001 - Faye

Trail Portrait 001 - Faye, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

I volunteered at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run this past weekend and I cannot think of a better venue to begin my Trail Portraits project. The WS100 web site says it best:

“The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run is the world’s oldest and most prestigious 100-mile trail race. Starting in Squaw Valley, California near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and ending 100.2 miles later in Auburn, California, Western States, in the decades since its inception in 1974, has come to represent one of the ultimate endurance tests in the world.”

I helped staff the “Rucky Chucky Near” aid station, which is the famous river crossing at mile 78. The runners cross the chilly American River, while the volunteer “Cable Guys” stand in the water, holding the cable and helping ensure the safety of the runners. The front runners arrive at mile 78 around 5 PM, with the rest of the runners arriving throughout the night until the 5 AM cutoff.

For my first portrait, I’m thrilled to introduce Faye. This portrait was taken at the Rucky Chucky river crossing. Faye is no stranger to the local trail running community, having run several ultra-marathon distance races, paced local runners in races, and volunteered at many events. Faye is also no stranger to me. I first backpacked with Faye and her parents back in 1996, and there is no one on this planet that has spent more time with me on the trails over the years. For that reason, I am pleased to kick-off my trail portraits project with her photo.

29 June 2013
Western States 100
Near Auburn, CA


Here are a few more photos from the 2013 Western States 100.



The front-runners were boated across the river. Once the river level lowered later in the night, the runners crossed it on foot.




Pam Smith, the eventual women's champion, being boated across the river.




Volunteers staffing the cable as runners crossed the American River.