2008 Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race
On the River: Day 2, Part 1
Frances Fisher / Photo PQ/Wouter Kingma / 24.06.2008
Posted by Frances Fisher, Asst Media Director
At 4:30am, the sky just barely lightened, signaling daybreak and initiating Day 2 of Primal Quest 2008: Montana. 15 Teams had arrived overnight, and 3 more arrived by 5:30. 38 teams remained on the course, welcoming the sunrise after hours of cold, dark, nighttime trekking. The top teams were raring to go after spending a restful night -- since they arrived between 10:30 and 11:00 last night, they enjoyed hours in the comfort of tents and campers. That will put them at a huge advantage as they enter the frigid and fast moving waters of the Gallatin River.
A flood warning has been issued for the Gallatin River, which reached a peak level of 8.5 feet Monday night at 10:00pm (Once it reaches 8 feet, the river is considered in a flood state). The river has received considerable amounts of snow meltoff, which has made if full, fast, and freezing cold. Most racers are wearing Dry Suits to protect them from the water, which may be as cold as 36 degrees. The air temperature wasn't balmy either -- the kayaks stored in a clearing had a thin layer of ice crusted over as racers came to pump them full of air and get on the river.
Teams were released every 30 seconds. As they make their way down the river for the Travel Montana Inflatable Kayak section, the Primal Quest Logistics Team will haul the kayaks back upriver in an operation they've called "Duckie Madness." This will ensure the incoming racers have access to boats as they come in.
As of 7:15 am, 12 teams are on the water and 18 are standing by. Race HQ is tracking the teams still on the Mind Quest Ultra Marathon segment and many are back on course after losing the trails overnight.
Over the course of the day, competitors will complete the 24.75 mile Travel Montana Kayak Course and then go 8.5 miles on the TATE Riverboarding course before returning to the trails for 35.25 miles on the MYTOPO.com trekking section. The speediest teams may finally get on their bikes today, starting the Sportraxx by Simpson Mountain Biking (MTB) section.
Stay tuned for more adventure...
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