This year Surly was able to get some team volunteers pointed in the right direction to set up and maintain Checkpoint 3 aka Ski Pulk at the Arrowhead 135 race this year. Arrowhead is "A 135 MILE POINT TO POINT RUN, BIKE OR SKI RACE ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA AT HOPEFULLY THE COLDEST TIME OF YEAR." Surly has been a sponsor from the beginning.
There are three check points along the arduous trail. The check point Surly manned this year was located roughly at mile 110. The racers on foot, ski and bike are usually close to destruction, those that even make it that far.
In planning for the manning our small group of enginerds, sales, projects and products worked out a plan to take over the joint. We brought the recently acquired (last Frostbike) Kifaru 16 man tipi and the new Four Dog Shepard stove with a 4 gallon water reservoir. The stove was researched and purchased by Master Gray. We also brought along deer boy, some signs of encouragement, tiki torches, fireworks, bikes and Thor's tub of fun.
The first team out was Me, Amy, Thor and Ben. We rolled into International Falls to partake in the volunteer meeting with the race directors and other volunteers. Everyone we met was stoked on the race and doing their part. After the meeting we tucked ourselves in and rested up to the long day ahead.
Or maybe we bounced around local bars till we couldn't find an open one to serve us. Same same.
The next morning started early. The race kicks off in International Falls, MN at Kerry Park at 7AM. After seeing the racers off and packing up the vans we headed out to the checkpoint to get set up.
We finished up well before any racers were expected to make it into our camp. I think all of us were stoked to be there for the racers so we only had a quick break out for lunch and back we came to stoke the fires and wait. We waited for hours till about 7:30PM when the first group arrived. It was dark and they came in hard and fast. I did not get any pictures. They were a determined bunch who were all obviously there to be the fastest. I was able to snag a few more racer images after that initial rush.
The above is the only picture I got of our Gray Boy. He rolled in shortly after midnight which was when the next team was coming on board to take over. Bob, Steven and Jeff were on for the midnight shift. Amy, Thor, myself and Ben had been on for 17 hours and Amy and I were on deck for the 7AM shift. I set up my bedding on the rug in the tipi. I thought with the stove that it would be pretty cozy but because I needed to stay on the outskirts and was on the ground it was quite cold. Thor loaned me his sleeping bag before he left for the motel so I could double up. I was finally not shivering and fell asleep. I am pretty sure I slept for 2 or 3 hours before the noise of vomiting woke me up.
There was a racer hunched over vomiting next to my head. I rolled away hoping nothing had splashed on me. As I listened to the retching I knew I should get up to check on him. Fortunately for us he had caught all the bile in his cup. A true champion in my book. He didn't have much in his stomach as he said he had been struggling with his nutrition. Part of our responsibility there is to pull people that seem like they may be too far gone to continue. I talked with this racer and he was able to speak coherently and explain what had happened and what he was going to do next. So after a short sit, off he went into the darkness.
I went back to sleep only to wake up another hour or two later to a racer eating our leftover pizza. I heard the word pizza in my sleep and woke up knowing someone was breaking the "self-supported" portion of the race. We were told not to give food or a place to sleep to the racers. So up I got to police the pizza and wake up another snoring racer. Racers can sleep, just not in the tipi. And apparently neither can I. I decided to stay up at this point and just charge forward. Amy and I would be on point until Thor and Ben took over at 2PM.
This is Ben. He had no problems sleeping in the tipi. NONE.
Mr Roosevelt at his roost.
This man is HARDCORE. He stayed at our checkpoint for 3 minutes. Then went on to win the running portion of the race beating the record by over 3 hours. BOSS.
First true snow beard of the race goes to B.P.R man.
I love the fact that people were complaining about the weight of their cookies and goo packets and this guy brought his teddy with zero fucks given.
The terrain is not only cold, snowy and long, it is also very, VERY, hilly.
It hurts.
Dogs are great.
Harvey!
By the end of the 3 day event we tore down our little encampment and set it on fire. The whole ordeal was a damn good time. No one slept long, everyone busted their asses and it was great to be apart of.
Don't forget to see the sights along the way.