Another Point of View

 Melanie’s account of crewing for Tevis ‘24 is another great perspective… As I recall, when I flew out to crew for Ex in ‘97, I flew into Sacramento, rented an SUV (was it a Ford Explorer? perhaps!), and drove to Auburn Fairgrounds. The routine is much the same year-to-year: we are only allowed limited camping time up at Robie Park (Lake Tahoe), so everyone caravans up there Thursday. Vet-in exams are done Friday, and The Ride commences between 5:15-30 AM Saturday morning. Crews have 4-6 hrs to pack up camp, drive rigs back to Auburn, and bounce back to the first “crew accessible” vet check at Robinson Flat, approx 36 mi into the ride. Since the trail traverses protected wilderness areas, there are only 4 checkpoints where crew is admitted: Robinson Flat (36 mi), Chicken Hawk (64 mi), Foresthill (68 mi), and Francisco’s (85 mi). Crewing involved long periods of waiting, sandwiched between short periods of intense activity. While a good crew is invaluable, by & large I’d rather be riding 😊

Melanie Martin is with Jonni Jewell and 

4 others

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1h  · 

Tevis 2024. I've got some recovery time on my hands so here goes....

I was back at Tevis to crew for Gayle Muench and Henry (Rohara Hasanni). This was my 2nd time to crew this horse and my 4th time to crew for Gayle. Additionally, Jonni Jewel was camped with us at Auburn, and would be using our rig to camp at Robie (the start) and crew from in Foresthill.

I arrived on Wed and have discovered that this is the only arrival date that works for me. I need Thursday to settle in and 2 nights rest on California time before Friday night which involves very little sleep.

I love camping at Robie and assisting the riders overnight and at the start. A smooth, stress free start is very important. Taking the rig back to Foresthill alone gives me a lot of time to think about the day and night ahead.

Every year I have to "get creative" to find a ride from Foresthill up to Robinson Flat for the first check. Gayle always has Fran [his wife] and Helen in Robinson, so if I don't make it's no problem, but with 10 hours to kill before I see Gayle at Chicken Hawk, I much prefer to hussle a ride to Robinson. This year I hadn't even got the rig parked before I encountered an old friend Chetta Crowley. She immediately offered a spot in their caravan up to Robinson. Awesome! I had a great time visiting with Joe. (Unfortunately I didn't get his last name) He and his wife (who was riding) were at Tevis for the first time. We discussed the team effort at Tevis and how everyone pulls together for the hoped success of horse and rider. He was very impressed by [the] harrowing drive up to Robinson.

At Robinson I had the honor to crew for Gayle and Jonni Jewell. They were just over an hour apart which makes for perfect timing crew wise. Henry was bright and happy. He ate well from every forage and concentrate offered. Jonni and Hondo came in shortly after Gayle left. I enjoyed learning Jonni's management style and how she handles the ride. She had a wonderful crew led by Sara Anderson. All riders have different priorities for how to handle themselves, the horse and trail. Hondo was very chill and chowed down.

I had some concerns about the lack of shade for the riders in the canyons due to a fire wiping out most of the trees. The year prior the riders got to the canyons earlier in the day due to the Soda Springs start. I went to Chicken Hawk while Helen went to Michigan bluff. She brought a cold drink for Galye as we had a feeling he would be out of water or at minimum ready for some sort of boost for the push to Chicken Hawk.

At Chicken Hawk we pulled the saddle to help Henry cool down and he vetted through without issue. Hallelujah! I'm always extra cautious here and willing to spend any amount of time it takes, because with Foresthill just a few miles away, the horses need to vet through well at both stops or the ride is over.

Foresthill is all about rest and refuel. The horses are always tired. The riders are tired. The crew is operating on adrenaline having been awake for about 22 hours. Sometimes we sneak in a nap, but this year there was no time for that. All I think about is what the horse needs to vet through well at Franciscos and the Quarry. It is a mistake to assume that sunset means cool weather because this is not so. The horses and riders will be traveling in 80+ degree weather until 2am with higher humidity due to close proximity to the river. The horses need support metabolically to keep their hydration up and muscles as relaxed as possible.

Gayle and Jonni both finished the Tevis with healthy horses. Mixed in with all the seriousness of the ride is a lot of fun. Fran, Helen and I have a great time together. What one doesn't think of the other will. What one forgets the other remembers. When one is tired another is laughing and making coffee to get us through delirium. We extend grace to one another as we all handle the stress and exhaustion of ride day differently.

I'm grateful for the WSTF, ride management, volunteers, and vets. It's a crazy endeavor to bring the horses and riders across the Sierra in 24 hours. What an amazing opportunity that few have in life to test their fortitude!