Subject: WS Safety Patrol Report Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 16:30:53 -0700 From: Jim Winne This report is mainly to provide information to those considering volunteering for Safety Patrol. However, runners may want to read about my day, as it may provide some insight as to why in a year with almost perfect conditions the finishing rate was so low and the finishing times for some so slow. Safety Patrol Organization: There are two Sections; Squaw Valley to Robinson Flat and RF to Foresthill. If you do the Squaw-RF section you can go on to FH if you wish. The Squaw - RF section is by foot only while RF - FH also has some mounted patrols. In each section there are three patrol groups, fast, medium and slow. You are asked to team with another patroller and to blend into the pack of your assigned (requested) group of runners. There will probably be several teams in the same group so the teams spread out within the specific runner group. Patrollers carry a minimal first aid kit, salt, Gu, hard candy, energy bars and extra water. Only the sweep team has a radio. Purpose: The Safety Patrol provides assistance to runners who may need minor medical help such as bandaging a cut. In more serious cases you will will either assist the runner to the nearest aid station or in extreme cases, one member will go get help while the other stays with the runner. You also can provide a bonked runner salt, water, Gu, energy bar or hard candy to get their energy level back up to get to the next aid station. Logistics: Runners are responsible for their own transportation and lodging. If you are doing Squaw - RF you will need to stay at Squaw on Friday Night as you start at 4:15AM. You will also have to arrange transportation for when you finish at RF. There is a bus which will take you to FH when the RF aid station closes at 3PM or in most cases you can catch a ride with one of the numerous crews. You still have the problem of transportation between FH/Squaw either before or after doing the patrol. If you are doing RF - FH, you will need to be in FH at 8AM Saturday morning where a bus will transport you to RF. Squaw Valley to Robinson Flat 30M 6/24/00 Mid pace group Conditions: Moderate temperatures; 50 at start, 80 by 1PM at RF. Clear and sunny. No snow at all, no mud but some fairly dusty sections. My day: At 4:15 I check in with Glenn Misono, Safety Patrol coordinator and receive my first aid kit and red t-shirt with a big white cross on the back identifying me as Safety Patrol. At 4:30 my team, Chuck Wilson, Ted Levine and Joe (sorry Joe, I forgot your last name) start the climb to the Escarpment. Our plan had been for the 4 of us to trade off partners during the day, so we made the climb together. We take our time and shortly after reaching the top, Scott Jurak came blasting up. The race was afoot! We waited a few minutes for the real fast folk to clear and then started down the trail. The next 10 miles were spent encouraging the runners as we stepped aside to let them pass. We encountered no one needing assistance between Squaw and Lyon Ridge. The fast patrol group was ahead of us and we were the first of the mid pace teams. Joe, Ted Chuck and I tried to stay spread out but the runners were so jammed up still, we were always within a line of runners of each other. At Cougar Rock we stopped to take pictures and because my hip was tightening, I told Chuck I'd walk on down the trail and he could catch up. Shortly after this I encountered my first problem of the day, a runner who was cramping. I stopped and gave him some salt and made sure he drank plenty of water. As I was standing by the side of the trail with him, a long line of runners passed and I thought I saw my team out of the corner of my eye. After a few minutes the runner felt OK so we took off down the trail. Thinking Chuck was in front of me, I pushed on into Red Star Ridge without encountering any more problems. At Red Star I checked to see if my team had come through but the only other letter I could remember was Joe's "O". I was told he left 15 minutes before, so I headed out to catch them. I soon encountered another runner having stomach/energy problems. I gave her a hard candy and a Gu and walked with her for awhile. As we talked she told me she thought she had run too hard at altitude. She also said that in '98, a snow year, she didn't have any problems and felt the snow slowed her down, unlike this year. I was to hear this a number of times before the day was over!!! This runner soon regrouped and she had no more started running than I encountered another with stomach problems. The pattern for the day had been set. Encounter a runner having problems, do what I could for them and stay with them as long as needed or until I encountered someone in worse shape. I figured as long as the first one was moving they'd be OK and if they had more problems I'd encounter them again. I realized by this point I probably wasn't going to catch up with my team, but knew if I ran into a serious problem there were other patrollers behind me and in a crisis I would decide whether to stay with the runner or go immediately for help. Between Duncan Canyon and RF I spent the whole time with people having problems. One guy had a foot problem causing him some pain, but was determined to push on and finish (he did). I encountered a number of nausea/cramps victims, most of whom said they had gone out too fast, and several people who were out of water. I gave away all I had and as it turned out, didn't drink anything myself for the last 1.5 hrs. The last hour was spent with the worst case of the day. I encountered him sitting by the side of the trail 1.5M from RF. I asked him if he was all right and he said he was sick/dizzy and had been throwing up. I spent the next hour with him trying to make it to to RF. He'd walk a little, throw up, walk a little more, sit down, walk a little, throw up, repeat. But make it he did, and he even recovered enough to get out of RF! 15 minutes after arriving at RF, here comes my team - they'd been behind me the whole time! I told them I was told "O" had left Red Star before me. Only later did it dawn on us the the who the "0" really was :-) Conclusions: Great (only logical) way to see the first part of the course before actually doing the race. Got to see even the fast folks during the race (first time I've ever been in front of all the big dogs!). Learned a lot about how to "run/not run" this part of the course by seeing how it affected a wide range of people. Rewarding experience, as I felt like I helped several people make it who might not have otherwise. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Winne Walnut Creek, CA E-Mail: ultrajim@pacbell.net Guide to Ultra Courses: http://www.fortunecity.com.olympia/montana/5