Expedition Ozark

Through the Storm and Into Day 3

Rob Howard / 05.04.2023

A Tornado risk is not a great forecast in the middle of an expedition race, and along with the associated storms that’s what the race has been coping with overnight.  The teams were stopped overnight and had to manage where and how long they rested, and fit that into their race plan, and the organisers had lot more logistical challenges to deal with, on top of the first priority of keeping everyone safe.

The headline news is that by the time the storm had passed everyone was OK and the race was on track.

Based on the best forecasts the decision was made to give a ‘stop in place’ instruction to all teams from 11pm on Tuesday to 3am on Wednesday, due to the risk of Tornado, storm and large hail, and potentially flash floods.  Teams were advised as early as possible and those not visiting a TA during the day were sent instruction over the Garmin satellite trackers.  Most found out in the afternoon and had plenty of time to plan their strategy accordingly. 

Some arriving later in the evening at TA4 decided to take a longer rest and stay there, rather than leave and have to find shelter on the road.

Race Director Danny Collins said the decision was made in a way which “allowed teams to know of the risk, evaluate and plan ahead, and which was fair to all teams.”   Some teams were stopped earlier than the 11pm deadline if they were close to starting the paddle stages and times for those teams will be adjusted.  This affected the leading teams as Bend Racing / Skin Doctor arrived at TA8 an hour before the 11pm cut-off, with Estonian ACE Tactcial Foodpack not far behind.  To ensure they were not disadvantaged teams arriving after them were held for the same time as the leaders were, to equalize the race situation.  (This was done for the top 6 teams.)

The stop order was lifted at 3.00am as planned, though it was frustrating for the teams that the storm dissipated, so the weather wasn’t severe.  The race had no choice however, given the forecast and potential risk.  The heavier rain and some big thunderstorms then arrived around 5am, when teams were moving again, but they were short lived, and any risk of a tornado had passed. 

The rainfall raised the river levels a little (not to a flood level).  In fact it raised the flow to a level which will help teams make faster progress, so that was a positive.  The downside of the storm fronts coming through is that the temperature has dropped considerably and the paddles will be much colder.

Team #5, Visit Pentiction / BC Wild, were on the Buffalo River for a while during the worst of the storm, with thunder rattling off the bluffs and lightning lighting up the night.  It was an experience met with mixed emotions of awe, fear and elation – one of those moments to remember for a lifetime and which only an expedition race can deliver.  The team took shelter in an abandoned church and when daylight came they saw Elk grazing close by.  (Another team saw a bald Eagle while on the Buffalo River.)

Towards the back of the race, TA4 at Byrd’s Adventure Camp was closed at 7am, by which time all of the teams (except one) had left.  Teams setting off from there this morning on their bikes were directed onto the short course and given an extra map to ride a route direct to TA8.  (At present the following teams are short coursed - 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 33.)  They will still be classed as finishers, but will be ranked behind teams collecting more of the mandatory points.  Collins said, “When designing the course we felt that by the end of the first trek teams would have a good idea of what they might accomplish and how to plan their race.  Once they reach TA8 the remainder of the course will be achievable for teams completing the mandatory points and they can reach the finish line.”

There was only one team this morning who hadn’t made TA4 and that was Orange Lederhosen.  They were out on the first trek overnight and race staff went to find them, take them down to the nearest road, and move them forward to TA8 to join the rest of the teams.  Two teams withdrew on the second day, Team One80 and Savage Squirrels, and they are now safely off of the course.

Today, the race will consolidate as the short course teams will move to TA8 and paddle the Kings River.  The leaders will tackle all of the pro points on the McIlry Conservation Area (which is stop part way up the Kings River paddle and could be a 10 hour trek), and the mid-pack teams will miss some, or all, of those, and might even pass the leaders.  By the third night of the race most of the teams will be regrouped on the course around TA9.