Day 3: I'm not going to say I jinxed him...but.... (Finger Lake to Puntilla/Rainy Pass Lodge (153.7)

Finger Lake (123.9) to Puntilla/Rainy Pass Lodge (153.7)

Coooooold, windy, and blown in trail on the way to Puntilla (153.7) and Rainy Pass Lodge. From a quick glance throughout the night, speeds of 1.1-1.9 were sadly the norm. Snow was "deep, like stupid deep in spots." The famed Happy Steps were "okay," and I'd like to think he was able to take advantage of his proximity to Faye and Jeff....he tells me that the dots make them look closer than they every really are, and even if they are close, the conditions and gear make it almost impossible to hear each other. But maybe, hopefully, just being near another body can be. The tracker had them at least near each other until the trail got good (according to The Legend Faye Norby, seen here doing the bunkhouse cat walk) 12 miles before the Lodge. Dot speeds confirm this. Overall, I think the verdict for that section: YUCK.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up to see Ryan cruised to Rainy Pass Lodge at 12:20am (at 10pm he was projected at 3:41am)... I tried not to bother him right away, hoping he was getting some much needed and earned sleep (crowded rest spots led to very little rest thus far).

Curiosity got the best of me and I texted him at 7:30am...he was a man of few words at first (still half-asleep and waiting for the coffee to kick in? enjoying the view? simultaneously chatting with me and race friends?) but then some breakfast ("biscuits and gravy and lots of candy), apparently the magical blue elixir (now confirmed as less sexy: Gatorade), more coffee!, and time with the internet to get a better sense of the conditions and race than this poor woman's version can really offer :-)

A giant gaggle of racers stayed 24+ to wait until the weather improved....to no avail, the weather didn't really improve...or maybe indicated the weather was as good as it was going to get. Said gaggle headed out in the morning and are doing work (!!) on their trek to Rohn (187.5). Temps are cold, will remain so, and the wind will head steady. At least no snow?

Ryan (hopefully) got a short nap in, had lunch with trail friends (not the blue elixir), and got on his merry way. I'm happy to report Ryan may have the warmest sleeping bag on the course. He's a grinder who loves a challenge. Basically, he's ready to tackle Rainy Pass, the race's high point. Roughly 19 miles (at times steeply) uphill before a technical downhill to the Rohn checkpoint (where brats await!). All in all, it was a relatively quick turnaround given the effort exerted the day before. But for company/packed trail/peace of mind in getting it over and done with...most certainly worth it!