RR: VQ/CC from a volunteer's viewpoint

[OMR]

4 am comes early .... too damn early! But roll out of bed I did, throw on clothes, wolf down some breakfast, load the bike and point the car towards Silverado Canyon. As I past the Blackstar turnoff, I could see riders heading towards the start line. The drive up the canyon at 5:30 was cold and lonely. I hit the parking lot at the end of Silverado and not a soul was there. I reached the bottom of the Motorway about 5:45 am... with just enough light to make out the two stupid metal barriers the US Forest Servicer in all their wisdom have installed to stop vehicles from going up the trail.

Although I felt pretty good, the effects of the flu I had early in the week were still with me and I found that any major effort caused that sick feeling to start in the pit of the stomack. The trail is so loose that riding up is a major challenge... which calls for major effort. I ended walking about 75% of the way up. About 2/3 of the way up Manny came barreling by .... you could tell he was on a mission to try and break 5 hours. Mario and other were several minutes behind, but Manny looked like he wasn't going to be caught... and it turned out no one did. 5 hours and 8 minutes later he crossed the finish line first.

At the top, the weather was beautiful... the sun was warm and the breeze was soft. Started taking pictures of various riders coming up, Gene, Allison, Justin. Some were hurting, others looked strong. It's always a lot of fun to encourage people as they attempt something beyound themselves.

After waiting until the last rider came through a little before 10 am, I started sweeping down. Andy & Heather were running Aid Station #1. You could tell they were running a very tight ship... there was lots of laughter coming from the group. Knowing Andy, what else would you expect! Unfortunately there were several riders that did not make the 9:30 am cutoff at Aid Station #1. I think they were a little relieved when we told them they were through for the day.

My job done, back to O'Neil and food and beverages...Sam (Brewmaster) had a large cooler filled with good brew which he was quick to share with all. Although the temps started to drop and it was cold waiting for the riders to appear, the good conversation and dark brew made the time go quickly. Riders started to tickle in and I managed to capture a few good shots of tired, dirty friends looking for a place to sit and a plate of food.

The day ended with the awards... and a special on to Deb for the tenacity to make it this time (with Christy sitting on her shoulder) all the way to the finish of VQ. It was a special day for her and for us as well.

I'm always amazed at how much fun I have helping friends to achieve levels that others only marvel at. Congrats to all that took part... there are no losers here!

til next year my friends....

[OMR]

STR family: