May the forest be with you

 We weren't going back this year..

..but who could resist?

A new experience this year: rather than helping out at AS2 with Merle & the gang, we were asked to take on the challenge of heading up AS4 - the first aid station on the 50mi & 100mi course, just 3km from the start (also the final AS for the 50k, with 3km to the finish). We arrived Friday afternoon to go find our spot, where the forest/race staff had dropped off the supplies of hard goods.

We set up the 10x20 pavilion tent, 3 tables, rubbish bins, plastic chairs, plus our own tent - our luxury accommodations for the weekend.

After picking up our bins of perishable foods (that needed to be stored in our car overnight to avoid them being raided by critters; we had to set up camp first to have enough room in the vehicle), Tank headed off to the pasta dinner and I hung out at the AS to make my own dinner.

Fortunately I'm pretty well versed in camp cookery (and kept it really simple)

I may also have spent a bit of time working on another item for Tanker's chosen aid station theme..

..which then got hung up in the pavilion tent.

I made a little addition to Tanker's usual aid station sign, too..

You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy..

It went up along with some other signs I'd made the weekend before, unsure of how they'd end up placed.

This one went up in the tent beside Tank's sign

This one went up at the turn off the double-track trail on which we'd set up the aid station

..and Admiral Ackbar warned runners not to fall for the allure of Clay's tent, pitched up the trail from the AS

We all turned in pretty early Friday night, with Tank and I rising at 4:40am to get a pot of coffee on and start laying out the rest of the decorations and goodies.

The sun wouldn't rise for almost 2 more hours

Clay looks for his coffee mug to be filled after all the snacks were laid out

The first 100mi runners showed up around 6:15am, followed by the 50mi runners around quarter past eight - we were well ready to meet all their needs as they headed off for the longest stretch without aid.

10km to the water drop, then another 6km past that to Nancy at AS3

When the last of the 50mi runners had come through, I cooked up a mess of bacon & eggs for our volunteers.

The good stuff from our farmers' market

It came up to be a beautiful day in the forest - sunshine from a clear blue sky, and warmer than most years.

Drop bags ready for runners - looking down the doubletrack trail

We of course had to get some photos with those of us who chose to participate in the theme.

Myself, Tank, and Clay

Garchun and Maryka showed up some time before race photographer David stopped by - he loved our Star Wars theme, and got our group photo with all the present volunteers.

Clay, Maryka, some dork, Tank, Baldish, Heather, and Bonnie

After the 100mi and 50mi racers had come through on their second lap, I decided we probably could spare one person for a couple of hours. I changed out of my Boba Fett dress and into some slightly spandex-ier garb, then went out to play.

I'd get to see totally different trails than I usually do!

Instead of the trek across Krista Trail, Ben's Trail, Redstone Vista and The Pass, I'd get to finally see Dog's Ear and Wild Woods Walk, plus run Poacher's Trail for the first time in years.

Wild Woods Walk has some neat art installations along it, though I hear they can take on a very Blair Witch-y vibe after dark

I'd missed the little stone bridge on Poacher's

It really was a gorgeous day, even bordering on hot!

I arrived at AS3 - the same spot I'd visited last year, just from the other direction - and hung out with Julie, Jamie & the crew for a few minutes while filling my water bottles and munching on some gummy candy for the return trip.

It's not an easy trail, but it is a beautiful one.

I'd taken quite awhile to get over, having stopped by Base Camp briefly as I was hoping to find a runner (who I found on my first trip across Poacher's, and was able to report on to his somewhat anxious wife), so I took a bit of a shortcut back to AS4.

Once more through the rugged beauty of Poacher's

A quick stop to gaze at beautiful MacDonald Lake

Instead of turning left at the end of the East Road, I turned right - while desperately hoping the racer behind me wouldn't follow me! - and trucked straight out the North Road.

Past lovely Chessel's Pond

By the time I returned - a little more than 10 miles, and just shy of 3 hours later - our chicken dinner had been delivered and Tank had lit the fire at AS4.

We were going to try to keep it a little more conservative than past years

Chris and Liana had also showed up to help overnight, and as darkness fell Tank got another pot of coffee on to get us - and the runners - through til morning.

We also had big ziploc bags of Julie's 100mi soup, made hot veggie broth, and cooked up grilled cheese and bacon through the night

Things are pretty quiet out there - we didn't even get to hear any wolves howling, and the raccoons left us alone for once - but there was good conversation around the fire.

With the occasional runner joining in

I tried to nap in the late evening, to no avail - I just couldn't fall asleep. By 5:30am I was very dozy, though, and crawled in with Tank for about an hour of blissful unconsciousness. I awoke to hear that the last runner had just come through, at 6:35am, and we were good to start packing up. Chris and Liana had already left, then Bonnie & Baldish set off with the remaining drop bags for base camp.

Clay, Garchun, Maryka, Tank, and myself got the tent down and everything else tidied up to be picked up by the forest staff, then Tank and I packed up our own tent as well

We'd had some plans to stay another night in the forest with a friend, but a few circumstances came together to urge us home, so we stayed at base camp until just after the buckle ceremony and then hit the road.

Bidding the forest adieu for another year

Volunteering at an aid station - especially one in a beautiful place, and overnight when the runners need help the most - is such a rewarding experience, and I strongly urge you to give your time when you have the opportunity. These races don't happen without countless hours of work by those who just want you to have the best race possible, so why not give the other side of the aid station table a try?

If you're lucky, you might even get to hang out with your best friend all weekend!

See you on the trails!