View Full Version : SCAR - Smokies Challange Adventure Run
full conditions
06-02-2010, 09:42
The current record for completing the AT through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 15:57.01 and was set this year on May 15 by Jon Lawler of Knoxville. This Saturday Jamie Cook and Jerimiah Wiggins of Bryson City are going to take a crack it. Their plan is to leave Davenport Gap at midnight and arriving at Fontana Dam sometime around 4:00 pm. I'm helping with support for them and will meet them at Cliingman's Dome (probably around 9 am) with food and drinks - they've got some other folks meeting them at Newfound Gap and Spence Field. I'll post their results on Monday.
Good Luck to them.
I had a group of friends run it this past weekend -don't know their time.
I think they only had one aid point. A couple of extras should help.
Again, good luck.
seanb724
06-02-2010, 12:10
I'm heading out in the other direction, starting at Fontana Dam Shelter, probably leaving around 5 a.m. My full SCAR attempt will have to wait -- I am recovering from Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever as well as a bacterial infection, and don't feel I am ready for 70+ miles. So 40 will have to do.
Just so you know, Clingman's dome road is closed, so you'll have to hike in whatever you want to bring if you are going to meet them there.
The guys that ran it last weekend had a few finishers in under 24 hours, but they were going in what is considered the more difficult direction (northbound).
Good luck to your guys! Maybe I'll see them. :-)
full conditions
06-02-2010, 12:27
Good luck to you Sean! What time do you estimate for yourself to Newfound? I'll definitely tell my guys to be on the lookout for you. Happy trails - and yes, I'm aware of the road closure to Clingman's but I love that hike so its cool. Happy trails.
seanb724
06-02-2010, 12:49
I'm actually taking Fork Ridge trail down to camp site 53, where my "crew" will be (hopefully) waiting for me. That is about 3.5 miles past (north of) Clingman's and then 5 miles down to the camp site.
I haven't settled on an exact time to leave, but it will probably be around 5 a.m. I should probably be to Clingman's somewhere around 3 or 4 p.m. Saturday. (I really lost a lot of fitness - and weight! - with Rock Mtn Spotted Fever so I don't know how I am going to perform just yet. If I feel good I should be faster than that, but that is a conservative guesstimate!)
seanb724
06-02-2010, 12:52
Oh, I'm leaving Saturday a.m. at 5 a.m.... If your runners are shooting for 16 hours I'll probably cross paths with them somewhere around Thunderclap.
Good luck to them, but why did they wait so late in the season? too hot & humid for optimum running conditions
full conditions
06-02-2010, 13:22
Definitely too hot and humid for me but these guys are pretty ectomorphic so for them the heat's not a big deal and I think they wanted the extra daylight.
Ox97GaMe
06-02-2010, 22:44
better have alterative plans.... Clingman's Dome road is still closed and wont be open for this weekend.. I know htis for a fact because we are doing the National Trails Day project in the park and they wont let us have crews in that area.
which brings up point #2. There will be a lot of trail work going on between Newfound Gap and Charlies Bunyon Saturday starting at 8am. There will be roughly 100 volunteers repairing trail in that section and may slow you down a bit. you wont be allowed to pass through a section that is under repair just because you are trying to set a speed record. All hikers will be stopped anytime the portion of the trail is being tore down and rebuilt. There are a couple of dangerous leaning trees that are planned to be removed as well and the trail will be blocked off while that cutting is being done.
All that said.. I hope that you are successful on the attempt. you may have a bit better luck if you postpone it by 2 weeks though when Clingman's Dome road is targeted to be opened.
seanb724
06-07-2010, 16:08
Hey Full Conditions, I'd love to hear more about what happened to your runners. I finally saw one about 2 hours later than I expected and we talked for about 30 seconds... He said the other guy got sick and he had to help him get to the crew? So what happened?
I ran pretty much as I expected, from Fontana to Mt Collins shelter trail (half way for a full SCAR) and then cut down fork ridge trail to a camp site at the bottom of the hill where my friends were waiting... About 42 miles, right around 20:00 pace or 24 hours if I had done the whole thing. I felt strong enough to have done the whole course and if Clingman's Dome Road had not been closed, may have opted for that option (because I would have had better opportunities for support early on)...
full conditions
06-09-2010, 08:16
Sorry for the report delay folks. Jamie Cook finished his SCAR attempt with a time of 20:11. Jerimiah Wiggins dropped out at Newfound Gap due to some pretty severe blisters and splits in the skin of his feet. Jamie said the first 12 miles were a nightmare of ankle deep water that never really relented until they reached Mount Guyot - by then the damage was done - Jerimiah had to hobble out to Newfound and Jamie stayed with him until then. When I saw Jamie at Clingman's Dome he seemed strong and positive but fairly bummed about his partner having to drop out. I havent talked to Jamie since getting the time from his wife but 20 hours is still not too shabby.
seanb724
06-09-2010, 09:08
That's a great time if he had to help out his running-mate! He looked pretty good when I saw him.
I had to duct tape my left foot as I started to get a split in it as well. That was probably about mile 30. My feet had been wet all day and some blisters I got from a barefoot run about 5 or 6 weeks ago had not completely healed. The duct tape got me through my last 10-12 miles without any issues.
My report is here:
http://blog.2sparrows.org/2010/06/08/half-scar-plus/
It is a little long! :-)
SeanB, that's a great report you wrote. The weight loss from illness probably had a greater impact than you mentioned -- I'd almost bet that most of the weight you gained back prior to the run was water weight, not muscle. Glad you didn't have to outrun the bear! I definitely admire you for pushing ahead and giving it a go regardless. I look forward to reading about more of your runs.
innermountain
06-15-2010, 21:18
Good for them for giving it a go! And absolutely 20 hours isn't too shabby.
Great Run, Sean. The report was excellent and details valuable.
Thanks for takin' us on the ride.
jjj