It
all started from a post on the
SCARABs site. "Team mate wanted for upcoming Raid
Gauloises Expedition Race." Team Block was 13th on a
waiting list for teams from the US, so the chances of us getting
in were slim to none at this point. I personally wanted to go to
Vietnam and this was my chance. I quickly replied to the e-mail
and Joann (Grether from Team
Karma) got back to me there after. Two of their team mates
were unable to make the trip and she wanted to fill the spots.
The first spot was going to Nelson Snyder. I had raced with
Nelson a few times last year on Team Pure Adrenaline and he is a
very good navigator and experienced racer. The second was still
open. I was offered a spot on Team Karma to race the upcoming 4
Winds Supreme as test for Vietnam. You see, adventure racing is
as much physical as it is emotional and this would serve as a
test case to check out our team dynamics as Team Karma.
The Road Trip
I set off from Lancaster
to Modesto with our rented U-Haul Trailer to meet up with Team
Karma. Upon arrival I met captain Joann Grether, her husband and
son Ryan, and our 5th team mate Dana Haynes (she was to be our
sole/soul support team for the next week). When I pulled in they
were all running around getting last minute preparations. We
traded the van for the 4 Runner, attached the trailer and were
back on the road within 25 minutes fully loaded and ready to
race. Now off to Sacramento to pick up another team mate,
mountaineer Brien Crothers. We met Brien at the Sacramento
airport where he was making a family drop off/ pick up. Again
with a fast transition we loaded his gear and were on the road
towards Idaho within minutes. One last stop at REI for gear that
we "might need" and $100 less each later we were on
the road for good. Everyone took a short turn at the wheel but
it was Dana who went big and drove 80% of the time. She is a
giver - but more on Dana later. We stopped at a casino in Nevada
and had a huge buffet dinner. Very important as we were going to
be living on bars and goo for the next week (or so we thought).
After an eternity on the road (for me nearly 24 hours) we
arrived in Driggs, Idaho the start and finish of this years
Supreme. Everyone was happy to just get out of the car as I had
been steady talking the whole trip in my excitement. As we
pulled into the parking lot we spotted Nelson Snyder. Now we
were complete. It is starting to feel like a race.
Gear Check
Getting to the stating line is one of the hardest parts of
adventure racing. Between personal gear, food, and team gear it
always feels like you are forgetting something. Even after
countless races it is never easy. We always want to go smaller
and lighter and it is funny what we try, and sometimes get away
with for mandatory gear. With this being a 400 mile, week long
race the gear was much more important. We were required to carry
sleeping bags and bivy sacks. We all managed to pass with bags
that - well, lets just say we passed and leave it at that -
don't want to give away secrets. We went through gear check and
with the exception of Joann's butter knife which she replaced
with standard locking blade knife - we got through with all of
our "customized gear". Our packs were weighing in
around 25 pounds each which wasn't bad including food and water.
After gear check we still had to get signed off on special
tests. This was no problem and we got through quickly, except
for the two hour log jam for the horses. One horse and a dozen
teams waiting to show their skills. Anyway, after completion we
packed and repacked our gear for a couple of hours before
heading off to the pre race meeting. We never know what
discipline is first or how long until the first transition area
so it is difficult to pack until after the pre race meeting.
Pre-Race Meeting
We ate our fill at a local Italian restaurant and then it was
off to the meeting for maps and instructions. We got a table and
sat through an hour of welcomes and local history. Then the
moment we had been waiting for - maps and disciplines. We
received 32 USGS black and white copies. The copies are lame as
you can't see the details as easily for water, trails and boundaries.
We all get the same maps so all is fair. The meeting started at
7:00pm and at 11:30 we were told that we had to leave the school
gymnasium that we were in. That meant no more good light and
floor space to lay everything out on. We had plotted 34 check
points and were laying everything out for routes when we had to
go. We went back to the lodge and repacked our gear for the
first leg of the race which was a huge mountain bike ride while
Brien and Nelson finished the navigation. I took a shower and
got three hours of sleep. Luckily for me I had slept 13 straight
hours the night before. Nelson and Brien got less than one hour
sleep. Typical for the navigator but not the ideal way to start
a race of this length.
The Start
We woke up at 5:00am to get ready
for our 8:00am start. The morning went so fast as we still
packed and repacked gear trying to get dialed in perfectly. The
race started with a local marathon and there were runners
everywhere. Luckily this race was long and not like a typical 24
hour race where teams take off at a full sprint. We rode our
bikes and talked to the racing locals for the first 5 minutes at
a slow pace. Then off down the road we dropped into a pace line
and drafted and towed for the first 15K. We left town mid pack
and worked our way to the front. Rather than being sheep Team
Karma took the lead passing the film crews on our way to
CP1.
Decisions
Team Dawg and two other teams passed us in the last 500 meters
to CP1. We arrived at PC1 and had to make a quick decision.
Follow the leaders ( like sheep) or stick to our trail choice
which differed from the route Team Dawg choose. We elected to
stick with our original choice and backtracked 500 meters and
found the single-track trail head that would cut 5 or more miles
of the route to PC2. This route although shortened ended up
costing us nearly 2 hours to the leaders but would greatly
effect the final outcome of this race. We spent the majority of
the bike section pushing as it had been raining and the trails
we super slick , technical, and steep. The two hour loss also
found Team Karma in last place. The single-track route we chose
was one of the best rides that I have ever been on. Beautiful
country and technical trails - exactly what I live for.
Team Dynamics
Team Karma comes from a
much different background than either Nelson or myself. They are
very disciplined, mature, and steady. Nelson and I are
aggressive sometimes pushing reckless. By the time we reached
PC2 we had found our qualities and made a few minor changes and
meshed quite well as a team. Joann and Brien vowed to complete
this race and finish as best they could. Nelson and I both had
dreams of podium. Nelson is quiet and it went unsaid. I (in my
own outspoken way) wanted to win this race and was willing to do
whatever it took to do so. I am what was summarized as an
"abrasive" personality but I am willing to cash the
check that my mouth wrote at any time. Joann and Brien stepped
it up to a higher pace while Nelson and I backed off a little.
This would turn out to be key later on in the race. With this
new pace we moved steadily through the pack.
Transition #1
Upon arrival to our first
assisted check point Dana, our 5th team member, had the most
organized well prepared transition ever. Hot mashed potatoes and
ham, cold Pepsi, hard boiled eggs, tuna with miracle whip and
all our gear laid out without missing a single item. Our
transition should have lasted 5 minutes. We ended up taking 25.
Looking back we could have been quicker but the comfort and
relaxation we got in that transition re-motivated us and in the
next few hours I am sure we easily made up that time. We left
for our first trek approx 25 miles feeling as good if not better
than we did at the beginning of the race. Dana did an amazing
job at each and every transition. She was the envy of every team
and the example for their crews. She unloaded and loaded all of
our gear (I personally had 3 boxes weighing in at 80 pounds plus
each) at each stop and it was perfectly organized not to mention
she knew where every single item at any time was. Being that
this was our first expedition length race we each brought 3
times more stuff than we needed. For sure I did. Food alone I
could have done the Supreme, Eco, and Southern Traverse and
still had food left over in my box - no exaggeration.
The Trek
It is amazing the things
you see while out racing. I was able to shoot to disposable
cameras worth of film. Although about 8 of the shots that I
figured would be most memorable did not come out as my camera
got wet on the river. Never the less we captured a few memories
on film. The things that happen in mere seconds are the ones you
never forget. We are trekking along when all of a sudden
everything goes completely white. Picture being in your deepest
sleep and someone waking you up in a pitch black room with a
camera flash. This was ten times more intense. We were blinded
for a split second though it seemed like a minute. The thunder a
second later brought us to our senses and made us realize that
we had been mere feet - maybe inches from being hit by
lightning. We will never know how close it was but as far as I
am concerned it was too close. It never even gave me the scared
feeling it should have just a reminder of how little control we
have out there. A mile or so down the road we pass a team
putting on a space blanket as a poncho as it was now raining a
little - we couldn't believe it. As we looked at the maps at a
junction the foil covered lightning rod racer scurried off into
the darkness. We looked at each other in silence. A little later
I found myself startled by a moo-bear. A few cows had sought
shelter from the rain and were standing under the trees
trailside. As I passed one in the shadows my headlamp caught one
of their faces and I jumped sideways away. I guess all of my big
tough bear talk went out the window that moment. I really did
want to see a bear this trip - I guess just on my own terms. The
moo-bear would not be forgotten the rest of the trip by my team
mates who would bring it up frequently. Around 1:00am we bivied
for an hour of sleep. We woke up shivering but refreshed. You
can never believe how much an hour or sometimes even 15 minutes
of sleep can fix you up. We finished this leg of the race with a
long stream walk and crossings. The long hike a bike section and
the wet shoes on rocks had taken there toll on my feet and I
developed some pretty good blisters. Way too early in the race I
might add. My team mates panicked at the site of my feet in the
next transition. A needle, some duct tape, and a doctor from
Canada named Robin had me fixed up in no time. I was not going
to quit this race for anything short of death but I can honestly
say I was scared that my feet were going to give me a tough
time. Robin turned out to be the difference. He gave me a crash
course in foot care 101and I will never take my feet for granted
again. Dana once again gave us a perfect transition with a hot
meal and all of our gear ready to go. We got ready and headed
out on the ride and tie section.
Horses
The ride and tie section
came and went way to quickly. Our team of four was given two
horses in which two members would ride and the other two (in our
case) would tow behind. We threw two packs over the saddle horn
of each horse and did the 12 mile section almost effortlessly. I
ended up riding 75% of the section. With my feet being battered
it was really cool of my team mates to look after me like that.
By the end of the ride my feet had dried out and were feeling
really good. We ended up passing 3 teams during this
section using our system of tow by the horses tail. Once we
passed the other teams would follow our lead like sheep. It got
to be comical. We would stop to check the maps and the three
teams behind would do the same. Fortunately for them our
navigation was spot on and we were back to the stables in no
time. All except for me. My horse stepped over a strap that ran
from its bridle to the saddle so it couldn't throw his head. I
stopped and fixed (unhooked ) the strap 500 meters from the
stables. The other teams passed by as I did so. My horse (Regal)
decided that now he was a wild stallion and I ended up walking
him for the last 5 minutes. The hill had been pretty steep and
there was no sense in trying to break him at this point. We just
wanted to finish the section.
50 Miles 32 Hours
We got back to the
transition area and ate got cleaned up and bedded down for a two
hour sleep. Dana woke us up in what seemed like minutes to send
us off into what was to be the most difficult single section of
race course I have ever experienced. We left around 5 in the
morning. It was cold and damp but would soon climb up into the
90s at least. We hiked up a beautiful canyon and saw a huge
white mountain goat flow across the side of the mountain. The
valley was almost jungle like with plants with the biggest
leaves I have ever seen. We left the valley floor and climbed up
and down 4 more valleys dropping to 6000' and climbing back up
to 9000' plus every time. On our way up to one of the check
points which was at a beautiful waterfall we saw a solo racer
hiking toward us. It was Ron Kelly from Team Dawg. He had gotten
really sick and had to drop down from the elevation. One of the
girls on Team Dawg also had dropped due to an ankle injury. The
two remaining members of Team Dawg were pressing on. These
unfortunate happenings would change the entire race as Team Dawg
had been the navigation for the top 3 teams. Everything was
changing and Team Karma was sitting in 4th. At sunset we did the
mountaineers route to the CP on top of the highest peak well
over 10000'. It was all loose rock and shale. We were full of
energy at this point and made it up and down in no time. We then
found our trail head and hiked back down into the lower valley.
The trail was soon lost among the rocks and at 1:00 am we
decided to sleep for an hour to wait for the full moon to pop
over the mountain so we could find the trail easier. I awoke a
little less than an hour later shivering glad to be moving and
warming up. We kept moving passing through valley after valley
and up and over countless ridges. I didn't mention before that
we had left our topo map of this area in transition and that
Brien and Nelson navigated the whole last half of the section
with an over view regional trail map. Luck was with us to say
the least although there was never a time during the whole race
that we didn't know exactly where we were on the maps. We could
see the transition area for 3K s we closed in on the end of the
section. It seemed like an eternity but we knew we would have a
hot meal and would be off of our feet again for a little while.
Flatwater Paddling
Dana once again out did
herself and after another hot meal we were off on a 13 mile lake
paddle. After launching the boats in knee deep sticky black tar
mud we were off. We made the first of 3 check points before dark
and after that Brien and I got our rhythm together in the 2 man
kayak. We got to the second CP and Brien and Joann scrambled
around the hillside to get the punch. Then it was off to our
next transition for another hot meal and some much needed sleep.
A full stomach and two hours sleep does wonders and after fixing
my feet with a ton of duct tape we were off on our final 25 mile
hike. On this leg we started out great and saw moose on the
trail that we almost had to push out of the way. We were in
their house and they were not afraid of us at all. This all
changed as from the second hour of the hike on there was no
water to be found. I ran out first and was miserable for 5
hours. My team mates shared what little they had but I needed a
lot and I wasn't about to finish off their water. I got to the
point of being scared. I felt helpless like a little kid. My tongue
was stuck to the roof of my mouth and the little punching bag in
the back of my throat was stretched about 4mm longer than
normal. At the bottom of the trail was a stream the was feeding
the Snake River. I raced to the stream jumped in and drank 6
bottles full of the mineral tasting water. I bathed for 5
minutes and drank my fill. We then hiked the last 5K to
transition filling our bottles again in the Snake River at the
half way point. We were so happy to see Dana. Again she had
everything ready to go and more hot food. We were so lucky to
have her.
Mountain Bikes (finally)
For me this was the best
transition of the race. We took our time, I got my feet fixed by
Mark (one of the 4 winds crew - a chiropractor by trade) and ate
plenty. Plus I knew all of the trekking sections were behind us.
We were headed off for a 65 mile bike leg. When we got into the
transition area we found Team Uruguay, and Team Outdoor
Adventure getting ready to head out. Team Dawg had dropped and
that put team Karma in third place. This also put the top two
teams in trouble with navigation. They had been riding on Team
Dawg's coat tails the whole race and now we would see what they
were capable of. When you get this deep into an expedition race
things change completely. Now we would see how much. Brien and
Joann were able to catch a few minutes rest while I got my gear
ready, bike dialed in, and feet fixed. Before we left Nelson
called a team meeting. He explained that we were now in the
drivers seat and that we had a chance to win this race. He asked
us all what our goals were. At this point I was determined to
win and we were on bikes so I felt like I could finally
contribute.. We headed out over an hour behind the other two
teams. About two hours into the ride all of our priorities
changed. We needed sleep we were all over the road and decided
to sleep for an hour. We slept for an hour in a pasture next to
a herd of moo-bears and once again woke up shivering and ready
to ride and warm up. We rode into the morning and slept once
again for 30 minutes around 8am. We hooked up our tow lines and
rode our hardest knowing with every pedal stroke we were gaining
on the leading teams. I broke my chain numerous times (the same
link over and over) and Nelson stepped in and fixed it for good.
Sometimes the hands don't work in harmony with the mind. The
mechanicals held us up a little but it never seemed like a huge
deal. We finally crest the final mountain and get to descend 10
miles to the transition. Super fun 45mph plus fire road. We get
to the transition area and ask the grumpy girl from 4 Winds what
time the other two teams left. After a few smart ass
answers from her we came to realize that the other teams hadn't
come in yet. We were now in first place. It was unbelievable
heading down the hill to the kayaks in first. We all got a
second wind and were ready to pour it on. Dana hooked us up with
some killer sub sandwiches, candy bar and Pepsi, we were set.
Snake River Kayak and the Rappel
We jumped in the kayaks and headed downstream.
Nelson and Joann were in one boat. Brien was steering and I was
up front in ours. We ate and paddled downstream and found the
first checkpoint by a waterfall not far downstream. After the
waterfall Brien and I found our rhythm and paddled efficiently
the rest of the way. It seemed forever before we found table
rock, which was the site of the rappel. We pulled the boat in
and no one was around so we continued down stream another 500
meters and then pulled the boats on shore and ran back to the
rappel area. What had happened is we got there a few hours
earlier than they had expected and they weren't ready for us.
After mass confusion we scrambled to the top of the mountain and
found the ropes. As we approached the ropes we saw Team Uruguay
hit the shore and start heading up the hill. On top of the hill
we were told there was no hurry and we would take our time and
be safe. That is fine and all but second place was heading up
the hill and third had just hit the shore. After an extensive
gear check Nelson and then Joann were sent down. As the sun was
setting and Brien was being hooked on the rope we were told that
we would not be able to rappel without our lights. Now an hour
and a half of time had been wasted and our lights were in the
boats. Brien and I along with Team Uruguay were sent back hiking
down the mountain in the dark. Far more dangerous than
rappelling down as the exposure on the hike was pretty big. Team
Outdoor Adventures was ecstatic with the decision as all four of
there members were down well before we could hike it. Brien and
I got back to our boats, frustrated to say the least, met up
with Nelson and Joann and began our last paddle in the dark on
the swift river to the final transition area. In the dark on
swift water everything becomes a blur. It was cold, we were wet
and we just wanted to be done with this section. About 500
meters before transition we hit a huge wave which soaked us and
made our boat exit quite chilly. We got the boats out, changed
our clothes and carried the boats to the parking lot. Dana had a
perfect transition area with hot food and warm clothes we were
in heaven.
Strategy
Team Outdoor Adventure and Team Uruguay
arrived about 10 minutes behind us and rushed through their
transition. We were taking our time and we had a good idea about
what was going to happen. The two teams had been struggling
through navigation for the past couple of days. We had discussed
and were sure that they were planning on following us out of the
transition until they had a clear shot of the finish and then
try to out sprint us to the line. Rather than letting that
happen we devised a plan of our own. We got all of our gear
prepared for the last leg of the race, we ate our fill and took
an hour nap. We got up an hour later and got ready to go. Upon
seeing us move the other two team were up and scrambling so as
not to lose us. I jumped on my bike in full gear and raced up to
the bathroom. The two teams assembled ready to follow. I then
rode back to our transition took off all of my gear and we all
crawled back into our bags and went back to sleep. We had called
their bluff and all they could do is leave. We were gambling
high stakes here but we were pretty sure of ourselves. We slept
for two more hours and I woke up Nelson by saying -"we
proved our point now we have work to do." Work was an
understatement. I was scared that we had made a mistake. If we
did it would have been my fault. I was the one pushing for this.
I was the one who wanted to play games. I was the one who wanted
to prove a point. My team mates went along with it all and
humored me. Looking back they put up with a lot from me and no
one ever complained. We hooked up the tow systems and started
motoring our way to catching the leaders. Two hours into our
ride it was sunny and getting hot. The trails we were on got a
little confusing. We descended a hill and at the bottom there
they were, both teams looking over the maps - looking very
confused. This was the turning point. I knew at this moment that
it was over. There was no way we were going to lose. All three
teams got together and discussed the maps. We went along with
their theories of where we were. Nelson sent each of us out on a
mock scouting mission. We returned and the other two teams
decided that we were no better off then they were. So, they
headed off up a valley. Once they were out of sight we proceeded
in our intended direction to the next check point. We never saw
them again. We kept a super fast pace up the fire roads and
choose to take a straight line 800 vertical foot trail to the
summit. This was the most taxing section of the race both
mentally and physically. From the summit it was virtually all
downhill (about 15K) to the finish. We finally got to the top
and took pictures and prepared for our descent. It was very
steep, technical and very slow paced. We stuck pretty close
together and made it down with minor difficulties. Once off the
mountain we had one last check point and a few miles of flat
farm roads before hitting Driggs and the finish line. We
arrived at the finish line just before sunset to a 4 Winds
welcome and Dana's smiling face. Dana, still in race mode had
drinks and pizza ready for us. She was our guardian angel. We
went through a mandatory gear check and did a few interviews and
it was off to the hotel for much needed cleanup.
The Trip Home
The drive home was pretty anti-climatic
except for the fact that Dana drove almost the entire 18 hours.
I was of no use other than non-sense
conversation. I drifted in and out the entire drive but never
really went to sleep. We got back to Modesto unloaded gear and I
was headed back to the desert. I am a different person than when
I left. Some things better some things worse I suppose. One
thing for sure. I was lucky to get to have this experience. I
was lucky to be hooked up with such strong willed, disciplined,
and determined people. Lucky to get through injury free. Lucky
to be able to do it all again in the near future. If you have
never done an adventure race a lot of these things will not have
the same meaning to you but if you have, well, the experiences
can never be put into words... |
