Climbing up the Dazel Photo courtesy of Elliot McAllister

Editor’s Note: Elliot McAllister is one of 50 people currently competing in the 2005 Alaska Ultra, which follows the famed Iditarod route. Only instead of mushing dogs, contestants either ski, bike or run their way from Knick Lake (near Anchorage) to Nome, 1,100 miles of unadulterated hardship. Racing in his fourth Alaska Ultra, Elliot will ride his bike across the frozen tundra, chasing fellow biker Mike Curiak, who set the course record of 15 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes in 2000. He is sending us updates of the race whenever he steps in from the cold - so read on and stay tuned.

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Friday, March 11, 2005

I pulled outta Skwentena Checkpoint after a few hours rest and re-coup. Had a mountain burger and a few cokes. The trail looked like it was going to set up great and I wanted to get a jump on the Shell hills before night came in. The first part of the trail out of Skwentena was pretty torn up from snow machine traffic, but once I got back on the trail, it was a cake walk to the bottom of the Shell hills.

The trail leads into the hills over a marshy area and a drainage that empties into the Skwentna River. It's a really cool trail to ride when it's hard and fast, because there are banks and turns about 2-4 feet high that you can rally the bike and drop in and out of. If you get to pumping it just right, you can go a while without having to pedal...that is if you aren't dragging an anchor behind you. (I nicknamed my sled PUNT, and if I could, I'd light it on fire! It is slowing me down so much right now, and that's not what I need.)

Night set in as I was climbing, err pushing up the hills which gain around 600 feet in elevation. By the time I was coming to the top, I was seeing signs of other racers facing similar frustrations...like some one scribbled "BIG RING NOW!" in the snow. And there were a few snow angels as well, (it's what happens when you get the sleepies, and fall off the bike while riding).

It was around 2AM when I got to the top, or what I figured was the top, and since I hadn't slept yet I was a bit loopy. I figured that that's why I thought the trail seemed to go back on itself. Figured better to bivy than get cold. Cloe Lanthier, Jeff Brandier, Riji Sakata happened by a few hours later and checked on me to make sure I was OK. They were below me when the temperature dropped and had to deal with getting chilled quickly while on the river. I followed their tracks the next day to the Shell Lake lodge...

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