BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra
Trout Rock Lodge
Rob Howard / 25.03.2009
Overnight at Baker Island camp the athletes were back in the Mountain Hardwear tents and the Northern Lights put on a stunning display, though most slept through it all, recovering ready for another day on the ice. (We’ll post Morten Hilmer’s amazing photos later so you can see what it looked like.) Next morning by race start time it was around -28C, so everyone was keen to get away and get moving on the second part of their journey across Great Slave Lake. This would take them to Trout Rock Lodge, and as you might guess from the name it’s one of the best fishing locations in the area (and in Canada), and for tonight a haven of comfort for the Rock and Ice racers.
Today’s trail continued across the lake and the outlying islands, and it was a cold but beautiful day, with the sun shining once again. Trail conditions were mixed, but nearer to Trout Rock the compacted trail made by the lodge’s Hagglund’s amphibious track machines made the going easier. Today this was how the race press group made their way out to the racers, trundling alongside in the go-anywhere Swedish military vehicles. Lodge owner Ragnor Westrom imports them for sale to the mineral exploration business and they certainly make life easier out on the deep snow covering the lake. He says they never get stuck and won’t sink no matter how deep the snow.
Before the press team set out from the lodge, which is perched on an outcrop overlooking the lake, the first competitors had arrived. Michael Argue and Phil Vileneuve are setting such a fast pace it’s hard for the race to keep ahead of them! Today it only took them just over two hours 20 minutes to reach the finish line, and for the first time there was daylight between them. Argue came up the hill into the lodge first, collapsing over his poles after the effort of the sprint finish over the final kilometre, but today it had worked, after 5 days of racing he’d gained a 32 second lead!
Greg McHale took just 2 hours 45 minutes but today he had some closer competition. Andrew Cameron came up behind and nearly caught him (he’d always said he was going to start steady and finish strong), but McHale just managed to keep ahead. Unlike last year he can’t race the lead skiers, they are too fast, and up to now he has been out on his own each day, which must make keeping his pace and focus difficult. See All Event Posts
