More Ascent

The supposed half mile to go to Barr Trail creeped by as I wound through trees and across little bridges constructed from knotted logs laid side by side. I knew the halfway point was just around the corner, just around the next corner, but it seemed that some conniving hand had crafted seven extra corners I had forgotten about from the last time I hiked the mountain. When I finally rounded the turn to the straightaway towards Barr Camp, I was thrilled to hear music blaring down the trail.

Barr Camp resembled an anthill more than it ever had, and I was taken aback by the countless volunteers scampering around in blue Ascent shirts. Two tables laid out on either side of the trail were burdened with finger foods- lunch meat rolled up in tortillas like little sushi balls, pretzels and grapes overflowing out of plastic bowls. There was a colorful array of skittles and M&Ms on the next table, nestled beside hundreds of Dixie cups full of water and gatorade.

"You can do it! You're looking great! Keep going!"

The enthusiastic shouts of the volunteers pushed me through the camp as I grabbed some grapes from the table and slowed to let a man fill my water bottle with water from a pitcher. "You're looking good!" he said. I smiled and muttered a thanks, then kept running past the party.

I passed the last boom box and threw the stem from my grapes within the trash zone. I thought I would be again enveloped by the silence of the mountain, but I was surprised when there came a booming voice somewhere above me. I couldn't make out the words it was saying, but I looked up to figure out what was going on.

A lady in front of me turned slightly to talk to me. "Are they finishing already?"

My jaw dropped as I identified the voice. It was the announcer at the top, celebrating the runners as they crossed the finish line. I could hear a man some 7 miles above me in the sky? And not only that, but people were already finishing and I was still at the halfway point?

My legs were a little tired, but I was ready to go join them. Three miles till treeline, and I knew I could run that in my sleep.