9 minute read
The Quest is on...
By: Corey Carruth
Nearly every trail runner feels at home in the mountains It’s as if some part of you, as ancient as the mountains themselves, is finally home The trees whisper your name in the breeze The rivers rush beside you as you sprint along their nearby trails It’s as if they too have joined the race. These thoughts just skip across the surface of my mind as I recall the Quest for the Crest trail race, which takes place up and down the tallest and perhaps most physically stunning mountain range East of the Mississippi Run Bum Races directs this one-of-a-kind event each May with options starting as short as 10K and as long as 50K While dubbed a 50K by Run Bum, nobody who has run this one-of-a-kind race would agree By most runners' calculations, and indeed that of our GPS watches, it’s around 36 miles But Quest isn’t just 36 miles By the time you cross the finish line of the 50K, you will have navigated over 24,000 feet of elevation. That’s 12,000 feet of ascent and 12,000 descent. Quest for the Crest has been described by many as the toughest 50K in North America and by some as the toughest 50K in the world. While I haven’t run every 50K in the world, I’ve been to a wide array of countries and climates, and I’m certain you can’t find a race with a greater degree of beauty, diversity, and challenge all rolled into one Quest gives “rolling start” a new definition as it begins before the start line The moment you step off the bus, you are surrounded in darkness with illumination supplied only by the couple of hundred headlamps strapped to the foreheads of the tribe that surround you. The moist scent of the forest hangs thick in the air, while the sounds of crickets, frogs, and the unknown beckon There’s no gunfire, nor conch shell blown For all within earshot, there are simply the words “let’s go” from the mouth of the run bum Within moments, everyone realizes that the race has already begun Soon after you enter the forest of Shuford Creek, you get your first taste of the legendary first climb.
“The gorgeous views go on for as far as the eye can see will take your breath away, but don’t lose sight of where you're placing your next foot.”
APPALACHIANEXPOSURES.COM
PHOTO BY: HALLEY BURLESON
First, the trail spreads you and your comrades into a long single file line of runners soon to become hikers. The climb starts innocently enough but it escalates quickly. Before long, the grade is so steep you are grasping at trees and branches with your hands to take some of the load off your legs. No doubt they will appreciate the help over the next 10+ hours. Before you reach the top, dawn begins to gently bathe the forest with light. One by one, runners turned hikers flip their headlamps off. The foliage begins to change at this elevation, and by the time you are pulling yourself through the fir trees, you will be treated with a few bright beams of light overhead. The birds of the forest have taken notice and chirp their good mornings. The scent of pine, and a healthy forest overflows your senses as you wind your way up what has become nothing more than a goat trail. As you turn the corner through the large rock outcroppings, you summit the first climb. Nothing can prepare you for what will be one of the most awe-inspiring views of your life. The sunrise now lies below you, spreading the mountain below you in its bright orange warmth. The only regret one might have is that you can’t settle into a rock outcropping and stare in silence at this view for hours. No matter how competitive the runner, you will take the time to stand still in awe, if only for a moment or a few. Sharing this view with the lucky few to ever see such a sight would be worth the climb on any given day. As you continue onto the first ridge, still shaken that you must leave that view behind, you're greeted with a cool breeze ruffling the long stumps of grass that dot the invisible trail beneath. Here, as with nearly all of this race, one would be wise to watch your footing. Trekking poles can be a benefit to offload some weight in case of a misplaced foot or twist of the ankle. The first descent into Bowlens Creek is a downhill runner's paradise with every size and shape of rock underfoot, a stunning green forest all around, and the brook bubbling off to your left. After a lengthy descent, you reach the first aid station just across the creek. In the case of Quest, what goes down must come up. After a friendly respite with some of the best volunteers you’ll ever find, it’s back across Bowlens Creek and up you go exactly the way you came. With the most aggressive checkpoint completed, you cheer those still coming down the mountain as the sun filters through the canopy overhead. Back on the ridge, you pass the scene of your first climb and continue across the ridge for miles. If you studied the elevation profiles and imagined this ridge line would be fast and flat, you would be mistaken. The gorgeous views go on for as far as the eye can see will take your breath away, but don’t lose sight of where you're placing your next foot.
First, the trail spreads you and your comrades into a long single file line of runners soon to become hikers. The climb starts innocently enough but it escalates quickly. Before long, the grade is so steep you are grasping at trees and branches with your hands to take some of the load off your legs. No doubt they will appreciate the help over the next 10+ hours. Before you reach the top, dawn begins to gently bathe the forest with light. One by one, runners turned hikers flip their headlamps off. The foliage begins to change at this elevation, and by the time you are pulling yourself through the fir trees, you will be treated with a few bright beams of light overhead. The birds of the forest have taken notice and chirp their good mornings. The scent of pine, and a healthy forest overflows your senses as you wind your way up what has become nothing more than a goat trail. As you turn the corner through the large rock outcroppings, you summit the first climb. Nothing can prepare you for what will be one of the most awe-inspiring views of your life. The sunrise now lies below you, spreading the mountain below you in its bright orange warmth. The only regret one might have is that you can’t settle into a rock outcropping and stare in silence at this view for hours. No matter how competitive the runner, you will take the time to stand still in awe, if only for a moment or a few. Sharing this view with the lucky few to ever see such a sight would be worth the climb on any given day. As you continue onto the first ridge, still shaken that you must leave that view behind, you're greeted with a cool breeze ruffling the long stumps of grass that dot the invisible trail beneath. Here, as with nearly all of this race, one would be wise to watch your footing. Trekking poles can be a benefit to offload some weight in case of a misplaced foot or twist of the ankle. The first descent into Bowlens Creek is a downhill runner's paradise with every size and shape of rock underfoot, a stunning green forest all around, and the brook bubbling off to your left. After a lengthy descent, you reach the first aid station just across the creek. In the case of Quest, what goes down must come up. After a friendly respite with some of the best volunteers you’ll ever find, it’s back across Bowlens Creek and up you go exactly the way you came. With the most aggressive checkpoint completed, you cheer those still coming down the mountain as the sun filters through the canopy overhead. Back on the ridge, you pass the scene of your first climb and continue across the ridge for miles. If you studied the elevation profiles and imagined this ridge line would be fast and flat, you would be mistaken. The gorgeous views go on for as far as the eye can see will take your breath away, but don’t lose sight of where you're placing your next foot.
As the scenery continues to evolve before your eyes, woods give way to rockier terrain before plummeting down the second of your 3 major descents By the time you reach your next aid station in this valley, you’re halfway into the race at about 18 miles. Now for the climb to Tom’s Gap and onto Mount Mitchell! If you ran the first two descents hard, I can promise you that you’ll never forget this next climb! It goes on for what seems like 3 hours but you are well rewarded with distinct forests giving way to an all-out rock climb before you reach the apex and break back into a run for Mount Mitchell! Here, you hit an aid station and your family or friends are able to wish you luck on your final major descent! An hour or so later, you should be nearing the finish line but not before a couple of final surprises and treats along the way! While we come from all walks of life, trail runners are a different breed with a handful of strong bonds that weave us together If I had to pick the two traits we all have in common, it would be perseverance and love Never will you find a group of people that are more welcoming, inclusive, and without judgment than trail runners. Perhaps it’s because when faced with dark times each of us emerges stronger and more compassionate than before. We’ve wrestled our demons and gained strength from the victories AND the losses Quest for the Crest promises all of the above It will challenge, inspire, amaze, and fill with wonder, every runner to cross its path.
