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24 Hours of Sunlight 2006

Photo Trip Report

By Lou Dawson

My full written trip report is in various blog posts, continued here with a photo album. Said again, this wonderful event was a fund raiser for the Heuga Center for MS, which gave it some extra umph in the positive attitude department. About 100 people participated, and I've never seen a happier more easy going group of people at a ski race -- must be the combination of going up and down, keeps everyone mentally balanced or something like that. It was an amazing experience climbing up that hill at 2:00 AM, with the full moon glowing above, a few glow sticks on the trees to keep you from geting lost, and a couple of friendly folks ahead and behind with their headlamps bobbing.

(For those who land on this page and are wondering what this is: A muscle powered endurance racing event where people climb up and ski down a course on a ski area, and do it as many times as possible in 24 Hours. Website here. )

Polly McLean finishing her last lap after skiing up and down for 24 hours straight. She did twenty laps, 31,000 vertical feet for a women's world record.

24 Hours of Sunlight - Fun or Suffer Fest? You Decide (click images to enlarge)
Pre-race meeting, -4 F.	Generation Gap team member Noelle Larson starts her second lap.	Noelle Larson and Polly McLean.
Steve Romeo making a transition.	Romeo launching, he was 3rd in Men's Solo class.	Inside the start/finish tent.
Andrew McLean.	Generation Gap team member Luke Caudill on left, his dad Boone to right.	Crested Butte's pit.
Lisa Dawson makes a lap.	Andrew in the night.	Crested Butte.
Andrew showing the wear.	Typical scene in support room.	Luke gets some carbs.
The sun finally rises.	Team Generation Gap.	Solo Men's racer Dave Penny.
Polly McLean skiing in after her last lap.	Polly and Andrew McLean after Polly's finish.	The McLean boot tribe.
Winners Greg Hill and Jimmy Faust (tie), and Steve Romeo (3rd, to right).	Winner Polly McLean on the podium. She went for 20 laps and made her goal.	Greg Hill's altimeter watch after the race.
Lou, Andrew and Greg Hill. It was terrific to finally meet Greg Hill in person, and get passed by him.	Lou after doing the last lap of team Generation Gap's participation in the race.