DRAGONS TOOTH SPEED DESCENT
2.2 miles | 15 minutes 31 seconds | 1,103 ft of descent
Overview: Back in 2005 I found myself in Southwest Virginia for Phishapalooza II and made the conscious decision to fly in a day early just so I could attempt this run. For the past 6-months I had been training towards this attempt and I had only one goal in mind: sub 16-minutes. I made a few attempts at the speed descent back in the early 00s when I attended Virginia Tech (just down the road) topping out at 16:08 during the summer of my Senior year. After speed walking the ascent in under 45-minutes, I spent a few minutes at the Tooth, composing myself before heading down. I attacked the trail hard from the start of the descent and didn’t make any mistakes through the AT section. I flew through The Green Tunnel and a quick glance at my watch as I hit the home stretch let me know I was on pace. I absolutely hammered that final half mile and pushed myself harder than I ever had in my life (even to this day). I hit stop as soon as I passed the trail sign in the parking lot and glanced down at a 15:31 on the clock. Elated, I promptly projectile vomited all over the gravel before passing out on the hood of my buddies car for a few minutes of soul searching. Looking back on 2005, I made a lot of epic attempts, but for me, this one was by far my most prized accomplishment.
August 5, 2005 | Catawba, VA
CHALLENGE MAP
CHALLENGE SPLITS
*I did not record splits on this challenge, it was a straight descent.
CHALLENGE INSIGHT
Dragons Tooth: Uniquely shaped and prominently featured on the Appalachian Trail, Dragon’s Tooth is one of the Virginia’s crown jewels and draws people from all over the world to hike it. Most guide books recommend giving yourself 4-5 hours to make the 5-mile round trip hike. For this challenge, my goal was to descend the roughly 2.2 miles in under 16-min.
Start: The official start of the run is the directional sign at the junction once you summit the final rock on the scramble section. After checking to ensure no one was climbing up, I started my watch and leapt from the first rock ledge down to the rock headwall.
Scramble Section: I made quick work of the main scramble section and was able to quickly descent the crux of the climb by facing the rock and downclimbing the face on all fours. From there, I rock hopped a majority of the boulder slabs and cruised to the Roots & Ruts section in great shape.
Roots & Ruts: This section is best described as a yo-yo of wash outs, tree roots and big ruts caused by years of trail erosion. This is also a great place to twist an ankle or take a header if you aren't precise with your footing. I have eaten shit here before, but today I was flawless through this stretch and set myself up for success as I hit the trail junction and turned down the Green Tunnel.
Green Tunnel: Let's be honest, this entire trail is a green tunnel, but this section in particular is overtaken by rhododendron bushes and undergrowth that gives it a distinct claustrophobic feel. This section of trail also begins to smooth out, providing more freedom of choice on foot placement, allowing me to increase my speed and make-up for lost time on the previous technical section.
Home Stretch: This is a wide open stretch of trail that is nearly a straight shot to the parking lot. It was in this section that I dropped the hammer harder than I ever run before. For whatever reason, my nose started to bleed and I can vividly remember blood splattering in my eyes as I hastily wiped my forearm under my nose to help halt the bleeding.
Parking Lot Sign: I was the definition of a sh*t show as I came bursting into the parking lot at a dead sprint. Luckily there was no one their to witness me as I arrived bloodied and hell bent. After hitting stop on my watch I immediately vomited all over the gravel lot, as if it were a knee jerk reaction to exiting the trail. I collapsed in exhaustion, my face covered in blood and vomit, but I could care less. I had just gone sub-16 and hit a mythical 15:31. I was elated.
24-hours Later: Since this was a speed descent, I only brought a bottle of water with me on my ascent and no camera. This photo was actually taken 24-hours later at the start of Phishapalooza II, somewhere near Independence, VA on the New River.
