The Inferno

Generally, sitting and watching other people do something is about the worst possible use of your time. But every rule has its exception. The annual “Inferno” race held each April in the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire is one of them. You can’t watch the best parts of the Inferno without being pretty darned active yourself.

The Inferno is borderline insanity.

It starts in the frosty morning air with an 8.3 mile run from Glen to Bartlett, followed by a 7.5-mile kayak leg down the Saco River from Bartlett to North Conway. The kayaking leg is followed by an 18-mile bike ride from North Conway to Pinkham Notch. This ride is uphill most of the way, with over 2,000 feet of vertical rise. After the bike ride comes a 3.5 mile hike (and another 2,500-foot altitude gain) from Pinkham Notch to the bowl of Tuckerman Ravine, again, uphill almost every step of the way. And finally, there’s a climb-up, ski-down Giant Slalom ski or snowboard race, totaling about 600 vertical feet.

Whew!

But it’s all for a good cause. The event benefits The Friends of Tuckerman Ravine, a non-profit group which helps protect and preserve this popular hiking destination.

The Inferno is run both by single individuals (men and women) who do all five events in the pentathlon themselves, and by teams of five (each team must include one woman), with the five team members each responsible for a single leg of the pentathlon. In 2006, 25 five-person teams, 17 individual men and four individual women competed.

Amazingly, some of the individual competitors beat most of the teams.

The 2007 Inferno is on April 21.

How to watch the Inferno

For spectators, the Inferno is really just another happy excuse to get out and enjoy a beautiful corner of New England in April. This is a quiet time of year in the mountains, so there are lots of great deals on lodging and meals. Only the AMC’s Joe Dodge Lodge is likely to be filled with Tuckerman-bound skiers on weekends.

Normally we camp out in one of the many U.S. Forest Service campgrounds in the area. But last year, we were arrived very late on Friday night after a long drive and there was heavy rain in the forecast for Saturday night. So we pampered ourselves with a terrific off-season package deal at the ultra-romantic Snowflake Inn in Jackson. For dozens of other area lodging options, from inexpensive to decadent, check out the Mount Washington Valley website.

On race morning we got up early to watch the start, then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before we took to the trail, headed for the finish line 3.5 miles up Mount Washington.

We’d made it almost to Ho-Jo’s (three-fourths of a mile from the race finish) when we heard the cry “Racer coming!” and people shouting encouragement. We stepped off the side of the snow-covered trail to watch the “hiker” of the lead team come running past. By the time we reached the bowl of the Ravine and the finish line, three more team hikers and the men’s individual leader had passed us. Next time, we won’t linger over breakfast!

There was a lot excitement at the finish line as individuals and team members tagged for the next stage of the relay swapped their running gear for the boots and skis or snowboards they’d hauled up at a dead run. Between racers, you could watch Tuckerman enthusiasts trying to negotiate the less-than–perfect snow. Great show. I was glad I hadn’t bothered to bring my skis this time up.

By the end of our “spectator” day, we’d hiked seven miles of steep trail and had gotten lots of fresh air. The enthusiasm was infectious, the athletes' performances inspiring. Everyone had a great time.

Sometimes, spectator sports are okay. 

The 2006 winners

The winning team, “Keep It Classy” posted a total time of 3:40:33.00. Sean Livingston ran the road section in 0:45:42.73; Team Captain Mike Lansing handled the kayak leg in 0:54:05.13; Peter Mallett biked in 0:58:56.24; Kevin Tilton did the hike in 0:32:14.90, and Amber McHugh finished the race with a ski climb in 0:29:34.00 and the ski race in 0:02:40.67. They handily beat the heavily sponsored “Team Rossignol,” which has won the past five years but came in third, handicapped by scrambling for a last-minute replacement skier this year.

TuckerMan Individual winner Dave Lamb, who has won the last three years in a row, posted a total time of 4:14:17.00 His splits were, run: 0:54:38.58 kayak: 0:50:09.23 bike: 1:05:12.56 hike: 0:58:30.63 Ski Climb: 0:25:46.00 GS Race time 0:02:49.02

TuckerWoman Individual winner was Jennifer Shultis, with a total time of 6:41:22.00. Her splits were, run: 1:09:05.79; kayak: 0:58:47.46; bike: 1:25:43.27; hike: 1:27:43.48; ski climb: 1:40:02.00; GS time 0:33:11.25

Tuckerman update

The trail to Tucks was filled with skiers and snowboarders heading for the fabled steeps of Tuckerman -- a ritual for many at this time of year. Cars from every New England state, plus New York, Pennsylvania and Quebec filled the parking lot at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. Unfortunately, the very steep left gully of the Ravine had frozen into a bulletproof crust, making for dangerous conditions. There were nine serious injuries requiring treatment from Ski Patrol that day.

Check out the Mount Washington Avalanche Center for current conditions.  The accident report section will help you make wise decisions.

Dream teams

I’d love to bring together a couple of teams under the “Active Outdoors” banner. Maybe an “Over 50” team? Or a team of four women and one man? (neither has ever been done.) If you’re interested, drop me an e-mail. It’s a great excuse to get outdoors and get active.