Transrockies: Today's Blog Post -- Day 3 of Volunteering (and Racing)

 

Getting ice for the day.

Day 3: Leadville to Nova Guides (Camp Hale)


The Scenery is Breathtaking

Sort of a "lather-rinse-repeat" day on stage 3 of Transrockies. The setup crew were on mainstreet in Leadville setting up the start line while shuttles were already transporting runners to breakfast at 6am at the Mining Museum.



While the runners were eating breakfast, we were at the back door near the catering truck stocking up on 20 watermelons, a ton of ice, water, and sack lunches for us.



Caravans of support crew arriving at Camp Hale/Nova Guides.



The race started with a BANG and runners were heading out of town at 8am. A quick stop for coffee (to go) at the local coffee shop and we were on our way to the big Safeway at the edge of town. Four huge shopping carts of food later (approximately $450 worth of Coke, chips, hand sanitizer, sunflower seeds, candy, watermelon, bread, peanut butter, and other odds and ends).





We were running late and had to make a dash for Nova Guides 20 minutes away. There's really no "dashing" in the mountains at 10,000 feet AND we were met with a little road construction to boot. So we came flying into Camp Hale and had about 20 minutes to set up before the first runners would cross the finish line on the longest race stage - 23 miles. We made it. BARELY.



Extra volunteers for finish line catering.
These kids were AWESOME! Taking a break with bubbles.





Another very long day of filling bowls, chatting with runners, filling water jugs, cutting fruit, and constantly reminding people to use cups, use hand sanitizer, and stop eating directly out of the bowls!!!!



By 5:00pm the last runner was in and by 6:00pm we had the three tables broken down, all food and bins consolidated, grocery list ready for tomorrow (back to Leadville since there is NOTHING in Nova Guides), and our day was offically done.





Not a bad way to end the day-scenery and mountain biking!



Needing some "quiet alone time", I put on my cycling gear and went mountain biking for about an hour on the old dirt/rock trails that used to make up Camp Hale - a military camp in the 1940's. As I rode around, I would stop at placards alongside the trail that would indicate what used to be "at this spot". This camp was predominantly used for military winter training and some alpining. Amazing that all these buildings (even a movie theater) used to be where there were now just massive fields and streams.

 

It's the last day for the 3-day runners so we should have about 100 less runners to support tomorrow. It's also the "volunteer run day" where volunteers can do some trail running.

Tomorrow: Nova Guides to Red Cliff - 14 miles.

It's going to be another very quick turn-around time for us at Finish Line Catering!