| Steve Dougherty ~ Apr 19, 2014 |
| Twenty-six hikers converged on the Marys Peak North Trail trailhead at 7:15 am. Packs were weighed and instructions given. Mike Pennington was stationed on the summit to record finish times and Dr. Mark Olson volunteered to serve as the sweeper. We started the hike promptly at 7:30 am. It was breezy at the trailhead and Mike Pennington informed us via mobile phone that it was very windy and cold on the summit. The trail was in excellent shape; completely snow-free with only a single large fir tree, laying across the trail. Performances this year would be 5-6 minutes better than last year due to the excellent trail conditions. Once out of the trees, near the summit, the wind howled from left to right across our path and a light mist fell. Very near the finish, where the trail wraps around the communication buildings, one could feel the strong wind noticeably pushing you up the hill. In 2013 Mike Pennington was the only one to break the 90 minute mark. In 2014, twelve hikers broke 90 minutes, making this group the fastest ever. The fastest time of the day went to George Apatachioae (1:21). Note: Barb Belcher did the hike on the Monday before with a twenty pound pack in the same time . After taking a group photo, a steady rain was making the cold and windy conditions even less bearable. The group retraced the route and hurried for the protection of the trees. Not long after entering the trees the precipitation moderated along with the wind and we enjoyed a cool but comfortable walk back to the cars. Below see the participants, their finish times and their pack weights. Apatachioae, George 1:21 (34) Apeltauer, Milan 1:41 (30) Benetiz, Fernando 1:27 (32) Blair, Jesse 1:47 (32) Blanton, Craig 1:23 (32) Bloche, David 1:26 (26) Crook, Geoff 1:31 (32) DeLaune, Michael 1:34 (28) Dougherty, Steve 1:30 (27) Gillman, Janet 1:41 (21) Gray, Phillip 1:35 (34) Gurley, Michael 1:27 (26) Hatch, Ryan 1:28 (27) Howe, Jay 1:23 (24) Huebsch, Drew 1:26 (30) Jacobson, Eric 1:27 (32) Jaindl, Ray 1:43 (30) Jamison, John 1:43 (27) Lalley, Craig 1:41 (??) Lalley, Samuel 1:40 (??) McHugh, Michael 1:41 (32) Monette, Roger 1:27 (30) Olson, Mark 1:48 (30) Reese, Amber 1:48 (23) Salaz, Chris 1:26 (31) Smith, Mason 1:27 (26) |
| Drew Huebsch ~ Apr 21, 2014 |
| Thanks Steve for another great day. This is my second year participating in your Mountain Fitness Hike and this year was just as fun as the last. The wind and rain this year added an slightly different element than last years snow, but it was equally as enjoyable. It also gave me a chance to meet a few new people. Thanks again Steve for all you do. |