The GECKO Blog

Good morning riders

We trust you are looking forward to tomorrow’s big day.

This is the 2nd important update, if you haven’t already, please read the first on the website here:

http://www.joingecko.org/info.asp?uid=377

We are in for hot weather – 88F and with an elevation of between 7,000 and 9,000 ft for this event we ask that you look after yourselves and your horses throughout the day with hydration and sunscreen protection.

As this is our inaugural event and first time ride directing an event with HORSES we respectively ask for your patience as we manage this. We have tried to consider every eventuality but as a first time, that’s more difficult!

VOLUNTEERS

Please give a broad smile of thanks to our 40+ volunteer team for this event – all helping out for the first time too. Without them it wouldn’t be possible to stage an event such as this. Dr Dwight Hooten, Dr Jim Baldwin and Dr Greggory Bell (Greg is from Centennial Equine in Pagosa Springs) are our accomplished VET team, and the San Juan Back Country Horsemen and Parelli Natural Horsemanship have both assisted with the majority of volunteers.

AERC ONE DAY LICENSES

Further to this – we apologize for the late notice of the fee for AERC one day licenses of $15.00 for those of you who don’t have annual memberships with the AERC. 

BROWN BAG LUNCHES FOR VOLUNTEERS & RIDERS

Please collect this at the Ride Camp. Unfortunately this doesn’t extend to Crew and Spectators but it is a15-20 minute drive to most shops and restaurants in down town Pagosa Springs for them.

DIRECTIONS TO VET CHECKS

VET CHECK #1 “Ride Camp” - Dr Dwight Hooten

(75 milers through and the finish line)

The Ride Camp (start/finish line and parking) is located at

a gravel pit in National Forest approximately 8 miles east of Hwy 84, along

county road 302 (Mill Creek Road). Follow the Google maps link below. There

will be sign-posts for the ride along the road. Head east on Mill Creek

Rd.  Continue onto Fr 662 for 3.0 mi. Continue onto Fr 665. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37.2662033,-106.9920263/37.2700233,-106.8816228/@37.2683378,-106.9348201,13z This will be the communications hub.

VET CHECK #2 “Blue Lake”- Dr Jim Baldwin

15 mile and 30 mile (50 & 75 milers through here)

From the junction of HWY84 and HWY160 travel south on HWY 84

for 8.1 miles. Turn left onto Blanco Basin Road (CR 326). Travel 2.3 miles and

then take a right onto Blue Creek Road (USFS 12). Travel 0.7 miles, then keep

left at the fork for another 1.9 miles to the vet check. This route is

preferable for high clearance vehicles.

VET CHECK #3 “Fawn

Gulch” – Dr Greggory Bell

13 miles/64 miles (25 and 75 milers through here)

From the junction of HWY 160 and HWY 84, travel east 3.4

miles to Fawn Gulch Road (Country Road 113). Travel 1.4 miles to reach the vet

check on the right-hand-side.

TRAILER FOR DROP BAGS

There will be two trailers for drop bags going to the two vet checks. They will be at the Ride Camp tonight to pack in and early Saturday morning. Clearly mark your items with your name and when you arrive at the vet check you will see the trailer there with everything.

UPDATE: RES HILL GRILL

Unfortunately Res Hill Grill will not be open this weekend as previously noted. Downtown you will find many lovely shops and restaurants. http://pagosaspringsdining.com/ will give you a list of the best. The Pagosa Baking Company and Kips Grill & Cantina are two close to the Ride Camp, and support GECKO regularly.

FACEBOOK 

We update our Facebook daily with event information, event photos, latest news etc – so definitely find us on Facebook here <https://www.facebook.com/pages/GECKO/324829909101> and get your updates first!

REMINDER: BRIEFINGS

There will be a mandatory rider briefing (race director on course and head Vet on horse safety and vet checks) for the 50-mile and 75-mile at 7pm tonight, Friday June 19th at Ride Camp. 25 milers are welcome to attend and all questions will be answered for all the distances but the mandatory ride briefing for 25 mile is at 750am on Saturday.

GECKO Ride Director – Mike Le Roux (970 398 0613)

GECKO Base Camp Communications – Kirsten Le Roux (970 398 0612)

Cheers,

Mike Le Roux

Ride Director

970-398-0612

mike@joingecko.org

Dear GECKO supporters,

            I would like to take a moment of your time to thank you for giving me this wonderful experience.  Your support has given me a scholarship to a NOLS course. As an avid outdoorswoman and a future wildlife biologist this was a dream come true. My NOLS course has taught me lessons that I will undoubtedly refer to in the future. There were many lessons, but I picked “The Golden Three”.

The first lesson I learned is "take time to appreciate the hard work", after hours of continuous bushwhacking, sheets of icy rain or a horribly cooked meal, you have to appreciate the effort put into each action. Sitting on top of a mountain after a hard, sweaty 14 miles, look up and appreciate the brilliant orange clouds that stained the snow capped ranges. See the wonderful individuals you share this experience with. If you wouldn't have put that much effort into hiking that day, that view couldn't be that striking, the friendships not as special.

The second lesson I learned was to “lead by example and share the wealth”. When someone was having a tough day, the kind of day that slowly grinds the gears, the best thing you can do is share your trail mix, crack jokes and help them set up their tent. Because your positive energy and willingness to understand is the greatest way to improve group dynamic.

The third lesson, “when the milk spills, just clean it”. Some days when we were soaked to our skin it was difficult to not complain and keep going. But you just had to realize the only way to get dry was to make it to camp and crawl in that beautifully crafted sleeping bag and slide on those sacred dry socks. Vocalizing the level of difficulty and discomfort doesn't help the situation. Everyone already is going through the same exact experience. But it was these situations that we will remember the most, and what they taught us.

There were difficult times on our course, like the day we climbed a steep pass in blizzard conditions. We all developed mild hypothermia but we sang loudly to Journey, trying to overpower the howling wind as we waited to hear from the instructors whether we could climb down the other side. Three hours ticked by but we were unable to get down in this weather, we returned to our previous campsite and stayed there. Tolerance for Adversity and Uncertainty, right? It was a very humbling experience.

Another day we had set up camp along the banks of the Wood River with intentions to cross the next day. It had rained that entire day and didn’t stop that night either. We decided for a layover day to have classes on Wilderness Medicine. It had been raining for over 48 hours without stopping. Before crawling in my tent I noticed the small creek beside my tent swelling every hour. I said to my tent mate, “Jackie, we are going to be underwater in the morning” with all seriousness and crawled in my tent. I assured myself the 100 meters between us and the Wood was safe enough. Jackie was very upset that night because she was supposed to be an LOD(Leader of the Day) and she couldn’t figure out how to read a map. I tried my best to teach her and comforted her with an “Everything will be better in the morning”.

At 3 am I woke to a damp feeling creeping in my sleeping bag. I put my hand out onto the tent bottom, it was the consistency of a waterbed, and the ground had turned to Jello. I yelled to Jackie, who was still sound asleep, “Jackie we need to get out of here we are going to drown!” I frantically started to throw my wet belongings in my pack as water poured into the mesh bug netting of our tent. Jackie and I began to just start laughing, what were we supposed to do in this situation? Jackie said, “So Jett you said everything was going to get better in the morning?” I shook my head and crawled out of my tent still in my base layers. My foot hit the sediment with glacial river water up to my knees. I threw my bag on high ground and began to wake everyone up. As soon as 2 other people emerged from their bogged tents, we ran to the kitchen and started throwing our gear out of the river that was running through our cooking area. Luckily nothing was lost. I sat in the mud, my feet purple and numb from the frigid water.

The Instructors had decided there were to be no LODs that day, and we should cross the Wood River before it got any more dangerous. It was 4:30 in the morning and we threw on our wet boots and packs. Watershed off the mountains was 1 ½ feet deep. Just imagine, everywhere there was a knee deep river that you couldn’t get out of. We hiked 5 miles before we found a suitable place to cross. The water was belly-button deep in some places but we all made it across safely. We hiked another 3 miles to the airstrip where our re-rations would be. We made it there by 11 am. As soon as our feet touched the strip the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was surreal. We emptied our soaking belongings and hung them on every willow we could find. It looked like a used gear sale. Our instructor called the pilot letting him know we reached the airstrip. Ray, the pilot, decided to go ahead and bring our re-rations a day early without knowing what we had been through that morning.

Needless to say it was a long day, but not one moment during it did I wish I was home. Every hardship during my course was what made it so interesting. Even when a bear stole 15 pounds of food from my group and we went on a “low calorie diet” for ISGE(Independent Student Group Expedition, which is where we are completely independent of the instructors for 5 days and 4 nights). The stories you tell people after aren’t the beautiful and serene moments of sitting atop a peak, but the gritty and challenging ones.  

What made it all worth it was seeing the natural beauty that surrounded us. The natural beauty people like NOLS and GECKO help protect. I am so glad I got to have such a wonderful and amazing experience and be around unique and incredible people whom I’ve grown to love so much. GECKO and NOLS are for sure organizations I will always support for their dedication to the outdoors. They intensified my passion to teach the masses about wildlife and how important it is we protect and enjoy nature. Thank you so much for time, energy and support for what GECKO and NOLS stand for. It was because of those things I was blessed to go on such a wild trip, a trip I will never forget and for that I am eternally grateful.

Angette Pastuszek

Get High with a brand new midsummer event on this Saturday at Wolf Creek Ski Area. When the clock starts you have 8 hours to complete as many or as few) laps as you can of either a short mountain bike loop or a short trail running loop…at over 10,000 feet of altitude!

8 hours of Wolf Creek

Saturday July 19th 8am to 4pm

Registration from 7am at Wolf Creek Ski Area lodge

8 hours Mountain Bike or 8 hours Trail Run, short lap racing.

Solo or option of Team up to 4

Wolf Creek Ski Area 10,000ft + incredible venue (ski lodge base camp)

Perfect long day’s training for your high altitude August ultra

Camping available at the Ski Lodge parking lot and for tents a mile away

No set entry fee. Pay what you want. Pay what you can. Pay it forward with GECKO

RSVP online to help us plan the day, and then pay when you get there (whatever you like), as a donation to GECKO. Credit card, cash or Check.

http://www.joingecko.org/info.asp?uid=381 (RSVP online, open until midday Friday)

We want this to be a FUN day out with Team GECKO and we’d love your support. Even if you can’t come out for the full day, come and do a few laps of for your favorite sport and hang out with us. Test your lungs at 10,000ft and have a blast celebrating summer outdoors.

Race Hard, Have Fun, Take a lot of Pictures and Enjoy the Fierce Beauty of the Wolf, while you Pay it Forward with GECKO.

For questions regarding the event, contact Mike Le Roux 970-398-0612 or Morgan Murri 303-475-6053 or email info@joingecko.org 

Reasons to Race

• Do what you can. Short lap format suits all abilities, do as many or as few laps as you want to
• Social and fun – base camp has food, music and a great vibe
• Safe – short laps to try new things and come safely back to base camp while being in remote forest often above tree-line
• Clif aid station – fully stocked the whole day!
• New twist – pay what you want or can
• Bring your own support and have it ready for your base camp return (cars parked 200 yards from the start/finish area, easy access)
• Premier access to premium trails
• Get outdoor for a great cause – proceeds go to GECKO programs
• Do it solo or a team of up to 4
• Smokin' hot Coolmax Wolf Creek event socks on sale for $10
• Finisher ‘Wolf’ medals made by the elementary school art class
• Scott Slind’s famous metal artwork winner trophies – one of a kind, worth going hard for
• Perfect high altitude training ground for your late summer racing
• Spectacular venue and high alpine scenery at the Wolf Creek Ski Area
• The ski lodge will be open (ablutions etc) and there will be a grill and griller
• Racers are welcome to help themselves to PBJs, burgers and brats, crew and family, bring your lunch and grill your own!
• There’ll be a hot water urn as well, so bring your cuppa soup or hot chocolate and help yourself to hot water
• Camp if you like Friday and Saturday (we are), tented campsites are a mile away from the start and everyone else can camp on the parking lot
• Higher Grounds coffee for the early birds at registration
• DSP Pizza providing a cheesy garlic knot half way to keep you motivated!
• Sierra Nevada cans will be at the finisher line!

Little Reminders to make Race Day fantastic

• Crew and family should bring deck chairs, pop ups to set up at the start/finish area or can use the deck at the ski lodge
• There’s no shops between Pagosa Springs and the ski area, so bring everything you might need to be comfortable
• Pack gear for all weather, at 10,00-12,000ft you need to expect weather changes and temperature drops (afternoon monsoonal showers are typical of this time of year)
• Registration is at the main ski lodge from 7am to 745am, don't delay, get there early (it’s the largest building, left of the ticket office)

If you’ve  already signed up – thank you and here are the rules http://blog.joingecko.org/race-rules-and-instructions-for-8-hours-of-wolf-creek

This is a distance over time race. Meaning the final placement, within each category, will be determined by the person or team that covers the most distance (Laps) within the 8-hour time limit.

Placement: Should a person or team complete the same distance (number of laps) within the 8-hour time limit placement will be determined by the person or team completing the distance (laps) in the shortest amount of time.

Example: Runner 101 completes 10 laps with a final time of 7 hours 45 minutes and runner 105 Completes 10 laps with a final time of 7 hours 32 minutes runner 105 will be the winner.

Any lap completed after the 8-hour time limit will NOT be counted.  Therefore be confident of the time you will need to complete your final lap to ensure arrival at the final finish PRIOR to the 8-hour limit.

Check-in, Check-out procedure:

Each racer must check-in and check-out of each lap.

The ski lodge patio will be used for timing.  As you enter the patio you must stop and present your bib # to the staff at the check in table. Each racer must wait for confirmation from the timing staff that they have been logged in and time noted.

After handling your aid/refuel/restroom/team transitioning (all available on the patio/lodge area) you will depart the patio to the west, stopping at the check-out table, presenting your bib # and awaiting confirmation that the timing staff has logged and noted your departure time.

Course Rules:

Runners and riders will share much of the same course.

The entire first mile (and 1,000’ of elevation gain) is climbing.

Runners will depart the double track/road to the Continental Divide Trail before the Riders do.

Prior to this departure Riders have right of way, due to the steepness of the road and difficulty of making this climb while staying on your bike. With that right of way comes the responsibility to KINDLY announce yourself and your intention as you approach a runner from the rear. “Coming around you on your left….”

The Continental Divide Trail will be busy with hikers all day and they have the right of way at all times, please be courteous to other trail users.

When the riders join the Continental Divide Trail they again have right of way. This section of the trail is fairly fast and flowing single-track. Again, with this right of way comes the responsibility to KINDLY announce yourself and your intentions. PLEASE allow time for runners to step safely off the trail allowing riders to pass.

Once the summit has been reached and you begin the descent, RUNNERS have the right of way all the way to start finish patio. RIDERS, this means it is your responsibility to control your speed and allow adequate time, space and distance to SAFELY and Comfortably pass runners while descending.

The descent is a mix of remote/rough double track to high speed dirt service road.

There are several sections combining VERY TIGHT CORNERS, with VERY LOOSE GRAVEL!!!

Use caution and pay attention.

All of these trails and roads get very limited activity. Large rocks, large and small logs and branches are common and should be expected.

TEAMS:

Teams of riders and runners may consist of 2-4 members. Each member of your team MUST sign his or her own individual event waiver.

Teams may mix and complete laps in any order they wish. The only rule here is that the team member that starts a lap must complete the entire lap, (no splitting or breaking up a lap).

Teams MUST exchange their bib number at the timing area and the team bib # must be carried on each lap by the racer completely that lap. Your bib must be available to show race staff on course.

Aid:

Aid and support may be handled in either (or both) of two ways.

The patio of the ski lodge/timing area is available (outside only!) for you to leave supplies, crew, family, team members, bikes, etc.

(Please organize and handle your aid as to not interfere with racers moving through the timing lanes, and check-in/check-out tables.)

Additionally you are allowed to leave the course to visit your vehicle or camping area to use as aid/support.

However you do it. It is your responsibility to check-in and check-out of each lap. We don’t care how you do it but we strongly suggest you check-in upon arrival, aid if you are using the deck, then check-out as you leave the deck. If you are going to a vehicle we strongly recommend you check-in, immediately check-out, then go to your vehicle prior to heading back out on course. It is up to you, but if you forget to check-in or out your lap will not count!

Emergency:

Any emergency on course, if you have a cell phone call 911 then Morgan at 303-475-6053 or Mike at 970-398-0612, Then, alert a rider to relay the information to the start/finish line. We are all in this together and keeping each other safe is most important to all of us.

Race Hard, Have Fun, Take a lot of Pictures and enjoy the Fierce Beauty of the Wolf.

TEAM GECKO,

MIKE, KIRSTEN AND MORGAN

Turkey Track is an old mountain classic trail race in its 6th year. Traditionally this is a spectacular 13.1 or 26.2 mile trail run on sweet single track, and with the start at 8,000 feet of altitude you're in for incredible mountain vistas and pristine mountain air as you follow the edges of dynamic canyons and through Ponderosa and Aspen forests. Plus your share of roots, rocks, turkeys and perhaps a little bit of mud! It has mellow elevation gain, less than 1,500’— the ideal early-season layout. Now in 2014 GECKO has added two distances 5k and 10k which is really the perfect transition from a 'road' to a 'trail'.

Besides the scenic trails, there are lots of reasons runners return year after year to this race,  here are a long list of 20 GREAT reasons to sign up:

Sign up at www.joingecko.org/xterraturkeytrack  

1. The race raises funds for GECKO (www.joingecko.org) a 501c3 Pagosa Springs based charity that aims to get kids off the couch, unplugged and outside!

2. We have a state of the art electronic chip timing system. You'll get accurate results fast.

3. All online entries are guaranteed a limited edition, race branded Coolmax Running Sock.

4.  Turkey Track is a race that prides itself on being a memorable day out. The friendly people of Pagosa Springs come out to make it so: aid stations are run by local community groups like the ATV Club Pagosa Trail Riders and the Pagosa Springs High School Cross Country team–the Pirates. They all run like clock work and are always well stock and well briefed.

5. We're iPod friendly if that's your thing.

6. Get points towards the XTERRA Colorado Trail Run Series.

7. Every finisher will get a famous handmade turkey foot adobe medals made by the local elementary school art class.

8. Winners receive handcrafted metal work trophies made by local artist Scott Slind.

9. Top Sponsor XTERRA Partners for on course fuel and great SWAG!

10. Killer after party at The Pagosa Brewing Company to celebrate a great day out.

11. Higher Grounds Coffee will be providing delicious hot coffee pre-race.

12. GECKO has many accommodation partners offering 15% discount to all athletes.

13. So you’re used to your course lead out being on a mountain bike, correct? Well at Turkey Track, ours is a cowboy on a horse. Welcome to Colorado!

14. In 2014 XTERRA Turkey Track has joined American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day which is a nationwide celebration of trails and an opportunity to celebrate our country’s 200,000+ miles of trails by participating in an outdoor event. Please join us on June 7th to unite in the effort to promote healthy living, protect green spaces and reinforce the importance of trails in our community.

15. 5k and 10k distances have been added – take your time, we’ll be out there all day anyway! Hike it or walk it if you can’t run, just have fun!

16. Pagosa Baking Company and DSP Pizzeria are providing delicious baked GECKO goodies at the finish line.

17. Why not take advantage of Pagosa Springs and soak in the Hot Springs afterwards (they are in the Guinness Book of World Records as the deepest!)

18. We don't mind if you run with you best 4-legged pal.

19. This year 5k and 10k distances have been added. If you're waiting for your family or friend to finish the marathon, why not run, jog or hike the 5k!

20. As always this event is included in the Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series.

Register now at 

http://www.joingecko.org/info.asp?uid=343

Turkey Track is a spectacular 13.1 or 26.2 mile trail run on sweet single track, and with the start at 8,000 feet of altitude you're in for incredible mountain vistas and pristine mountain air as you follow the edges of dynamic canyons and through Ponderosa and Aspen forests. Plus your share of roots, rocks, turkeys and perhaps a little bit of mud! This run has mellow elevation gain, less than 1,500’— the ideal early-season layout. It's really the perfect transition from a 'road' to a 'trail' race

This year introducing two new distances 5k and 10k - everyone can be part of the trail action! 

Besides the scenic trails, there are lots of reasons runners return year after year to this race,  here are lots of great reasons to sign up:

1. The race raises funds for GECKO (www.joingecko.org) a 501c3 Pagosa Springs based charity that aims to get kids off the couch, unplugged and outside!

2. We have a state of the art electronic chip timing system. You'll get accurate results fast.

3. All online entries are guaranteed a limited edition, race branded Coolmax Running Sock.

4.  Turkey Track is a race that prides itself on being a memorable day out. The friendly people of Pagosa Springs come out to make it so: aid stations are run by local community groups like the ATV Club Pagosa Trail Riders, the Roller Derby R.I.P team and the Pagosa Springs High School Cross Country team–the Pirates. They all run like clock work and are always well stock and well briefed.

5. We're iPod and Pet friendly if that's your thing.

6. Now part of the XTERRA Colorado Trail Run Series this year 5k and 10k distance have been added. As always this event is included in the Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series.

7. Every finisher will get a famous handmade turkey foot adobe medal, made by the local elementary school art class.

8. Winners receive handcrafted metal work trophies made by local artist Scott Slind

9. Top Sponsor XTERRA Partners for on course fuel and great SWAG!

10. Killer after party at The Pagosa Brewing Company to celebrate a great day out.

11. Why not take advantage of Pagosa Springs and soak in the Hot Springs afterwards (they are in the Guinness Book of World Records as the deepest!)

12. GECKO has many accommodation partners offering 15% discount to all athlete

13. So you’re used to your course lead out being on a mountain bike, correct? Well at Turkey Track, ours is a cowboy on a horse. Welcome to Colorado!

14. In 2014 XTERRA Turkey Track has joined American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day which is a nationwide celebration of trails and an opportunity to celebrate our country’s 200,000+ miles of trails by participating in an outdoor event. Please join us on June 7th to unite in the effort to promote healthy living, protect green spaces and reinforce the importance of trails in our community.

15. 5k and 10k distances have been added – take your time, we’ll be out there all day anyway! Hike it or walk it if you can’t run, just have fun!

Congratulations and safe & happy travels to the five 2014 NOLS scholars. 

2014 Scholars & NOLS Course

 Deja Chappell                                               Wind River Wilderness 

Angette Pastuszek                                       Alaska Backpacking 

Jessey Hampton                                          Baja Coastal Sailing 

Davin Hanley                                                Wind River Wilderness 

Heidi Williams                                              Alaska Backpacking and Sea Kayaking

 Look out for them at the GECKO races this summer and ask them about their trip!

Thank you to YOU for giving them this life-changing opportunity.