The Cranberry 50

1st in History CL50 Winter Ultra

Jim Wallace and Doug Duncan were the first in History to successfully complete the Cranberry 50 in the Winter in less than 24 hours! We failed on the 1st attempt but today was our day to succeed!

The temperatures were NOT supposed to get above freezing according to the forecast. Warm air became our nightmare.

The warm air and rain made the snow stick to our feet at every step

Winter CL50 Sticking snow

AROUND THE 26 MILE MARK I FELL THROUGH THE ICE CROSSING A SMALL STREAM FILLING MY LEFT BOOT WITH WATER. I KNEW IF I STOPPED WE MIGHT NOT MAKE THE 24 HOUR MARK SO I CONTINUED ON! THE PHSYICAL EFFORT IT TOOK TO WALK WITH THE SNOW STICKING TO OUR SNOW SHOES, and having a wet foot, TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD JUST TO get out of there alive! After a while I no longer cared about records and the 24 hour mark or even hiking. I was fighting to survive.

Beyond exhausted history is made in 23 hours and 52 minutes as Jim Wallace and Doug Duncan complete the Cranberry Lake 50 in the Winter in less than 24 hrs. If we got lost just one more time we would not have made it. The sticking snow almost made the difference but we never gave up and made North East Ultra 8 history along the way! Jim we stamped our name in the adirondack record books as well! Thanks for failing with me once, and fearlessly coming back for another try. thanks for beleiving it could be done! We did it!