Stories

Thanks to Maria and Mark: Maria Bertacchi and Mark Shaughnessy put on the last Cookie Run of the year on Christmas Eve at Potomac Overlook Regional Park. A great time was had by all. The hot chocolate was especially appreciated. Maria and Mark continue to produce one of the most fun activities going. Alex Poliakoff took pictures and they are available on-line. Here is a picture from Linda Wack of two happy campers and a not-so-happy one.

Ponga Craka: It was a muddy but fun day at the annual VHTRC Fat Ass, this year named the Ponga Craka 50km. (Orange was the color of the day in honor of the Ukranian name.) We saw many new faces along with the old. There are pictures available on the Fat Ass 2004 Page. New! Results have been compiled and are now available. The bad news is that your handwriting sucks and there are some errors. Sorry!

Blue Train Rolls at Hellgate: Sean Andrish won the second Hellgate 100km held on December 11. Aaron Schwartzbard, Keith Knipling, and Scott Brockmeier followed him across the finish line. Ryan Henry tied for fifth, giving the VHTRC five of the top six places. Bethany Patterson (neé Hunter) was second woman. Also finishing were Mike Mason, Kevin Black, Gary Knipling, Jaret Seiberg, Graham Zollman, the Finkles (Jay and Anita), and Vicki Kendall. Sean broke the course record by over an hour. Results on David's site

Welcome to Kai Hiraga Satriano: Congratulations to Masako and Nick Satriano on the birth of Kai on December 12. Mother and son are doing fine. No word on Dad, but who cares? Nick did send along some cute baby pictures. Besides the one at left, here is one of mother and son.

Swinging Bridge: Sophie Speidel was the second woman in the Swinging Bridge 50km held December 5, in Cumberland, Virginia. Quatro Hubbard also finished the 50km. Other VHTRC runners Caroline Williams and Bob Phillips ran in the 30km. You can find the results at www.rrrc.org/rrrc/ but it's not easy.

A Run with Sophie: A small group of folks ran off their Thanksgiving fat, or some of it anyway, on a training run from the lower White Oak Canyon parking lot in the Shenandoah National Park. Vicki had arranged the run, and Sophie had recruited the C'ville attendees. The weather was good as we climbed up the White Oak Canyon Trail. We enjoyed the waterfalls and rapids. We veered off to go up to Hawksbill Mountain, the highest point in the park. We had a great view to the west of the entire MMT course. We could see from Buzzard Rocks to Bird Knob. As we ran north on the AT toward Skyland, we met Mike Bur who had missed us at the start. After about 15 minutes with our sweaty butts on a couch in the Skyland lobby, this reporter pealed off from the group and went down the now-busy White Oak Trail. The main group went on to Nickerson Hollow for a seven hour run. It was a great way to spend a fall day. Photos (by Sophie Speidel and Anstr Davidson): Collage One | Collage Two | Massanutten Mt | The Blue Ridge.

JFK Update: Team "Semi Happy Trailers" was the second team overall at JFK. The team members, Kevin Sayers, Keith Moore, Mike Campbell, and Prasad Gerard, are all VHTRC members. The winning team from Montrail (duh!) had VHTRC member Sean Andrish and former member Ian Torrence. ( Open Team Results) Meanwhile, I have posted Reflections on the JFK . This is not a report, it is mostly personal thoughts on the event I am sucked into. You may or may not enjoy it. There are some good, old pictures, however. My comments prompted an excellent local perspective from Alan Gowan. He includes, as a bonus, a report of his 2000 JFK run.

Gray Day at JFK: Several VHTRC folks finished the 42nd JFK 50 Miler on November 20. The course was damp, but for the most part in good shape. The leaves were not as slippery as they are dry and the rocks, for the most part, were not bad. VHTRC club member Sue Johsnton was the third woman. Ian Torrence, former club member and MMT champion, was second overall. Sue won $100 for her effort. Ed Demoney added his name to two JFK lists: runners who have JFK finishes in four decades and the "Three Score and Ten" (finishers 70 and over). The course was harder this year since it was obvious that someone had raised the upstream end of the towpath about 500 feet to that it was much steeper to run to Dam Four than in previous years. Photos by Brenda: Collage One | Collage Two | VHTRC Group 1 | VHTRC Group 2 | RD with Anstr.
Information: Results | JFK Web Site | Washington Post Article

Potomac Heritage Report: Results and two reports are now available for the New Potomac Heritage 50k. The delay was the fault of the VHTRC Web staff that was drinking beer in New England, rather than working on the Web page. Be sure to see the new pictures from Michele Harmon, the results and a report by RD Kerry Owens, and a report by participant Nick Neakrase. All are linked from the 2004 Report Page.

The Blue Train Heads North: If there is any group that is our "sister club," it would have to be the GAC'ers. They run, they like beer -- they are us (but they talk funny, "pawk the caw in the garage"). Last year, in GAC-like fashion, the VHTRC came north with many members. This year, a smaller group made the trip deep into the Blue States. The VHTRC contingent included Jaret, Joe, and the Davidson boys, Tom and Anstr. The "one inch" of snow accumulation that the weather person predicted the night before looked more like three or four inches. The snow produced a great trail -- not fast but fun. The VHTRC'ers all opted for the challenging marathon distance. Jaret beat Joe and Tom beat Anstr (the latter only by a second, however). A big thanks to Jeff, Gilley, and all the GAC'ers for putting on a great event. ...Photo Collage | Results on the GAC Site.

VHTRC Honors Veterans: A small, but spirited group ran the annual VHTRC Veterans Day tour of the Nation's military-related monuments. We started at the Iwo Jima Memorial and did the circuit of the major memorials. We included the new World War II Memorial for the first time officially. (Last year, we sort of snuck in.) We also included the Japanese-American War Memorial. At the end, a couple of us paid our respects in Arlington Cemetary. Perhaps the statue to temerance seen near the Navy Memorial should guide the VHTRC. ...A few photos

Election Results: Results of the VHTRC Next Year I’m Not Doing Anything Stupid Award are now official. Brian McNeill devised and administered this award. ...Results

Johnston and Knipling Frolic on the Wild Oak Trail: It was great weather at the Wild Oak Trail 100 Miler ("Hot TWOT") on October 30-31. While no one finished the 100 miler, Sue Johnston and Gary Knipling completed 11 miles of a third loop for 100 km. Bill Wandel did two loops. No one else started a second loop. (It is possible that one or two runners went out on Sunday.) Everyone enjoyed the day in the mountains. Dennis has announced that the "Frigid TWOT" will be held on February 19 (earlier erroneously reported as February 12). ...Results, Report, and Photos

Like Father, Like Son! Meanwhile, in Chicago, Gary's son Keith was fifth at the Chicago Lakefront 50 Miler. The course was three out-and-backs on a flat bike path. Keith reports that there were 50 mph wind gusts. Results | Web site

Susan Baehre Second at San Diego 100 Miler: Former right coaster, Eric Clifton was the overall winner. Sue was the second female and seventh overall. "Tommy Neilson" was fifth in the 50 miler. That is likely VHTRC member, and now left coaster, Tom Nielsen. ...Results

Joe's Bike Ride: "The weather will be good!" Forgetting that the weather man works for the Commerce Department, Joe told us that everything would be fine for his bike ride. The result was a cold, wet, foggy, and sort of scary ride on Skyline Drive. The food at Jalisco's after the ride was good, however.

Sean Andrish Leads the Blue Train at Masochists: Dave Mackey and Nikki Kimball were the overall winners at David Horton's Mt. Masochists 54 Miler held on October 16. Sean was second in the fourth fastest time ever recorded at the event. Nikki was the first woman to run under eight hours (sorry, I said "seven" earlier). There were many VHTRC finishers as well as a large blue team cheering section. Report | Pictures | Results David's Site

Wedemeyer and Gernand Lead Andiamo Field: Mike Wedemeyer was the overall winner at the 11^th Andiamo 45 mile run of the entire W&OD Bike Path in Northern Virginia on October 9. Carolyn Gernand, an Andiamo veteran, was the winning female. Seventeen started the event, and all seventeen finished. A report and photos are now available. Michele Harmon also took pictures. Reports: Jaret Seiberg | Carolyn Gernand

Knipling Boys Run on the Roads: Keith and Gary Knipling ran 3:52 (3:47 "chip time") at the Chicago Marathon on October 10. Gary reported that he saw Stan Spence there who ran just over four hours. Keith and Gary were probably the first U.S.-born finishers. The top three male finishers were Evans Rutto, Daniel Njenga, and Toshinari Takaoka while the top three women were Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Nuta Olaru, and Svetlana Zakharova. Is there anyone who remembers Bill Rogers, Alberto Salazar, and Joan Benoit? There are certainly no Americans who can run like them. ...Chicago Marathon Web site (It sucks too.)

Congrats to Martha and Jeff: Jeff Reed reports that Martha gave birth to Emma Virginia and Julia Janet Reed on October 4. Martha and daughters are doing fine. Jeff has put photos on his Web page. Here are links to those photos. Unfortunately, he did not identify which girl is which, but skillful investigative reporting by the VHTRC Web site team determined who was who. (In other words, we guessed right.) Emma | Julia The VHTRC sends its best wishes to the family that has now doubled in size.

First Weekend in October Events: Over the weekend of October 2-3, Greg Loomis got fourth at the Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile near State College, Pennsylvania. John Dodds was second at the 24 Hours of Frisco in Colorado. Graham Zollman reports that Jay and Anita Finkle ran 26:42:08 at the Arkansas Traveler 100. Finally, Gary Knipling went running with the VHTRC -- the Vermont Happy Trails Running Club -- and the two "Hot Babes of the North," Sue Johnston and Deb Pero. Steve Pero, who always seems to cramp Gary's style, was there and took pictures. Viewer discretion advised.

Sue Johnston Wins Vermont 50: Sue was 10^th overall at the Vermont 50 Mile held on September 26 at the Ascutney Mountain Resort. This means that, besides being the fastest woman in the Fellowship of the Ring, she has won both the Vermont 100 and the Vermont 50 in the same year. Gary Knipling has selflessly volunteered to go to Vermont to congratulate her. Vermont 50 Results | Sue's page at Team Montrail

Angeles Crest 100: Mike Campbell has submitted his Angeles Crest report. Mike finished 27^th out of 84 starters at the Angeles Crest 100 miler on September 18-19. The course starts in Wrightwood, California and finishes in Pasadena. This year, there were big problems because the Forest Service closed many facilities because of the fire danger. If the view of the VHTRC Web site team, Angeles Crest is clearly the better of the two major California 100 milers. Angeles Crest Web Page

Big Schloss: Linda Wack sent an early report that Amy and Steve put on a great event. Linda also sent in a couple of pictures: View from the Big Schloss | Marty and Graham on Tibbett Knob -- Big Schloss Web Site

The VHTRC in the Grand Canyon: Gary Knipling organized a small group to explore the Grand Canyon on Friday, September 17. While Gary's group did a double crossing, Lucia, Tom, and Anstr did two single crossings in consecutive days. A Report by Anstr is now available.

Women's Half Marathon: Heather Trainum led 179 finishers at the 12th VHTRC Women's Half Marathon Trail Run held on September 11 at Fountainhead Regional Park. A report, results, and photos are all available and linked from the 2004 WHM report page.

Blue Train at Wasatch: Derrick Carr led the VHTRC finishers at the Wasatch 100 in eighth place overall with Sean Andrish 10th. Other finishers were Jeff Holdaway, Kevin Black, Bill Turrentine, Michele Harmon, Eric Levy-Meyers, and Jack Andrish. The VHTRC won the bet between the VHTRC and the G.A.C. Wasatch 100 Web site | Results | Michele Harmon's Pictures [off site] | New! Report by Jack Andrish

Seen Near Mt. Mitchell: Karen Shiley Sandt reports that she and Evan spent a week in Asheville, North Carolina where they did several day hikes in Pisgah and an overniter in the Smokies. Among the highlights were Grandfather Mountain, Chimney Rock, Swinging Bridge, Sliding Rocks, Graveyard Fields, Mt Sterling, and three brewpubs. The ultimate, however, was Mt. Mitchell. As they were leaving the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, they we saw this sign. How many miles of road do the "friends of Dave Horton" maintain? The number of miles would relate to the number of friends. Karen named the file for the picture at left "horton-good." She also sent "horton-bad." If you are a member of the club and an adult, you can see it here. (Password needed. Parental discretion advised.)

The Ring: Fifteen people joined the Fellowship of the Ring on September 4-5. In great weather, the supplicants to Ring membership, a majority of whom were women, paid their dues, learned the joys of Short Mountain and Signal Knob, and joined the 17 present members of the elite group. There was no rain, and it was not brutally hot. The highlight of this year's quest was the "Sisterhood", which Vicki Kendall had formed. All six "sisters" -- one of them was Graham Zollman -- stayed together the whole way to finish with big smiles. Be sure to read Sophie Speidel's report. The Results and photos are available. More should be coming in the next day or two. ...Picture of Starters

Trip Through Evolution Valley: During six days in August, Chris Scott led Zoe and me on a 50+ mile backpacking trek through the John Muir Wilderness. It was a wonderful trip. Between us, Chris and I took a bazillion pictures. I have written a report and Chris wrote an addendum. Some of my pictures are on the Web. The pictures will take awhile to download on a slow Internet connection. Sorry.

Great Eastern 100km: Deb Pero and Jeff Wilbur won their age groups at the Great Eastern 100km on September 4. Also finishing were Steve Pero, David Snipes, Charlie Miracle, and Jim Cavanaugh. Aaron Schwartzbard was second overall in the 50km. Also finishing the 50km were Farouck Elkassed, Marge Burley, Vic Culp, Roger Claussen, and Rita Cronley. Annette Bednosky, winner of this year's MMT 100, was third overall and first woman in the 50km. The second woman in the 100 was former BRR champion Debbie Berner. Results are available on the Great Eastern Web site.

In the Hokie News: The Knipling family was featured in the summer issue of the Virginia Tech alumni magazine. There are pictures and everything. Check it out.

Hunt's Labor Day Run: Trail Dawg and VHTRC member, Hunt Bartine ran on the Mason-Dixon Trail over Labor Day Weekend. ...More Information.

Sophie's Humpback Training Run: On August 21, Sophie Speidel hosted a training run on the AT south of Afton. (Editor's note: Afton is noted for the Inn at Afton. We don't recommend that you stay at the Inn at Afton, but that is a different story.) Read her report.

King Jordan Gets 10^th Finish at Leadville: Stuart Kern also finished. Results are on the Leadville Web site. Go here and look for the "unofficial results" pull down menu on the right side.

Michele Harmon Takes Women's Win at Catoctin: Michele was ninth overall. Barry Lewis (second) and Derrick Carr (third) were the top VHTRC male finishers. Derrick, Gary Knipling, and Bill Wandel snuck ahead of Anstr Davidson on the all time finishers list. More information is available on Kevin's site. Also check out Rob Saraniero's photos. (Warning, you need to log into Ofoto.)

Jim Moore Delivers Donations to Y-ME: On August 10, James and Rebecca Moore presented checks totalling over $9,000 to Y-ME's National Capital Chapter. More information is available on the 1MoRun site. There is still time to make a donation.

Mt. Hood Pacific Crest Trail 50/50: More adventures out west! Michele Harmon reports: "Mike and I ran the Mt. Hood Pacific Crest Trail 50/50 on July 31st. We camped the night before we ran the 50 mile race - a 25 mile out and back to Mt. Hood starting from a ranger station in the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon. The entire race was on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) which consists of a beautiful, soft, surface. We wore our VHTRC shirts and many people recognized these shirts from "Western" (Western States). Several people told us they planned to run 'Mass-a-Newton.' If the PCT is where they routinely train, they'll be in for a big surprise. There were 2 or 3 rocky sections on this 50 mile course, each approximately 6 feet long with 7 to 8 rocks. However, there was an incredible amount of dust and some steep sandy sections near Mt. Hood. The low humidity and lack of bugs made for a very enjoyable run. I ran with a camera the entire time, taking pictures along the way. Here are a few photos: View from Mile 12 | Near Mt. Hood | Finish Line."

More VHTRC Grandparents: Proud grandpa, James Moore, sent this picture of his grandson with the following: "Savion Coleman Brown, weighted in at 9 lb 4 oz on 5 Aug 04 at 12:19pm. Mom, dad, grandmom and pop doing fine . . ." Congratulations to Jim and Rebecca.

More from the Top of the World: Deb Pero sent this picture. She says of it: "I've attached a photo our dog Tucker, at the top of the Rockies. Mt. Elbert in Colorado, highest point of the Rockies, (somewhere around 14,400, [it's 14,433] I forget exactly) and third highest after Whitney and Denali. Tucker was the highest dog in Colorado that day. Shortly after this photo, he, uh, 'decorated' the top of the mountain. So much for the 'leave no trace' ethic. Oh, and that's Steve and I with him."

Where in the World Is Chris Scott Now? Well, he is on top of the world. Or at least on top of the lower 48. Here is a picture of him on Half Dome in Yosemite and on Mt. Whitney at sunrise.

Clapper Finishes Escarpment -- Again! For the 14^th time, Joe Clapper finished the very tough Escarpment Trail Run in New York on July 25. The results included a flash from the past -- Mike Ranck who, many years ago, directed the Rocky One, a very tough 50 miler in Pennsylvania. Escarpment Results

Nielsen and Carr Win Catherine's: Derrick Carr and Tom Nielsen tied for the win at Catherine's Big Butt 50km on July 25. Sophie Speidel, in 10th place, was the first VHTRC woman. Names from the past at this event were Tim Stanley who was fourth overall, and Mike Strzelecki whom we have not seen for ages. Also back was Frank Probst who ran a great time. Results are on Jeff's site. Sophie and Bill VanAntwerp sent along pictures Sophie's have nothing to do with running but do seem to show a pretty good party: Collage One | Collage Two. Bill's actually show people on the course: Collage Three

TWOT Training Run: Mike Broderick reports:

"This year's training director for Team Wasatch, Marty Lindemann, led another group of VHTRC'ers on a day of mountain running on Tuesday, July 20th, this time on the The Wild Oak Trail. Marty, Ed Demoney, Bill Turrentine, Jim Cavanaugh, Sophie Speidel and Mike Broderick did one couterclockwise loop of the trail on a beautiful day in southwest VA. The trail was in reasonably good shape for the most part, but there were a few sections that were overgrown with briars which left us all with sliced and shredded thighs. The views (when you could find them through the summer foliage) were wonderful and we were fortunate to have a few cooling breezes blowing, at least along the higher ridge lines. It was a tough day's work and all of those who are doing Catherine's this weekend expressed the hope that at least the Purple Trail won't seem so bad after the climb up Hankey Mountain." Photo Collage

Sue Johnston Wins Vermont 100: Sue was eighth overall to take the woman's win at the Vermont 100 Miler on July 17-18. Top VHTRC males appear to have been Keith Moore and Kevin Sayers who tied for 27th. Bethany Hunter was sixth woman, finishing about 15 minutes after Keith and Kevin. Bill Wandel and Jeff Washburn also finished. Scott Jurek, the Western States multi-year champion, was "only" fifth, beating John Geesler by less than nine minutes. ...Results on the Vermont 100 Web site

Rattlesnake 50km: MMT women's winner, Annette Bednosky, was the overall winner at the Rattlesnake 50km held on July 10, in West Virginia. Several VHTRC members completed the run including Dru Sexton, Graham Zollman, Jim Cavanaugh, and Anita and Jay Finkle. Results on the West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners site

More Congratulations: Evan and Karen took the plunge - Karen is now Mrs. Karen Sandt, married July 10, 2004! There is nothing more touching than a lovely bride on her wedding day.

VHTRC Party: Sushi, Beef Satay, Calamari, and a Raw Bar. This was the classy VHTRC summer/volunteers party. Unfortunately, no one told the usual suspects that it was supposed to be classy this year, so that the usual misbehavior occurred. In the more serious parts of the party, the annual VHTRC awards were announced. The top award, the James Moore Award, went to Ed Schultze for his many contributions to the community through his trail building and promotion of trail running. Although the selection committee had decided on the award before Ed lost his house to fire, his positive attitude in the face of that misfortune was just another example of his fine character. After the awards ceremony, the party deteriorated. Finally, the restaurant's staff closed us off from the outside. Consequently, the photos are in the members only section where they are safe from your employer and the Washington Post. You will need the password to see them!
Pictures [forget the password?] | Awards | Rob Saraneiro's pictures on Ofoto

Herr, Evans, and DeWalt Finish Hardrock: Dennis Herr, whose doctor told him to throw away is running shoes because he was not going to run again, was 16^th in the Hardrock 100 Miler held July 9-11, in Colorado. Russ Evans had a solid performance finishing in 35^th place. Finally, 68 year old John DeWalt finished what most believe is the hardest 100 miler in the country for the umpteenth time. Other VHTRC members in the event, Kevin Black, Deb and Steve Pero, and Jeff Wilbur, dropped with various medical problems. Russ has reported in and is, not surprisingly, euphoric! Hardrock did a great job with its Web updates. See also: Results [PDF File] | the Hardrock Web Site

Training on the Priest: For many years, if you wanted a big mountain to train on, the Priest was it. Mike Broderick reports on the latest trip to the Priest:

"Marty Lindemann, Ed Demoney, Bill Turrentine, and Mike Broderick spent the day Friday [July 10] training on the Appalachian Trail in The Priest/Three Ridges Wilderness Area near the finish of MMTR ascending and descending of the Priest (~3,000 ft. of climb) and Three Ridges (~3,000 feet of climb). The climbs were tough but rewarded with beautiful views, and the cool dunk in the Tye River at the end was wonderful. The trail up the Priest is in great shape. Three Ridges has some very overgrown sections and a good bit of low growing poison ivy. Next Wasatch Training run is July 20th on the Wild Oak Trail." Photo Collage | Marty at the Top

An Active Fourth: It was quite a weekend. On Saturday, several VHTRC members joined Ed Schultze's group that biked to Harper's Ferry on the C&O Canal, ran up to Maryland Heights, ate in Harpers Ferry, and then biked back. It was a lot of fun, but several participants were looking for butt replacements at the end. The next day saw the now traditional Fourth of July Browntown Loop. The rain had hit earlier and did not bother the runners too much. Members of the group spotted several animals including bear, toads, a Red Eft (which is, according to Carolyn, a newt in its land stage before it returns permanently to water life), and a snake. In Browntown, the friendly proprietor of the store opened it just for us and even gave a couple of runners a ride up the road to the last trailhead. (One runner missed the open store but received the kindness of the Baptists, who let a soaked, muddy, sweaty runner into their fellowship hall to get water from the kitchen sink.) At the end, runners relaxed while Gary engaged in fluid replacement. The Browntown Loop is a great run. The runable parts are downhill and the non-runable ones uphill. The store break is about two thirds into the run. It was a great way to celebrate the nation's independence. Photo Collages: Bike Ride | Browntown Loop One | Browntown Loop Two | Do Your Own Fireworks Show (off site).

The AT Through Connecticut: Chris Scott and Sue Johnston "ran" the Appalachian Trail through the state of Connecticut -- 52 miles. (Editor's Note: Sue has urged me to put the word "ran" in quotation marks as they did little of it.) It took them just under 19 hours. Pictures: St. John's Ledge | the Falls in Falls Village | A friend along the trail!

Western States: Team VHTRC did well at the Western States Endurance Run on June 26-27. Bryon Powell (20+), Scott Mills (50+), and Gary Knipling (60+) were second in their age groups. Keith Knipling, despite his bad ankle, was third in his age group. Meanwhile, Tom Corris, Greg Power, and Rob Saraniero finished close together in just over 28 hours. Earlier, Mike Morton's seven-year-old course record fell as Scott Jurek won his sixth straight Western States in 15:36:27. During the event, VHTRC members gathered around computers searching for news out of California. (See above right.) Both Tom Nielsen and Bethany Hunter dropped at Michigan Bluff. Nielsen missed a major turn and lost several hours. Jeff Reed dropped at the river crossing. Resources: Report by Jack Andrish | Report by Rob Saraniero | Keith Knipling's Pictures | Rob Saraniero's Photos on Ofoto | Western States Web Site | An Emigrant's Guide to California.

All Night Run: Michele Harmon reports: "It wasn't Western States but a small group of us did an all night (7+ hour) run (about 29-30 mi) on the Greenway Trail Friday night into Saturday morning [June 25-26]. We started the run at 10:00pm and finished just after 5:00am. We ended the run at Mike Broderick's house with breakfast and swimming and hot tubbing. All night runners included me (Michele), Mike Priddy, Mike Broderick, Mike Bur, Brian McNeil, Kerry Owens, Joni Fontana, and Gaynor Bourgeois. John Schwabe and his friend ran with us for about half the run. The run was designed to help Joni and Gaynor get used to running at night for preparation of their first 100 miler. We had a great time!"
Pictures: The Group | The Girls

Anstr's Run und Fest: Thanks to all who participated in the annual run and party to celebrate summer. A small but hearty group ran a new course that toured the Potomac River using Key and Chain Bridges. Later, at the party, revelers drank, ate, and socialized in nearly perfect weather. The party lasted a bit longer than usual as several members when down to VHTRC.org headquarters to log on and check out the word from California. Hope to see everyone next year! Photos: Collage One | Collage Two.

Bighorn: The first stop for the VHTRC road team was the Bighorn 100 miler (and shorter events). David Horton was fourth in the 100, followed by Dennis Herr (10th), Steve Pero (13th), Jean Whitman (sorry for missing her the first time), Deb Pero, and John Dodds. Linda Wack led the 50 mile finishers, followed by John DeWalt, Gena Bonini, and Vicki Kendall (who came back from her knee injury at Laurel the week before). Gary and Karl Knipling finished the 50km. The folks now separate -- one group going to Colorado for Hardrock and the other to the California for Western States. Results are now on the Bighorn Web site.

Mohican 100: On June 20, Lou Jones finished the Mohican 100 miler in Ohio despite very muddy and slippery conditions. Mohican 100 Web site

Sophie Speidel Wins; Derrick Carr Second at Highlands Sky 40 Miler: Al Gowen reports: "A lot of VHTRC folks completed Highlands Sky [on June 19], including Derek Carr who was second, as well as Maria Bertacchi, Charlie Miracle, Jim Cavanaugh, Frank Probst, Graham and Dru (who won female grand master), Quattro, Pam [Gowen], Dave Stuckey, and probably a bunch of others whom I'm momentarily forgetting [including Marcia Peters]. This is a first class run on a very tough course. Most people's finishing times for this 41 miler are longer than JFK and about the same as Bull Run." Thanks to Charlie Miracle and Dan Todd for the information about Sophie. Reports by: Marcia Peters and Maria Bertacchi | Picture of some of the VHTRC'ers | Picture of the Highland Sky | Event Web Site | Results. The muddy photo of Dru above is from IPlayOutSide.com which kindly allowed us to use it here. There are many more pictures from the event on IPlayOutside.

Jeremy's Run Training Run: Sometimes the best runs are the ones you almost didn't do. The group that did the loop around Jeremy's Run on June 19 had a great time. The weather was great, the forest beautiful, and it was all capped by a refreshing swim in Jeremy's Run. This run illustrates the difference between the VHTRC of the old days and today. That difference can be expressed in one word -- women. Thanks to Marty for coordinating this run. She did a much better job than Tom. Photos: Collage One | Collage Two.

Laurel Highlands 70 Miler -- Tough Performances by Tough People: The weather was great at the 25^th Laurel Highlands 70 Mile Run, which is probably the best pure trail run around. Randy Dietz led the VHTRC finishers, followed by Stuart Kern, Steve Burton, Ryan Henry, Bill Turrentine, Ed Cacciapaglia, Bill LaDieu, Carl Camp, Vicki Kendall, and Phil Hesser. Several others joined the illustrious Laurel DNF list. Perhaps the most impressive performance was by Vicki who pushed on despite swelling on her knee that looked like a baseball. Report by Ed Cacciapaglia | Report by Brian McNeill | Results on LHT Page | LHT Home Page | Photo Collages: One | Two | Three | Four | Pretty Picture

VHTRC Women Own[ed] LHT: Donna Utakis, this year's female winner at Laurel Highlands, broke a seven year streak of victories by VHTRC women at the event. Shelly Wunsch started the string in 1997, followed by later winners Colleen Dulin, Jeanne Christie, Deb Reno (now Pero), Karen Shiley, Sue Johnston, and Marcia Peters. Additionally, Nancy Hamilton won the race in 1994. Ladies, we need to get the title back! LHT history page.

The Old Dominions: Paul Ammann was the leading VHTRC finisher at the new version of the Old Dominion 100 Miler held May 29-30. Also finishing the 100 were David Snipes, the Finkles (Anita was second woman), and Clarence Wilson. Monika Bracken was the second woman in the 50. Jay Finkle came back the next weekend and finished the old version of the Old Dominion. Other VHTRC members in the Old OD were Kevin Black who was third and Jean Whitman. New Version Results | Old Version Results

Kettle Morraine: Ron Ely Reports:

I finished second overall in the hundred miler in "about" 19:00:23...which was an hour slower than the completely unrealistic goal I set for myself. Michele Harmon finished the 100K. There was a very high dropout rate as people answered the siren call of the 100K finish line.

Long Version of Ron's Report with Pictures | Kettle Morraine Web Site

Capon Valley 50km: Results are now up and not only did Tom Nielsen tie for the win, Derrick Carr and Bryon Powell were the next two finishers. Sophie Speidel was second woman. [Sophie tells me she got third. The results don't include the sex of the participant. Sophie was the second woman to finish whom I recognize.] The results are now available on IPlayOutside. Tom is so ready for Western $tates!

Andrish and Bednosky Lead Strong MMT 100 Field: The largest Massanutten Mt. Trails 100 field enjoyed near perfect weather in the tenth running of the event. Sean Andrish showed he was the best of a quality field. Meanwhile, Annette Bednosky ran faster than any other MMT women other than Bethany Hunter and Sue Johnston of last year. (See the comparison between Bethany and Sue '03 and Annette '04.) Most of the MMT data is now updated -- the splits, the course records, the all-time lists, and five time finishers. All is linked from the 2004 report page.

Finkle and Gernand at 24 Hour Run: Anita Finkle was second at the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life in Tidewater, Virginia on May 1-2. Carolyn Gernand was fifth.

Corris and his HOG: Tom Corris made the mistake of riding his Harley around someone called "Davidson." See what happened.

Strolling Jim/Miwok: On Saturday, May 1, James Moore fininshed the Strolling Jim 40 miler in Tennessee for the umpteenth time. Meanwhile, further west, Tom Nielsen was 14^th at the Miwok 100K in Marin County, California. Miwok Results. You might enjoy Don Lundell's pictures.

Derrick Carr Excels: Derrick was 11th in very fast company at the Zane Grey Highline 50 Miler in Arizona. Zane Grey 50 Home Page | 2004 Results

Beautiful Day at Promise Land 50km: You couldn't ask for more at David Horton's Promise Land 50km held in the Peaks of Otter west of Lynchburg held on April 24. VHTRC age group winners included Scott Mills, Jim Cavanaugh, Sophie Speidel, and Vicki Kendall. The course was beautiful with wild flowers, water falls, and gorgeous views. Romance was in the air as David greated the finishers. | Photo Collages | Results on David's site

The Promise Land Trail: We took a hike on the Promise Land Trail to Apple Orchard Falls and saw wild flowers and two snakes. (Yes, there are two snakes, if you look closely. I know the difference between a millipede and a snake.) Check out the photos.

New Course Record and Heat at 12th Bull Run Run: Tom Nielsen set a new course record and Maureen Kavanagh only missed a course record by 42 seconds as 262 finished the 12th Bull Run Run 50 Miler on a warm but beautiful spring day. Results, age group standing, team competition, a report, and the first batch of pictures are all available on the BRR 2004 Report Page. There are more pictures coming. ...BRR Home Page

Wildflower Report: Gary Knipling has submitted his Bull Run Run wildflower report.

Pretty Good Company: Just how good was Tom Nielsen's performance at Bull Run Run? Check out the top thirty all time performances. There are some pretty good runners there including the Western States record holder. Here are the top thirty female performances.

The Double: At least two BRR runners doubled up and also did Boston. Aaron Schwartzbard ran a 2:57 at Boston after running 6:42 at BRR. John Dodds did 3:43 at Boston after his BRR of 8:50. Are there others? (Note: The VHTRC Web staff stupidly looked at the 40k times, which the way they format the results, look like the final times. Thus we originally had Aaron and John going a bit faster than they really did. We regret the error.) Boston Marathon Web Site

Chocolate Bunny 50km: Tom Corris has submitted his Chocolate Bunny 50k Report and Results.

Bluebells: A small, but eager group viewed the bluebells upstream from the Centreville Road trailhead of the Bull Run Trail on April 10. The bluebells were beautiful though not yet quite in prime. The group, proving that "we don't need no stinkin' Gary," was perfectly able to identify the flowers on its own. For example, here is Anstr's detailed list:

1. Bluebells
2. Other blue flowers
3. White flowers (some of which were a little yellow)
4. Weeds

Carolyn Gernand, who cheated and actually gave the flowers names, had a longer list. The bluebells should be in all their glory for Bull Run Run. ...Photo Collage

Finkles Lead VHTRC Crew at Umstead: It appears that Anita and Jay Finkle were the first VHTRC finishers in the Umstead 100 miler held on April 3-4 in North Carolina. Bethany Hunter was second overall in the 50. Several others finished. VHTRC Results Page | Umstead Web Page

Barkley: The event with the smallest field and biggest chatter on the ULTRA list, the Barkely 100 and 60 mile Fun Run, occurred the weekend of April 3-4, at Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee (isn't that a great name?). Three VHTRC people participated. David Horton won the "fun run" and was third overall. Mike Bur did two loops, John DeWalt did one loop. Barkley Results from Matt Mahoney

VHTRC Kicks Butt at HAT: Team VHTRC took first place and VHTRC members took the top four individual places to dominate the Hinte Anderson Trail 50km on March 27. The VHTRC victories blunted the onslaught by Team GAG, which brought thousands from New England to enjoy the warm weather and muddy trails. The VHTRC's Barry Lewis, Tom Nielsen, Derrick Carr, and Bryon Powell swept the first four places. Scott Mills and Barbara Isom took the two Seniors titles, Michele Harmon was the second woman, and Susan Baehre was the seventh. A bit further back in the pack, many club members joined the ubiquitous GAGers on the challenging, beautiful course. As usual, Jeff and Phil put on a great event. Thanks guys! Photo Collage One | Photo Collage Two | VHTRC Award Winners | Photo Collage by Evan Sandt | Photo Collage from Kirstin Walcott | Report by John Prohira | HAT Web Site.

Work Party Report: We had great weather on March 20 for the annual Virginia Happy Trails Running Club work party. Over 30 people cleared many miles of trail. We cut logs, cleared brush, and repaired a bridge. It was hard, rewarding, and fun work. More information and photos are in the report.

Spring Ring: Russ Evans, Bill Sublett, and Mike Gholson ran the 71 mile Massanutten Trail "Ring" on March 20-21. They were on many sections of trail that the VHTRC had cleared that same day. Russ Evans has submitted a report and pictures of the adventure.

CCT: There were many kudos about the Cross County Trail run on Sunday. Several VHTRC members ran the event. ...CCT Web site

Buzzards Marathon: It seems that a lot of people enjoyed the Buzzards Marathon on March 14. We have heard a lot about the beer, but not much about the running. Did anyone run? Be sure to read the Report by Tom Corris.

Potomac Overlook Trail Runs: VHTRC members Bryon Powell and Marty Lindemann won the 12k at the Potomac Overlook Trail Runs. Over 90 people ran in cool, clear weather. Winners received Mad Bomber hats or spring flowers. Everyone appeared to have a lot of fun on one of the nicest trails inside the Beltway! Thanks again to Ed Demoney and Food for Others for putting on such a great event. Results | Photos

Catawba Runaround: Keith Knipling put on another great Catawba Runaround. Some rain, but otherwise fair weather greated the runners as they toured McAfee's Knob, Tinker Cliffs, Dragon's Tooth, and everyone's favorite, North Mountain. Bill and Catherine Cochran made the whole thing possible with the use of Crosstrails. There was much fun and frivolity. But it must never be forgotten that this is one tough run and not for everyone. Everyone had a camera, expect many pictures on Keith's site including "Moon over McAfee's Knob." In the meantime, here are some pictures on the VHTRC site. More pictures on Carl Camp's Traildawgs Site | Keith's Pictures | Report by Tom Corris | Keith's Catawba Site

Greenway Trail "Nearly a Marathon": Ed Schultze and the Montgomery County Road Runners held their first Greenway Trail Marathon on March 6. (It was scheduled last year, but cancelled by the weather.) The VHTRC's Michele Harmon was the female winner. Several other VHTRC members participated. Report by John Dodds | Results | Event Web Site

Coyote Four Play: Rain fell on the last day of the C4P, but it did not dampen the spirits of the happy participants. All were sorry to see four days of running in the mountains of the Southern California coast come to an end. Chris Scott, Howard Cohen, and the Jaboys put on another great event. Where can you have a bowling competition at a trail run? Here are some pictures: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Photos on Other Sites: Glen Tachiyama | akabill | Don Lundell | Howard's C4P Site.

MMT Training Run: Report by Tom Corris | Photo of Participants

The Wild Oak Trail is Wild -- as Always: You always get your money's worth from Dennis Herr's Wild Oak. On February 14, the trail was covered with soft snow that made the going very slow. About 20+ people started and only one, Craig Wilson, set off on a second loop. Craig did his first loop in 8:22 and his second in 13:44 for a total 50 mile time of 22:12. He did not go out for a third loop. The rest of us were more than happy to stop at one loop, and a few of us even cut the one loop short. Thanks to Mike Bur, all entrants received an event bumper sticker. (Who needs a t-shirt!) At the end, there was some discussion that The Wild Oak Trail 100 should be in the fall when there might not be snow on the ground. How about October 16? Results | Tom Corris Comment | Photo Collages: One | Two | Three | Four.

Lese Ties the Knot Michele Harmon (formerly, Burr) reports that, while others were running at Holiday Lake or TWOT, Billy Lese and Theresa were married. Michele sent along a picture of the bride and groom.

VHTRC Men Take Top Two Spots at Holiday Lake: Aaron Schwartzbard, last year's rookie of the year, was first and Tom Nielsen, winner of last year's MMT, was second. Several other VHTRC people finished. There were 178 starters and 165 finished, though David may not have considered some of them "official." ...Results

Rocky Raccoon 100: Ron Ely led a large contingent of VHTRC members at the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler in Huntsville, Texas on February 7-8. Other finishers included Jeff Holdaway, Greg Loomis, and Jay and Anita Finkle. Mike Priddy finished the 50. This has become a big event with 113 people finishing the 100. Rocky Raccoon Results | VHTRC Results Page.

Uwharrie Bethany Hunter was the women's winner at the Uwharrie 40 Miler held on February 7. Bethany was fourth overall and broke her course record of last year. David Horton was three minutes ahead of her and third overall. (David can still beat Bethany?) Other VHTRC finishers included Quatro Hubbard, Vicki Kendall, Margie Hughes, and Caroline Leean-Stearns. Uwharrie Results | VHTRC Results Page.

Long, Slow Moonlight Run: The rain held off, there was no ice, and it was not very cold. But the snow was mushy and slow. If you missed it, you might have been smart! Read the report.

Eagle Count and Temperatures Low, Record Turn Out at Eagle Run XIII: First, a big thank you to Gary Knipling. The Eagle Run is his baby. Gary always promises eagles, and one flew over during the pre pre-run briefing. After the start, we saw three eagles on the Eagle Run's "Do Loop." Later, there were reports of an eagle on the Barn Wharf Trail behind Gunston Hall. But no eagles at the old reliable Pohick Bay. The weather, other than the cold ("Other than, THAT, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?") was no problem. The threat of snow, that kept away several regulars (i.e. the Buzzards) held off for both the run and the party. Speaking of the party, the highlight was the appearance of Team Mango in uniform. Several mini-parties repaired to automobiles. The day was topped off by the first visit of Sierra Platt to a VHTRC party. Again, thanks to Gary, all his relatives and neighbors, Gunston Hall, and the eagles for a great time! ...Eagle Run Photos | Report by John Dodds

Short Mountain Work Party Report Now Available: Bill Van Antwerp has sent in a report, with pictures, of the work he, Russ Evans, Gary Knipling, and Bill Sublett did on the Massanutten Trail over Short Mountain. It looks as if they had a lot of fun! Get's you in the mood for the Work Party in March, doesn't it? Hopefully, it will be warmer then! Bill's Report

Chris Has Left the Building: VHTRC President-for-Life-but-Now-in-Exile Chris Scott is presently in Leiden, in the Netherlands. He reports of fun and frivolity, but what else do you expect from Chris? He will be back for the Coyote Fourplay, but he may not be competitive for the "tan line contest." (Only C4P would have a tan line contest.) Chris is expected to return from Holland when the investigations wind down. A Picture Outside his Front Door.

Loomis Second at Bandera: On January 10, Greg Loomis was second overall at the Bandera 50km in Texas. Steve Pero finished the 100 km and Deb finished the 50 km. Bandera Results. (This event was added to the VHTRC Members' Result page.)

Sierra Louise Platt: Amy and Steve Platt's daughter was born on January 8. Picture at right is of Sierra at the age of three minutes. (What is she thinking? Anyone got a suggestion?)

New Years Day Run: About 20 people showed up at Fletcher's to run on New Years Day. The weather was nice. Only disappoint was that the Zoo was closed. Several were playing hurt from activities the night before.

Stricklers Knob: Tom Corris and Marty Lindemann bushwacked to Stricklers Knob on New Years Day. Read Tom's Report. (To read of a 1998 assault on Strickler's Knob, go here and scroll down a bit.)