Wildflower from Out of Town

Triathlon Forum
1

Really want to do Wildflower this year but the logistics seem more complicated than the usual tri trip. I’d be flying into San Fran from NYC and renting a car/suv from there. Looking for advice from those with past experience on the following:

-When is the best day to arrive+ leave? I was thinking about flying in Thursday then flying home very late Monday. Is that early enough to get a spot to park/pitch a tent + will I be able to get out of the park in time Sunday to catch a red eye back to NYC or do I need to look for an early Monday flight?

-How do you go about getting a campsite/place to park? First come first served or do you reserve a spot with registration?

-For those who have tried either, is it best to pack a tent + inflatable mattress or just rent a big enough truck that I can sleep in the back? Looking to carry as little junk as possible since I may be traveling alone.

-Do they have showers at the race site?

-If I don’t want to bring all the stuff to camp, are there any motels in the near vicinity? Any particular ones you can recommend?

-Anything in particular I need to bring besides bike + race stuff, tent, mattress, food?

-Will race sell out in minutes, hours, days or weeks?

thanks in advance for any help,
Jack Smith

2

-For those who have tried either, is it best to pack a tent + inflatable mattress or just rent a big enough truck that I can sleep in the back? Looking to carry as little junk as possible since I may be traveling alone.

-Do they have showers at the race site?

-If I don’t want to bring all the stuff to camp, are there any motels in the near vicinity? Any particular ones you can recommend?

-Anything in particular I need to bring besides bike + race stuff, tent, mattress, food?

-Will race sell out in minutes, hours, days or weeks?

3

The last two years I have stayed at a hotel in Paso Robles. It’s about 30 minutes away. It worked out really well. There were many other race participants at the hotel. Of course I (and my wife), are more hotel people than camping people .

I have camped there, got there Friday afternoon and had no trouble securing a spot. Whether you get there Thursday or Friday, there is a little bit of a hike (or ride) from the camping spot to the race site.

If your first time doing Wildflower, it might be fun to camp to get the most of the Wildflower experience. Unfortunately, due to the crack down on drinking amongst volunteers, the “naked” aid stations just aren’t what they used to be. (Or perhaps I wasn’t hallucinating durinig the run as much the last two years as a few years ago).

With respect to signing up for the race, I recall that last year it took a few weeks to sell out, though in previous years, it sold out much more quickly.

There are a couple of places to eat at the festival, so I guess you could get by without bringing much food if you’re trying to travel light.

4

-When is the best day to arrive+ leave? I was thinking about flying in Thursday then flying home very late Monday. Is that early enough to get a spot to park/pitch a tent + will I be able to get out of the park in time Sunday to catch a red eye back to NYC or do I need to look for an early Monday flight?

If you get to the Lake Thursday night or Friday morning you will have no problem finding a place to camp. If you plan to leave Sunday, you will have to leave before 8am before they close the roads for the Oly race, or after 3pm when they open the roads again. So either plan on leaving early or staying late, there’s no in between.

-How do you go about getting a campsite/place to park? First come first served or do you reserve a spot with registration?

It’s first come first serve.

-For those who have tried either, is it best to pack a tent + inflatable mattress or just rent a big enough truck that I can sleep in the back? Looking to carry as little junk as possible since I may be traveling alone.

I camped in a tent in 2005 and had no problem finding a site when I arrived Friday evening. Last year I rented an RV and had a great time, but I think I will go back to the tent in 2007 just because is is so much easier and cheaper. A lot of people were sleeping in their vehicles, but looked very uncomfortable.

-Do they have showers at the race site?

There are shower facilities at the camp site, but hot water is limited.

-If I don’t want to bring all the stuff to camp, are there any motels in the near vicinity? Any particular ones you can recommend?

In my opinion, those who stay in motels miss what Wildflower is all about, and they face terrible traffic on race morning. The closest is about 45 minutes away (without traffic). It is great to wake up at the race site!

-Anything in particular I need to bring besides bike + race stuff, tent, mattress, food?

Be prepared for extreme heat, or cold rainy weather.

-Will race sell out in minutes, hours, days or weeks?

The past two years it took months for it to sell out. However, with this being Wildflower’s 25th anniversary, I expect it to sell out sooner.

Wildflower is my favorite race of the yeear. The Long Course is tough, train for lots of hills!! Have fun!

5

The best advice I can give you is to RENT a house with a few others down the road in Lake Nacimeinto (Ok I cannot spell it). You are ten minutes away by car, and you will have all of the comforts of home!

We did the Oly last year, and we had to park at the campsite. I could not image trying to race after walking 50 to 400 yards to the nearest bathroom, waiting in line, etc etc etc. Plus it is quite warm during the day, so you cannot relax.

We did this last year and it was the best way to go! If I race Wildflower again that will be the only way to go!

Pete

6

-Anything in particular I need to bring besides bike + race stuff, tent, mattress, food? <<

Good responses from everyone.

One thing to remember is that you will need to bring everything…lanterns or flashlights, towels, soap, ice, water, way to heat water for coffee, etc…every single thing you might need. The closest store is an hour away. There is a small shop down at the expo, where there are also some food stands, but the supply and hours are limited and every time you might want to eat, it will involve a mile or more walk/bike ride (including coming back up the big hill). WF is just too much of a hassle for me.

clm

7

I’ll just add my $.02. I’ve done it 7 times, from out of town… Boise, requiring either a flight and drive, or a long ass 14 hour haul in the car.

I camped the first few times down there. Camping used to be cheap, but not anymore. Also, camping means hauling tents, bags, thermarests, and a whole load of extra crap on the plane… Not to mention, it’s not the most comfortable night pre-race. I’ve been hoteling it in Paso Robles with my triclub these past few years, and a good night’s sleep makes a world of difference on race day. I’ll never camp again. We usually stay at the Best Western in Paso Robles, however, rooms are tight this year due to the big Paso Robles winefest that weekend. Getting into the park on Sat. race morning is a breeze, now, that they have figured out how to park people. Getting there early is the key (6 AM).

On leaving LSA… you need to be out of the park by 8:00 am on Sunday if you want to leave that day. Otherwise, a horrendous traffic jam at 3:00 pm when they reopen the roads. We’ve left the park early before, and drove to the Oly bike turnaround, and parked and spectated the race there for a few hours before heading back to OAK or SFO. That way we get to see some of the Oly race, and not get stuck in traffic.

There are showers at the race site, but the water is barely lukewarm. It does feel good though, especially when it is hot, and it’s always hot… Because we like to attend the awards and end up sitting around for hours after the race, it is nice not to be all sweaty and stinky. There is a shower up the hill from the festival stage, so I go up there to clean up. I pack a shower kit in my transition bag and clean up after the race if we are hoteling in in Paso, and not getting back to the hotel until 9 pm.

Flying in Thursday is a good bet. Try to avoid the siren song of the outlet malls in Gilroy on your way down. Our group always gets swallowed by the black hole of credit card hell at Pearlizumi every year, for way longer than we anticipated.

8

I traveled alone from Ohio last year. I rented a minivan which worked well for sleeping, but I’m 5-7. I bought a cheap sleeping bag at Wal-Mart in Salinas on the drive down from San Jose airport and used the padding from my bike box for additional cushioning. I took the rear seats out of the minivan. The key point if you’re living/sleeping in your vehicle is to find a flat spot and some shade. The overflow camping area is particularly flat. By Thursday night most of the best sites in the main camping areas are reserved by triathlon clubs, but there’s always room. It will be very crowded nearly everywhere by Friday night, but that’s part of the fun.

You can buy meal tickets and purchase food at the expo for most of your meals Friday through Sun lunch. Bring a flashlight and buy some water, fruit, energy bars and some snack food and you’ll do fine. I survived without a cooler last year. The thing I missed the most was hot water for tea in the mornings. I would wait until Monday to leave. It’s incredibly quiet Sunday night in the campground and you can scrounge for ingredients to light a fire if you bring some matches.

Camping is the way to go at Wildflower.