2005 Bear 100 Photos and Report

Adaptation by Stan Beutler, sung to the Frank Sinatra hit, Strangers in the Night:

Mudbutts in the night,
It’s not romantic.
Sliding out of sight,
A fall so frantic.
It don’t feel so right,
Those mudbutts in the night.

In 2000 the Bear 100 was predicted to have rain showers, and nothing happened. In 2005 Wasatch was supposed to have lots of rain, and nothing happened. In 2005, the Bear 100 was supposed to have a chance of rain, and, well, as many runners said afterwards, (*&^@! happened.

The reason for this was the veterans’ jinx. The weather report said that there would be a chance of up to .40 inches of rain during the night, but as the day progressed and a brilliant fall sun emerged, this appeared to be less and less likely. Tim Seminoff and I share 12 Bear finishes between us, and as we chatted at about five o’clock, we looked at the sky and philosophized that the night looked like it would be pretty quiet and dry.

An hour later, all hell broke loose. A band of large thunderstorms hit the course with a vengeance, freaking out ridge runners with lightning and turning the trails into a quagmire. The rain went on into the night until about midnight, when the moon finally poked through. But the damage was done. Caribou National Forest trails are not known for their sophisticated engineering; as one runner noted, at the Bear there are no switchbacks. You go up, or you go down, or you stay level. Twenty percent grades are all fine and good (if nasty on the quads), but add water and fine soil, and you get an amusement park ride. Banana peel slips onto the butt were the rule through the night, and sections of the course that runners passed over twice got chewed into a grungy mess. Most finishers wore large portions of the course on their calves and the back of their shorts.

Even so, Karl Meltzer came within ten minutes of breaking the course record as he handily won the race (he avoided the mud until Mile 75, when other runners had to start dealing with it as early as mile 45). First time 100-miler Kimberly Holak took the women’s title, overcoming the lack of hills and elevation of her home in Duluth, MN.

The fall colors were, as always, spectacular. The trippiest aid station was at Mill Creek, where Dutch oven sweet and sour chicken was complimented by live guitar music, punctuated by the drumming on the tarps by wind blowing water off the aspen leaves. Radio support this year was 5x5 (ham jargon for outstanding), with Warren Wilde and his team of local operators braving slick roads and antenna-blowing lightning to provide full coverage for the entire event. The aid stations have begun to take on lives of their own now that the race is seven years old, and it wouldn't surprise me to see some friendly rivalries in the offing. There was never a dull moment, lack of service, or want of food.

Specific questions regarding entry and application should be directed to Leland Barker, RD, at bear100man@hotmail.com.

THE BEAR 100
A Cool, Autumn Loop Through the Pines, Golden Aspen

and Red Maples of the Wasatch/Bear River Range

100 Miles • 21,986' of climb • Maximum Elevation 9060'

Minimum Elevation 4860'• Average Elevation 7350'

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