by Rich Benyo
Sept. 5
Fitness: A BACKPACKER’S VACATION TURNS SHORT AND SOFFY
When our backpacking plans began going awry early on, we should have taken it as an omen.
Every summer we spend a week on the trail for several reasons: (1) to see the Sierra Nevada up close and personal; (2) to give our legs a break from pounding the pavement; (3) to work leg muscles not normally called on in running; (4) to play Russian roulette with giardia (a nasty water-borne organism); (5) to make use of our friend’s backpacking equipment that was getting moldy stored in the back of his garage, and (6) to complain about how we can put a man on the moon but we can’t make really good freeze-dried backpack food.
The 1988 edition began turning sour long before we organized our supplies from obscure corners of the basement. Our three customary mountain comrades informed us they’d be unable to accompany us because they had a scheduling snafu.
We plodded ahead nonetheless, and planned to meet them as they returned through Yosemite. Upon our rendezvous, we listened to a report of their beautiful days of hiking and cooling off afterwards in mountain streams. We had no reason to believe our week wouldn’t be similar. Our friends only admonishment was to carry insect repellent against the mosquitoes.
After an overnight stop in Mammoth Lakes, we went to Tom’s Place and steered the truck up toward Mosquito Flat. The very name seemed an omen of hot days, cool lakes, and insect-haunted evenings.
We shouldered out packs and headed toward Mono Pass, feeling the lungs complain of insufficient oxygen, and the legs protest against cruel and unusual use. We encountered a motley assortment of backpackers on their way out.
“How was it?” we’d ask.
“Great, if you like rain,” they’d reply.
We’d sympathetically look toward the empty azure blue ski and wonder what the hell they were talking about.
As we neared the pass, however, we began to see what they meant. Behind us, coming on like a locomotive gone berserk. Were roiling cloud masses shooting out nasty lightning bolts.
The rain hit just below Trail Lakes and the wide expanse of valley before us became a gray, impenetrable, swirling mass. Although we’d planned to camp in Second Recess, we turned into Fourth Recess right away looking for a sheltered spot to pitch out tent and hide from the lightning bolts.
We found some security under a brace of trees above the lake, pitched the tent, pulled up our collars against the rain, and scouted around until supper. After a quick meal, we retreated inside the tent and read while the rain continued. Fifteen minutes before sunset the clouds exited and the sun came out.
For three days we went through the same pattern: beautiful morning, a brisk hike to a nearby valley, and a rush back to camp as the black clouds began to form. Then there were the hours trapped inside the tent after eating half-prepared freeze-dried gruel.
The fourth day, however, was different.
The storm began forming at 2:30 p.m., and by 3:30 it was massive. At 3:45 the lightning was augmented by hail. Lots of hail. That hail was augmented by more hail. Bigger hail. A thousand feet above us, snow began falling on the cliffs. It hailed for nearly four hours.
The next day we packed our gear and left on a forced hike. As though to wish us a bon voyage, the clouds came in and it began to hail again. We cut up our ground cloth and put the pieces over ourselves, cutting holes for our faces.
But there was a bright lining to the constantly reappearing masses of cloud: Never once did we have to unpack our mosquito repellent.
Sept. 12
Fitness: CORPORATE GAMES ARE SHAPING UP
Momentum is gathering for the World Corporation Games Oct. 22-Nov. 5, a local post-Olympic event involving companies as large as Hewlett-Packard and as small as a mom-and-pop grocery store in nearly two dozen sports ranging from table tennis to the triathlon.
One of the latest entries is a team of 15 Soviet athletes from the Sindikat Sports trade union. There will be golfers from Canada, a women’s basketball team from Melbourne, Australia, runners from West Germany, triathletes from Japan, and bowlers from Great Britain.
Of local interest is a bicycle team from Shaklee containing members of the Daedelus flight team—the group that flew a human-powered plane from Crete to Greece, approximating the mythical flight of Icarus.
All events will be held in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. This is the World Corporate Games’ inaugural event. For more information call 415-781-1988.
Speaking of multiple events, the late summer has offered more than a little of everything for local aerobic athletes.
The TAC Open and Masters Ultra Championships were held at Plumas-Eureka State Park. The distance of the event was 28 miles and was dominated by folks from the high country. There was a tie for first place between Tom Wood, 25, of Truckee and Miguel Tibaduiza, 31, a Columbian living in Reno. Their time was 3:02:51.
Domingo Tibaduiza, Miguel’s older brother by 7 years, also from Reno by way of Columbia, took third in 3:10:02. Fourth and fifth places were notched by two local runners: Craig Steinmaus, 36, of Hayward (3:12:15) and Mike McManus, 22, of Oakland (3:15:50). First female was Terry Puckett, 32, of Reno, with a 3:35:08.
Here’s one for the books: It’s called the River of No Return (a.k.a. Survival of the Fittest). It’s a pentathlon for two-person teams, each person doing all five events. The events? Swimming, canoeing, canoe portage, running, and cycling.
The unique competition, recently held in Healdsburg, began with a 1/2 -mile swim in the Russian River, followed by a 10-mile canoe paddle, followed by a 1/3-mile canoe portage, followed by a 9-mile run, followed by a 20-mile bike ride. The winners? Robert Balzhiser, 34, of Folsom, and Robert Ueltzen, 38, of Fair Oaks. Their time? 3:41:41. Awesome.
Late last month the Golden Triangle Triathlon was held at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch. The race was a ¾-mile swim, a 16-mile cycling route, and a 6-mile run. It went down to the wire, with Tim Sheeper, 25, of Encinitas nipping Chris Ward, 29, of Oakland by less than a second. Official time for both: 1:35:50. First female was Stephanie Danzig, 24, of Pleasant Hill, with a 1:57:26.
Results of the 7.3-mile Run the Rim, held in Briones Regional Park, saw Ernest Shiwanov, 34, of San Diego, winning in 43:26. Second place was Ramsay Thomas, 44, of Lafayette. The first female was Carie Melllquist, 25, of San Carlos. In the companion 4-mile run, Gary Gomez, 25, of Fremont, won in 27:02; first female was Laura Lyons, 30, of Walnut Creek, in 38:16.
There is a slew of running events celebrating the grape harvest this month. The Cloverdale Grape Run, scheduled for 8 a.m. this Sunday, features a 10K main event and also offers a 3K run and a 3K walk. The 10K costs $5 in advance (without shirt) or $6 on race day. With a shirt the entry fees are $10 and $11, respectively. Contact Clint Kemp at 707-894-4385 for more information.
On September 24 there’s the Sonoma Vintage Run 5K, 10K, and 5K walk. It starts at 8 a.m. at the Sebastiani Winery. Entry fee is $13. Contact Stan or Sandy Augustine at 707-996-4815.
On October 2 in Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Harvest Fair 10K Run begins at 9 a.m. The course is flat and fast and starts at the fairgrounds. For information call 707-545-YMCA.