As the sun set on West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort, a fog rolled in, bringing with it a cool breeze. Racers competing in the 24 Hours of Snowshoe mountain bike race began to turn their headlights on, one by one, as they cruised into the ninth hour of the race and the start of a tough, long night.

Just before a mostly downhill trek to the finish line, racers must climb the agonizing Highwall - a twisty path of singletrack that goes straight uphill, offering no mercy.

Most racers chose to walk this section of the trail, but a few managed to climb on their bike the whole way.

Another shot of the fog-encapsed Highwall, as the last remaining sunlight is squeezed out of the sky. Lights from several bikers arc up the hill.

With nothing but darkness and increasingly slippery conditions ahead, a lone biker heads across the start line for another 7-mile lap.

A racer finishes a lap and checks in. Each racer carried a radio ID tag, allowing times to be calculated and updated instantly.

View additional DCSki coverage of the 2003 24 Hours of Snowshoe and photos in the following sections:

  • Firsthand Account
  • First several hours of the race
  • 24 Minutes of Snowshoe children’s race
  • Nighttime shots (this page)
  • Award ceremony photos

    All photos were taken by M. Scott Smith.