The "Run-Down": Steens Camp

 

Normally, the "Run-Downs" are reserved for Race Day. But this year I felt compelled to post one for our Annual Steens Camp. So, here we go... Enjoy!

 

Back in the 1970's Harland Yriarte founded the camp for his XC team at Brookings Harbor High School. A few years later, the rest of the State of Oregon realized that the camp was a key ingredient to their success. It got to the point that the camp out pretty much in the "middle of nowhere" was labeled as an "unfair advantage!" Go Figure! With much reservation, Harland had to open up the camp to kids from other schools, and that was the start of the real magic of Steens Mt. Running Camp.

 

For two separate weeks of the summer, the camp fills 10 Army Tents with 16-22 teenage runners accompanied by an accomplished collegiate/professional runner during 6 days of intense competition, heavy introspection and powerful team bonding. Other celebrity runners and a surplus of quality coaches are on staff to provide a wealth of knowledge and incredible fun while running. We become part of the mountain, and then the mountain becomes part of us...

 

We had 7 Panthers taking part this year. For most of them, upon arrival it was almost like they had just returned home after a 51 week vacation. Even though we did not have any seniors in the group, we came to the Mountian with more experience than ever before.

That experience paid off in the Cross Canyon run for the boys. Each tent (team) must arrive to the finish together, and memorize a motivational quote in the process. This sage-brush infested course that also boasted an exceptionally large snow bank, several lurking cliffs and a creek to cross has no painted lines to guide the runners. Juniors Troy Prince-Butterfield and Gabriel Dinnel relied on their two years of prior experience to help guide their team efficiently through the course (I use that term loosely) just narrowly missing the victory by 17 seconds.

 

Our big day experience (a 28 mile run/hike) was on an acceptable weather day, unlike session #2 this year that needed to curtail things due to weather concerns. Sophomore Jackson Keyser's experience was the epitome of that event as he admitted that it was the hardest thing he had ever done, and still had energy and enthusiasm to run the last seven miles, downhill, back to camp. Our two girls, sophomore Morgan Stinchfield and freshman Olivia Dinnel, made it through the big day in style. In fact, Olivia had as much bounce in her legs as anyone as she exited the canyon and unleashed her "Inner Gazelle" as she started running back to camp, quite possibly because she knew there was lasagna there waiting for her.

 

Friday was a big day in a different way for Gabriel Dinnel. He moved up to fifth this year in the uphill 5K, behind two state champions, one fine All-State runner who is the little brother of a state champion, and one of the finest runners in Oregon at any level (second fastest sophomore 2 miler in the country 14 months ago), Alex Slenning, A.K.A. Mr. "I can do anything!". However, Gabriel shined even more an hour later during the "Hang Off". He dangled from a 2 x 4 gripping only with his fingers for nearly 6 minutes as he defended his title from last year. So, he does have one more year to go, however he is still way shy of the record - he is barely half way there! We also found out at that time that Slenning was not a superstar at everything as he performed in the middle of the pack in this event.

 

Although freshman Ethan Mills encountered two inhibiting injuries throughout the week, he still confessed that he had the time of his life. Junior Warren Henderson was ecstatic that his hero from last year, David Ribich, gave an inspirational 45 minute speech, and he made sure that David re-signed the T-Shirt Warren owns that he brought back from last year.

 

My personal experiences this camp were very memorable. Our staff set a new record of our own: this is the "Port-a-Pot Pumping" time trial. We dropped the new record from 23 to 20 minutes! So this will probably never be an Olympic event, but we take pride in the effort (that somebody has to do 3 times during the week). I also had a barrage of "B" animals attempting, and successful one time, to stalk me. It started with a Bee sting (albeit it was a Hornet, not a Bee - and that hurts much more), a butterfly that nearly flew into me (I was not terribly frightened by that), a Bird that flew through the staff campfire meeting and "dive-bombed" us (missing me but splattering the coach in front of me) and a Mexican stand-off with three Badgers (now this event was a bit alarming) about 40 feet away that I managed to win after about 45 seconds of significant tension between us.

 

The Friday night skits were extremely entertaining, with the boys' tent hit it out of the park, or maybe better said "out of the galaxy" with their "Steens Wars" presentation. Highlights that deserve Oscars were when Yoga (Yoda's doppelganger) jumped on the back of Luke Sky-Runner along with the THX sound effects and the big "T" on Troy's chest. Speaking of Troy and letters in the alphabet, he found out that the third consonant in the word "Thanks" is not a Z when we took our Panther Team picture for our generous contributors.

 

As we prepared to part from the mountain, one of the long-standing personalities there, Michael T. Smith, advised one of our runners to keep an eye on me, as I was bound to 'need a lot of help.' I did agree with him as I admitted I had found myself starting 'to sound like him.' Now that is just as scary as fending off three badgers that are stalking you!

 

Next year, we will be missing Troy as he heads for Costa Rica during July, but I am hoping we have a half a dozen or more that will get to take his place - the more the merrier. We want as many Panthers as possible to take advantage of this "unfair advantage" that can flat out change your perspective of running and of life itself! 

 

 

Coach Terry L. Howard