Off The Wagon- Bow80 2009... And You thought last year was FUN?

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Off The Wagon- Bow80 2009... And You thought last year was FUN?
Author Message
O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 9:08 Quote
Anyone have any photos of the white-out/snow conditions. I'm trying to explain to people what it was like...no-one believes me that it could have been that bad!

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 9:38 Quote
My wife was one of the volunteers shuttling people back to the start who had dropped out. She took back a couple of volunteers who had managed to start a fire up on the mountain somewhere to keep warm.....how in the hell do you start a fire in snow, sleet, rain !!!

Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 11:04 Quote
Well...that was fun!

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 11:22 Quote
petemac wrote:
Anyone have any photos of the white-out/snow conditions. I'm trying to explain to people what it was like...no-one believes me that it could have been that bad!

See, now I would think that your credibility as a Bow 80 rider would be such that if you say it was bad people would KNOW it was bad.

I was just telling a co-worker the story of how when I came upon the checkpoint atop the Jumping Pound ridge (or is that Cox at that point) that had the Pirate theme. I gave my best hearty Arrrr, but as I stood on my pedals I got this odd cramp that went from my groin to my knee. My Arrrr became a much higer pitched AAAAAAAh!

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 11:36 Quote
yup, that was epic!

Those First Aid Ladies sure ran a tight ship, and made a mean cup of Hot Chocho!

PaddyH

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 11:59 Quote
I think that I just stopped shivering about 20 minutes ago.

The guys at feed zone 2 were awesome and let me sit in their vehicle for 3 hours with the heat blasting! By that point I had pretty much lost most cognitive abilities and motor control.

Oh well, I guess that is what I get for dropping my jacket at feed zone 1.

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 12:00 Quote
Kudos to all the volunteers. I was stopped at the first drop out point with frozen hands, told the race was cancelled. Had to look to make sure I was actually holding on and/or braking comming down Jumpingpound Ridge. Several other riders in worse shape also stopped at this CP. This was the best thing the organizers could have done, as it would have been carnage on the west side of Cox Hill if they had have let people continue. Thanks to the shuttle driver from the "Spin Sisters Club" for the shuttle back in luxury. Cheers

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 12:24 Quote
That was epic!! A huge thank you and congratulations to the volunteers who helped to pull the event off despite crazy weather. And congrats to all the riders who braved the conditions.

While I probably would have pushed on as the weather cleared I was defintily considering pulling the pin myself. And honestly the organizers had no choice with riders on all sections starting to go hypothermic. Those were some of the harshest conditions I've ridden in and when my bike derailleurs froze up going across Jumpinpound/Cox and I could hardly feel my fingers and toes, well let's say I wasn't crushed when the cut the race off.

O+
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 12:34 Quote
chrissa wrote:
So who won? Big Grin

the lady making the hot chocolate in the medic trailer !!..closely followed by the bbq

Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 17:12 Quote
chrissa wrote:
So who won? Big Grin

Cory Wallace

Although A big "win" to the Hula Girls at the top of Cox giving out huge tubs of Gummy bears. I swear, those Gummy's saved my life.

Anyone else still have frozen finger tips? Mine are still numb...I'm guessing some nerve damage...may need to see the doctor about it the feeling doesn't come back later in the week.

Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 17:39 Quote
Hats off to anyone remotely involved in the race. I was volunteering at Checkpoint 17, second from top of Cox. Here is my email to Bob around noon. Thought you guys might enjoy it. I can't believe the girls at Checkpoint 16, top of Cox they deserve a medal.

Bob, just got home. I had to leave checkpoint 17. I can see why 17 is not a big seller for volunteers. I hope Ian is alive tell him I feel bad for leaving him but I had a bad strategy. In the morning I pushed bike up Cocks&%$ker hill thought it was partially rideable but with the rain no way and I ended up with 2 massive blisters. It had been few years since I did that loop and I had never been up Cox always down figured I would give it a try. NOW I KNOW WHY the loop is the preferred route. The blisters though massive were the least of my worries. I almost froze to death at the top but tried to stay for Ian's sake. How the f&%k anyone finishes that race today, my hat is off to them. Again, just wanted to tell you sorry for bailing but now that I am home and warm it is a very small sorry and a very large thank the f&$k I left. Forgot to check it at Station Flats as well. I know there is a prize for the best volunteer station do I get one for being the worst individual volunteer. I will say hi when I am in the shop next.

Thanks again, good luck today. I am not a religious person but god bless all those poor bastards out there.

Thanks for all the posts I googled to see what happened after I left. If anyone has any pictures please post. Quite seriously if I had a camera I could not hold it. Coming down Cox my hands were so frozen I thought I was going to die. All I kept saying to myself was, "People are going to die out here today". I am not one for drama but that was running through my brain the whole time.

I told Bob he can keep the T-shirt but he is giving me one anyways, lol.

Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 20:02 Quote
hats off to the volunteers! I especially appreciated the pirates, the folks who started the fire and the girls with the candy on top of cox hill.

I was so bummed when I heard that they called the race, I even asked the people at the final check point if I could keep going. Once I got on the bus things changed in a hurry, my hands felt like they were burning and I shivered and chatter my teeth uncontrollably for a good 20 minutes. I still have 2 numb finger tips but I figure feeling should come back within a couple of weeks. I still cannot believe that there had to be a freak blizzard when we're having +30 weather on either side of the race ... go figure, good way to break in my first Bow 80. Now I have to sign up for next year, all the mud in the world won't faze me after this year. I still had a blast and thanks to the organizers for preventing a complete yard sale

Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 20:37 Quote
My fingers are still completely numb. That can't be good.

Yes, as awful as I felt I felt much worse for the volunteers. I could not believe what a bunch of troopers they were! I told the crew at the top of Cox to get the heck out of there before they froze to death. I was serious. They replied by cheering me on!! Oh, and asking me what my number was since my plate was covered in snow. The volly's at feed #2 were awesome too, trying to get my non-operating zipper closed. My hands were so useless I had no chance of getting it to work.

I swear that race is cursed.

Posted: Sep 22, 2009 at 0:20 Quote
Well that was the worst "snow 80" I've ever been in!

1st mistake: (other than getting out of bed) I was roasting on the sulphur springs climb so I gave my jacket to one of the volunteers to drop back at the finish line for me.

2nd one: Again totally overheating I didn't bother to pick up my vest at feed zone 1.

After that is was a cascade of one bad thing after another. With the cold temps I started cramping like mad. So I ate more "vitamin I". 1200 mg total I believe.

The snow started when I was nearing the top of JP and it came like a nice cold punch in the face. I was soaking wet right through to my socks. It started as snow pellets, then turned to sleet, and by the time I got to the summit trail junction was a full on blizzard of loonie sized flakes complete with no visibility, and 40 km/h winds.

I thought conditions might improve as I descended to cox but it just got worse and worse. By far the above tree line cox climb was the most cold I've ever been on a bicycle. Last year we got caught in a thunderstorm on the highwood pass complete with lightening and marble sized hail and this was much worse!

How does soaking wet in shorts and a jersey on top of a mountain in a blizzard sound? Allow me to apologise to anyone I passed on the way down as my glasses were frozen over, I couldn't feel my hands or feet at all, and all I wanted was to be anywhere BUT there.

Oh and to top it all off I got chain suck!

Thanks to Jon for pulling the plug early and getting the ball rolling with the volunteers on ordering buses.

Thanks Bow for having a semi warm school bus there at 11:57 waiting for me. Larry O sat at Dawson for hours guarding thousands of dollars worth of bikes left behind while many different people with a trucks shuttled them back to station flats.

Those wree the best 6 Spolombos I've ever eaten in one sitting...


 


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