Originally Posted by
skilsaw
When I read your numbers, I thought, "I could never do that." But looking at the pictures, it appears that a lot of average people took the challenge. I need to set my sights higher. I could do it, or something similar if I set my mind to it.
Thanks for the inspiration.
About 1,100 of the 2,200 or so did the loop around the rim of Crater Lake. You had the option of riding up to the rim but not doing the loop around, which was the hardest part of the day.
There were definitely people who were "in over their heads" so to speak. More people get SAG rides than used to when I first did the event in '02. The day after the Crater Lake day, I saw people getting rides after the first food stop around mile 25 or so. A couple of the SAG vans were packed to the gills when they passed me at the start of the climb after the first food stop. Another day we saw several full (they can take about 10 people and bikes) SAG vans pull into camp, unload and then head back out on the course to pick up more people. But overall, it's a hardy group. One thing that had made it more "cushy" is the tent & porter service. They provide you with a tent, set it up for you and have your bag waiting at it when you arrive. I think there are 500 T&P slots, and they fill up extremely quickly. This year, the ride sold out on 40 min. The T&P service in about 10 min. Without the T&P service, you have to retrieve your own bag from the luggage drop area and pitch your own tent and do the reverse every morning. The cool thing is that there are "sherpas" to help with your bags. They are usually local high school kids. You tip them a couple of bucks per bag. The money is used to buy things like football uniforms or to pay for class trips. The goal of the event is to pump money into local economies that have been hit by the loss of timber and other jobs.