Backblasts

AirForce 1: Tech Deck, Jor El, Excite Bike, Yoshi, Horry, Abacus, Backseat, Tooth Fairy, Rapid, Vespa, Unicorn, KJV, Pikachu

ManDuece: Bambino, Bam Bam, Possum, Birthday Suit, Stitches, Brass Monkey, Purple Rain, Rabbit, Schmear, Package, Cliffhanger, Periscope

ShortBus: Ponch, ’88, Chuck E, Magellan, No. 2, Link, Honey-Do, Satchel, Macbeth, Schwartz, Razzmatazz, Foghorn

Quad-Corps: LOL, Coleman, Chong, Waldo, La Croix, Singlet, Beans, Franc, Bilbo, Plunger, Sanka, Bandwagon

Modi5-Up: ConAir, Kilt, Posh, Psalty, Fanny Pack, Spirit Fingers, Dome, Dinghy, Sideboob, Hall Pass, IPA, 480, Pyro

Date: 3.06.2021
Distance: 10 Miles
Time: 3hrs. 45 min. + Fellowship
Elevation Gain: 1640 ft.
Pax at Start: 62
Pax at Finish: 62

0515 Clown Car MeetUp:

-Bux on Granite

YHC experienced WOW moment #1 of day, seeing all the Pax converge with excitement on their face, and eagerness in their hearts was verification that we’re doing something right, even before we start.

-Random division of clown car assignments forced Pax who may not know each other well, to begin doing so. Happy accident, completely unintentional.

0600 Shady Glen Trailhead at ASRA:

-Nervous anticipation building now as Pax gather gear, begin to warm-up, or stay cozy in vehicles (Hall Pass)

-Dinghy blasts Hell Hole CSAUP theme song “Till I Collapse” by Eminem from his truck stereo to get the Pax truly fired up. 

0628 CircleUp:

-Count Off
-F3 Five Core Principles
-F3 Mission Statement
-YHC let the Pax know that Hell Hole CSAUP would be a mostly teamwork event, but that the teams would be chosen at a later time. For now, we mosey.

0632 Sunrise: Hell Hole CSAUP Begins:

Leg 1:

-2.5-mile Trail Run (OYO) 600 ft elevation loss with creek crossings and rugged terrain. YHC was told later that multiple Pax bit the “mud” on the slippery, rocky, wet, and dangerous footing.

-Pax are greeted by a lightning-fast Bambino, who finished first, and began marking Pax as they reached “No Hands Bridge” with the numbers 1-5 in a rotating fashion by the order in which they finished.

-Ponch kept the Gazelles from cooling off with a Warm-O-Rama.

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• Imperial Walkers (IC)
• Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
• Cherry Pickers (IC)
• Windmills (IC)
• Batwings (IC)
• Hairy Rockets (IC)
• Side Straddle Hops (IC)

-Teams 1 thru 5 are gathered for the first time.

Ponch Beatdown

• Team AYG across No Hands with Turkish Get-Ups for the 6
• Team Move back across No Hands alternating cones:
  • Bear Crawl
  • Sprint
  • 2 Hand Release Merkins
  • Rinse and Repeat until across bridge
  • LBC’s for the 6
• Plank Hold for Hell Hole CSUAP name history lesson and significance: RESILIENCE
• Low Merkin Hold
• Plank Hold

Leg 2:

-KJV hands rope 20ft in length to each team.

-Team Rope Walk

• Team members must all have one hand on rope at all times and begin .5 mile trail walk/mosey
• So simple in instruction, but proved to be MUCH more difficult in practice. Extremely tough to cover ground efficiently
• Team names created at this time, to be shared at next stop

-KJV led the Pax on an unintentional audible down to the river bank, .25 mile short of the next evolution.  Teams mosey’d over river rocks, mostly avoiding rolled ankles.

-Coleman instructed Pax about next evolution

• Teams laid out their ropes on grassy area near the river.  A relay race, of sorts, to stack river rocks along the top of the ropes covering the entirety of the rope. First team to complete task, has advantage in next event. 3 Pax at time Cusack’d the river rocks while awaiting Pax planked
• ManDueces won…ahem, cheated…results are still being contested. Nevertheless, advantage in Leg 3 was granted.

Leg 3

-Pax converge at The Confluence for surprise Coupon distribution and a quick wetting of the proverbial whistle, H²O style.

-Each team given 8 CMU Coupons (7 for the ManDukes) and told to begin hiking as a team, sharing the load appropriately.

-Teams hike a short (.4 miles) 10% incline to the base of the West Footing of Foresthill Bridge. After an almost tragic demise, due to a rogue shoe lace, Horry was left far behind his team. It was at this point, YHC had my first glimpse into the difficulty the Pax would have in staying as TEAM UNITS throughout the day.  A concept that proved troublesome for EVERY team at one time or another. 

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CHALLENGE FOR ALL PAX!!
F3 is not an individual sport, it is a Leadership Group. Leaders lead, and by leading, SERVE.
Who are you leading if no one is following?

KJV Beatdown

• Brick by Brick shuttle runs x3
• OHC (IC)
• Seal Claps (IC)
• Grady Corn (IC)
• Forward Arm Circles (IC)

WOW moment #2: Hearing the echoes of 62 HIM, in cadence, resonate through the canyon and reverberate back, was a moment to behold. Psalty and Bilbo then began, what can only be described as, tribal hype dancing, to the magnificent cadence calling by KJV.

-All Teams gather their coupons and continue up Bridgeview Trail a brutal, .5-mile journey with 500 ft elevation gain to the western approach of Foresthill Bridge.  Some Pax were really starting to gas-out at this point.  It was touching to see HIM pulling up alongside each other, shoulder to shoulder, in order to encourage and motivate those that were struggling.

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-At the summit, Pax were greeted with Ponch’s truck, loaded with hydration, and trail mix for some mental pick-me-ups. But even more exciting, the Pax were allowed to unburden themselves of the coupons. Mumble chatter ensued, commiserating continued.

Leg 4

-Teams were reassembled and began to mosey eastbound across Foresthill Bridge, stopping briefly for the most epic group shot in F3 Gold Rush history.  Bambino was called to the front in order to lead the Pax the remainder of the bridge to his beatdown.

Bambino Beatdown

• 50 Walking Lunges (2is1)
• Rosey to gravel turnout at east approach to bridge
• Howling Monkeys (10 ea.)
• Prisoner Squats (IC)

-All Pax were then instructed to make their way down the switch backs for a 700 ft elevation loss over 1.2 miles over rock loose terrain. YHC ran the entirety of the way down, my left knee is still angry with me about this!!

-Backseat was running on 3 hours of sleep, having made the 70-mile drive from Truckee that morning through a snow storm to make it to the trailhead on time. Apparently, his lack of sleep caused he and Abacus to get lost coming down the canyon (Not sure of Abacus’s navigational malfunction). The Pax sent a SAR team, and in short order, all Pax convened again at the confluence for one last water break and a confirmation Count Off to ensure all had arrived safely.

Leg 5

-Teams assembled again for what should have been the last time, but proved not to be the case.

-A short road mosey, then on to the trails again backtracking from No Hands Bridge 1 mile toward the start with 1, “small”, deviation from the previous route to the final evolution. Teams got very spread out here due to the varying degrees of exhaustion setting in.

This was a humbling moment for YHC. While, for the most part, the CSAUP was progressing rather smoothly, the failure to properly emphasize the importance of teamwork and solidarity among the teams falls ultimately on the Q. I found myself frustrated with the Pax for not sticking together, but, in reality, was having a hard time with allowing the responsibility to fall on my shoulders.

-Again, I was impressed with HIM’s like SideBoob, who relentlessly bolstered the 6 of his group. He appeared more than happy to do it, void of an any ego that would otherwise hinder the support of a fellow man.

Final Evolution

-Coleman gathers the Pax at a fork in the trail.

• He begins to explain that we are close to the finish, but that our resilience will soon be truly tested. The Pax are staring up a meandering .4-mile hike with a 20% incline
• Teams must move up the incline, all the while, 2 team members remain off the ground at all times. A team must not progress forward if both men are not concurrently being carried
• Once the road was in sight, members could mosey normally the remainder of the way back to the cars
• Most teams employed a collaborative approach to the challenge, but there are reports of La Croix carrying 2 men, by himself, at the same time, while still encouraging his team to push forward. (May be slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect, but, nonetheless, a stud!)

1017: All 62 Pax Finish Hell Hole CSAUP:

• Pax gather to congratulate one another on a job well done
• Count-A-Rama
• Name-A-Rama
• Announcements
  • Ponch takes center stage to inform the Pax that he will be passing on the duties of Gold Rush’s Weasel Shaker to Bilbo

• COT
  • YHC admits that I had nothing prepared to say in this moment, and just spoke from the heart, expressing my gratitude for this group men, and allowing me to be vulnerable enough to step outside my comfort zone to help plan such an important event.  Knowing that without the support of these men, I would never have done so. Today, we all become closer.

1100: Fellowship at ConAir’s:

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-Close to 60 men converge at YHC backyard, on absolutely beautiful sunny day!

-Breakfast Burritos, IPA’s, and other, slightly more hydrating beverages were had by all.

-Great 2^nd F time discussing the days happenings and trading battle stories from the physically demanding morning.

WOW moment #3: This one’s personal; Less than 2 years ago, I had no men in my life, outside my family, that I could call brothers.  On this day, I battled, shoulder to shoulder, with 61 men. These men are all my brothers! F3 works. Keep giving it away!!

F3 Gold Rush

Hell Hole CSAUP