I couldn't find any teammates for this race so I headed out to Cunningham Falls State Park to race solo. It was a blast! The race had 2 phases... here is the report:
Phase 1:
Prologue run 1/2 mi around parking lot to spread out the field
Trek to beach where the boats were (1/2 mi)
Paddle to 2 checkpoints (CPs) on lake then back to beach
Trek back to transition area (our vehicles)
Transition to bike
Bike to 2 CPs (gravelly service road and paved road)
Drop bike at top of big ass hill and navigate to 2 CPs and back (1.5 mi trekking)
Bike back to transition area
Trek back to beach
Paddle across lake and dock boat
Trek to Cat Rock hitting a CP on the way (5ish mi roundtrip) then back to boat
Paddle back to beach
Portage boat
Trek back to transition area to get map for Phase 2
There were only a few other solo racers and maybe 40-50 teams of 2 or 3. Seemed like 80-100 people at the start. I tried to get up front in the prologue run because I didn’t want to be in a mass of canoes veering everywhere. I succeeded and was probably the 4th or 5th boat on the water. Did pretty well with the paddle though I really tired myself out trying to paddle hard! I had borrowed Lorrin’s (very cool) boat and this was my second time in this boat, probably my third time ever in a kayak. But I guess I had developed some skills canoeing with Paul during the summer.
Got back to the bike and decided not to switch to my biking shoes (my pedals have little platforms so it was OK). Sure, it would have been easier to bike with them but I didn’t want to do the off trail navigation that was in the middle of the bike course, in my biking shoes, or waste time changing shoes twice. So, out of the parking lot to a CP then up the service road. Missed a turn and had to hike my bike up a steep pitch to get back on the road. Then hit the pavement, and headed up the big ass hill. There was no one around me at all, so I was sort of worried I was going the wrong way, but I was OK. Got to the top, there were only 6 other bikes there. Drop my bike, and started to make my way off trail to the CPs and started to see lots of others out there close behind me. Got CPs and back on my bike. Hit 30 mph even w/ my knobby tires on the way down the big ass hill. That was fun and scary.
Dropped the bike and took off back to the boats, taking a ClifShot on the way. The other solo chick who I had followed down the hill was changing her shoes so I got ahead of her. As I was getting in my boat the volunteers were cheering and telling me I was in 3rd place overall, first of the solos (though everyone, team or solo, competed in the same “category” for this race). Nothing like a little pressure to not let people pass me. Paddled in a nice straight line to the boat dock, portaged to a parking lot and promptly took off in the wrong direction. Quickly corrected and then ran over (off trail) to the CP. Checked in then up to the CP at Cat Rock.
I was feeling the pain as I hiked up as fast as I could and tried to run as much as I could. It also occurred to me that I needed to start drinking some water- it was getting kinda warm. Got to the top of Cat Rock and saw the 2 teams in front of me on their way down- everyone was super friendly and supportive. Volunteer at Cat told me I was 6 mins behind 2nd and 11 mins behind 3rd. I was pretty sure I couldn’t catch them even with my mad trail running skills (ha). I channeled Michelle and Lorrin’s downhill-running-bad-ass-ness and tried to fly back down. I’m seeing everyone coming up and am trying not to careen out of control into them. I see my competition is really only 5-10 minutes back. [Later, I noted there was a power line cut I could have taken back down but it didn’t appear to shorten the run that much].
Back to the boat, paddle across the lake, do my portage- managed to get the boat up on my head amidst a bunch of guys who seemed a little worried I was going to hurt myself (they were calling it the team challenge but I really think they just wanted us to get the boats off the beach ;) ). Run to transition where I get my map for the orienteering course.
Phase 2:
Orienteering course with 20 CPs you could get in any order but had to be back by 4:00pm or else you start losing points. Distance- probably 8 miles running/hiking. If more than one team gets all 20, whoever does it fastest wins, etc.
I knew I had a lot of time to do this and should be able to get them all, but also knew that I could easily make a mistake and lose time. I’m immediately overwhelmed because there are points all over this map, and I’m physically exhausted, arms shaking, out of breath, etc. And now I’m expected to think intelligently. It appeared that I was going to have to do a fair amount of back tracking anyway so I just pick a direction and start collecting points, sort of hitting the outliers first and making a plan as I go along. This was a lot of fun, and I ran into very few people til I got back much closer to the start. And you have no idea how you are doing relative to other teams so I just kept pushing myself to run as hard and as much as I could. I only bushwhacked for 4 or 5 points and didn’t need to use the compass much, only a few times to check myself. There wasn’t a huge advantage to going off trail as the terrain was rocky and steep (and there could be snakes lurking!) so it was easier and faster to stay on trails for the most part. I also routed myself up that big ass hill I had biked up earlier- that was pretty evil!
Some of the CPs were tricky and you had to really pay attention to the map features and descriptions or it was hard to find the darn things. I finally got all the points, and think I made good choices with the order I got them, and then checked in at the finish! I was 3rd overall (final time was 4:40) and was thrilled and amazed- this was my third adventure race ever! First and second place were the same ones who were in front of me the whole time. I met some cool people and chatted some with the winners, and other volunteers, etc. I do think these races are more fun on a team rather than solo though! This sport is really cool though I know I need to develop some more bike skills and get better at navigation on tougher courses too. The organizers did a great job w/ the race making it fun, challenging, and very interesting. Cunningham Falls State Park was gorgeous this time of year.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Camping at Dolly Sods
Joe reports on his camping trip with friends Adam & Giuseppe:
We drove out to Hawk on Thursday night, got there around 8pm and it was rainy and foggy, but not cold. We sat around my camp candle for a fire and drank Giuseppe's wine and some beer.
Friday we got going, drove out rte 55, raining the whole way to a trailhead about halfway up the H. Sky road section. Dripping muddy and cold. I wore my Vasque Velocity out, which worked wonderfully on my summer hike on the AT, so I wanted to see how they'd do in other conditions. My feet were wet within minutes and I immediately started to worry that the next few days would be cold and wet. I was not much wrong. Aside from the water, the Vasque worked great. Goretex Vasque are going on my Xmas list.
As Friday continued, we reached the Red Creek, far upstream from where Lorrin and I forded when we were out. I figured it would be easier there, but not so. After 1/2 hour of seeking a suitable ford, we just had to plunge in, each using Giuseppe's Tevas, then tossing them back to the next person. In that way my shoes stayed dry, but I lost all my heat from waist down. My rolled up pants were soaked to the hips. Joy. It was fun, no sarcasm.
We continued on up a big hill, through mud, and found a nice riverside site filled with the noise of many cascading rocky falls in the river. All lined with hemlock and rhodendron, it was beautiful. We were happy to stop. We made camp, did dinner, sat by a fire (Adam managed to build it with his paraphin egg cup things), sipped a little bourbon, then off to bed.
Saturday showed promise of sun. A wonderful golden light inched its way down our side of the ravine till it reached our camp. The temps rose, so did our spirits. We started out up the high hill and soon came out in the first of the many amazing "sods." The colors in the sunlight were phenomenal. Throughout the day as we passed through these fields with wild cranberry and strawberry and shrubs, bushes, grasses, lined with beach and fir, spruce, hemlock all around, I
thought back to the how similar clearing made for the toughest parts of the HS race. Now I could appreciate the beauty. We hiked on and on through the sunshine and camped early, before 3pm, in a sod transected by a creek. Pitching the tents on the sunny banks, and spreading out the wet clothes from Friday, everything was renewed. We all agreed that this spot was the reason we came out there. We sat and read, relaxed.
As it got darker we made a nice dinner, built a nice fire and enjoyed more bourbon. The stars were brilliant, it froze, but it was lovely.
I didn't sleep well that night. The dinner didn't agree with me. And I'm sure I heard something walking near the tent. I stuck my head out and shined my light but saw nothing. I always suspect a bear, but who knows. In looking out of the tent, however, I saw one of the clearest starry skies ever. I didn't even mind getting up to take a "natural break" so I could take the sky in a little more. All over the tent and field you could see the frost glistening in the starlight.
But alas, upon waking, the clouds rolled in and threatened an end to the easy-going sunshine. We hiked to a trailhead on the road Sunday, about three miles from where we camped, and about three or four miles north of the trailhead where we left the car on Friday. The weather changed from rain to sun and back. Calm and warm one minute, windy and cold the next. When we got to camp we pitched tents and made tea, and headed down to get the car (3-4 miles south). Along the way Giuseppe finally succeeded in hitching a ride in the back of a pickup, saving us a mile or two. By unanimous decision, we agreed that, since we were in the car, and it was cold and wet, we may as well drive into town and get some hot food and beer. This we did, eating someplace in Canaan Valley, then driving back with more drink than we could use.
Back at the camp, we built a fire, drank till 9pm or so, watched the weather fill the whole spectrum of possibility, with the exception of thunderstorms or hail. It went from partly cloudy to starry, to light rain, to heavy rain, to partly cloudy again. The coup de grace finally came around 3am when I got up for another natural break and, looking over at a nice patch of stars in one part of the sky, I noticed little white specks falling through my headlamp beam. Yes, once back in my tent, unable to sleep, I enjoyed the noise of snow falling on the tent for about an hour. Through all the changing weather, the only constant was wind. You could hear the wind starting like a deep bellow somewhere way off in the valley, then creep closer and change tone till it was a thundery alto just over our heads. All the while you hear each intonation of wind at different speeds in different points along its path. We were happily sheltered from the worst of it by a grove of hemlocks above us.
This morning, with frost and light snow all around, we were all pretty happy to have the car right there. We packed up fast (too fast for me, really, the scene was sooo beautiful). We were on the road and heading toward a nice hot breakfast in Davis by 8AM.
We drove out to Hawk on Thursday night, got there around 8pm and it was rainy and foggy, but not cold. We sat around my camp candle for a fire and drank Giuseppe's wine and some beer.
Friday we got going, drove out rte 55, raining the whole way to a trailhead about halfway up the H. Sky road section. Dripping muddy and cold. I wore my Vasque Velocity out, which worked wonderfully on my summer hike on the AT, so I wanted to see how they'd do in other conditions. My feet were wet within minutes and I immediately started to worry that the next few days would be cold and wet. I was not much wrong. Aside from the water, the Vasque worked great. Goretex Vasque are going on my Xmas list.
As Friday continued, we reached the Red Creek, far upstream from where Lorrin and I forded when we were out. I figured it would be easier there, but not so. After 1/2 hour of seeking a suitable ford, we just had to plunge in, each using Giuseppe's Tevas, then tossing them back to the next person. In that way my shoes stayed dry, but I lost all my heat from waist down. My rolled up pants were soaked to the hips. Joy. It was fun, no sarcasm.
We continued on up a big hill, through mud, and found a nice riverside site filled with the noise of many cascading rocky falls in the river. All lined with hemlock and rhodendron, it was beautiful. We were happy to stop. We made camp, did dinner, sat by a fire (Adam managed to build it with his paraphin egg cup things), sipped a little bourbon, then off to bed.
Saturday showed promise of sun. A wonderful golden light inched its way down our side of the ravine till it reached our camp. The temps rose, so did our spirits. We started out up the high hill and soon came out in the first of the many amazing "sods." The colors in the sunlight were phenomenal. Throughout the day as we passed through these fields with wild cranberry and strawberry and shrubs, bushes, grasses, lined with beach and fir, spruce, hemlock all around, I
thought back to the how similar clearing made for the toughest parts of the HS race. Now I could appreciate the beauty. We hiked on and on through the sunshine and camped early, before 3pm, in a sod transected by a creek. Pitching the tents on the sunny banks, and spreading out the wet clothes from Friday, everything was renewed. We all agreed that this spot was the reason we came out there. We sat and read, relaxed.
As it got darker we made a nice dinner, built a nice fire and enjoyed more bourbon. The stars were brilliant, it froze, but it was lovely.
I didn't sleep well that night. The dinner didn't agree with me. And I'm sure I heard something walking near the tent. I stuck my head out and shined my light but saw nothing. I always suspect a bear, but who knows. In looking out of the tent, however, I saw one of the clearest starry skies ever. I didn't even mind getting up to take a "natural break" so I could take the sky in a little more. All over the tent and field you could see the frost glistening in the starlight.
But alas, upon waking, the clouds rolled in and threatened an end to the easy-going sunshine. We hiked to a trailhead on the road Sunday, about three miles from where we camped, and about three or four miles north of the trailhead where we left the car on Friday. The weather changed from rain to sun and back. Calm and warm one minute, windy and cold the next. When we got to camp we pitched tents and made tea, and headed down to get the car (3-4 miles south). Along the way Giuseppe finally succeeded in hitching a ride in the back of a pickup, saving us a mile or two. By unanimous decision, we agreed that, since we were in the car, and it was cold and wet, we may as well drive into town and get some hot food and beer. This we did, eating someplace in Canaan Valley, then driving back with more drink than we could use.
Back at the camp, we built a fire, drank till 9pm or so, watched the weather fill the whole spectrum of possibility, with the exception of thunderstorms or hail. It went from partly cloudy to starry, to light rain, to heavy rain, to partly cloudy again. The coup de grace finally came around 3am when I got up for another natural break and, looking over at a nice patch of stars in one part of the sky, I noticed little white specks falling through my headlamp beam. Yes, once back in my tent, unable to sleep, I enjoyed the noise of snow falling on the tent for about an hour. Through all the changing weather, the only constant was wind. You could hear the wind starting like a deep bellow somewhere way off in the valley, then creep closer and change tone till it was a thundery alto just over our heads. All the while you hear each intonation of wind at different speeds in different points along its path. We were happily sheltered from the worst of it by a grove of hemlocks above us.
This morning, with frost and light snow all around, we were all pretty happy to have the car right there. We packed up fast (too fast for me, really, the scene was sooo beautiful). We were on the road and heading toward a nice hot breakfast in Davis by 8AM.
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