2012 Grindstone 100, Aftermath
First night and first mistakes Our preparations and planning finally complete, the tents pitched and the pre-race briefing over, we set out about an hour before sunset. Most of us felt, I suppose, as I did: relieved to be moving at last, well-rested, maybe even a little giddy. Darkness came on swiftly. For all its immense distances and elevation changes, the first twelve hours of this race are weirdly intimate. Just you, the rocks underfoot, the dark trees, and your little bubble of light, bobbing after other little bubbles of light. The first mountain, Eliot's Knob, brings a welcome if challenging break in routine: a steep open gravel road with wide views of stars blazing overhead and the far lights of Staunton twinkling down below. The miles passed. Crawford Mountain, Dowell's Draft, and on towards Hankey Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Grindstone Mountain, and finally the endless climb from Chestnut Ridge to Little Bald Knob. ...