2007 - Year 6 - Spring Mountain Highway Madness

What was unique and exciting about the 6th annual Spring version of the mountain Highway Madness? Most noticeable was the impact of the new, improved start of daylight savings time which had gone into effect a week earlier.  It was pitch black when we woke up and equally as dark as we made our way to the start of the run in the Lynn Valley area of North Vancouver.

The weather Gods had not been kind of late.  It had been raining heavily in the Vancouver area for at least a week.  I'm sure the promise of a pause in the monsoons motivated many participants in today's run, as elsewhere in the city it was dry and spring-like.  However, as early arrivals huddled with me in the car to stay warm and dry to the last possible minute, we concluded it would be another wet one in the mountains.

The sound of rushing water was everywhere.  Creeks were full to bursting and the waterfall that marks the start of Mountain Highway Madness drowned out the start line announcements.  There were still a large number of fallen trees on and next to old Mountain Highway from the harsh winter wind storms and the dirt road itself was gouged from the effects of the torrential monsoons.

Cheryl and Craig opted to get a lap in early and make it back in time for the starter photo, but rain was falling fairly hard so we started on time. (Sorry, guys!)  On the morning after St. Patrick's Day, Irish John looked in good spirits.  Find any leprechauns last night, John?  New Club Fat Ass members Marg and Felicia were surely wondering what they had got themselves into as everyone headed up the road and into the rain and fog.

The promised lull in the storm came roughly 10 minutes into the run when everyone was soaked.  It was so misty and humid, however, few runners noticed that the rain had stopped.

Wade and I had run the course a few weeks earlier and found the snowline at roughly 5K up the road.  The warmer weather and rains had cleared away almost a kilometer of snow, but left about the same before the turnaround point.

There were first a few patches of snow, but coming around a switchback, it was as if there was over a meter of cold mushy stuff in the path. Andy and some of the lead runners found themselves following in the footsteps of Cheryl and Craig.  Step in the wrong spot and you were in snow to above your knees!  Even for those runners who benefited from misery of those who passed before, it was slow going as they sank to mid-calf.

As if on cue, a brilliant spring sunshine broke through the clouds as we regrouped for brunch at the Mosquito Creek Grill.  Craig, Cheryl, Baldwin and Wade we still slogging it out as we toasted their good health and longevity on the trails with a cool, lager. Many thanks to North Shore Athletics and TrailRunner Magazine for the draw prizes and the MosquitoCreek Grill for the free pint.

Ean Jackson
Host of Mountain Highway Madness

To see more photos, please go here for a slideshow.