"On the morning of February 6, 2006, in the Kabetogama State
Forest of northern Minnesota, the ground was frozen and dead, a chalky
medium that squeaked when I walked from the car pushing my bike. The
air was sharp, elemental and shrill, hurtful to breathe even through a
mask. It was predawn on the Arrowhead State Trail, a multiuse track
that connects International Falls to the town of Tower more than 100
miles to the south. My hands ached from the cold, fingers going numb
within minutes that morning as I got on the bike to pedal into
wilderness as desolate as the dark side of the moon."
Thus starts my story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on my experience in the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon, a race held each February through the woods of far northern Minnesota. It kicked off for its fourth running yesterday, February 4, and goes through the cut-off time tomorrow night.
competitors to combine athletic strength with survivalism, sending cyclists, trekkers and skiers solo and unsupported on its namesake 135-mile course.
mile. (That’s me in the above image somewhere around Mile 40 on the first day.)
I pedaled a bike custom made for the snow, four-inch-wide tires and racks to carry gear. The trail, primarily a snowmobile route, was packed and solid for the first few miles of the race.
From a trailhead near International Falls, the course began with a prologue there-and-back leg west about nine miles into the
woods. I tagged the checkpoint intersection after an hour of motion, then turned around to pedal east and south to the inner reaches of the Kabetogama State Forest.
Monitor this year’s race on the organization’s home page: www.arrowheadultra.com