Canadian National Adventure Racing Championships

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NARC Stage Two

Bob Miller / 29.05.2006

Days Two through Five – 48 – 72hr race

Vital Stats:
· Trek 48km
· Paddle 63km
· MTB 50km
· Trek 19.5km
· MTB 85km
· Total Distance: 265.5km

Highlights:
· Epic mountain bike rides through networks of old logging roads, powerline trails, and ATV/Snowmobile trails

· A massive 48km trek through Lady Evelyn Provincial Park, one of Ontario’s most well known wilderness reserves. The park contains some of Canada’s oldest stands of old growth Pine. It also boasts some impressive elevation, and contains Ontario’s highest point of land on Ishpatina Ridge, sitting at 2298 ft., which competitors will visit as a checkpoint.

· A 63km visually stunning paddle beginning with 8km’s of whitewater on the Lady Evelyn River, followed by 24km’s of flatwater lakes interconnected by millennium old portages originally used by native hunters and trappers. Following the flatwater paddling, competitors will be treated to a 32km river run down Class I and II rapids on the Makobe River. The Makobe River basin also contains some of the best moose feeding grounds in the area, and as such it will provide fantastic opportunities for wildlife viewing.

· The final trek is located in one of the few Provincial Reserves, still protected from logging south of Timmins, and also contains ample elevation changes with another checkpoint located at a fire tower.

Route Description:

The longer 2-3 day course has been set up as a “point-to-point� route, and will take competitors through vast expanses of protected old-growth forests, and will also traverse the height of land separating the Arctic and Great Lakes Watersheds.

Beginning near the town of Shining Tree, which takes it’s name from the original Ojibway settlement of Wasakwagama, with “wasa� meaning “shining� and “kwagama� meaning “white tree�, due to the extensive stands of birch in the area. Competitors will start at the site of a decommissioned sawmill, which operated in the early 1900’s. From here, they’ll begin arguably the toughest section of the entire week of racing as they set off on a 48km trek through the Lady Evelyn – Smoothwater Wilderness Park. Throughout this trek competitors will climb over 4000ft. of elevation, and they’ll primarily be passing huge tracts of White Birch trees, but they’ll face many dense pockets of Spruce, Maple, Cedar, Balsam Fir, and Pine. There are few roads, or trails to speak of throughout most of the trek, so strong bushwhackers and navigators will certainly hold an advantage. The highlight will be visiting the Ishpatina Ridge fire tower, which sits on the highest point of land in Ontario.

After enduring the trek, teams will transition to canoes and begin a 63km paddle that combines both flatwater and whitewater sections. The initial 8km’s of whitewater down the Lady Evelyn River will just be a primer of what’s to come.

Following the whitewater, teams will face 24kms of paddling through endless chains of lakes that are interconnected by millenniums old native portage trials. There are also a few route options on this paddle, with one route following a shorter distance, but requiring a 3.5km portage, while the other route traverses smaller lakes and more portages, but low water levels could seriously impede their progress.

The final portion of the paddle will follow the length of the Makobe River from Banks Lake to the town of Elk Lake. The Makobe River contains over 7km’s of runnable whitewater over its 32km length, and will provide competitors with a thrilling ride through pristine moose viewing habitat. Outfitters in the area practically guarantee you’ll see a moose down this stretch of wilderness.

At the end of the paddle, teams will transition back to mountain bikes, and begin their migration north back towards Timmins. Starting with a fast, reasonably flat section of paved road teams will pass through the town of Matachewan and then into a massive network of old logging roads in every state of repair. However, shortly past Matachewan, teams will face another trek. This shorter 19.5km trek will also have them visiting a fire tower, at the highest point of land in the area, however, there are many smaller peaks, which could play havoc with the navigators. If teams haven’t managed their sleep and nutrition properly, this could be the leg that does them in, as it will require crucial strategy and decision-making.

Once through the trek, teams will set-off on their bikes for a final 85km push through a maze of logging roads on route to Timmins. Again, those teams who’ve managed themselves properly will prosper, as paying close attention to detail will ultimately decide their fate as they ride to the finish of the second stage in the expedition championship.See All Event Posts