2023 Runner Email #1

SENT TO ALL REGISTERED RUNNERS ON FEB 13, 2023

Hello runners!

Welcome to the 2023 High Lonesome 100, we're thrilled to have you! I hope your training is going well and that the stoke is high. As you might expect, there really isn't a lot of new stuff to cover at this point, but I do want to give a general overview of some of the moving parts. Please take a minute to read through the email, and let me know if you have any questions. Before diving in though, I've got an announcement that I've waited a very long time to get to share...

A special runner:

This year, we've got a very special runner who's signed up. After 7 years of being our Operations Director, Kelsey Banaszynski is officially running! Kelsey also happens to be co-owner of the race, my wife and partner in pretty much everything, and this is her first hundo! I hope you'll all get a chance to share some miles during the race. Since she had no idea I was going to announce this, I'd like to encourage all of you to send her an email (kelsey.b@freestoneendurance.com) and share your favorite type of cheese, podcast, or gross feet pic.

Snowpack

So far, the snowpack is sitting just above average at 104% of average or 50th percentile. Assuming no major trendline changes, the course will likely be 99% snow free by 3rd-4th week of June. The Colorado Trail and Little Browns will be open sooner. You can track the snowpack here.

Dropping out

While I hope that all of you are able to join, life can throw curveballs. If at any point, you're no longer able to run the race, please let me know as quickly as possible. The good news is that we have the most eager waitlist I've ever seen, and they would be honored to take an open spot. Last minute drops are the hardest to fill, so the more time you give a waitlister, the better their odds of finishing are. If you do drop, please note that I'm happy to refund your camping reservations...make sure to let me know if you're dropping and have a site reserved.

Lodging:

The BV/Salida area books up VERY fast. If you've procrastinated in reserving lodging, you'd best jump on it quickly. I just added 10 more tent sites at the Start/Finish area, and There are still plenty of RV spots. If you're looking for other lodging options, our website has loads of info on this page.

Car types:

If you're planning on having a crew vehicle (and remember, you're limited to a SINGLE vehicle at Cottonwood and Hancock), you'll want to make sure you get an AWD vehicle with clearance (think a Subaru or smaller SUV). Even better is a full 4x4. It is possible, in perfect weather, for a low clearance vehicle to get to all crew accessible aid stations. I don't recommend it as we never have perfect weather. It's more expensive, but getting the right car will make your crew experience much better. Getting to Hancock in particular has gotten rougher, and getting to Blanks is also really tedious in a low clearance. 

Trail work & local workdays:

You should all be aware of the trail work requirement (read here if you're not). The deadline is July 3rd. We have two workdays scheduled with CFI that are likely to be July 1-2 on either Mounts Shavano or Harvard. I'm expecting confirmation later this week, and I'll have a sign up form on the website. Runners and waitlisters get first pass, then it's open to the general public. We'll coordinate a group camp site and it's a great way for folks to add in some local training on top of the workday. I'll send an email when sign-up is open. I hope you'll join, as it's a total blast and one of my favorite weekends of the year!

Runner's guide:

The 2022 runner's guide is still up, and the 2023 guide will be available in about another month or so. Since there's minimal changes, you can use the 2022 in the interim if you'd like. We usually drop the current year's guide around April once we make sure the USFS isn't asking for anything special permitting-wise. 

Required Gear:

We have a thorough gear list, and we check it three times during the race. The Sawatch can experience very severe weather, and we've had our fair share during the race. We've had whiteouts/blizzards on the Ridge twice, a flash flood once, 35 hours of continuous precipitation once, and all years have had thunderstorms...don't get complacent. Remember that ALL pacers must carry the appropriate gear as well. Don't plan on finding the gear in BV, come prepared. 

You can review the list here. Please note that the list was updated in 2022. If you ran in 2017-2021 events, the new list is different so make sure to review. 

Other useful links/info:

Alrighty...that's all I've got. Thanks for reading this far and for being a part of the race. It's the highlight of our year to get to host you all in the Sawatch, and we're so grateful to have you along. Since there's a ton of you that I haven't had a chance to meet, feel free to drop me a note with an intro. I love getting to know the runners, so don't be shy. 

As always, please reach out with any questions and keep on putting in the miles!

See you in the Sawatch, 

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Caleb Efta

Caleb EftaComment