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Soar LIke an Eagle acoss Texas Hill Country

M Lane / 24.05.2008

Hill Country beauity abounds rough and rugged. Throughtout the evening team members arrived from across the state and mid-west and southern regions of the country. Transitions areas prepared throughout the night under clear sky and with bright waxing moon.



Glaring sunlight on the pavillion greeted us a pre-race meeting at 07:30. Robyn Cantor welcomed all and briefly clarified any and all race rules. Camp Director, Anthony Scott, addressed the skill of climbing ropes with the \"lobster claw\" as the next 24 hours will included a long rappel and sherpa traverse. With all camp staff and volunteers the race began at 08:16 as 47 energized teams raced through the \'Eagles in Flight\' gate entrance eager to plot maps and take off on foot high to a windmilll location.



Wildlife is everywhere including white-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkeys, bobtail quail, furbearers, songbirds, rattle snakes and feral hogs. They inhabit this vast countryside and are visible mostly at dawn and dusk.



At the windmill teams need to retrieve a floating ball with their team number from a large open water tank. In exchange for this ball, teams receive leg 2 mountain bike navigation instructions.



Team M.O.A.T. is leading the way by 10:03 for leg 3 on a trek section to include \"the cave\". One early medical altert came when a mountain biker took a spill and mangaged to make contact with a rock. The racer was checked on and saying \"I am fine, let\'s race\" is continuing with her team. Ironically, the name of this team is \"Need to Bleed\".



Hydration will be a concern for all, as the sun\'s heat is intensifying and temperatures climbing. The snorkeling section (leg 4) will follow and offer some releif from the mid-day heat.

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