Ridecamp: [RC] great 100 milers & dreams...

Barbara's not the only one with the ability to shamelessly plug a ride!  I
think the Big Horn is definitely one of the toughest 100 milers in the
country.  The Big Horn 100 mile ride started in 1971.  It predates AERC
and I believe it may be the second oldest 100 miler in the country.  It
was twice the site of the Race of Champions.  It starts in Shell, Wyoming
at 4,000 ft.  The ride climbs up to over 10,000 ft.  at its highest point.
 The temperature can, and does, range from 104 degrees F in the desert to
20 F degrees and snowing in the mountains.  I have photos showing riders
in the snow that I'd be glad to email to anyone who doubts this!  The
canyons have brutal climbs and there is plenty of rock to keep your
attention.  The views are beyond breathtaking.  As for dreams, I heard a
quote from an extreme skier who said something along these lines:  "Even
the most beautiful dream can turn into a nightmare in an instant."  That
describes lots of endurance riding, especially 100 milers.  As several of
us stated about doing 100s...it's mental.  I was pulled 5 miles from the
finish line at Tevis for being overtime...that was a nightmare.  I
finished the Big Horn in a cast with my foot broken in 4 places...that was
a nightmare.  On a 100 miler last year Frank S. and I were caught in a
truly terrible lightening storm and flood that washed out the trail
completely and stranded us in a sea of slippery mud and raging streams...a
true nightmare.  Once on the BH it was snowing so hard that I couldn't see
my horse's white ears and you couldn't see the markings, especially the
chalk on the road...that was a nightmare.  BUT, every nightmare fades into
the sweetest dream when your horse trots across the finish line and passes
the final vet.  All the discomfort, trials and tribulations fade or become
great stories!  Ride 100s...there is no other sense of accomplishment on
horseback that even comes close.  That's my inspiration every time I think
life is tough.  I close my eyes and imagine a horse under me galloping
across a 100 mile finish line.  Then, I know I can do anything.  Cindy


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