Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Part 2: The course.

Let's talk about the trail at Biltmore. First thing in the morning you
head out in the direction of the "Big House". The trails are often
carriage trails so they're wide enough for a jeep. They are not
particularly steep though they do have climbs. As starts go this will be
one of the less hair raising ones. It's nice because the road has plenty
of dips and turns that keep all of the horses except the ones just in
front of yours out of sight avoiding that "radar lock" on the horse 1/2
mile ahead runaway situation. These roads were built for the sake of
having roads, not to get somewhere, so there are many turns and they take
the gradual course of ascent and descent. These roads are also used by
jumpers and you'll often look up ahead only to see a large timber jump
appearing to block your path but when you get there there is always a "go
around". >whew<

There is one sizable climb on this loop but for the most part the
altitude changes at Biltmore are more like running up and down two or
three flights of stairs all day than climbing up the Empire State
Building and back down. After going through the woods you emerge near one
of the, honest to goodness "charming" estate caretakers cottages. If
you're lucky they may even have a water trough out at the road for you.
One of the water troughs comes complete with a pen full of cows right
beside it and they find endurance horses fascinating. They especially
love to stare until a  horse finally risks dropping his nose for a drink,
then they explode in every direction...every year it's the same. They
love that trick. You have one of your first asphalt crossings and may
ride the verge of the road at times on this loop. I cringe every time our
200 horses hit these groomed shoulders but I guess they know what they're
in for when they let us on the place.

We pass several stables and the Biltmore Restaurant which without fail
always seems to have a prom going the night of the 100. That's one of my
favorite things riding up through the dark late at night hearing the rock
music drifting in from the distance and the teens laughing. We ride just
outside their circle of light and they never know we're there. One year
they had floating lanterns on the lake.  On the customary first loop (I'm
guessing whether it will be first tomorrow) there was a little loop
within the loop that got a large group of us in trouble a few years back
when we missed the turn onto the loop and ended up back in camp. Perhaps
I should describe the method of marking at Biltmore to explain. The
trails at Biltmore are permanently marked with red, blue, white and
yellow arrows tacked to trees. They aren't the most noticable things in
the world and they don't go to a great deal of trouble putting up things
like red pie plates or flagging to catch you if you miss a turn. This
might not be too bad, considering that the markers are pretty close
together except for the fact that if you continue in the wrong direction
long enough chances are pretty good that you'll end up right back onto
the same color trail. The nature of the trails, meandering rather than
truly point to point make it very easy to take an unintentional short
cut. 

You know you're getting near the end of your first leg when you come down
the ridges and hit the road along the river...the sight of some of my
horse's most dramatic runaway episodes. For literally miles there is a
sod farm on your left, the river on your right, and a firm sandy road
with not a rock on it stretching out to the horizon. Your horse can see
every horse for a mile ahead and mine wanted to catch them all in the
next 60 seconds. This section of trail is nice to ride after dark with
the lights across the river shining on the water and the Biltmore Winery
all lit up over on the hill. 

My only Biltmore 100 ridecard that I have handy is from 1998 but I
thought I'd use the mileage from it as a guess what they'll have
Saturday. The first loop was 16.3 miles and we did it in 1:39. That's
moving on but if I remember correctly that was the day it got so
incredibly hot and their worst year ever as far as the effect it had on
the horses. We were making time early so we could take it later. We had a
30 min. hold and then headed out on a 20.9 mile loop.

At Biltmore they tend to give you a "tough ride sandwich". In the morning
you get the fast loop. In the evening you do two 12 mile "fast loops",
and in the middle you do those darned steep ridges on the "away from the
big house" end of the forest. The temps will be climbing, and the people
in camp will be suffering in the sun but once you hit those deep woods
it's a different world. The forests at Biltmore are old growth spruce
type trees. They are tall, the forest is thick, but there isn't much in
the way of low limbs or underbrush so it's cool and damp like a cave. The
climbs tend to be steep but if you'll walk your horse up and keep him
from building up his core temperature he'll never really get too hot in
those woods. The way I ride Biltmore is that I walk the steep stuff, and
literally gallop along the top of the ridges where it's level. He loves
that and it doesn't seem to take much out of him. Kaboot was a good
downhill horse so we made time there. The trails have changed a lot over
the last 10 years and now roots are a major factor on the trail. There
are LOTS of exposed roots that a horse's foot can slip off of wrenching a
joint. The roads you ride up the ridge have small stakes with their names
on them. You may climb the ridge on one, turn off on another, loop around
and find yourself crossing the road you climbed. You may be riding the
blue loop down a hill meeting riders on the red loop who are climbing it.
You may ride another mile and meet the SAME riders you passed a few
minutes ago. The potential for confusing is endless but if you pay
attention the trail is very well marked...you just have to follow it.  In
1998 the trail was broken up as follows:

1: 16.3 mi.
2. 20.9 mi.
3 21.1 mi.
4. 16.2 mi. 
5. 12. 3 mi.
6. 12.3 mi.

The 2,3, and 4 are those crisscrossing exposed root, up and down trails
while 1, 5, and 6 take you along the river and let you check out the
prom.

Vet checks.

The Vet Check at Biltmore is known as "tent city". There is not one
square inch of natural shade available in the heat of the day and crews
show up early staking out the prime spots...close to the P&R area but
within reach of the waterhose.  I have tried getting away with not
bothering with the tent by trying to outsmart those who have them. The
truth is, a tent only throws shade straight down at noon. I judged the
trajectory of the sun, figured what time of day I really wanted the shade
and set up my stuff on the side next to a tent where I figured it would
be throwing shade at that time. What I found was that the owner of a tent
*owns* the shade no matter where it hits...which is only fair but you
can't blame me for trying. >g<  The really serious people will not only
own a crank up tent, they'll be able to put it up without spreading the
directions out on the ground all day Friday. Then there's always somebody
like me who sends out to Walmart for the $13 dollar blue tarp on rickety
poles and has horribly unsafe guide wires tied to coolers and everything
else handy. I wouldn't get a horse near one of these away from a ride but
we've had 3 horses and people in lawn chairs under one without incident
at Biltmore.

The fact is the woods are COOL. The field is HOT...no that doesn't convey
it...the field is an OVEN. I've seen horses that were going down the
trail great come in at the vet check and seem to just have their
temperature climb up and stay there and refuse to come down. I cannot
emphasize enough what a factor the radient heat is. Last fall I had to
literally force my daughter, who was furious with me for being so bossy,
to get under someone's tent. She became ill from the heat, as was another
rider who left the vet check with us. They had both been fine coming into
the check.  Maybe Biltmore is the only ride where it's the vet checks
that'll kill ya. >g<

After the heat of the day passes and you have said, "Haven't I seen you
before" to riders going the other way on your trail so many times it's
not even slightly funny, you finally make it to the last 2 12.3 mile
loops. Now you're having fun. Your horse knows the way sort of, from this
morning...the trail is open and well maked with glow sticks. You can see
bobbing glow sticks on horses a mile ahead and a mile behind you in the
dark. The music from the prom is picking up and the sound of  the river
is on your left.  You do the loop once and can't wait to go out there and
do it again. Your last time around you're going to leave the open fields
along the river and up ahead you'll see what looks like a green "S" drawn
on one of those old "Light Bright" toys. It's just lights snaking up
against a black velvet background. That's your trail turning up through
the woods marked every few feet through the inky darkness with a glow
stick. The trail ends eventually a the base of a huge field and up ahead
at the top of the hill you're almost blinded by the bright lights they
have at the finish line. There are people sitting along on big logs that
are usually used for jumps, just waiting to cheer you as you ride in.
Since there are no awards Friday night all the 50's have to do is come up
and visit while waiting on you to finish.  You're done. Go to bed. The
awards will be in the morning and you don't want to be late for the fancy
catered breakfast.

It's 1:30 AM here...I'm about 1/2 packed. I'll get up around 5 and get up
there to see what's going on for you guys just as early as I can. It's
suddenly occured to me that since I'm not riding It's conceivable that I
could wear shorts to avoid the heat but since my "rider's legs" seldom
see sun I've got to get up in time to put on some fake tan or people
could go snow blind and horses may spook at me.

Biltmore by lunchtime.
Angie


t

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You don't have to be a 100-mile rider or a multi-day rider to be an
endurance rider, but if you want to experience the finest challenges our
sport has to offer, you need to do both of those.
~ Joe Long

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