Sisters cross country runners train at Steens Mountain

For 30 years Harland Yriarte has directed a running camp in the heart of the Steens Mountain country where his Basque grandfather once tended sheep. His philosophy is simple: Come to the high, high desert, away from what he calls “Flatland, America” and test your body, mind and soul in ways that will not only make you a better runner, but a better person.

Six members of the Outlaws cross country team took that challenge and spent the first week of August in some of the most rugged and spectacularly beautiful regions of Oregon.

The camp runs two one-week sessions each summer that combine physical challenges with motivational talks and expert advice from some of Oregon’s best distance coaches and athletes. Campers stay in army style tents and go without many of the comforts of home, including hot water and comfortable beds. Themes of mental toughness are emphasized by leaders in talks after dinner and reinforced by counselors during the day.

After a day of adjusting to the altitude (base camp is about 7,500 feet) Lucas Glick, Kaitlin McAlister, Ryanne Conrads, Jena Rickards, Erin Kanzig, and Chelsea Addison embarked with the other 146 campers on what is simply called “The Big Day.”

The Big Day begins at 9,500 feet with a brisk hike into the wilderness for 14 miles through the Big Indian gorge during which participants are not allowed to talk at all. If that isn’t challenge enough for most teens, the first two to three miles are about as steep as they can be without being vertical.

At the 14-mile mark, the runners rested briefly and ate a light lunch before returning to the trail. For most of the next six miles the runners did “60/60s” which entail running for 60 seconds and then walking for 60 seconds.

The final mile and a half up out of the canyon is so steep it took most runners close to an hour to conquer. At this point, runners have a choice of taking the bus back to camp or running the final seven miles. Lucas Glick and Jena Rickards completed the entire big day, covering a total of 28 miles.

“It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Glick. “My goal was to stay with the second group the whole day and I did that.”

On Thursday, after doing four miles of 60/60s and hiking three miles, the runners faced the “Cross Canyon Assault” in which tent teams must navigate their own way across a three-mile-wide canyon. The key is teamwork and finishing together. Dodging sagebrush, barbed wire, loose rocks and occasional rattlesnakes, the runners finished with many scratches, scraped knees and with a real sense of teamwork.

“You have to think of more than yourself,” said Jena Rickards.

Friday culminated the week of tent competition with the Steens Mountain Olympics. Events included an arm hang (one girl hung from a two-by-six timber for over five minutes), tug of war, two-mile relay, and a 5,000-meter uphill run.

Lucas Glick’s tent, made up of mostly 3A and 2A runners, won the boys competition and the runners were rewarded with backpacks provided by Nike.

“It was cool to see how our tent came together as a group,” said Glick. “We were up against some amazing runners from Ashland, Crater, Centennial and Grant, so it was sweet to win.”