this ended up much more of a general, if biased, overview than I expected, but I hope it’s helpful. If you’re interested in my own personal experience, come run with me & I’ll attempt to relate how ’11 went for me without too much whining. J Good luck, and see you on the trail!
