Rick's Sports Blog: October 2012

The beautiful DOW Villa Spa and Resort, Lone Pine, CA

31st Annual Mt. Whitney Classic - Event Report
October 20, 2012, By Rick Wallace

The 31st annual Mt. Whitney Classic was held on September 29th and 30th in the beautiful California desert between Lone Pine, Ca and Death Valley National Park. The DOW Villa is our home away from home each year as we do this crazy event. Lone Pine is the location of the famous Western Movie Festival which was held the following weekend, another annual event that fills this small eastern sierra town. For more information about this crazy event you can visit Summit Adventures web site by clicking on this link, Mt. Whitney Classic. No matter how many times I have participated in this event, each year has its own personality which always keeps me coming back for more??

Steele-man pointing out Mt Whitney in the background

How many years have I stood right here for a photo?

The preparation alone takes nearly as long as riding the event; cars serviced, bikes serviced, tool kit and spare wheels, coolers, water, drinks, ice - lots of ice, food, clothing, helmet, numbers, donations, hotel rooms, logistics, formation of teams, reflector tape, lights, travel, and on, and on.... But that's what makes an event like the MWC so special and challenging. Before I get too far into my report, the event has been put on by Summit Adventure for the past 31 years, and is Summits equivalent of a fund raising Golf Tournament - but held in the most desolate parts of California - sounds like a hoot!

Team Calfee

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SUMMIT ADVENTURE

The MWC benefits the programs of Summit Adventure, an organization that uses the wilderness as a tool to challenge people to grow. Summit offers families, adults, youth, and groups a rare opportunity to leave their "comfort zone" behind and experience change in a way that helps them clearly define their identity, source of security, purpose and direction in life. Summit is about transferring insights and lessons learned into action in our day-to-day life. Summit has programs in fatherhood, motherhood, leadership and for those physically challenged, and is a non-denominational, non-proselytizing Christian organization.

SA Board Member, Mark Lavan - service work at Remanso de Amor (Quito, Ecuador)

George Ricciardi - House Visits (Quito, Ecuador)

To the tremendous financial support received by our donors, without you, Summits mission could not become a reality for so many participant's each and every year. To the missionary work conducted in Ecuador, immersion experience in Israel and leadership development in the outbacks of the Sierra Nevada - your donations really transform lives - thank you!

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Judy Wallace - the glue that keeps team STORM together!!

Two Generals discussing important matters: Pete Wallace and Summit Adventure's ED, Tom Smith

The event covers 134 miles, started at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday September 29th in Bad Water, Death Valley, California (282 ft. below sea level), continuing through the night and finished late in the evening at the portals to Mt. Whitney(8365 feet above sea level). It traverses three major climbs of 17 miles, 13 miles and 12 miles, two of which by Tour de France classifications are considered “Out of Category”which means “really steep, and long.” Total elevation gain for the ride is 15,300 feet. This year, as is normal, we encountered serious heat which topped out at 115 degrees in Death Valley, and a pleasant 54 degrees at the finish. We also had some interesting winds, rain, thunder and lightning in Death Valley which made for some dramatic views.

"The long and winding road....."

So this year we fielded three teams from Southern California, after last years Fast Friday team set a new Team course Record of 7:34, Fast Friday was back to take another stab at it!! Names where changed this year to protect the innocent: STORM, Hogans Hero's, and Hot Chick and Dumplings - go figure??

"Hot Chick and Dumplings"
Omar Spina, Glen Grossman, Chris Marsh, Mary Bouchard, and Bill Fish

"Hogan's Hero's"
Tod Turley, Scott Thomas, Brandon Turley, Charles Hogan, and Jeff Beaumont

"STORM"
Rick Wallace, Judy Wallace, Ron Allen, Mark Lavan, Pete Wallace and Kevin Steele (Picture from 2011 - same hard core team)

"Team Whatever"
Jair Drooger, Graham Ottley, and Tom Smith

Registration is done in Lone Pine the evening before and the morning of the event. Once completed the riders and crew make their way out to Panimant Springs where the local Innkeepers (Panimant Springs Resort) put on a "world class" breakfast. This is the third year they have supported the MWC and what a treat!

Enjoying Panimant Springs and breakfast

Once again the gun went off at 3:00pm sharp in the hottest place on the planet, Bad Water, Death Valley. It was a cool 111 degrees this year, making for perfect conditions to burn the lungs!! The pace was "slightly" more sane then last year as the teams spent much of the leg to Furnace Creek getting warmed up (odd concept in DV?). Kevin Steele started STORM off this year and decided to stay out of the rabid dog pack led by Omar, Tod, Brandon, and Glen.

Tod "top gun" Turley getting ready!

The start

OK, so maybe the pace was not that "mild" as the blue train hammered through the desert. Kevin kept a strong pace to the hand off point and then Mark took it up to Furnace Creek. Yes, that is correct, Mark climbed back to "Sea Level" from -286ft.!!

Omar leading the "Blue Train" of Tod, Brandon, and Glen

Kevin on a solo pull through DV

Mark getting a "cooling off" before he takes his pull

STORM was running strong just off the blue train and keeping it's eyes on the infamous "team whatever". It was going to be another cat and mouse game with them - so we had to conserve our resources for the critical moments of the event!! Rick took a short pull out of Furnace creek to get up on the flat plateau section, and Pete and Judy reved up the Tandem in fine fashion!!

Pete and Judy Wallace - running strong in 111 degree temps in DV!

Kevin then gets the hand off from the tandem and has a monster pull to get us within yelling distance of team whatever - and now they are getting worried!! In the mean time Hogan's Heros' and Hot Chick and Dumplings are blazing up the road!!

Kevin ripping up one of the long desert climbs

The tandem gets another pull down into the "haystack" area of Death Valley, nearing Stove Pipe Wells which is about 40 miles into the event.

Giving the "OK" sign en route to the hand off to Mark

Mark takes over and guns it through Stove Pipe Wells and tackles the first 2 miles of the lower slopes of the monster climb up Towne Pass. We are now breathing down on Team Whatever and they are getting VERY nervous!!

Mark pulling through Stove Pipe Wells

Tom Smith actually getting caught by Mark. Mark decided to mix it up "side-saddle"

Rick handing off to Kevin on Towne Pass

Mark hitting it hard on TP

Finally things start cooling off a bit as we continue up Towne pass with Kevin, Mark and Rick rotating pulls. We get close but cannot reel in TW but are only minutes back at the Summit. Rick takes the rocket descent into Panimant Valley and nearly catches TW. Mark then cranks it up to Panimant Springs and now we are within 30 seconds of TW. Kevin then turns the throttle up the second climb and makes the catch on the first two mile section of the 13 mile climb!

Our catch was short lived as TW pulled the rope-a-dope, and quickly gaped STORM when Rick could not maintain the pace. We continued to chase throughout the climb, but could not match TW's pace.

We got word half way up the first climb that Hogan's Hero's was leading Hot Chicks by only 2 minutes and they were 30 minutes ahead of STORM!! STORM continues to chase hard up to Darwin, the high point of the desert section and hand off to the tandem team. Pete and Judy then hammer the next 20 miles into Keeler in the middle of the night, although we did have a beautiful full moon!! Rick then takes it for 12 miles through the eastern edge of Owens dry lake bed. The strategy was to save Kevin and Mark's legs for the portal climb as they were going to be doing nearly all the work.

The tandem brings it into Lone Pine at around 10:30pm and Rick takes off on his last pull up the first 3 miles of the Portal climb. During the ascent Rick talks with Hogan's Hero's, they were coming off the mountain, and learns that they set a new course record at 7:17!! The team was blazing all of the climbs and was on fire in the flat sections coming into Lone Pine. A little while later we see Hot Chicks and they set an incredible time of 7:48 only 14 minutes off the previous course record.

So now that the two Fast Friday Teams were home with successful rides it was time to bring STORM home! Rick hands off to Kevin 3 miles into the 12 mile climb and from there Mark and Kevin play tag all the way up and finally hit Whitney Portal at 12:30am giving STORM a total time of 9:30. We chased TW but they ended up finishing about 10 minutes ahead with a great ride.

STORM at Whitney Portal - smiles at the finish!

We are still totalling the donations raised by all three teams, but I estimate it to be north of $14,000, and it looks like the total for the event will be over $80,000. Another very successful Whitney Classic, well run, well supported and well ridden. How do you top that? If you did not get a chance to make a donation prior to the event you can still contribute - please click - Donation Link.

Thanks again to my Mom & Dad for their continued support of the event and Summit and their love of the adventure each and every year!! Thanks to Ron Allin for making the trip out and supporting team STORM. Ron could not ride this year as a result of a recent surgery - but he plans on being back on the bike for next year!

Thanks to all the donors who contributed to a great cause and thanks to all my crazy cycling friends who gave up a big chunk of their personal and family time to be part of the MWC! Until next year - God Bless.....

NEXT YEARS DATES: September 28 & 29, 2013

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Here are a few more photos of the weekend