07/24/1991 to 07/27/1991

HI TEC BADWATER 146 1991

IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT!
My first
experience in the Mt. Whitney area was in 1951 when I made a
back packing/camping trip out of Whitney Portals (135 mile mark) and covered
about a tenth of the John Muir Trail at the south end. After my Internal
Medicine training, I moved to Lone Pine (122 mile mark), where I have
practiced to the present. In 1964 I climbed Mt. Whitney (146 mile mark). In
the same year, I opened a satellite office near the Furnace Creek Inn (17
mile mark) in Death Valley. I have made about 16 driving or flying trips a
year between here and there during the tourist season between late October
and early May. Over the decades, I have become familiar with taking care of
patients experiencing hyperthermia (heat stroke and heat exhaustion) in the
desert as well as hypothermia, trauma and altitude sickness in the
mountains.
I have
participated in the entire 13 Wild, Wild West Marathons here in the Sierra
foothills. I have run the Titus Canyon/Death Valley Marathon since Dave
Horning of Enviro Sports started it in 1990. For the last seven years I
pedaled the Death Valley to Whitney Portals 100 mile two day Bike Race now
in its 16th year.
In July 1990 I
covered the 3rd annual Hi Tec Badwater 146 event as a spectator. As I headed
out on the course, I met the first runner, Marshall Ulrich. That was at the
75 mile mark on the Panamint grade, when he was 15 hours into the event and
at least 3 miles ahead of the nearest competitor. I swept back and forth on
the course and took pictures and visited with many of the runners and crew
members. I am a back of the pack runner and my training base is about an
hour of exercise a day. I began thinking that if I kicked my mileage up and
exercised in the dry heat I could handle the course physically. I had never
run further than 52.4 miles and that was the Nanisivik Midnight Sun Run
(84K) on Baffin Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada on 07 01 90.
That was accomplished in just under 12 hours. Now, I had to do an event
three times the distance and five times the duration to the Portals and six
times the duration to the top of Mt. Whitney and seven times the duration
back to the Portals! The event should either be called "the 135"
or "the
157!" I began preparing myself mentally over the year and began to feel
that
I could handle this also.

My next obstacle
was to obtain an invitation from Hi Tec Sports, USA, Inc., since I wanted to
do it with a group rather than as an individual. This proved to be an
endurance event in itself as the Race Director, Dave Pompel, is a very busy
young man. I received a tentative invitation in May and an official
invitation on 06 13 1991. I entered a few more races than usual: Shadow of
the Giants 50K on 06 01 1991; Palos Verdes Marathon on 06 08 1991; Lompoc
Valley of the flowers Marathon on 06 16 1991; San Francisco Marathon on
06 23 1991. I met Badwater Bart Yasso at the Runners World Expo booth at the
San Francisco Marathon. He participated for Runners World in the 1989 Hi Tec
Badwater 146 and said he had "fun" doing it. We had a nice visit
and I was
further encouraged to do the event. I also did about one third of the
Markleeville Tour of the California Alps ("Death Ride"). It was on
a
mountain bike covering 54 miles of the 129 miles and 6,000 of the 15,000 ft.
 of elevation gain in order to get some good aerobic cross training at
altitudes up to 8,700 ft. During the month before this year's HiTec Badwater
146, I increased my daily mileage up to 10 miles a day at 4 mph walking
speed. It was in 90 100 degree temperatures and 5% humidity, which is usual
for this area. My wife, Denise, would drive me out to various 10 mile
sections of the course and drop me off and crew me for 2 1/2 hours, as I
would physically and psychologically get used to heading westward into the
glare of the sun and watch the terrain slowly pass. I had the great fortune
of meeting Tom Crawford and Richard Benyo near Keeler (107 mile mark) as
they were heading out into the desert to do some heat training for their
up and coming repeat efforts in covering the course. They were the first
ones to do the out and back "fire and ice" between Badwater and
Mt. Whitney
in 1989. I bought a copy of Richard Benyo's book "Death Valley
300" with his
autograph and inscription "make haste slowly!" I learned much from
this book
and got to know them better on a work out between Badwater and Furnace Creek
on 07 06 1991 when the temperature was 110 and the humidity 30%. Tom told me
that "if you can walk like that you'll do fine!" I continued to be
further
encouraged. I vowed to employ my plan of not covering any mile faster than
15 minutes on the 67 miles of the flats and 25 miles of down hill. I also
planned to slow to 20 minute miles on the first 30 miles of up hill getting
me to Lone Pine (122 miles). I would probably do 30 minute miles up the road
to the Portals (135 miles) and 60 minute miles the last 11 miles to the
summit (146 miles). There are about 20,000 ft. of ascent and 12,200 feet of
descent getting from Badwater to the top of Mt. Whitney and back to the
Portals.
Last year's event
almost didn't get started as there were flash floods limiting access to
Badwater which is 282 ft. below sea level and is the lowest point in the
U.S. Also, a hiker had just been electrocuted in a lightning storm on the
top of Mt. Whitney, which is the highest point in the Continental U.S. at
14,495 ft. This year, as our event was about to start, search and rescue
efforts were being made to find a hiker missing since 07 20 1991. He had
parked his vehicle the previous day at Badwater. His body was found 200
yards from the highway just south of Badwater at 9:00 A.M. on 07 26 1991, as
our event was still happening. He had video taped his 10 mile trek westward
across the salt pan and brine slush in the heat of the day. During that
time, he lost his dark glasses and consumed the three quarts of fluid he had
with him. The batteries in his camera gave out and so did he before he
almost got back across the Valley. Insects, ravens and coyotes had no
interest in his body during the five days he baked in the 190 degree
temperatures on the floor of Death Valley.
We had a pre race
meeting in the cafeteria at Furnace Creek Ranch. Dave Pompel, Race Director,
opened the activities and introduced his staff. Each runner introduced
himself or herself and the pacers and crew members. We got our Hi Tec
shirts, water bottles, shoes, caps and race numbers, all for a $25.00 entry
fee! Eighteen people were invited, but two dropped out due to injuries and
two did not show. This left 14 runners plus one bicyclist who was invited to
ride the course to the Portals. We traveled 17 miles south to the race start
area at Badwater and posed for pictures.

The bang happened promptly at 6:00 P.M. on 07/24/1991, at which time

the temperature, according to my Casio Thermometer Watch, was 122
degrees.
 Jack Denness, a driver for Lloyds of London, England, sprinted into
the lead for several minutes for the benefit of the NBC "Today
Show" film crew and then fell back into his pre planned 59hr
59min pace to get to the Portals before the 60 hour cut off. This
was my projection also.

Robert Tuller, a
young U.C. Berkeley graduate, who had just done a relay from San Francisco
to Washington, D.C., for the Star Spangled Banner, introduced himself to me.
We looked at each other in amazement as we counted 12 runners bouncing
briskly into the distance.
I constantly
sipped ice water with Carbo Plex from my insulated Camelback pouch and
stopped every mile at the tail gate of a U Haul truck to guzzle Gatorade or
Classic Coke cut with Club Soda. I also made sure that I drank enough to
urinate at least every hour. I carried Zip lock bags filled with food items
such as pretzels, fig newtons, gum drops and occasionally had a turkey and
jack cheese sandwich. I drank and ate the whole way and never felt thirsty
or hungry. I never had a headache or nausea. I also had normal bowel
movements during the event.
As the sun went
down, the moon came up, enhancing the beauty of the environment. I kept an
eye out for side winders crossing the highway, but never saw any. Robert
dropped back with foot problems. Near dawn, at Stovepipe Wells Village (41
miles) I came upon Wayne Baughman, a former four time Olympic wrestler and
one time Olympic medalist and present wrestling couch at the Air Force
Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was having horrible blister
problems as we progressed up the 5,000 ft., 18 mile grade to Towne's Pass.
He dropped back, but was encouraged to know that I planned a four hour
sleep stop in a reserved room at Panamint Springs Resort between 2:00 6:00
P.M. This would avoid the hottest part of the day and the most intense glare
of the sun, while on a westward course on the 1,600 ft. floor of Panamint
Valley. I got to Towne's Pass (59 miles) at about 17 1/2 hours and went down
to the 2,000 ft. level on the east side of Panamint Valley (66 miles). Then,
I got trucked to Panamint Springs for my four hour stop. Having been trucked
back to the previous spot, I resumed my pace and got to Panamint Springs (72
miles) in 26 hours. Continuing up the Panamint grade to Padre Crowley Point
(80 miles), I reached the 5,200 ft. level in the Darwin Flats area and the
Darwin turn off (90 miles) pretty much according to schedule. My crew
members were my wife, Denise, and her daughter, Angie, and her husband, Greg
Nealy. My pacer was my running/walking friend, Dave Thorpe, from Laguna.
During the event, Dave went ahead to help pace Marshall Ulrich up the last
five miles of the Portal road. Marshall hit 100 miles in 17hr 51min; 130
miles in 24hrs; 135 miles to Whitney Portals in 26hrs 34min (a course
record); 146 miles to the summit of Mt. Whitney in 33hrs 54min (also a
course record); in addition he did a start at Badwater at 11:45 A.M. on
07 24 1991 so 6hrs 15min can be added to the above times to get into the
books for an A.M. start (which is a start anytime between 6:00 A.M. 12:00
Noon).

I got to the 100

mile mark after the moon went down again and before the sun came up again in
35hrs 16min. In the meantime, I discovered that two more runners, in
addition to the other three, were behind me because of their having slept
and having been dropped back on the course behind me. As the sun came up, I
would get sprayed from a water bottle or garden type of sprayer or I would
get into an aluminum casket filled with water. This was furnished by my
mortician friend, Van, of Owens Valley Mortuary. I claimed to be the first
runner to ever emerge from a casket to get back into a race (and eventually
complete it the staff of the Guinness Book of Records may become
interested!). Again, the NBC film crew was entertained and spent some extra
time with me. I was actually getting concerned about their lack of sleep and
botched room reservations. I thank Kay Parker, interviewer, Carl Himmelman,
cameraman, and Tony Cannon, boom man, for their attention, concern and
support. Also, thanks to Bev, at La Florista, for furnishing a potted palm
tree which helped create an oasis effect and to Rod, my cobbler, of Lloyds
of Lone Pine, for helping me to take the pressure off of a Morton's neuroma
(I'm trying to avoid a surgical procedure).
As I covered the
long, hot stretch on the east side of Owens Lake, I was greeted by Tom
Crawford and his wife, Nancy. They informed me that I was only 1 1/2 miles
behind Don Choi! In the meantime, I was passed by Robin Smit,
ophthalmologist from Fresno, and Harry Deupree, banker from Oklahoma. I took
about ten naps of 5 10 minutes each during the second 24 hours. I got to
Lone Pine (122 miles) in 44 hours where my neighbor, Chris Langley, arranged
a reception by the Chamber of Commerce and local business people and some of
my patients. Chris' son, Matt, was also there and was covering the event for
the local Inyo Register. I then trudged into the glare of the sun a third
time for 5hrs 40min for the 4,600 ft., 13 mile climb to the Portals.
The worst part of
the whole experience was the glare of the sun rather than the heat of the
day and the glare of the on coming headlights at night. On the way up, I was
greeted by the other runners and their crews as they were heading down from
the hike to the top. I was also greeted again by Tom Crawford and his
running partner, Jean Ennis, Marshall and his crew, Keith and Priscilla
Pippin and sports nutritionist, Willette Senter. They brought me pizza from
the Pizza Factory which was delicious. I looked at my watch and discovered
if I pushed on another mile a little quicker I would break 50 hours. I did
just that and broke through a ten foot strip of toilet paper held by my wife
and by Dave Thorpe. At 49 hrs 50min, Dave Pompel, Race Director, punched the
stop watch.
I was
congratulated and informed that I added an interesting dimension (or was it
dementia?) to the event. I thanked my crew and everyone for inspiring me and
encouraging me throughout the last two plus days. We then headed for home. I
had a shower and a great seven hour sleep. When I got up at dawn, I stumbled
around hoping not to step on any bodies not being sure who was at home.
Marshall already looked rehabilitated!
We went out for a
huge breakfast at the Mt. Whitney Restaurant and then to the Dow Villa for
the post race ceremony and awards. I'm sure the final race results have been
forwarded. The times to the top will filter back later as some of the
runners left the area before anyone could find our their times. I then went
to Owens Valley Mortuary to do the autopsy on the hiker who died near
Badwater. Then, we watched the video tape of his trek across Death Valley.
Finally, about 16 hours after finishing and qualifying for a belt buckle
more than 10 hours before the cut off, Denise, Dave Thorpe and I headed for
the top. All 14 of the starters made it to the Portals within the 60 hours.
Seven of the finishers made the climb. On the way up I visited with three
coming down, Stefan Schlett, from Germany, was a patient of mine four years
ago. It was one week after doing the Western States 100, when he had
completed a climb on Whitney and was injured in a bus accident with 33
marines who offered him a ride down. The brakes gave way and the bus rolled
killing two marines. This time he is going to finish his stay by doing the
211 mile John Muir Trail. Next, I visited Don Choi, who was accompanied by
Al Prawda, who paced him, and earlier by Marvin Skagerberg, who had done the
 event in 1990. Then, I visited with Robin Smit.

We continued climbing
the 11 mile trail gaining 6,200 ft. The sun went down again and we got to the
top (146 miles) in 75hrs 30min. I signed the register and took some pictures.
The temperature was 26 degrees. Marshall recorded 23 degrees on top when he was
there two nights earlier. The temperature differential was 99 degrees from the
start (122 at Badwater and 23 at the top of Mt. Whitney). Others who made it to
the top not previously mentioned were Odin Christensen and Jack Denness (whom I
saw coming up the trail when I was about three miles from the Portals). Of the
seven who did not go to the top, three had done it in another year: Barbara
Alvarez and Angelika Castaneda did it in 1989 and Jack Christian did it in 1990.

I feel happy with my

performance at age 58 and 6'5" and 190# with my ultrawalking style and a
resting
pulse of 37. I became the 36th person and second oldest to go all the way from
Badwater to the top of Mt. Whitney. Richard Kegley was 68 years old when he did
it in 1987 in 113hrs 09min. So, I now have the fastest time for the oldest
person. Another incentive not mentioned before was my wife's former friend, an
elite marathoner and ultrarunner, said I would never make it! With some extra
training and heat adaptation and the right mind set, many tasks can be
accomplished. I could not have done it without the undivided attention and
devotion of my family, friends, race committee members and all of the crews. I
realize now that my life was in their hands. As a doctor, I am used to giving
instructions and advice and, perhaps, saving lives. In the Hi Tec Badwater 146 I
had to obey all of the signals and signs and allow things to be poked down my
mouth and be
doused with water and rubbed all over at times not expecting it.
Send your resume to
Hi Tec, if you feel inspired to take on the challenge! If I can do it, you can
do it! Contact Dave Pompel, Race Director, Hi Tec Sports USA, Inc., 4801
Stoddard Road, Modesto, California, 95356, (209)/545 1111.