[at-l] Weekend Adventure Hike

[ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com)]

Sarah Slowic sent me an Email last Monday night telling me that she had
entered an Adventure race with a team of three for the first time (all
rookies) scheduled for this past weekend.  She was surprised to discover that
each team is required to provide a support crew of at least one member with a
vehicle that can haul needed gear to various transition sites.  She did not
have a support crew so I volunteered.

The race was about forty miles long and involved orienteering, canoeing,
biking and hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine.  I met
Sarah and her friends Jeffrey and Chris at Wildcat ski area around 8:45 PM on
Friday evening.  We completed the registration requirements then sat for a
1/2 hour presentation on the rules and general discription of this race.  We
left Wildcat about 11:00 PM looking for food in Gorham and then found a room
in a motel for the short time we had left to sleep.

We got up at 4:30 AM to shower, find some food, and drive to Shelbourne Me
for the location of the first leg of the race.  Starting time was 6:00 AM.
One member from each support crew lined up at the starting line to receive
maps and coordinates for the race.  When then clock struck 6 AM the support
crew members ran to their respective teams with the maps and coordinates.
Now each team plotted the course of the race before taking off on the first
leg.  My team was least experienced not even knowing about orienteering.  So
they figured out the locations of the first few checkpoints up to the first
transition area then gave me the maps.  Off they ran with canoe paddles, life
jackets and backpacks (each required to carry backpacks with certain
essential survivor gear.)  They were the second team out from the starting
line.  I then drove my truck about 6 miles east along route 2 to the first
transition area.

They had to paddle several miles down the Androscogan River to the first
check point where they would pull out and then walk with paddles 1/2 mile to
the parking lot and checkpoint 2.  Well, they were passed by one team that
turned up stream onto the Wild River.  They chose to follow this team.  This
was the wrong course on a river with practically no water.  They carried
their canoe part way and eventually determined their mistake.  In the mean
time several teams passed them and made it to the transition area almost an
hour ahead of them.  They finally arrived in seventh position out of twelve
at the transition area where I waited for them with the maps which I had used
to finish plotting their course.  I went over the maps with Sarah to make
sure she understood the entire route.  Everyone but Jeff changed into biking
shoes.  Jeff kept on the shoes he had worn in the canoe.  They were wet from
sections of walking in the river.  Carrying their packs and hiking shoes they
set off on mountain bikes to ride seven miles into the Evans Notch area of
the Whites.  The support teams were required to wait until their team had
finished that biking portion of the race and had been gon from that
checkpoint at least 15 minutes.  While waiting for permission to leave I
talked with the crew for one of the other teams.  Her name was Carol and she
seemed very experienced.  She tried to give me some pointers and told me
about her experiences in Adventure Racing.  Her team also got off course and
ended up 1.5 hours behind the leaders and 1/2 hour behind my teams.  She was
not too happy.

I waited for what seemed an eternity for word to leave the checkpoint.
Finally when only three support crew vehicles were left in the parking lot I
got the word to leave.  That means my team was now in nineth position.  I
headed for the parking lot for the Wild River Camp ground.  Found the bikes
left there by my team.  Loaded them into the truck and head for the next
transiton area.  Knowing they had to hike several miles over Mount Moriah I
headed into Gorham to pick up some lunch for me and my team.  It was about
11:15 AM so I stopped at Subway and Cumberland Farms for subs and Gatorade.
The next transition area was at a park in Gorham.  I was the next to last
crew into the parking lot.  I continued my conversation with Carol and talked
with many of the other support crew members and with the race officials.  I
eat a sandwich, drank some Gatorade and read in the shade of some big oak
trees.  About 12:00 Noon the first three teams came to the checkpoint, had a
quick bite of food and changed to biking clothes then headed out for the last
leg of the race.  An hour later, three more teams came into the checkpoint.
At 2 PM Carol's team came into the checkpoint, they had moved from dead last
to 7th position.   Other teams were astounded when this team ran by them on
the way up Mount Moriah.  At this point the radio message from the check
point on top of Mount Moriah indicated that my team had made it to the top
and was on the way down.  Team 4 had not reported to the checkpoint and was
believed to be lost on the mountain some place.  Eventually they were found
after hiking several hours along the AT in the wrong direction.  They missed
a checkpoint so would not qualify to place.  At 3 PM four crews were still in
the parking lot.  By 3:30 three of these teams had made it to the transition
area and switched to bikes for the final leg.  One of those teams was team 4.
 But my team was still not in sight.  They had to leave this trasition point
before 3:30PM to continue on the regular course.  Aftere 3:30 they had to
switch to an alternate shorter route.  About 3:45 PM one of the teams that
left just before 3:30 returned to say they decided to do the Alternate route
because they were bushed.  Now I am alone in the check point with only race
officials.  We joked and talked until 4:30 when my team finally arrived.
With a little persuation the officials and I convinced the team to finish the
alternate route.  After eating the sandwiches and drinking the Gatorade they
headed out for the last 9 miles of the race on the alternate route.  I headed
back to Wildcat Mountain to greet the finishers.  All but three teams were in
by the time I arrived.  The first teams finished the race in 8 hours.  The
slowest team took 12 hours.

I ran into Carol and her team in the parking lot and went over to congatulate
them on their race.  They were a bit discouraged but I convinced them that
they had performed very well in making up so much time after their bad start.
 And then it hit me that Carol was Carol Biancardi.  Carol was a former
student and teacher at SWHS where I worked for 35 years.

After dinner and an awards ceremony I said good by to my team and headed
south on route 16.  Just after passing the AMC information center in Pinkham
Notch the traffic came to a dead stop.  Flashing Blue lights indicated an
accident ahead.  One way traffic was guided past three moose on the road.
Two calves had been hit by cars.  One was near death on its side another was
dragging its hind quarters trying to get away from the autos and the mother
was standing nearby to car for her calves.  It was a terrible way to end a
great adventure.