Next Epic Adventure

Next Epic Adventure: Fat Otter RAID: more to WI than the Frozen Tundra

2010-06-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

Next Epic Adventure: Fat Otter RAID: more to WI than the Frozen Tundra

Fat Otter RAID: more to WI than the Frozen Tundra

2010-06-07T21:41:00.001-07:00

Along with the plethora of Wood Ticks, the Fat Otter RAID delivered Team Gore-Tex a satisfying win and a surprisingly fun adventure.

I have to admit, before we arrived on site, my Wisconsin adventure-factor expectations were low. My wife having grown up in Green Bay, I had visited the flat, featureless Frozen Tundra over several holidays. During each visit, I was denied any real adventures, but not for lack of trying. My closest encounter with an epic adventure was when I tried to cross-country ski along the Fox River through a windchill of about 60-below; most locals were on the couch eating Brats and drinking Tom&Jerry's, with TV's poised and ready for the next Packers game.

Luckily, the Raid took place on the WESTERN side of Wisconsin, far away from that frigid escarpment of Green Bay that I had anticipated. The western WI landscape, having been carved up by glaciers, is a conglomeration of wild rivers, lakes and curious hills called "mounds". The race director, Rod, did a great job of linking a series of these mounds like sausages, strung together over 300+ miles with a mix of forested trails, country roads and waterways.

For me, the highlights of the race were reaching a checkpoint on top of a new mound, each one as unique as a bag of cheese curds: climbing the pinnacles of Castle Mound; rappelling off the cliffs of Wildcat Mound; riding epic single track surrounding Levis Mounds; navigating the bluffs and ravines of Bruce Mound.

Our team found a comfortable rhythm right from the start of the race, and we transitioned from stage-to-stage, from day-to-night with seamless efficiency. The map preparation and route execution by our new navigator, Brad, was flawless. The leadership of our fearless captain, Julie, always came at just the right time. Our engine, Peter, assumed the pointy-end of the tow line early and often.

And I did my part for the team by eating early and often, providing vivid descriptions of my hallucinations, and singing polka songs off-key (on purpose, of course, for effect).

Submitted by Mike Dawson

Fat Otter RAID and racing against our biggest foe, EVER!

2010-05-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

Tick, tick, tick, tick... I know what your thinking. Yes, covering 300+ miles of remote Wisconsin backcountry under your own power in 3 days is a race against time. The clock is often your biggest foe in an expedition length race, fighting time cut-offs during the latter part of a race is common.

But this is not about the clock, but about a small insect that shares its name with the sound the clock makes to let you know the seconds are passing...

The Ups and Downs of Wasatch Powder Keg 2010

2010-04-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

"IT'S ALL ABOUT THE UP!" exclaims the tag line for the annual Wasatch Powder Keg ski mountaineering race. With 5000 feet of skinning and booting up and over elevations exceeding 10,000 feet, they have a valid point. Serious racers invest heavily in "unleaded, premium grade" equipment to lighten the load for the way up. Some racers take it a step further by drilling holes in boot cuffs, shaving plastic off the soles and replacing buckles with bungee straps.

I knew I would have a serious disadvantage on the ascents against the guys with the Anorexic kits. After all, my bulky 24 pound telemark set-up was no match for their wispy four pound kits. For those that measure weight in terms of 16oz water bottles, that's a difference of 20 water bottles. For those with basic Physics background, that's 100,000 foot-pounds more work, or a thousand extra 100-pound squats,Ｉwould have to produce to get through the climbs.

If the race ended at the top of the climb, it would be perfect for the lightweight freaks. Fact is, however, that half the race descends the same 5000 feet previously climbed. And much of the downhill sections comprised a mix of steep rocky chutes, wind slabs, frozen chicken heads and moguls resembling VWs in size, shape and texture.

It was astronomer Galileo that discovered on the Leaning Tower of Pisa that, balls accelerate in free fall at the same rate, regardless of their size and weight. Maybe so, but it was Mohawked Extreme Skier Glen Plake that discovered that there is no substitute for beefy equipment set-up for staying upright in steeps, bumps and crud!

Galileo can keep playing with his....objects! I'm going with Plake on this one! Because, for me, its all about the up...and the DOWN!!

Next Epic Adventure: Where's Mike ?

2009-06-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Next Epic Adventure: Where's Mike ?

Ellsworth Evolve: An Evolution in the 29" WheelRevolution

2009-06-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

The inaugural ride on my new 29" Ellsworth Evolve a week ago was going magically. I had just finished making all the Jeckyl and Hyde switchbacks in my middle ring...on a 29" mt bike, no less -- unprecedented luck! It was like the scene in Caddy Shack where the priest was out golfing in the violent thunderstorm and couldn't miss. As I approached Ken's Crux at the top of Pinebrook, with the dark clouds gathering, I recalled that , at the end of the miraculous golf scene in Caddy Shack, the priest gets struck by lightning. I considered opting for the "Chicken-Out Jug Handle", not wanting to press my luck and get whacked by 50 thousand volts ... or worse yet, scuff-up the beautiful paint job when I crashed into the rock and scrub, as I had countless times previously. The Crux is abrupt step-up move through a gnarly, sinuous rock garden that has denied passage to me (and everyone else, except Ken Meyer, a freakishly-skilled trials rider) for the 11 years I have lived here. An image of Ken pops into my head like the Kung Fu Master urging Grasshopper ride delicately through the Dragon's jaws like passing over the rice paper without leaving a trace. Now, in my Zen-like state, resistance is futile. Before I realize it, I am on top of the Crux...still in the saddle of my trusty 29" steed...not buried upside down in brush, not charred by a bolt of lightning. A miracle has occurred !

As I had considered the purchase of a new bike, I was well-aware of the buzz about the advantages (and disadvantages) of mountain bikes with the larger 29" wheels, compared to the de-facto standard of 26 inchers. I characterize myself like the majority of off-road bike enthusiasts: an all-purpose rider who cannot afford to have a quiver of bikes for every occasion, and someone who is risk adverse when it comes to new, "non-traditional" technologies and trends.

Being an engineer accustomed to reducing every choice to a highly ANAL-ytical trade study, I had carefully weighed the claimed pros and cons...

- heavy, super-sized wheels and corresponding frame

- sluggish response due to added wheel inertia

- tippy, high center of gravity

- under-geared for steep climbs

- too tall to go fast

- not many manufacturers, so they're too expensive and you can't find components

... Hmmmm, I guess those are all cons.

...slightly deterred, I checked out what all the good bikers are riding. I found that a lot of them are "niner converts", and when I surveyed their reasons for switching to a 29" bike, I discovered that all of the claimed disadvantages turned out to be myths.

In fact, I couldn't find one rider that had ever tried a big-wheel bike and not liked it. So, I turned off my analytical brain and I took the leap of faith: I sold my year-old Ellsworth Epiphany and I bought its big brother model, the 29" Ellsworth Evolve.

Now that I have put several rides on my Evolve under various conditions, I am qualified to say that my 29" Evolve meets or exceeds the 26" Epiphany in every category. The Epiphany (my previous all-time favorite) is no slouch as an all-terrain mountain bike, but the 29" Evolve out-climbs on the steeps, out-descends on rocky single track, out-corners on tight, fast switchbacks and out-cruises on long, rolling fire roads.

Give the transformational Ellsworth Evolve a spin...I guarantee that you will join the 29" revolution.

Closing the Gap at G2G09

2009-06-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Spokane, Wa
Date: May 30, 2009
Event: 2 mile field run, 14 mile Mt. Bike, 9 mile Kayak, 20 mile Road Ride, 10K Run

For a race traditionally done by relay teams, they also happened to have an Ironman Solo division to appeal to some of us crazies.

Due to the unseasonably warm temperatures (mid 90's) and substantial snow pack in the mountains, the kayak portion of this race was cancelled by the race organization less than 24hrs prior to race start due to hazardous river conditions. This left the race being essentially a off-road duathlon (2 mile trail run/14 mile Mt Bike) with an hour shuttle ride/rest to the start of the on-road duathlon (20 mile Road Ride/10K Road Run).
Start: http://www.yakimaherald.com/galleries/2574/photos/1

With the sun already blazing, the starter's gun went off at 7:45am in warm 78 degree temperatures, guaranteeing that the day would be just as much a testament of hydration and heat tolerance as about stamina and endurance. The field of solo-iron athletes quickly spread out entering the 2 mile jeep road, allowing for a quick read on who the runners of the field would be to contest for the overall. One athlete, Darrell Sofield, chose to use their Mt.Bike cleats for this relatively short run in hopes of saving time in transition, but the clicking of the cleats on the rock road surface slowly disappeared into the background. Another athlete, Fred Mason, was clearly a triathlete by physique and racing attire and took the lead early on in the run. I was able to work through the field and get onto his shoulder for the majority of the run, he threw in a few surges in attempt to distance me of which I countered, putting 20 seconds into him prior to the Mt Bike transition.

Coming out of the Mt. Bike transition, I was debating whether to hold-up and let someone else more familiar with the course lead the race. Having previewed only the first 3 miles of the Mt Bike course the day before (2 flat tires due to goat head spurs) I wasn't very familiar with all the turns. In retrospect, I should have followed my instincts because soon after mile 5, I found myself off course and wondering where the rest of the field went. Going from 1st overall to re-entering the course 3-4min behind the leaders, I soon found myself discouraged and in 5th place. I told myself not to panic or to bury myself trying to catch back up to the leaders that were now well out of sight, but to be patient and pace my own race. I tried to stay on top of my fluids and electrolytes, but clearly the hilly terrain and heat were working against me already. After a hot and dusty 2000ft climb to the summit of the Mt Bike course, there was a steep boulder strewn fire road decent to the finish area for the completion of the first 2 stages. It was then that I found out that I was in 4th place overall and over 4 minutes down on the leaders. I knew had my work cut out for me for the later 2 road portions of the race, and made extra effort to hit the fluids and electrolytes during my 1 hour shuttle ride to start the road portion of the race.

Prior to the Road Bike Start:
The 20 mile road bike was staggered started according to the current placing and time gaps from the Mt Bike section of the race. As I watch the leading 3 athletes roll off the start line one- by-one I realized how long a duration 4 minutes really was. Once even a minute passed by the cyclist was already out of sight, so I knew I would need to motivate myself to continue to push myself even when there would be no other competition on the near horizon to focus on. Once I was under way and going at a good pace, I finally caught site of another competitor at 10 miles, quickly passing him as he was making effort to refuel and hydrate. It was definitely getting warm out as temperatures now were in the mid 80's and rising. Having only one bottle on my bike, I made sure I drank frequently and continued to put down even more electrolyte tablets. Approaching the steep roller-coaster hills at mile 15, I could finally see the 1st and 2nd place athletes on the horizon around 100yds apart from one another. Luckily, there was also an aid station handing out cups of water in the middle of the steep climb which I was able to get another few gulps of water heading over the top of the last climb for the day. I was able to pass 2nd place, Darrell Sofield, right near the summit of the climb a still had 1st place anither few hundred yards ahead. The only athlete left that I hadn't passed yet was triathlete, Fred Mason, who I knew would be the hardest to catch for the remainder of the race. Hitting 45mph down the long open steep descents to the bike finish, we were fortunate enough to have police escorts heading back into the city and blocking traffic at the many intersections along the way. I knew that I was at my limit as my feet and hamstrings started to cramp due to dehydration. I needed more fluids soon. Coming into transition, Frank was a bit surprised to see me on his heels as he made a super-fast triathlete-style transition to the run. I, on the other hand, had problems even dismounting my bike before my legs seized-up. I kept telling myself to be patient, and put down another bottle of water and several more electrolyte tabs slowly hobbling out of transition onto the run course.

On the Road Bike: http://www.yakimaherald.com/galleries/2574/photos/14

The 10K run course was a paved bike path along the Yakima River, essentially 5K out and back. Once I got on a clear straight away, I could barely make out Fred in 1st place a quarter mile ahead. I told myself to go my own pace, but was still fighting off cramping hamstrings each time I would try to pick the pace up. Knowing from past experience how quickly things can unravel when you are dehydrated, I took extra time at the aid stations to get a couple cups of water down as well as an additional one over my head. It was now into the low 90's on the black asphalt and I found myself going the extra distance just to run on the side of the path that had the most shade. I finally started to feel better at mile 2, and started to pick-up the pace as I saw Fred coming closer on the horizon. As I approached the turn around, Fred Mason was again surprised to see me closing as I believe he had written me off when he saw me cramping-up in transition. Fred immediate response to seeing me at the turn-around was to surge and put distance on me as I stopped and took on more water at the turn-around aid station. I told myself to let him go and focus on getting more water and the last 3 electrolyte tablets down for the final 3 mile push. I eventually caught Fred at mile 4 and it was quite apparent that he was trying to survive the heat just as I had been all day. I slowly overtook him and distanced him by 3 minutes over the final couple miles mostly due to Fred struggles with cramping more so than my pace.

Crossing the finishing line I was happy to have my patience, persistance, and experience see me through the day. The only thing I could think about crossing the line was to find some shade under a nearby carnival tent.

Finish: http://www.yakimaherald.com/galleries/2574/photos/15
Ironman Male Open: 1, Peter Courogen (Portland) 3:48:56; 2, Fred Mason (Pasco) 3:51:54; 3, Darrell Sofield (Bellingham) 3:56:18;

North Face Endurance Challenge

2009-06-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON – June 6th, 2009

Tuesday June 2nd my teammate Peter sends me an e-mail with the following link http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge and the comment – “are you in or not?”
Hmmm- let me see it’s Tuesday and you are asking if I want to run a 50K trail running race on Saturday up in Bellingham, WA.

So I followed the link and found the course was rated as follows…

Elevation Change:

Technical Terrain:

Overall Difficulty:

Scenery:

Ok well at least there were only 4 out of 5 stars for the elevation change!
It sounded like a good challenge and a course full of suffering and maybe a nice view or two thrown in so I decided I was up for it.

June 6th, 2009
Race morning was cloudy and in the low 50’s and our race start time was 7am.
There was a good field of runners (110 or so) and Peter made the comment you will have some competition today.
Hey wasn’t this supposed to be a training race – why are we talking about competition?!

And we were off…the first few miles we maintained a good pace where we could easily carry on a conversation.
Around mile 4 I noticed a blue flag off to our right (blue flagging was the route we were supposed to follow) but there were runners ahead of us still running down the fire road.
I guess all the adventure racing came in handy as this was our turn but about 6 people had missed it – we yelled at them to get them back on track and off we went.

The morning was extremely humid so keeping on top of our salt intake was key and we did a good job of doing so.
On a 2 mile out and back (around the 6/7 mile mark) Peter started calling out some of the people we would pass later in the race – sure enough he was right.
I had been sitting in 4th place for the early part of the race but after mile 7 found myself in 2nd place – Peter assured me (even this early on) this is where I would stay.

After the aid station at approximately mile 18 the course got a bit harder with a long single track climb.
We were slow and steady but passed multiple people and had a guy from Salt Lake City join us up this push.
At around mile 20 Peter decided to take off as we were entering a long single track descent which he can do much quicker than me.
Brian (SLC man) and Peter took off and I assumed at this point I would not see them again…

Right before the 23ish mile aid station a tiny, compact man went flying by me on the trail.
Later I would find out this man was the 50 mile champion and he ended up beating the rest of the field by over an hour – amazing!
Anyway after leaving this aid station I headed onto another single track trail and within 5 minutes was lying flat on my face.
The trail had become very technical and my foot caught a root and wham! I slide into home plate safe!
I brushed myself off – looked at my bloody knees and hands and told myself to get going.
Within a ½ mile I was staring up at an incredible hard ascent.
One that went up 800 feet in 0.8 miles and was a rooty, rocky, scramble…
This climb was brutal and to have it come around the 25 mile marker made it even harder – the race director had to have a little evil side to place this climb where it was.

I caught back up to SLC Brian near the top of the ascent and we then spent the last few miles together to the finish.
Luckily most of the rest of the course was downhill single track and fire roads so the going was a bit easier.

After the last aid station there was 2.8 miles to go and I felt strong and knew it would be a nice run into the finish.
One of the volunteers told me as I left the aid station that it was all downhill from here.
Yeah – I’ve heard that one before.
I never believe when some says anything like – A. you are almost there or B. it’s all downhill from here.
I prepared myself for another uphill.
Sure enough after about a mile of downhill the fire road ticked back up for another ½ mile or so.
The last mile consisted of some tight twisty single track back down toward Lutherwood camp.

Finally – I could hear the loud speaker of the announcer and knew I was coming into the finishing stretch.
No matter how many times I’ve crossed a finish line during a race – I never tire of that euphoric feeling from reaching it…

The North Face Endurance Challenge presented by Gore-tex (our sponsor!) was a great event that allowed runners of all abilities to compete.
They had options of 10K, ½ marathon, 50K, and 50 miler.
Great goodies bags and a really nice festival like atmosphere for the finish.
I was happy that I had decided on June 2nd that I was indeed “in” for this race...

Stats:
Peter finished in 4th place men’s/1st in his age group in 5:13.
Right before he left me on the descent at mile 20 he waited on me for about 1 minute (to catch up to him) to give me salt tablets.
1 extra minute would have nabbed him 3rd place.
Julie finished in 2nd place women’s/ 9th overall in 5:30.

Julie Leasure
June 7, 2009

Hearts with Soul

2008-12-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I did a 12 Hour team relay mountain bike race in Arizona with a friend of mine, Scott Richards. It was a special race, not only because we won our division with a great team effort, but also because of the significance of what Scott had overcome just to make it to the starting line. It truly inspired my teammates and I to hammer on the bikes beyond our normal limits.

You see, exactly one year ago, Scott was lying in an operating room, chest cracked open, in full cardiac arrest. His heart was intentionally stopped for 28 minutes while surgeons replaced a genetically defective aorta. He lived though the life-threatening operation and then decided to use his second lease on life to, not just return to good health, but to train to become an endurance athlete. As Scott came in from his first lap, he was spent from an effort that had shed a full 23 minutes off his previous best time for the loop. As I thought about how remarkable it was what he had just achieved, my thoughts turned towards a couple other late friends that had ruled their hearts with soul.

It was twelve years ago that the huge heart of my huge friend, Jimmy, stopped beating. After forty years of fighting an up and down battle against obesity, his heart simply couldn't take it any longer. At twice the weight of a average man, he was too heavy to be a technical mountaineer, to be a ski racer, or to survive hot desert sands. But he did scale the likes of Mount Rainier, he did win NASTAR national medals and he did serve along side soldiers in the Gulf War. Jimmy showed the rest of us what you can do if you have the soul to rule your heart.

Two years ago, my friend Marc, a self-described ultra-endurance addict, dropped to the pavement and never got back up. He was just a few feet from completing the Tucson Marathon in what would have been a personal record. Marc was also forty, and he also wore out his heart. But not before he endured grueling events that most mortals would find simply impossible: The Hard Rock 100 Mile mountain run, a "triple"Ironman Triathlon, multi-day runs on an oval track. The part they didn't know is that he had survived a car wreck years earlier that had left him with a limp and badly broken body and severe brain trauma. Each heart beat he had been granted since the car accident, he cherished independently.

Marc, Jimmy and Scott -- you have all shown us how to rule the Heart with Soul.

-Mike

Gear up like a Goat !

2008-11-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Mountain Goat is the symbol of sure-footed toughness, perfected over evolutionary millenia. Any climber who has ever ventured into the Rockies and witnessed this majestic animal on its home turf can attest to their superior adaptation.

It is for this very same reason that my favorite adventure gear store, Backcountry.com (http://www.backcountry.com/), proudly brands itself with the goat symbol.

Backcountry.com only sells gear and clothing that stands up in the toughest environments. If their staff of gear experts decides that a product is worthy of the Goat stamp-of-approval, then it is most likely worthy of mine and yours, too. But, just in case they get it wrong, they back their claims with a unconditional, money-back guarantee, and they actively seek consumer feedback in one of the most progressive customer-service programs in the industry.

You can see my feedback on some of the outdoor products I have purchased from backcountry.com by clicking on my reviews at http://www.backcountry.com/store/profile/100002532/Mike-Dawson.html

Get Hoof'n!

Mike

Where's Mike ?

2008-11-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

I prefer to go places where I can't be reached by cell, but since the advent of embedded GPS receivers, I have discovered another use for my Blackberry "Smart Phone" (I also used it off-trail as a flash light once when the sun went down way too fast).

Adding this handy GPS tracking utility to my BB allows me to periodically send and publish my location, when I don't mind civilization knowing where I am.

GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com

SPOT Satellite Messenger: 2008 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award

2008-10-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Wall Street hasn't been getting much right, lately, so their attempt to take credit for recognizing the blatently obvious is understandable.

Now, I am not an investment analysist on Wall Street, on Main Street or even in the back streets. I'm just a part-time explorer of remote backcountry places reached by double-track, single track, topo lines and UTM grids. In fact, rarely is there any cellular phone service in the places I like to go... and the more rare, the better.

I first learned about the SPOT Satellite Messenger last year, shortly after they launched service. It was immediately and blatently obvious to me, too, that SPOT had something that was going to transform the playing field for me and other outdoor adventure enthusiasts.

Here's the bottom line for my dollar: SPOT uses advanced satellite technology and offers features that allow me to pursue my epic adventure dreams on my terms. It gives me a ubiquitous life line and the ability to check in with loved ones without the burden of bulk in my pack and without the looming black cloud of concern of whether technology would work for me when I needed it most.

But if you need to hear how good SPOT is from someone qualified to recommmend sound strategies (?) for your money, go see why WSJ thinks SPOT is worthy. Well, atleast they seem to have gotten it right this time:

http://www.findmespot.com/downloads/SPOT08-WSJInnovationsAwardFINAL.pdf

Where's Karl? ...at the other end!!!

2008-09-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

After 2,174 miles of punishing Appalachian Trail, Karl Meltzer has reached the other end. I have tremendous respect for him following through, even after realizing that setbacks due to debilitating injuries and monsoonal rains had dashed his shot at the record. And props to Backcountry.com for staying committed to the project until the very end...truly a class act!

I am proud to say I know the man, Karl Meltzer, and I was privileged to be able to spend a day with him running the NH section of the trail back in August (Day 10). Here's a picture of us together that day (Karl is the skinny dude).

The website www.whereskarl.com did a fantastic job of covering the event. Here are a few stats I pulled out:

Official Finish: Monday, September 29, 4:20 a.m.

Official Start: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 7:08 a.m.

Official Finish: Monday, September 29, 2008, 4:20 a.m.

...a total of 54 days 21 hours and 12 minutes.

Unofficially, Karl's is the fourth fastest thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

In order, the fastest finishers:

Andrew Thompson: 47 days 13 hours 31 minutes (2005)

Pete Palmer: 48 days 20 hours 11 minutes (1999)

David Horton: 52 days 9 hours (1991)

Karl Meltzer: 54 days 21 hours 12 minutes

Primal Quest Badlands - a primer

2008-09-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

Primal Quest announced today that their next multi-day adventure race will take place in the state of South Dakota (www.ecoprimalquest.com) .

The promotional news release on the website suggested, in the Primal Quest tradition, that the course layout and disciplines will take advantage of the local environment and rich history of the state. There were several hints dropped such as:
1. Head on encounters with raging buffalo herds
2. Hand-to-hand combat, Custer-style, with disgruntled Native Americans
3. Belly-crawling through caves (AKA Spelunking)
4. Ridge "Running" ropes course across the rocky pinnacles of the Badlands
5. Pistol Duels in the lawless town of Deadwood

It all sounds very intriguing to me, and I look forward to shopping at Cabellas for a whole new set of mandatory gear.

Here's a little montage (CLICK on Mt Rushmore!!) I put together from a recent family camping vacation to the great state of South Dakota to get you ready for Primal Quest Badlands!

Enjoy!
Mike

Primal Quest 2009-Badlands Primer

Taming the Stegosaurus on Cardiac Ridge

2008-09-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Ken's first homecoming since the big move to New York provided a rare opportunity for us to knock off another classic ridge traverse in the Wasatch Range. Previous adventures across rarely-trodden trail-less ridges had provided us with opportunities to mingle with the herds of Mountain Goats on Thunder Ridge, surf talus-flows off the north end of Timpanogos Ridge, glissade the snowy steps of Sunrise Peak and battle heat, dehydration and impassable scrub oak on the Parley/Mill Creek Ridge.

For this trip, we would tackle the infamous Cardiac Ridge, a twisted complex of colliding plates of the earth's crust that forms the divide between Cardiff Fork and Mineral/Broads Fork in the Big Cottonwood drainage.

So while the hoards filled the parking lots for the traditional hikes up to Lake Blanche, we clambered up to to Cardiff Pass following a pair of slightly annoyed Mountain Goats and started on another excellent adventure.

Ken (in the foreground) and Mike on the approach to Mount Superior, which is blocked from view by Little Superior. Part of Cardiac Ridge can be seen to the right of the tree.

Mike and Ken on the top of our 11,000 foot friend, Mount Superior, a frequent stop during many of our ridge traverses and backcountry ski trips.

Looking down the Stegosaurus' back from Superior. Our destination is Kessler Peak at the end of this meandering knife-edge of crumbling rock.

Mike laying back with good hands and minimal feet near the start of Cardiac Ridge: we now have a better appreciation for the name! Superior is in the background.

Mike resorted to straddling the parts where there was no room to stand. Whatever scratches the itch!

Wait up, Ken, you feak'n Mountain Goat! Typical up heaved plate of the earth's crust in the Wasatch leaves unstable ridges with big exposure

Expedition Adventure Race?...is that like a...a long triathlon?

2008-07-12T14:25:00.001-07:00

Us expedition adventure racers get that hard-to-respond-to question a lot.

Yeah, kinda like that, only ditch the leg shaving, the skin-tight Lycra and trade in the humming bird heart beat for something to support a somewhat slower muscle-twitch, like that of a sloth, because an expedition adventure race will take 10 to 20 times longer than an Ironman Triathlon...

...now, add a 35lb overnight pack, 'cause your leaving civilization for another 24+ hour of some off-trail discipline in the deep wilderness and your going to have to carry all your own food and water and emergency provisions and rescue/tracking beacons and bear spray...Yeah, you're gonna need the bear spray, but hopefully not the rescue beacon...

...and ditch the 12 lb bike with the aero-bars, 'cause you're going to want full-suspension for that rugged 100 mile, ass-busting ride. Better also devise a way to carry your bike, 'cause you'll encounter un-ridable sections of snow, dead fall, heavy brush, cliff bands and the like...

...and you're going to have to lug around a pile of climbing gear for at least one of the 7-10 days you will hobbling around on badly blistered feet. 'Cause the evil race organizers have devised a menacing ropes course to turn your mushy sleep-deprived, oxygen-depleted brain inside-out, and waste any remaining muscle-twitches to produce sewing-machine leg.

...in the case of Primal Quest - Montana, chief ropes mastermind, Jay, has had a vision of racers scaling a 2100 vertical collection of rock fins resembling a gigantic Stegosaurus standing on its tail. Oh, they'll throw down a few ropes along the cascade of plates and spines and then call it "protection", then they'll come up with friendly terms to describe the discipline, like "Ridge Running". But words like "protection" and "running" have no place here, because you're still lugging your 35 lb boat anchor, and you've slept one hour in the last 3 days, and your blisters have all popped to reveal the underlying flesh to the grating layer of dirt-filled shoes...

...how about a little cleansing dip in the river? The PQ legion of doom readily obliges. Lets take a deep raving full of gigantic boulders and flood it with 38F snow melt. Just for kicks, they'll issue the racers glorified boogie boards or drift wood, called "River Boards" and send them merrily on their way down the Class 4+ (means risk to swimmers is moderately high) rapids. Oh, the younger viewing audience will love it!

...make sure the race is long enough and has enough quad-destroying vertical that we can compare it to the length of the Missouri River and "X" times up and down Mount Everest.

...Sorry, what was the question? ...Oh, Yeah, its kinda like a long triathlon...only with 3 teammates that would give you their last morsel of food, offer you their last swallow of water, carry you on their back or tow you on a short line if necessary to get you across the finish line as a single entity, a team.

That's the biggest difference.

Random PQ08 Images of Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex

2008-07-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Post PQ08 Photos

Primal Quest Montana Epilogue

2008-07-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

…and just like that, another Primal Quest is history, with truly epic visions of Montana eternally etched into our oxygen-depleted memories.

Wow! The numbers are still a bit too staggering to wrap our heads around (550+ miles traveled, 8 total hours of sleep, 38 degree whitewater, 5 *real* bears encountered, 40,000 calories consumed daily (and that’s just Mike’s portion!), 2100 vertical feet of dizzying, straight-up, technical rock ascending, etc.,.).

And, alas, the numbers only tell a small part of the overall experience. We were fortunate to have a professional photographer (and also a pretty darn good Blogger) in our good friend Hlavs to follow us around and document our travels. If you haven’t done so already, you can get an up-close-and-personal summary of our team’s race from www.nextepicadventure.blogspot.com, where Hlavs was generous enough to post excerpts from is journal and some awesome photos and video clips.

It was a Primal Quest to the very core, and the life-altering lessons we will carry with us forever.

Throughout this epic adventure, the four of us stuck up for one-another like a small platoon of Navy Seals, moving as a single unit through challenge after challenge with silent and fluid efficiency. We encountered many break-downs and seemingly insurmountable obstacles along the way, but each time we re-grouped, re-assessed and executed with cautious discipline, and came out the other side on top. There are no numbers, or pictures or words that can capture the sense of accomplishment we gained from this week of experiences in the Montana wilderness.

And, in spite of the “party on!” attitude we maintained throughout the race, we absolutely could not have finished this race without the expert care and selfless devotion of our two-person support crew, Beau Johnson and Tanya Wood. They did everything from haul equipment from TA to TA, to treat feet for blisters and strains, to cook meals, to boss us around like the helpless children we were when we came through camp. They were as much of the team as the four of us racers.

We did all we could to provide a return for the investment that our sponsors made in our team to make this huge financial and logistical endeavor possible. Of course, we are deeply indebted to Nike and Gore-Tex , who provided the critical financial foundation. They also donated a bounty of superior technical footwear and outerwear, which we put to the ultimate test during PQ-MT. Additional products and services provided by our other sponsors proved to be invaluable through the hundreds of hours of training, planning and execution that went into this race for us: Backcountry.com, Ellsworth Bikes, Tifosi Optics, Knead a Massage, Kahtoola, Spot, Petzl, TyRy Foods, Hyland Cyclery, Fat Tire Farm, Luck Labrador Brew Pub (yes, beer at the finish line is a powerful incentive!). We hope we made each of them proud to be a sponsor of Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex.

Thanks to all of our friends, family and acquaintances for taking interest in our race. Believe me , we felt your presence and your encouraging thoughts, pulling us through during the darkest hours. We hope that our brief, 7-day, jam-packed journey will inspire you to go and embark in your own epic adventure, however you define that term.

Cheers!
Mike Dawson and Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex (Ken Meyer, Peter Courogen and Julie Leasure)

Top Ten finish for Nike ACG/ GoreTex

2008-07-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

From Post PQ08 Photos

Primal Quest Montana 2008 results

Hlavs Signing Off

2008-06-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

I can't thank the team enough for letting me be a small part of your EPIC ADVENTURE. I saw a lot this week, but I can tell you one thing that will stick with me forever. Primal Quest Montana, more specifically Team Nike ACG/ GoreTex has emblazoned an undeniable Truth on me. I think what I come away with is much greater than some cool photographs and clever captions. No, what I will remember PQ08 for is the understanding that there are no limitations to what the Human Body can endure when you factor in the following variables:

SUPPORT from those close to you.

And HOPE. HOPE for the future, HOPE which endures.

With these in your arsenal, Pain and Fear have no business here.

Now I've got an appointment to keep in Portland 11 hours from now, and I'm about 10 hours away. So wish me luck on my Adventure on the American highways tonight.

Team Nike ACG/ GoreTex Photographer Hlavs signing off...

until the "NEXT EPIC ADVENTURE"

Next stop: Big Sky

2008-06-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well race fans, the team is off on the last leg of this adventure at 7:00pm Monday June 30. They're heading toward the finish line right back where the race started at Big Sky Resort 8 days ago. And its time for me to hand this blog back over to it's rightful owners: Mike Dawson, Ken Brewer, Julie Leasure, Peter Courogen and their families who await them at the line.

PS: Don't worry I left the job of getting finish shots in some capable hands.

A quick turn at TA 14

2008-06-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

I sit in a coffehouse in Coeur D' Alene Idaho as I write this note, reporting remotely. But I have a trusty source (Beau/ Tanya) for reporting that the team arrived at TA14 after a 23 hour trek. Beau and Tanya turned it in 30 minutes to set team Nike ACG/ GoreTex bombing on their bikes back into the mountains towards the race finish.

Day 8 begins with Preparation at TA14

2008-06-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Beau's handiwork extends to all the team's mechanical needs as well. We're awaiting the team's arrival from the trek and getting set for a mountain biking finish through the mountains.

Almost there.

2008-06-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

Team Nike ACG/GoreTex presses up into the Gallatin Wilderness again for its final trek, and second-to-last leg of the competition. Currently in 7th place, the team is prepared to lay it on the line for a top-ten finish... Which would be, as Courogen was quoted earlier, 'A dream come true'.

Gotcha!

2008-06-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Just as I suspected... Courogen displays his 25th Anniversary Pegasus 2008... Creator and end-user.

Hot on the Pegasus trail

2008-06-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

While the team rested I took the opportunity to explore their gear. My motive: Find evidence to support my theory about those Pegasus tracks seen a few days ago in Corbly Gulch.

Footsie... The name of the Game

2008-06-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

The team puts Beau's handiwork, or should I say footiwork on display as they rest. Keeping the team's bodies in order has been no small task. And Beau's foot prep at each TA seems to be the key.

Warm afternoon, and welcome at TA 13

2008-06-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Peter and Mike's family wish the team luck before their last scheduled power nap.

Look out Below

2008-06-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

After Ken and Mike are safely grounded, Julie and Pete follow suit.

As team documentarian, I'd like to take a moment to editorialize if I may. I must say, I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed on for this mission. I've worked with some World-class athletes in my day, and I've worked with teams in all different sports. But I've never seen anything like the display put forth by Team Nike ACG/ GoreTex and all the Primal Quest racers for that matter. It seems to be a blend of mental and physical strength, willpower and teamwork the likes most people can't imagine. Even seeing it, I still don't believe it. Anyway, enough waxing poetic... Onward to TA 13.

Any Questions?

2008-06-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Mike and Ken show us how its dun.

The Light of Day 7

2008-06-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

The team made its way through the deep growth of the Gallatin Forest capturing 3 time-bonus points on the orienteering course. Then proceeded to the final checkpoint of this leg... a 30-story rappel off the mountain.

Onward (Day 7)

2008-06-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

The team perserveers into the darkness to capture some time-bonuses on the Orienteering course above.

On the 7th Day they rested...

2008-06-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

...NOT

In the wee hours of the morning, Mike and Ken begin the next leg under the shelter of TA12. Accuracy is paramount for the next leg of the race... A 13 hour orienteering and ropes course in the Gallatin Forest.

Angel in the midst

2008-06-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tanya, the backbone of this operation, keeps us fed, rested, organized, and keeps us going as Day 6 comes to a close.

Warm Courogen Family welcome at TA 12

2008-06-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I think the look on Pete's face says it all.

Hello Again Gallatin

2008-06-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

The crew presses up into The Gallatin Forest as the sun gets low and the shadows get long on Day 6 of Primal Quest Montana.

Bye bye Bozeman

2008-06-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

Team 27 blows through town like a, as Mike puts it... Freight-train.

TA 11 in Bozeman

2008-06-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Ken gets a boost of confidence from his family before a power nap.

Meanwhile Mike goes for a shower... Or is it a swim? Either way. It functions to revive.

Pete gets interviewed by the local news station.

And Julie gets focused on the next leg... A 7 hour ride which will take them through Bozeman and back up into the Gallatin Mountains.

Day 6 begins

2008-06-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

After trekking 37 miles through the night, the team descends the Bridgers beneath the Big Montana "M", But the mindblowing part... They're running. After 5 days of racing and who-knows how many miles, and how much elevation, they're still pressing the limits of human endurance.

A Pegasus sighting

2008-06-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well, as Team Photographer I tried to test my abilities and catch the team on the trail into the Bridgers, but was reduced to a wind-sucking mess after 8 minutes up the mountain, having ditched my bike after 4. Let me tell you, this race is no joke. So needless to say, I didn't get the shot I was hoping for, but I did find this telling track. Ladies and gentelmen this is the track of a rare specimen and can only mean that Team Nike ACG/ GoreTex passed this way. This tread pattern is most assuredly that of the one and only 25th Anniversary Nike Pegasus 2008, engineered by none-other than Team 27 front-man Peter Courogen himself. Not yet available to the public, but only the latest, most cutting edge equipment will do for this crew.

Onward Day 5

2008-06-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Off they go to tackle the next leg, a 35 mile trek along the Bridger Range.

TA10 shenanigans

2008-06-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

Mike gets set to take his trusty lid to yet another peak on this next leg through the Bridger Mountains. The team was in great spirits and seams to have caught a second... no, tenth wind.

TA10

2008-06-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

Beau displays his therapeutic mettle, applying this robo-foot tape-job to Ken.

Pressing-on to TA10

2008-06-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

The team arrives at TA10 having gained 2.5 hours on the team ahead.

Bridging the gap

2008-06-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Team Nike ACG/ GoreTex moves out of TA9 and begins a 90 mile ride around the Bridger Mountains as it trys to close the gap on the teams ahead.

Day 5 begins at TA9

2008-06-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

The team made it into TA9 around 12:30am and caught some much needed sleep, as Day 5 picks up where day 4 left off... With a Majestic Montana Big Sky display.

Day 4 comes to a majestic close

2008-06-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

We didn't get to see the team on day 4 as they hiked another 20 hours through the Crazies. But I did manage to capture a few shots from the race course. This one shows the sunset exiting the Crazy Mountains on June 26, Day 4.

The race course - Day 4

2008-06-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

I guess this is why they call them the Crazies... Because they're down-right CRAZY.

And This is why they call it Big Sky country... Because the sky is straight-up BIG.

Day 4 Begins

2008-06-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Into the night for a short bike followed by a long trek through the Crazy Mountains. That's no pun, they're really called the Crazy Mountains. I can only guess what that means. I'm sure Ken, Mike, Julie, and Pete will let us know... Stay tuned

Road Rash

2008-06-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Pete is all smiles despite the battle scar.

PS. Connect to the ecoprimalquest.com site and check 'notes and quotes from the field Day 4'. Scroll down to see what Pete told the TA7 captain about the Grizzly they saw during the second trek.

Day 3 ends at TA7

2008-06-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Day 3 quickly becomes Day 4 at 1:00am Thursday morning as Beau helps transition the team through.

Teamwork Personified

2008-06-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

The well-oiled-machine at full speed. Like I said: A thing of Beauty.

PS. Sorry the clip is so short, but you get the idea.

Onward (Day 3)

2008-06-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

This next stage got changed from a kayak to a bike due to the increasingly dangerous Yellowstone River levels. So the team sets off on an 80 mile ride along the flood-rated river.

Weathered the STORM

2008-06-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Julie is ready to rock after a thunderstorm rolls through TA6.

TA6

2008-06-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

Nike ACG/GoreTex Support Crew rocks... Tanya makes sure the team has a proper meal and well-deserved nap after 52 hours of racing.

"In Formation"

2008-06-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

A thing of beauty. Team 27 is a well-oiled-machine.

Fuel Stop

2008-06-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

While on the road, Team 27 recognizes an opportunity and takes it. A cold beverage is welcomed.

Footnote: The ecoprimalquest Day 3 web page published this shot from another angle. The PQ photographer and I wrestled for position while shooting.

No rest for the weary

2008-06-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

The team repacks and refuels within minutes before starting off again. Mike makes it look easy.

Unassisted Transition Area 5

2008-06-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

After a long night the crew was happy to get off their feet. This TA is unassisted which means the athletes have to change their gear and carry everything out on their person.

Day 3 Begins

2008-06-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Day 2 blends into Day 3 as the teams completes its 22 hour trek through the mountains. By the way, the team saw another Grizzly... You'll have to ask Mike about this one.

Gettin' It Dun!

2008-06-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Departure from TA4

12:10pm June 24, 2008 -

Primal Quest Montana

Team 27 (Nike ACG/ Goretex)

Onward (Day 2)

2008-06-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

After all the "good times" on the Gallatin River, the team presses-on in 8th place. They are all in good spirits heading into another 50K trek through the Gallatin National Forest.

A Little Help, anyone???

2008-06-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

It took a little muscle, but Pete finally did get out of his wet gear at TA4. A power lunch followed.

TA4 Enough water already!

2008-06-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

Support Leader, Beau Johnson, escorts the crew to the Transition Area, minus Ken. He was taking care of some "business" back at the extraction area.

WHAT????

2008-06-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

"That was Large."

P. Courogen - Gallatin 2008
just smiles

M. Dawson - Gallatin 2008
"The Craziest thing I've ever done!"

J. Leasure - Gallatin 2008
"Holy S@#t"

K. Meyer - Gallatan 2008

TA3 Chilly morning

2008-06-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

They paddled for 3 hours in the 38degree Gallatin, then prep to jump back in for some riverboarding. The locals say they haven't seen the river this high, or fast on 10 years. But it doesn't phase team 27...

Well maybe a little.

Day 2 begins

2008-06-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

TA2 came and went under the cover of darkness... Everyone is Dark Zoned followed by a 5:00am wake-up-call. The team presses-on down the Gallatin River near the front of the pack.

Onward (Day 1)

2008-06-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

The 13 hour Trek begins... Team Nike ACG/ Goretex was the only crew to spy a Grizzly on this leg.

Transition Area 1 (TA1)

2008-06-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ken prepares for leg 2...

A 50K trek through the Montana wilderness.

Primal Quest Montana is under way

2008-06-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

The first leg was a summit of Lone Mountain followed by descent back to Transition Area 1.

The Team looks strong.

30 minutes to race start

2008-06-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Team photographer Hlavs signing on for duty.

I'll continue posting shots from the course as often as I can obtain an internet connection.

Where the Wild Things REALLY Are

2008-06-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

… he sailed off through night and day

and in and out of weeks

and almost over a year…

When Max traveled by boat to the place where the wild things are, it turns out he was just entered into a sleep-deprived hallucinogenic state. This is according to a study done by the same group of Harvard Medical School research scientists that show up to study the tendacies of adventure racers at expedition-length races like Primal Quest (no joke, except the part about studying Max).

To us racers, true sightings of wild beasts are a rare and fleeting privilege. Sure, they are something to be wary of, but normally nothing to fear. We are immersed in their habitat for days, traveling through the night, frequently off-trail. As good as the opportunities are for a chance encounter during an expedition AR, for the most part the wild things we experience are wildly hallucinated versions of the real deal. Don't get me wrong, the imagined, one of a kind beasts that we concoct sometimes bring about the same effect as seeing, say, an 800 pound Grizzly bear.

Due to a genetic defect, expedition adventurers actually crave the kind of hallucinations that give us the uncontrollable urge to crap our shorts. That's why race officials require racers to carry a waste disposal, or WAG, bag as mandatory gear. If you don’t turn a full WAG bag at each TA, you are sent to the medical tent for evaluation, where they determine if your bowels are suitable to continue on with the race.

Here are a few of my personal favorite hallucinations from previous expedition races:

- The big green poodle on Baker Lake (PQ04) – actually a tree stump with moss growing on it

- The boy with the grotesquely contorted head (PQ04) – a tree branch

- Miscellaneous bobbing heads, including a witch-like woman and Ronald Reagan (PQ04, PQ06) - who knows what caused Ken to see the Gipper

- Giant pictographs of various monsters in Hell Roaring Canyon (PQ06) – just natural patterns in the red cliffs

- Two dead cows bloated to the size of Macy’s Day Parade Balloons (PQ06) – Oh! that one turned out to be real

I was reminded the other day that if I see a Grizzly Bear and it appears to be suspended in air, its probably just another cool hallucination … but I’ll keep my gigantic, mandatory canister of pepper spray handy, just in case!

Introducing Team Nike ACG/ Gore-Tex

2008-06-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

The following introduction was composed by one of our major product sponsors, Backcountry.com, to be published in their company news letter and athlete web pages. The Backcountry goat has been proudly displayed on the top-of-the-line technical gear they have provided to our team since our inception. They are truly our one-stop shopping place for on-line adventure gear!

SHAMELESS PLUG: Please shop backcountry.com, but please visit our team website at www.nextepicadventure.com and then click on the Backcountry link to start shopping so we can send our love along with your order. Thanks!!

=====================================================================

The Team

Since 2005, the Nike ACG / Gore-Tex team has been competing in everything from Primal Quest races in the desert to long-distance snowshoe races in the mountains. These diverse and dedicated athletes combine expert-level knowledge of navigation, mountaineering, canyoneering, and other sports with top-notch fitness to create a team that holds their own on any course. Perhaps the most impressive of all, the Gore-Tex / ACG team always seems to cross the finish line with smiles on their faces while other teams stumble across like the walking dead (if they make it at all).

The Members

Julie Leasure

As the team leader, Julie stokes the flames of motivation when everyone needs to get fired up about a difficult section of a course. Julie has completed more marathons and adventure races than most people can comprehend, so she has plenty of experience to draw from when the clock passes the 24-hour mark and endurance becomes more of a mental game than a physical one.

Kenneth Meyer

As the team’s main navigator, Kenneth has to keep the entire team on course through canyons, over mountains, and across vast stretches of desert. It helps a bit that Kenneth happens to have a photographic memory that would make most scholars jealous. You’d never hear him say “did we already pass that rock?” In addition to being a human compass, Kenneth also possesses an ability to suffer for days on end without a single complaint.

Michael Dawson

While Michael’s official title is the co-navigator, he’s best known as the high-mountain pack mule and all-around Sherpa. Michael has no problem taking an extra helping of gear on steep, grueling terrain in order to make the rest of the team faster and help everyone across the finish a couple hours early. A vast knowledge of mountaineering, canyoneering, and backcountry skiing helps Michael compete in a wide range of conditions and terrains.

Peter Courogen

With over 25 years of adventure racing experience, Peter tends to get labeled as the competitive one—an impressive title considering his teammates. Peter has a strange ability to kick it up a notch when he feels another competitor nipping at his heels, even if he’s been on the go for more hours than he can remember. Peter has spent most of his life competing in running, biking, and multi-sport races.

My Primal Quest Dedication

2008-06-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Primal Quest 2008 kicks off in Montana in less than a week, 500 miles, 100,000 vertical feet of punishing foot, bike and water travel through some of the rawest wilderness in the lower 48. This will be the third PQ Expedition Adventure Race for my teammates and I, and perhaps our most difficult.

The question us multi-day adventure racers seem to get most often from friends and family members who have never participated in a race of this magnitude is “What keeps you going for that long??”. My quick answers are usually responses like “hallucinations” or “the fear of having to go back to work early”.

Truth is, most of the time we are pre-occupied with staying on-course, concentrating during technical section or rehearsing for the next technical section. Sure, a lot of the time voids in between are filled with visions of spooky sleep monsters, which seem to lurk around every bend in the trail starting at the end of Day Two. But more often, I get through the mentally difficult “down-times” by reflecting on the people who have inspired to do these suffer-fests in the first place.

Here are some of the ordinary and extraordinary people that I have been touched by, the ones that keep me going through day and night during multi-day adventure races, and to whom I dedicate this race:

· To the unidentified boy in the baseball cap near the finish line at my first marathon (see the picture at right). He may not know it, but his encouragement played an important role in helping at least one struggling stranger eek out a qualifying time for Boston. Just knowing that someone gives a crap is a powerful motivator!
· To Brent, who showed me and many others close to him that being true to one's passions and consistently testing one's personal limits can coexist with fierce devotion to one's family. He lived to the limit so others could learn from his example, and he always did so with compassion and a broad smile on his face

· To Marc, whose enthusiastic conversation about ultra-endurance sports during our chance meeting pulled me through my first 50 mile trail running race. It was hard to beleive that he was overweight as a kid and was later severely injured in a car accident. Seizing his accident as a window of opportunity, Marc not only recovered from his life-threatening injuries, but he used the tragic event to transform his life and the lives of countless others through ultra distance competitions. Ironically, while he was just about to cross the finish line with what may have been a Marathon PR, Marc was stopped cold by a weakened heart, and the ultra-sport world lost one of its greatest ambassadors.

· To Nellie, whose epic survival story of enduring two frigid nights through massive internal bleeding, hypothermia and dehydration salvaged the year 2006 for me following the loss of my dear friends Brent and Marc. She has shown me that a person who truly wants to live is capable of enduring great hardship. After her dramatic rescue, she faced a bleak outlook, including months of slow and painful recovery in a wheelchair. Yet, true to form, Nellie persevered through hard work and, exactly 3 months after her accident, entered a 12-hour adventure race as a solo, under the name “How’s This for Rehab?”, and beat most of her competition (all men) in the process.

· To the woman who sat in the seat next to me on my flight to Boston a couple weeks ago. Waking up early every morning to get in her run before another stressing 12 to 15 hour work day as a microbiologist, she still finds the energy on weekends to enter, and frequently win, road races. Never mind the fact that she suffers from the effects of a potentially-crippling neuro-muscular disorder, a condition that makes routine tasks such as removing a cap from a water bottle a struggle.

· And, finally, I dedicate this race to my wife and savior, Tami. While I am away training and racing and traveling for work, she is back home leading her own expedition adventure race team of sorts: motivating, navigating and towing three unruly boys with lots of special needs through the wilds of everyday life.

Adventure Racer seeking Like-minded, Trustworthy Training Partner

2008-06-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

When I moved from rolling hills of New England to the Wasatch Mountains of Utah 10 years ago, one primary objective was easy access to the vast riches that the Rockies offered an outdoor addict. Of course, it didn’t hurt to have a weekday job to help support my addiction. Another important benefit of my day job was revealed the moment I entered my office cubicle for the first time and saw a poster mosaic of Colorado’s 14’ers that belonged to my cube-mate, Ken Meyer: I had scored a built-in, personal adventure guide that saw the mountains as the same gigantic playground that I did!

Immediately, we generated a tick-list of adventures to knock off together, some small after-work forays and others long-weekend destinations. In the past ten years, most of our original projects have been accomplished, but countless others have been added.

Here a few memorable experiences that we have had together in the backcountry:
- Sharing an impromptu snow cave on the summit of Mt Rainier to escape icy, 80mph wind gusts;
- Spooning in various cramped sleep quarters, including the back of Ken’s Forerunner, cheap motels, soggy tents, and under a surreal canopy of scintillating stars.
- Chasing mountain goats on, yet, another knife-edge ridge at 11,000 feet in the Wasatch
- Hucking cornices into chest-deep champagne powder in the Cottonwoods backcountry
- Re-defining each other's mt biking limits in Little Creek, Gooseberry, Porcupine, The Octal.
- Suffering in epic 120F heat with our AR teammates Peter and Julie at PQ06-Utah
- Semi-assisted self-arrest on the Black Dike glacier on Grand Teton (I can never repay you for saving my bacon that day !)
- Heaps Canyon, a very emotional day with our canyoneering buds, Jared and Brent, for so many reasons
- In the Grenadiers with Jared, desperately searching for a fallen comrade that lived and loved the same way as we aspire to …

Then came the day that Ken delivered the blow to our perfect partnership: he had accepted a job back East, accepting an offer to pursue an adventure of a different kind. My initial self-serving feelings of betrayal have subsided, and we have since pledged to continue racing and planning future epic adventures together. I am sure Ken will milk the Adirondacks for all they are worth. And, as for me, I have a pretty deep support group of like-minded co-workers and friends to help fill the void left by my perfect backcountry partner.

Its all good.

Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex: Serious Training

2008-06-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

When Peter (AKA "Mr Metric") pulls out his clip board and stop watch before a training session, it can only mean one thing: its time to fake an injury!

Here's what its like the rest of the time...

Shipping up to Bozeman

2008-06-04T21:42:00.001-07:00

Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex is getting excited to ship it up to Bozeman, down to Big Sky, out to Yellowstone, over the Crazys, through the jaws of a Grizzly, down a Hallucinogenic hallway and where ever else the PQ08-Montana staff of Mann-iacs want to ship us off to during yet, another epic 500 mile (dare I say?) -- Suffer-Fest !

Bring It !!

Finishing Fitness Touches for PQ08

2008-06-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

The Portland half of the Nike ACG/Gore-tex (Julie and Peter) have been weathering quite the spring of record snow levels and rain as they put the final finishing touches of training on prior to tapering down to race day (June 23rd). Our Gore-tex and Windstopper apparel has really enabled us to make the most out of the challenging weather conditions and allowed us to remain warm, dry, and injury free throughout a season of inclement weather.

On May 25th, we ran 25 miles with weighted backpacks on the Wildwood Trail that runs through both Forest Park and Washington Park in the city of Portland. The weather was damp and ugly as we sloshed through to the end. After 3 hours of otherwise empty trails, we came across a horde of runners from the opposite direction, competing in the Forest Park Trail Run ranging from 10k-50k distance. All the foot traffic on the single track quickly made trail conditions even tougher as we squeezed through tight spots where packs of runners were approaching from the opposite direction. We finished out the day covering the 25 miles and 2000ft vertical in 4 hours and 30 mins, with a cummulative pack weight of 35lbs.

PCourogen

The Corps of Discovery: The Great Salt Lake Canal

2008-05-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

According to the U.S. Dept of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey there are 11 recognized islands in the Great Salt Lake, including Stansbury Island, the second biggest. Even the geniuses at BrainyGeography.com recognize Stansbury as a bonafide island. According to Webster's Dictionary, an island is "a tract of land completely surrounded by water".

Ken and I were seeking an endurance paddling session that would show our duck-billed teammates from the watery confines of Portland that we were keeping pace with the kayak training. Traveling in straight lines has never been our style, though, so rather than a shore-to-shore traverse across the Great Salt Lake, Ken took a queue from the USGS, and suggested we circumnavigate the 2nd largest "ISLAND" in the lake. We figured about 4-5 hours of paddling with the rudder turned to the left slightly and we would be done, with plenty of time to throw in a nine mile trail run and a 12 mile technical bike ride with the lights. The perfect tri-fecta. At least that's what we thought.

So, then, imagine the surprise to Ken and I when we discovered that this tract of land called Stansbury Island was actually connected to the mainland by way of a vast, bone-dry salt-bar. In fact, more, than half of the "island" is surrounded by a dry salt bed, which, we supposed, was a really salty moat of water during some recently transpired millennium.

Arrrrrrrrhhhh!!

In spite of our disappointment, since we had already gone through the trouble of schlepping Chad's Necky double sea kayak and all of our paddling gear out to Stansbury "Peninsula", we decided were not going to be denied so easily. We desperately searched for drive-up access to open water and a proper launching point. It turns out that all roads leading to the shoreline on Stansbury are blocked by locked gates situated miles away from the actual edge of the lake.

As we turned away from, yet another locked gate, we noticed right next to our road a long vein of water, a narrow man-made canal about 15 feet wide, filled with water and lined up in the right general direction. Okay, it was more of a ditch, but it fulfilled the minimum criteria: it had flowing water, deep enough to paddle in!

True to our "next epic adventure" mantra, we were in full-on discovery mode, and the promise of a first ascent up the unexplored channel and the discovery of a secret passage leading to the Great Salt Lake was giving us goose bumps.

Of course, neither of us had a clue how far away the source of the ditch flow was, nor did we know if the source was the main body of the Salt Lake or a bubbling crude in the middle of the Morton Salt factory. But, hey, we were no more clueless than the other pair of water-borne explorers. No, not Tom and Huck. I mean the guys who thought that the source of the mighty Missouri River was the Pacific Ocean. Okay, you're probably saying too yourself that Lewis and Clark didn't have access to the modern conveniences like satellite photos, Google Earth and USGS (big help!), but, hell, the original Corps of Discovery had a walking GPS Receiver named Sacagawea, so that has to even-up the navigational ambiguities a bit, doesn't it???

In any event, our first mile of paddling up the canal was pure Nirvana. The current was light, the bottom was a couple feet deep and we were making great time. The water itself was surprisingly clear, save the plethora of living and dead Sea Monkeys (i.e. Brine Shrimp) floating near the surface. As our two bobbing heads cruised past the grazing cows that lined either side of the canal, some of the elders bovines held their ground as if ambivalent, while the calves occasionally raised our concerns when they freaked out near the edge above us.

Into our second mile, our rhythmic efficiency was starting to be affected by deteriorating conditions: the water was becoming more shallow and the current was beginning to increase. As a result, we were forced to start "lily-dipping" and make our paddle strokes at a lower angle to the water in order to avoid hitting the mucky bottom with our blades. Needless to say, our progress was reduced to a crawl, and the cows were starting to make fun of us. We continued on in denial, selecting closer and closer "inch stones", so as to create some illusion that we were actually getting closer to the source that would eventually spit us out like Moby Dick, into the placid waters of the Great Salt Lake. So we hoped.

It was at some point shortly thereafter that we hit equilibrium between the strength of the current and the power of our lilly-dipper paddling progress. It was the equivalent of a kayak treadmill. We were forced to concede that we would not reach the source as paddling purists. Portaging would be necessary, as it was for Lewis and Clark when they reached Great Falls.

Being the resourceful adventurers that we are, Ken and I quickly rigged a towing system from spare Bungee cable and paddles that would allow us walk on or near the rim of the canal and allow the boat to remain in the channel, which was becoming shallower and shallower. We were off and running again towards our destination: the source of the Great Salt Lake Canal.

But there was one more obstacle that stood between our boat and the source: real white water rapids, formidable enough to wedge or flip our vessel, if we weren't careful.

After passing the rapids with some difficulty, we were back in a towing rhythm towards the source, whatever that would be. But as we looked upwards, towards the darkening skies, one thing became obvious: our hopes for a canal/open water circumnavigation were dashed. Thunderheads were building at an alarming rate and our time was running out. But in the same spirit that pushed Lewis and Clark, albeit on a microscopic scale, Ken and I forged on. As we turned a slight bend in the canal, we finally found the headwaters! A three foot wide pipe with a pump-head was gushing out a tube of sea-green water into the canal.

It was a fitting end to strange but adventurous journey up a little known thread of water through a salt flat peninsula that, when you have Google Earth zoomed way out. looks like it would go with a boat. Not so different than searching for a contiguous river that travels up and over the Continental Divide.

Montana Training Weekend

2008-05-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex converged on Southwestern Montana from May 14-18 for a bit of recon and training only 5 weeks out from Primal Quest 2008.

Just as we expected, the snow levels extended down to the deck in most of the mountain ranges we canvased, and we made full use of our Gore-Tex outer layers and Kahtoola FLIGHTdecks and MICROspikes to get us over the passes and up on the peaks.

Check out the quick video re-cap of our little Montana adventure!

Primal Quest - Moab Revisited

2008-05-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots from PQ-06 to get you excited for PQ-08 Montana. Enjoy!

Ellsworth Epiphany: Mountain Bike Fit for Adventure

2008-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Ellsworth Epiphany is Light, Rugged, Responsive...and it has 5" of travel: In summary, its versitility makes it the adventure racer's dream bike!

The members of our Nike ACG / Gore-Tex Adventure Racing Team share a common passion for biking, but we train in vastly different environments.

The Oregon contingent (Julie and Peter) spend much of their training hours sloshing in the mud and cranking on the road when the trails get too ridiculous. They look for a light bike that holds on slick singletrack and doesn't bog down on pavement.

The Utah duo (Mike and Ken) get after it on all that this mountain biking mecca has to offer, from the big climbs and high alpine singletrack of Park City, to the technical rock playgrounds of Moab and St George. We look for a bike that sucks up the big drops, flies across
washboard fire roads and climbs like a goat.

With its patented Instant Center Tracking (ICT) suspension and superbly-tuned frame, the Ellsworth Epiphany can truly do it all!

Next Epic Adventure

Next Epic Adventure: Fat Otter RAID: more to WI than the Frozen Tundra

Fat Otter RAID: more to WI than the Frozen Tundra

Fat Otter RAID and racing against our biggest foe, EVER!

The Ups and Downs of Wasatch Powder Keg 2010

Next Epic Adventure: Where's Mike ?

Ellsworth Evolve: An Evolution in the 29" WheelRevolution

Closing the Gap at G2G09

North Face Endurance Challenge

Hearts with Soul

Gear up like a Goat !

Where's Mike ?

SPOT Satellite Messenger: 2008 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award

Where's Karl? ...at the other end!!!

Primal Quest Badlands - a primer

Taming the Stegosaurus on Cardiac Ridge

Expedition Adventure Race?...is that like a...a long triathlon?

Random PQ08 Images of Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex

Primal Quest Montana Epilogue

Top Ten finish for Nike ACG/ GoreTex

Hlavs Signing Off

Next stop: Big Sky

A quick turn at TA 14

Day 8 begins with Preparation at TA14

Almost there.

Gotcha!

Hot on the Pegasus trail

Footsie... The name of the Game

Warm afternoon, and welcome at TA 13

Look out Below

Any Questions?

The Light of Day 7

Onward (Day 7)

On the 7th Day they rested...

Angel in the midst

Warm Courogen Family welcome at TA 12

Hello Again Gallatin

Bye bye Bozeman

TA 11 in Bozeman

Day 6 begins

A Pegasus sighting

Onward Day 5

TA10 shenanigans

TA10

Pressing-on to TA10

Bridging the gap

Day 5 begins at TA9

Day 4 comes to a majestic close

The race course - Day 4

Day 4 Begins

Road Rash

Day 3 ends at TA7

Teamwork Personified

Onward (Day 3)

Weathered the STORM

TA6

"In Formation"

Fuel Stop

No rest for the weary

Unassisted Transition Area 5

Day 3 Begins

Gettin' It Dun!

Onward (Day 2)

A Little Help, anyone???

TA4 Enough water already!

WHAT????

TA3 Chilly morning

Day 2 begins

Onward (Day 1)

Transition Area 1 (TA1)

Primal Quest Montana is under way

30 minutes to race start

Where the Wild Things *REALLY* Are

Introducing Team Nike ACG/ Gore-Tex

My Primal Quest Dedication

Adventure Racer seeking Like-minded, Trustworthy Training Partner

Team Nike ACG / Gore-Tex: Serious Training

Shipping up to Bozeman

Finishing Fitness Touches for PQ08

The Corps of Discovery: The Great Salt Lake Canal

Where the Wild Things REALLY Are