Tiger BabyBULB has been on trails @ Mt Mitchell as we slept.

May 10, 2025, 9:12 AM

Will started the gruesome & demanding 100 mile run at the Hellbender100 Friday morn at 5am (it’s 10am Sat morn now) and he has been on the mountain trails for 29 hours that have had him going up or descending as much as 48,000 ft average..

without a nap or sleep for 29 straight hours while we have sat, rested, relaxed, maybe napped and surely slept for 6-8 hours.

Saying, it makes me hurt just thinking about not sitting down for 29 straight hours while pounding uneven trails or crossing creeks while avoiding rocks, boulders, sticks, limbs, pot holes..

While carrying many extra pounds of equipment such as a chest vest with pockets filled with 2-4 canteens of water, electrolytes packs, nutrition bars, head flash lights & extra batteries, ski poles for the steep downgrades, extra soaks (and toilet paper).

He will probably take 38-39 hours to finish before the 40 hour disqualification time as he has last two years so I am always concerned about him since he is one of the older participants at 55 while many are in their late teens, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s with a few in their 60’s..with the early finishers doing it in only 22 hours which is unbelievable!
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To make matters worse, his tracking device has not been working thus it has been worrisome not being able to track him but he did take a minute Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm to text me hat he was at mile 41 after 11 hours, tired as would be expected but ok and the more difficult times were ahead especially with temperature drops of 30 to 40* and doing this at night with nothing but a LED head lamp to guide him on tricky paths and uneven surfaces where a fall could be fatal due to large rocks & huge boulders.

But, he has done this for two previous years at Mt Mitchell which has the highest peaks East of the Rockies so I am encouraged for his safety and of finishing.

Go SON & GO TiGER(s)..Rock!