Piling on the coal is what the Furnace Creek 508 sounds like to me. A furnace to me is a heating device! I always wonder how a body of water gets named \”furnace\”. Perhaps it\’s the environment that\’s like the furnace?

Whatever the explanation, a creek by that name lent its moniker to the Furnace Creek 508. It sounds grueling. A lot of climbing, and solo riders were required to finish in 48 hours.

The 508 was another high-altitude event, starting at well over 3000 feet. It also ran through Death Valley. Time to look for an X-large Camel-Bak!

I wonder how anybody can manage to train up to put themselves through such a test, especially if they live in a wet climate. New Orleans, for example, averages 60 inches of rainfall per year. My skin would be shriveling up the instant I got into a desert environment! I\’d be dying of thirst before the race began.

There would also have been cold nights to contend with. Even in mid-Summer, high altitudes are cold once the sun goes down. Pack the jacket, arm and leg warmers, and the skull cap. Some heavy gloves, too.

And, needless to say, there had to be plenty of ride food. Those riders had to keep enough coal on the fire.