Bandera 50K Race Report

As my cell phone sits in a puddle of water on the floor of my dew soaked tent I dread the task of going through my pre-race ritual. It’s dark and cold outside and the last thing I want to do right now is emerge from my toasty cocoon. 

I need to get going soon though. Last night at packet pickup I observed 10 porta-potties and in one hour we will have 1000 runners here all wanting to lighten their loads before they hit the trail. Do the math in your head and you will quickly realize that you don’t want to be at the back of that line.

Fillmore Canyon

They say this canyon is haunted. Not far from here are the ruins of Boyd Tuberculosis Sanatorium where many sick patients spent their last days in the 20th century. Spirits of the dead are said to still lurk here in the Dripping Springs Natural Area in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, NM. (Read my earlier post Dripping Springs.) Another mystery unfolded in this area in the late 1800s when a religious hermit and miracle healer took up residence in a cave nearby despite warnings from locals. Unfortunately they found him near his abode clutching his crucifix with a knife in his back.