On February 13th, I traveled to Grants, NM to compete in the Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon with a few of my crazy dog friends. The Quadrathlon is a 44 mile race that includes biking, running, skiing and snowshoeing all the way to the top of Mt. Taylor, then you turn around and go all the way back down! Some people run the race all by themselves (very impressive!) and the rest either pair up, or find 4 different people to form a team. We formed 2 teams and set out to conquer the world!!! (ok - maybe just Mt. Taylor and not the world)
Here is the complete description of the race from thier web page:
The Quad is a 42 mile race to the top and back of the highest peak in Northwest New Mexico. The race is staged in Grants, New Mexico. Grants is located 1 hour west of Albuquerque on I-40.
Mt. Taylor is 11,301 ft. high. The race constists of 4 parts; road bikes, running, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing. If this is your first visit, here is a description of the race:
Bike:
Racers begin at an elevation of 6,500 ft. with a 13 mile road race through the streets of Grants and then begin the 1,700 foot climb from desert cactus to ponderosa pine.
Run:
At the end of the paved road, bikes are parked and racers must run the next five miles on gravel roads. The road generally starts out dry but usually turns to snow pack. This part of the course will climb 1,250 feet in elevation.
Cross County Ski:
Runners then turn to cross-country skis to challenge the next 1,200 foot climb of the mountaineering ski course that covers two miles. During the final yards of this course you must face the notorious "Heart Break Hill" that lies waiting for weary racers.
Snowshoe:
The remaining one mile climb on snowshoes gains 600 feet to reach the 11,301 foot summit of Mt. Taylor where a person can see for over one hundred miles on a clear day.
and then...
The race is only half over. You must reverse the four events and race the 21 miles back to the Start/Finish line. Watch our 2 part video in the video section below for a more detailed description of the race.
Since I like snowshoeing, I volunteered to take on the top of the mountain. The snowshoers got an extra workout in since they only drove us to the run/ski transition.
From there, we had to walk the 2 miles up hill (1000 ft elevation gain) to get to our transition.
At 10,700 ft, we waited paitiently for our teammates to arrive so we could head to the top. I was probably waiting 2 hrs up there. Luckily the sun was out - that helped it feel warmer than it was. There was a slight breeze that reminded us all that it is still winter and we're on a mountain. After much anticipation, I finally got to take off for the top! The first 1/2 mile was fairly easy as it went around the side of the mountain. At the halfway point, the trail turned upward and climbed the last 600 ft to the top.
The view was great from the top and I had to stop and get a quick picture by the sign.
1/2 way to the top, there was an aid station (Edge of the World bar). On the way up, they offered you water. On the way back down, they offered you some Jack Daniels, Tequila or other liquid warmth! I had one shot of tequila and finished my leg of the race.
In order to get back off the mountain, I had to snowshoe back down the 2 miles to the run/ski transition. I found a couple people to walk with and we had a nice time. Our team wasn't the fastest out there, but we had a great time! If I go back next year, I'm considering doing both the ski and snowshoe parts since I pretty much did them both anyway. I just need to find someone who wants to do the bike & run portion. :)
