Welcome to the mythical land of the Dam Yeti! Trolls, unicorns, a Yeti with a beard of glitter, and a Pepsi machine dispensing Fireball 🔥
Some call it a community, some call it a cult, I can now call it a bunch of smiling zombies! I've heard of the Yetis for years and when registration was announced, I set alarms.
Fast forward to race morning ...
It was a beautiful morning in Abingdon, Virginia. Alarm went off at 4:15am and while I didn't sleep well, as usual the night before a race, I'm grateful for motivation of other runners in the house who were also waking up. Tom and Dennis were already dressed upstairs. Kaye was helping Tom pack up and she offered to take my drop bag with extra shoes, fuel, socks, and hat.
We talked about our time goals for the day. I was hoping to beat my last 50-mile time at Bull Run-Run of 12:31 by 31 minutes and finish under 12 hours. Dennis wanted to finish. Tom wanted to make it in before the cutoff of 13:59. Before we headed out, Tom looked at us at the table and said, "It's going to be ugly, but it's going to get done."
We headed to the Virginia Creeper Trailhead at 5am and the sky was beginning to light up as we parked. The start was just past the first trestle bridge. The air was crisp, humidity low. My sunscreen and Glide were in my pack because it wasn't going to stay that way.
Note on the course: Dam Yeti 50 and 100-milers run along the Virginia Creeper Trail which runs 34 miles from Abingdon, VA to Damascus to Whitetop Station with 47 trestles. Hurricane Helene (2024) wiped out many of the trestles, including the section from Damascus to Whitetop which is still closed for repairs. The 50-mile course typically would go from Abingdon, past Damascus, towards Whitetop for a total of 25 miles and then back to Abingdon. The past few years of both races, detours have been made. I knew this but couldn't tell based on the new course map how this would impact the re-route.
We lined up for the bathrooms. Although the tide is changing, still one of few places where the men's line is longer than the women's bathroom line. Tom had celebrity status, as expected. Everyone saying hi and wishing him luck. He's so humble, trying to defer to their stories, and all with a perpetual smile. Dennis and I knew that we wouldn't be staying with Tom, but we also knew with his mindset he was going to "get it done." Kaye asked him if he was going to keep the light on Wilson (his jogger) and he very casually replied, "yes, I'll keep it just in case I wander off into the woods." There's no way Tom, or anyone for that matter, could possibly end up in the woods. The course is well marked and is an out-and-back (and out again and then back again) - thank goodness!
Tom being the incredible ultra-athlete that he is, had folks coming up to him from all runs of life. One in particular was a woman, Heather, from the Outer Banks. She knew Tom from previous Yeti races and shared that a group of her friends were planning on 4-2 intervals. Dennis and I kept that in our back pocket.
Kaye and Dennis recognized another runner, Chris, from the Yeti 100-miler a few years back. He ended up running with us off and on throughout the day.
As the sky grew lighter and brighter, Jason (the Yeti) rounded us up to countdown to start.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Go!
Time to get in rhythm with the gravel below our feet and make some new yeti good friends!
The flat course made me want to run faster, and I had to remind myself to take it easy. The sun seemed to take a while to rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains, but when it did it was stunning. The ground was misty, and the trail opened up just in time over a golf course and some gorgeous mansions.
Dennis and I chatted for a while with Chris. They picked up the pace, and I didn't try to keep up. Eventually they slowed down and we continued on together, just before the first "party stop" at Watauga Trailhead with mini unicorns! I grabbed a pink one, drank a bit of Gatorade and continued on. There was this adorable round-shaped wood cabin just behind the aid station. The porch wrapped around the entire house, so cute.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any more beautiful, there was a clearing ahead and we entered a farm among rolling hills. Cows scattered across the grass on both sides of the trail. The sky was so crystal blue, it looked like something out of a painting. We had to open two pasture gates which kept the cows from grazing into the road.
Then we ran across our first long trestle bridge atop a gully on the farm. So pretty! We noted that later today this would be a hot section and we'd probably want to get through it quickly, so we soaked in the sights now.
As the clouds began to break and the sun warmed up, we reentered the shade of the trees. The Holston River was now running parallel way below. I didn't realize how high up we were. We approached the infamous trestle bridge from all of the race photos that went high over the South and Middle Fork of the Holston River. It was even more breathtaking in person!
We approached Alvarado Station that had real bathrooms and a church that had setup an unofficial aid station, or "party stop." There were Gatorades, bananas, Yoo-hoos, water, pickles, chips, cookies, and candy. There were also mini-Jesus' and Christian music blasting. Hallelujah!
The bathroom line was long (and slow), and Dennis continued on because he didn't want his knee to lock up. After grabbing some snacks and Gatorade, I ran to catch up with him. Then there was another "party stop." This turned out to be the official Alvarado Party/Aid Station. We skipped it and continued on but knew we'd be back.
Next stop: the legendary Pepsi machine. It sat on a patch of cement along an intersection with mini bottles of Fireball in the dispense shoot. A Fireball Fairy had buckets and buckets of minis. (There's something about the Yeti and mini things?)
Dennis drank one without hesitation. I did ... not. The fairy said she'd see us a few more times so plenty of time to take one later on.
We ran along the river with scary and stunning rock faces near the Laurel Run Cabins. Curious if anyone climbs or repels there. Folks came out to cheer friends with snacks offering them to everyone. One of the houses looked so cozy - a firepit, comfy chairs around a table with a deck of cards. Later on, a group of people sitting around playing music. As the day wore on, I longed to join them, just a little bit.
Suddenly, we smelled something very strong and not in a good way. Then we looked up to our right and noticed a hill full of cows. On the other side of the tree-lined trail was a small puddle of mud and cow poo. A good time to pick up the pace.
At about mile 14, runners were starting to run towards us. This surprised Dennis and I because we had thought that the course was out 25 miles and back 25 miles. We began calculating what mileage they were at and their pace. They were flying and most of them looked so fresh. I did not feel that fresh.
Our math was beginning to confuse us at this point, which might have been for the best because it was too early on to be concerned about pace. I told Dennis early on that what helps get me through these long runs is NOT thinking about the miles, but rather the number of parties (aka aid stations). We had passed two of seven parties.
The trail opened up and we ran along a highway for a bit. Although it was getting warm, the cloud coverage was much appreciated. We passed some crews, The Cottage Cafe, and the Yeti Freeze Pop Fairy. We could tell the town of Damascus was approaching when street signs began featuring photos of graduating seniors of Holston High School. We could hear cheering from family and friends waiting for their runners at town center. A few more blocks ahead until the turnaround!
Deemed "Trail Town USA," both the Virginia Creeper and Appalachian Trails pass through the heart of town. Unfortunately, as noted above, there are still repairs being made to both so sections north are closed. I'm grateful we were able to experience as much of it as possible!
The turnaround was along Laurel Creek, an offshoot of the Holston River, at a cabin. A cheering course marshal said the best thing I had heard all morning, "free shaved ice ahead." And standing there outside a bright and colorful food truck was a young boy holding two styrofoam cups. I'm pretty sure I started drooling and as he began to hand me one, he pulled them both back towards his chest.
"Do you want margarita or tiger's blood?"
"Tiger's blood, please!" I said with a huge smile.
So. Dam. Yeti. Good.
We went into the cabin to stock up on snacks, fuel, hydration. I handed my reusable cup to the volunteer and asked for Gatorade, pickle juice and Coke. I chugged all 3 drinks quickly (and separately - not mixed together). There were peanut butter and jelly wraps, cookies, peanut butter crackers, Oatmeal Creme Pies, orange slices. I grabbed one of each.
Dennis kept us moving. He did not like to linger at the parties/aid stations. We asked the volunteer about the course, still questioning how runners were so far into the run. She said that the course has been rerouted since last year because of the trail closure. We would run back to Alvarado (the actual aid station) and then back to Damascus (where we were), and then all the way back to Abingdon, past the start to Sweetbay Brewing to finish.
Then it all clicked and I felt better about the fresh faces and encouragement from the speedy runners. They were still speedy, don't get me wrong, but they were not as far along as we had thought.
We headed back to Alvarado with full bellies and a better understanding of the course ahead. Some runners were already heading back to Damascus. Some looked like zombies. I told Dennis, that I hope I don't feel like that and if so, I'm going to try and fake feeling better than I am. Haha.
We passed Tom who was smiling and moving at a good pace. He was with another Maryland ultra friend, Billy. It was great seeing that Tom had some company at least for a little bit. Although I'm sure he talked with many runners throughout the day.
On our second trip past the Pepsi machine, I noticed that the Fireball Fairy was running low with only one bucket left. I grabbed a mini for after the race. I couldn't imagine drinking it whiskey, which makes me warm, as warm as I already was.
As the day went on, many more cyclists were out on the trail. Most gave a heads up, were very polite, and were even cheering on runners. Every now and then there would be a cyclist(s) that were going way too fast, gave no warning, and wouldn't move to the side. I could tell that this was going to become a hazard for delirious runners later on.
Between the salty snacks, Gu, and salt tablets, I was drinking a lot of water. The wonderful volunteers at Alvarado refilled my bladder without having to take my pack off, which I was so grateful for! I also re-applied Glide in all the infamous chaffing spots. I do wish the aid stations had some heartier food options. I grabbed as much as I could hold and left the party to catch up with Dennis who was already heading back to Damascus. Kaye would be there with our drop bags and was looking forward to seeing her!
Our math was still not great, as we tried calculating how we were going to get to 50 miles now that we had done half the course and were only at about 23 miles. I kept telling Dennis that we will be done when we get to the finish line so we should stop thinking about it. We knew we'd make the cutoff by hours, even if we walked most of the remaining miles.
His knee was giving him some trouble, it was heating up, and so we decided to start intervals. We'd run 0.9 miles and then speed walk 0.1 mile. It worked well and we made it back into Damascus and stopped quickly to say hi to Kaye. I took off my tank, threw it in the drop bag and grabbed some more Gu and a Honey Stinger waffle. She took a few photos of us and we went to the turnaround.
The shaved ice truck was packing up, I grabbed a popsicle from inside, more pickle juice, Gatorade, and Coke, and PB&J wraps. Dennis sat down to unwrap his toe. I took a short little video of this halfway oasis.
Then we were off. We waved goodbye to Kaye and headed back for the final stretch of 15-17 miles ... we didn't really know. Zombie-mode activated? Nah, I didn't feel like a zombie physically. In fact, my legs felt great. The heat was taking its toll, however, and we continued our intervals, walking when we needed to.
The doubling of the out-and-back sounded a bit daunting when we realized that we would have to run through some of the sunnier sections more than planned, however, seeing runners really lifted my spirits. I felt the same way about the C&O course at first, and then noticed how seeing other runners was an energy-giver.
Dennis kept trying to calculate how many miles until the next party, how many miles were left, and our finishing time. The joke of the day was that our math got worse as the day wore on. Fortunately, we were able to keep track of the number of all of the aid station fairies (official and unofficial) and we just focused on that. The Freeze Pop Fairy had run out of pops but still had some ice cubs in the cooler and I grabbed a few more for my bra. One of the best tricks I learned at Stone Mill 50-miler a few years ago. Sorry, dudes.
The Cottage Cafe was more crowded and a cold Guinness sounded delicious! We shuffled through the exposed sections, along the highway, and the cows had made their way down to the watering hole right next to the trail. The smell and horse flies were intense at 2:30pm. I grabbed some Dill Pickle Pringles from the tie dye fairy just before the Pepsi machine.
We passed Tom for the last time as he headed back to Damascus. He was still smiling, but acknowledged that this was getting ugly.
Rolling into the official Alvarado cabin party, we grabbed snacks, PB&J, pickle juice, and soda, and said goodbye to these incredible volunteers who had literally been there all day. I took my last Gu, a Sour Peach, and a few salt tablets.
The folks from the church at Alvarado Station were still setup, and I was grateful that they had Gatorade, drank a few swigs and continued on. It would be another 4-5 miles until the last party. Grateful that the next few miles were mostly shaded. Dennis and I shuffled on, continuing with our intervals.
At this point, we were pretty quiet and just taking in the beauty of the trail, the river, and counting down the trestle bridges. Running across the longer one over the river, made me a little dizzy so I walked. We were also paying close attention to the cyclists that were beginning to take over the course. The trail had become more trafficked, by hikers but mostly by groups of bikers. For such a flat course, it was shocking how many people were speeding by on e-bikes. Yeti runners were really feeling the heat of the day, and some were getting a little delirious - some more noticeably obvious than others. Most cyclists were warning runners with a bell or "passing on left." There were a few that flew by without saying anything.
The last few miles were a slight uphill and our legs felt it. A runner ahead of us looked like he was also. His legs were wobbly, upper body slouched to one side and as we passed him his face was white with salt. I asked him if he was ok and if needed anything, getting out my remaining salt chews. It was evident that his legs were cramping up. I gave him 3 and told him to drink some water. Thankfully, the last party/aid station, Watauga, was coming up soon.
We could hear the cheering as we approached. The volunteers brought so much energy! Signs read: "SHAKE YO YETI!" and "50 IS SO HOT!" No sh*t.
I grabbed some snacks, Gatorade, pickles, and Coke. Also, I told the woman with the rainbow sequined tutu, holding a maraca, that one of the runners coming closely behind needed some salt for his cramps. She had a bottle of salt chews and said she'd take care of him. Dennis had already carried onward. I appreciated his subtle reminder to not get held up too long at the parties.
We had a farm, a golf course, and only 5 trestle bridges to go. As much as I was ready to sit down, I was sad that our day creepin' along the Creeper Trail with hundreds of friends was winding down. The farm stretch was just as spectacular as it was in the morning. Definitely one of my favorite views along the course.
Tom's friends that were staying with us, Jeff and Allen, said they were going to be out on the course. Dennis and I hadn't seen them all day, but they may have been following Tom. Suddenly, a bike rode alongside of us and a gentleman said, "Dennis, there you are!"
It was Allen. He had been riding back and forth, mostly along the roads running parallel because the trail was getting crowded. Allen said we had about a mile to go to the start and then another mile to the brewery. Allen is a numbers guy, so I believed him. In fact, him and Tom had been looking at my previous race times and predicted that with this course I'd probably be able to run it between 10:20-10:30. That seemed like quite a stretch but as I looked at my watch, that was actually pretty spot-on.
"See you at the finish line!" Allen said as he rode off.
The course as definitely short, and I could tell Dennis was disappointed that we wouldn't get to 50 miles. I let that go. We were running the Dam Yeti course as it is in 2026. It's a moment of time that makes this year unique, albeit sad for the reasons why it was shorter than year's past. We were out there running, a very long distance, with amazing company, in good health, and supporting the Yeti Cult, I mean Family! Whether it was 47 or 50 miles, it will be a unique, once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable experience!
The golf course, the mansions, and the last bridge we'd run under flew by. The final curve of the trail took us back to the start and the first and last trestle bridge. I was sad it was over.
We took a right onto the road, passing the parking lot, and Dennis ran up to his car to grab his phone. Then we took another sharp right down an exposed road towards Sweetbay Brewing. We could hear the music as we came up to the last turn, crossed the railroad tracks, and saw a huge blowup unicorn squirting water. With another burst of energy, I threw my hands up, started singing and dancing, and we ran under the rainbow arch into the arms of the one and only glittery Yeti that picked me up and spun me around! The medal was a belt buckle - my first - although, the hug was the best reward!
It was so sparkly, so pretty, and we got it done!
A beer never tasted so good, so did sitting down in the shade. We grabbed a seat outside against the garage doors of the brewery. When a group left the covered stage, we took their spot. I took the Fireball mini out of my pack and drank it. Wheweee! When I thought I couldn't get any warmer, I did.
We hung out for a bit, talked to runners, cheered on other finishers, and then headed back to the car and house. Tom was going to be a couple more hours, so we had time to shower and then return with the others from the house.
Allen picked up a pizza for us, so nice. And before we knew it was time to go back to Sweetbay to cheer on Tom!
We grabbed a beer and then hung out on the front patio which overlooked the finish line. So many amazing runners out there for 13-14 hours! I am a believer that the longer you're out on the course, you have just as much (if not more) grit than those that push their bodies on pace!
Dennis set out to find Tom on the final stretch of road leading to the brewery. As we cheered on a few runners, the gap between them began to lengthen. The GlitterYeti was dancing to "Summertime," volunteers were taking down the big merch tent, the party continued though.
At 7:55pm, we saw Dennis and Allen turn the corner and just a couple steps behind here comes Tom and Wilson (Tom's jogger)! We screamed and cheered! Tom began running after he crossed the tracks. He turned on to the grass and smiling BIG, he crossed the finish line into the arms of the Yeti and then Jason G. WHAT A FINISH?!
A minute later, we see another runner turn, and everyone cheers!
From the excitement, screams, music, and energy you wouldn't know that this was the last runner. It was so nice to have so many there to cheer on all of the finishers!
By the time we got back to the house, it was close to 8:30pm and the sunset was beautiful! I felt like a zombie as we hung out, talked about the race, and what the others did during our long day on the trail.
I woke up early Sunday morning after tossing and turning from some muscle cramps due to dehydration. I should have been hungrier but my appetite usually kicks in 24-48 hours after finishing these longer runs. I decided to get up, pack, and go out for a walk while the rest of the house sleeps.
It was just about sunrise when I made it down to Main Street in Abingdon. I was the only pedestrian, and I saw maybe 1 car while walking past the shops. Stretching out the legs ahead of a 6-hour drive home was a good idea, until I had to walk back up to our street. Eek! There is a really nice Abingdon Urban Pathway with artwork.
Dennis, Kaye and Tom were up when I returned. We said our goodbyes. I was sad the weekend was already over AND so grateful for the entire experience - getting to spend time with Kaye and Tom, meeting his lovely friends, exploring a new part of America, soaking in the beauty of the Virginia Creeper Trail, being surrounded with such kind human beings and a Yeti!
At nearly every running event, I am reminded that there are good... no, there are GREAT people in this world! There are people who care about other people! Sometimes we have to go the distance to round them up and get them in one place to feel that collective sense of love, peace and JOY! I am forever grateful for the people in my life who support me finding these moments! THANK YOU! <3
It was a Yeti good time, indeed!
Official Time: 10:09:06
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