By DAVID KAGAN Sun-Gazette Correspondent

LOCK HAVEN — At 7:07 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, I and 467 other humans (and a canine named Elvis) inched forward at the start of the 24.9-mile, fourth annual Bald Eagle Mountain Megatransect endurance hike and run. The weather was ideal — cool and overcast.

With the intention of bettering my time from the year before, I jogged the first 3 1/2 miles of the course, from the start at the Castanea Township Fire Co. picnic grounds near Piper Memorial Airport, to the “Jump Up” — the logging-slide-days vertical ascent up Bald Eagle Mountain. Feeling great, wearing my relatively new Adidas Supernova running shoes, I scaled the mountain easily up and over to the base of “Bald Spot,” a new section of the course.

Resting there, before the scramble up the boulder field to the crest of the mountain, I met 8-year-old Spencer Stocum and his father, Marc, from Antes Fort. Spencer was the youngest entrant in the Megatransect. I also met Kevan Matthews, a career Air Force young man from Pittsburgh.

I then conquered the white, Tuscarora sandstone, refrigerator-sized boulders, crested the mountain, and carefully descended the other side down to Kammerdiner Run and the first liquids and food station at about the 6 1/2-mile mark. Boy Scouts from Woolrich Troop 66 manned the station and cheered us on.

Jogging east on the Kammerdiner and then north past Keller Reservoir (which supplies water to Lock Haven), I arrived at the Zindel Park checkpoint (the 10.2-mile mark) just 3 1/2 hours into the race, on course to break my previous year’s 8 hour, 42 minute finish. After a banana segments, peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich halves, chocolate chip cookies, bite-sized chocolates, peanuts, Gatorade and water refueling and a Porta-Potty visit, I recommenced jogging back past the reservoir and then up into the “gorge,” another new section this year.

All went well until about mile 12 1/2, when I reached Fleming Way, a very steep ascent up to Chestnut Flat plateau. At the top of this climb, my upper legs threatened to cramp, and I also suddenly felt very weary. I swallowed three electrolyte replacement pills with the little bit of water I had left. My jogging was at an end for the day.

When Matthews caught up to me, he showed his concern by walking with me a while, sharing his Gatorade and water with me, as I had foolishly failed to fill my own water bottle back at Zindel Park. After I assured him that I felt better, he finally agreed to move on at his faster pace.

At about mile 15, up on Chestnut Flat at the water station, I guzzled down a proffered bottle, and then another. I considered hanging it up then, and asking to be driven out, but eventually I continued up the path at a slow walking pace, still fearing imminent leg cramping. Everyone had been passing me since the Fleming Way climb.

Eventually, my legs eased up, and I could hike more confidently. After a slow climb up to Nittany Valley Overlook (a hang-gliding take-off spot), where troop leaders from the Lock Haven Elks Boy Scout Troop 007 had a wood fire going, I then comfortably descended the next mile to the Kammerdiner checkpoint at mile 17.9.

Seven hours had now passed, and I just hoped I could finish. I drank another bottle of water, downed some nuts, chocolate and cookies, and then continued west on Kammerdiner Run, carrying another full bottle of water with me to drink from periodically.

When the sun peeked out at about 7 1/2 hours into my trek, I was encouraged. At the 8-hour mark, I reached the final checkpoint, just before the infamous Chilkoot, a 45-degree climb back up Bald Eagle Mountain before Castanea.

After eating more banana pieces, drinking several cups of water and using the Porta-Potty, I marched on to the beginning of the Chilkoot climb. A blue rope had been fastened to a tree to assist Megatransectors with the first 75 feet of the steep ascent.

Then it was up, and up, and up — the last section to the top another scramble over a boulder field, this one filled with stones generally smaller than those of the earlier “Bald Spot.” At the ridge, two Lock Haven University Kappa Delta Rho fraternity brothers offered me their hands to reach the summit.

My descent down the steep, rubble-stoned “back side” of the mountain caused me severe pain, not the “knee-jamming” pain mentioned on the Megatransect Web site, but the “toe-jamming” variety. I had to go down edging sideways most of the way, almost falling on the loose stones several times.

What a relief to reach the paved Castanea street at the bottom! A two-mile hobble to the finish remained. The section along Bald Eagle Creek seemed much, much longer than it had on the way out early that morning.

With my painful big toes and the large blister on the front sole of my right foot making each foot placement an exercise in self-torture, I finally crested the small entrance hill back into the picnic grounds. As I neared the finish line, I spotted my wife seated on a very comfortable looking folding chair by the roadside, and I managed to smile wearily.

After 9 hours and 45 minutes, I crossed the finish line, even slow jogging the last 50 feet. I actually had to fight back tears. I greatly appreciated the applause and cheers from spectators, race organizers and volunteers, and my fellow Megatransectors. I felt that I had earned that finisher’s medal the young, female volunteer handed me and that I immediately proudly hung around my neck.

Spencer Stocum had finished with his father in 8 hours and 16 minutes (his mother, Tonya, only 5 minutes behind them). Matthews, who probably, by sharing his water and Gatorade with me, made it possible for me to finish, had crossed two hours before me, in 7 hours and 49 minutes. And Elvis, the dog, had blazed the course in 6 hours and 44 minutes, with his master, Ben Lawrence, and Ben’s brother, Matt, all from the State College area — three full hours in front of me!

Participants came from 13 states. The winner was Alan Evans, from New York State, in an otherworldly 3 hours and 48 minutes. Rick Clendaniel, from Lock Haven, finished second, just 6 minutes behind Evans. Williamsport’s fastest finisher was Scott Hicks, 18th, in 4 hours and 56 minutes. And the oldest entrant, and a finisher in 11 hours and 6 minutes, was 77-year-old Nelson James of Northumberland, who has completed all four Bald Eagle Mountain Megatransects!

I don’t think non-participants can even imagine the pain, the joy, the insanity, the feeling of being wonderfully alive, the loneliness, the camaraderie, the anxiety and the sense of great accomplishment experienced by those who compete in the Megatransect.

Next year will give area residents another chance to be a part of this one-of-a-kind test of endurance. I certainly hope to participate again, and, if your paws are back pounding the path — grruff! — move over, Elvis!

Kagan is a Sun-Gazette correspondent.
Section: Region    Posted: 10/1/2006