2013 Badwater 146 A Photographic Exposé of One Tough Wiener Dog

You "only" need to run 135 miles to get one of these but to get this pic you got to go 146 to the top of Whitney.

I took way too many pictures, and well? I ain't to eloquent.  So I guess I'll try and let the pictures tell the tale of my trip to Death Valley crewing the Danny "Wiener Dog" Westergaard for the fifth year in a row.

Saturday

Jen, Jack, Dan

The first person we ran into was Jack Denness the oldest person ever to finish the race at the age of 76

Check out his shiny medal that he received from price somebody.

"Member Of The Order Of The British Empire for Charity" 

The land of strange tongues and funny bathing suits.
99% percent of the tourists in Death Valley are European

at least they were better dressed than this guy from the Hermosa Beash Ironman earlier this month

Time to pay our respect to the mayor

"Badwater Ben Jones"

I need somthing to read Hmm. What should I choose from the Furnace Creek store.

Creepy!

But it did get 3.5 stars at Amazon

While Dan Rocked in his Chair

I snuck out on the Furnace creek golf course, armed with a 6 iron a wedge, a putter and a ball that would light up for 5 minutes after it was Struck. I managed to play 24 holes in the dark while dodging bats and t sprinklers 214 feet below sea level.

Sunday

Dan was hazed our new crew member by stealing all the pillows.  

Thomas was sad :(

Time to get your taped

Nobody knows how to tape feet better than the blister queen Denise Jones

How to tape a foot video

I think Dan's toes are longer than his feet

Thanks for the help Denise

(After the race Dan's feet looked great)

Off to Check in

Posing with Nickademus Hollon 

This dude may have won Barkleys earlier this year but I kicked his butt last time we went head to head at the 2012 Krispy Kreme Challenge 

Mug shot

Accomplices

Is that the Ometepe Beer mile race director Ian Sharman?

Badwater Babes

Dan's former crew chief.

Great to see you Nancy

Group Photo

Photo of people taking photo

Mas Loco Kelly.

The good life

Words of wisdom from the highway skirt patrol

enough clowning around time to get back to the hotel

Cool Shwag Dan?

I made this friend while taking a shower at Furnace Creek. ($200 a night)

I named her Rhonda.

Time to sneak out on the course again in the 115 plus degree afternoon heat. Godd thing I brought a Stone Ale with me.  If you look closely you can see the ball just over the cloud.  Hit off the ground (no tee) about 180 yards with my six iron

Look, I made another friend.

Is that the "Donut Man?"

Nice wheels!

Dan is such a sweet guy his ass actually sweats hearts

Tomas would not pose in this pic out of fear that he would be blackmailed in the future.

Is that Terry Sentinella?

Time for Bed. Race day tomorrow.

Monday

Where's the Van?

That's not our van.

I went out on a limb and predicted Oswaldo to win.

(he came in 3rd this year)

Still not our van but it would be pretty "Cool" if it was.
 Get it Pretty "Cool"

There we are

Glamour shot.

While Dan weighed in,

I had some of the local electrolytes

Sport Kilts

Custom ZZYXXZ Reflective Shirt

There's Ben again

Dan did you get a new sponsor?

8 a.m. Starters

GO Wiener Dog!

Posing with fellow Mas Loco and Badwater medical director Megan

Ray Sanchez looking strong early on

3 miles i'm not sure if our flag is going to make it?

If it could survive the

"Battle of Fort McHenry"

It can survive a few days in Death Valley.

Hello Alexa

Goodbye Alexa

"Hey Thomas shouldn't you be crewing Dan?"

"Dan shouldn't you be running?"

Your Badwater # often reflects your age. Dan's first year running he was 48 and they gave him the inverse.

It's always a a pleasure to see Shannon out on the course!

I need to trade places with that dude.

It looks like I'm actually helping for once? Amazing!

It felt hotter.  My guess is that temps reached about 125

WTF happened to that dudes shoes?

Moeben Girls

Climbing up to Towns Pass

Time to get shiny

My Luna's were holding up great.

Hey look it's Dean Karnazes

followed by Dan

and his twin sister Pam Reed

She won Badwater outright in 2002 and 2003

Running is Tough

Crewing is tough

pretending to help is not very tough.

It's always important to look your best when your running on the side of the freeway at night in the middle of Nowheresville

Since my camera is pretty crappy and the photo's kind of suck at night, see you in the morning.

Tuesday

Rise and shine

Sunrise at Father Crawley's Pulpit

And the Flag was still there.

Thomas said he could stay awake for 4 days straight?

What a lovely sunrise

and an anything but lovely dude.

T Dan was looking strong just a few steps past the 100 mile mark

By the time we got Lone pine Dan wasn't doing so hot.

We had him checked by medical just to be on the safe side.  After a brief rest he was back to normal

There's Jack again

Time to climb up the portal road

"Oh say does that banner yet wave?"

this pic needs more light

Here we go

That's better.

Congratulations your 7th consecutive Badwater finish

Teamwork

bonus finishers

Go Malaysia?

Happy to be done

Wednesday

Dan getting some love from his Crew chiefs past and present

My buddy Ben the first Filipino to ever finish the race.

Parting Shot just before Thomas left the crew.  "Thanks for helping out it was pleasure having you on board."

Off to the awards

Ben Jones and Marshall Ulrich

How'd they get that hot Moeben girl to pose with them

:)

"Hey Terry where's your stash?"

"Hey Pat where's your beard?"

That evening after being up all day it was off to hike Mount Whitney.

8:30 p.m.

I ran into some old friends at the portal, George and Sada

We only made it about 5 miles in the first 5 hours.  Our crew chief Jen was having difficulty with the altitude.  I left Dan and walked her back a bit until I was comfortable that she was safe before jogging back to catch up with Dan.

Top of the Switchbacks just before Sunrise

Luna Oso's now available for pre-order,
amazing sunrise sold separately

This could be you someday :)

Mom said not to look into the sun.  I didn't listen.

Adventure snacks

Chateau De la Whitney

 

Random people

Congrats on another 146

Buddy shot

Lunatic

Yes!
One of my favorite shots from the whole trip.

Look what I found in my pocket.

A cross between Jacques Cousteau, Tenzing Norgay and Dora the Explorer.

Time to get off this mountain.

I love the reflection off that lake.

That was the fattest marmot I had ever seen.

I've been up for about 28 hours and still have along hike ahead of me

My pack was a little heavy and this girl needed water so I gave liter

On the way down we ran into Grant the 2nd place finisher of the race.  This wasn't the last we would see of him.

Marshall Ulrich and Dan

That's a tree

That's a trail

Almost done.

After the hike while at the portal store I heard "Hey Pat" huh who said that?
It was Alex Medonza a fellow Luna Sandal who was there to hike Whitney the next day with his family in Luna Venados.  If you thought that was coincidental get this.  Alex is coached By Dan on his high school track team.

Success!

 So happy to be done a mere 20 or so hours later.

 Early the next morning Dan was at it again, on his way back to Badwater

And I was back to taking stupid photos.
Do you see the giant Tortoise?

Check out this babe I randomly ran into while strolling through lone pine.

Great to see you Catra.

There's that Mendoza kid again

(Pit stop at the hotel after climbing down the portal road.

Making progress

Look What I found?

H20 technician

There's Grant again.  Both Dan and him would go on to complete the double in an effort to raise funds for
Lisa Smth Batchen's charity
Badwater 4 Good Water

He keeps going

and going

and going (riveting commentary I know)

Where'd the sun go!

I was kind of gassy so they made me run behind the van

Fuel

By now we were all very tired and things were about to get weird!

Back in the valley of De

Some time in the middle of the night Dan told me he was sleep walking? I didn't believe him until I saw the photographic evidence.

Eventually Dan's spirit left his body completely?

Time for Bed.

Saturday

Good morning sunshine :)

Sunrise at Paniment springs

since I was working the night shift my bed time came after the sunrise.

We got a lot of strange looks from the locals.

Through 120 degree plus heat Dan kept going.

I'm exhausted just writing about how far Dan ran

There's that thermometer again this time at about 8:30 p.m.

Just before heading out towards the sand dunes a ferocious sand storm blew in.

Dan had never wore a bandanna before so I had to show how

Looking pretty sharp in those goggles dude.

Can you find Dan?

Sunday

The home stretch

the last 15 miles were directly into a stiff head wind.

But that didn't stop the Wiener Dog

Congratulations to Dan Westergaard on his 7th consecutive double Badwater 146 crossing 

As has become tradition I presented Dan with a one of king medal made with scraps found on the side of the highway.
:)

Post run Glamour shot

Time for a dip in the pool to clean up and head back to civilization

 In summary in case you skipped through all my gibberish.
 Dan's  a tough dude,a great guy and it was a pleasure crewing him with Thomas and Jen. Death Valley is hot. It takes a long freaking time to hike Mt. Whitney. I met a lot a cool people and saw a bunch of old friends.
 If you ever have the opportunity to crew Badwater It's a surprisingly fun sort of misery and if you have the stay at the Furnace creek hotel say hi to Rhonda and her off spring for me
:)

Prior Badwater race reports
2012, 2011, 2010, 2009