Elk Mountain Grand Traverse

[Poop~Ghost]

http://www.elkmountainstraverse.com/

Who's done it? Just curious about some first hand accounts.

[Shredhead]

There is a guy in "Hook UP" looking for a partner.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...grand-traverse

I've never done it, but I've seen them finish every year. Depending on the snow, the fast guys are usually finishing up just as the hill opens. They're all doing well, because they're uberfit, on decent equipment and they get to finish on groomed corduroy. Later in the day, some of the stragglers on tele or even XC gear trying to navigate the chopped up slush are really struggling.

I've seen one guy that looked like the ugly finish of the ironman and he was lucky to get down alive.

[JaytaeMoney]

uhh yeah, those exhausted dudes on xc skis trying to negotiate spar at 2pm do not look like they are enjoying themselves

kinda resembles a baby deer trying to stand and walk for the first time

[StanWagon]

I did it twice in 2000 and 2001 when the course was a bit easier. Getting through the gear check is a bit of a hassle as they go through everyone's packs in detail. And I would say that they make people carry too much water. But the event is very well managed and it is great to cover so much ground. I used lightweight touring skis with 3/4 metal edges, but it appears that now the lightest AT gear is what the fastest people use. Still, some with skate skis have put up good times in the past (though the new course might make that harder as there is more climb). Little skins can help make little skis work.

[randosteve]

did it two consecutive years in the mid 2000's. my partner was jay petervary, a well known endurance cyclist, and i think we placed in the top ten (like 9th/10th) both years.

-first year is was frigid cold and nearly half the people didn't finished. some had to be evacuation by heli due to the cold. i think we used waxable, non-metal edge xc-touring skis...and since it was cold, the kick wax worked great for the beginning stretch.

-the second year there was little snow and about 3 open-water creek crossings...and then is was cold and windy on star pass. my feet were cold. we used shorter length skate skis (~178cm) this time, so we could skate the flats and still wax if we wanted to...at least that was the plan.

both times i remember being darn cooked at the end of the race. it would be fun to try it again but with rando-race gear, which i think it has been won on once or twice in the last few years.

one thing that i thought was shitty, was the lack of organized transportation back to the start. we came from out of town and were kind of hosed since we didn't really have plans on how to get back. luckily, we got hooked up with some friends for the night in aspen...and then scored a free flight back to CB with the event organizers the next morning.

[AfroMullet]

i've done it once.

seems a good percentage, if not the majority, of the top guys these days use rando race gear. some others in the top use skate skis, although some of the downhill skiing would be very hard for an inexperienced skate skier.

i used waxless metal edge xc skis.

next time, i think rando race gear would be the ticket. my feet really hurt in the soft xc boots. plastic would be nice.

REALLY skinny skins...and a pair of half to 2/3 width skins.

the key is LIGHTWEIGHT and good glide for the flats and moderate downhills. 40 miles is a long ways...

and yeah, the gear list is extraneous, so really plan far in advance for how to get your pack weight to a minimum.