Subaru Primal Quest
The 457-mile course that has garnered praise from all
Gordon Wright / 13.09.2003
"It was local and had enough mileage to conduct an expedition-length race," he said, "but I chose it mostly because it was beautiful." Barger said that Tahoe had the "crown jewels" that make a great course - Calaveras Dome and the South Fork of the American River being the most prominent. However, he also noted that these are often the hardest locations for which to secure permits.
In fact, the American River had never hosted a big-time event like the SPQ before. So Barger & Co. had to actually break ground in developing permitting processes from PG&E, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and El Dorado Parks and Recreation.
When developing a course, Barger deploys an array of maps, takes out a black magic marker and blocks off all wilderness and private property. Looking at the blacked-out map, he finds corridors to link the crown jewels. The manner in which they are linked often defines what disciplines will be used. Barger then submits paperwork for all necessary permits - 58 for this course - which are revised to accommodate a wide range of considerations, including archeological, environmental, and endangered species.
Barger said he will usually have to go through six to eight revisions, and that it takes about a year to finalize the course. He has already submitted the first revisions to the 2004 course possibilities - for which, as of now, there are three proposed sites.
Once the course had been set on paper, Barger - an accomplished adventure racer with top finishes in the Eco-Challenge, Southern Traverse, and numerous ultramarathons to his credit - develops his time estimates by getting out and running it himself. "I don't take anyone with me when I scout the course," he said. "I go as fast as I can, and I navigate along the way."
Barger does not do the course in its entirety all at once, but breaks it up into 24 to 48-hour segments. To find the leaders' estimates, he adds on an extra 10 percent to his final time because he is not towing, and another five percent because his time trials are not multi-day excursions. Then, to estimate the slower teams, he adds 40 percent additional time to the first third of the course, 50 percent to the second third, and 60 percent to the last.
On top of everything, Barger adds a "slush fund" of time to account for inclement weather and other unpredictable factors. To determine elevation change and total mileage, he utilizes topographical computer software program. Once the course and time estimates are inalized, Barger then begins the hard work of developing the infrastructure necessary to host such an event.
As the success of first two SPQs can attest, developing a great course is an art and a science - both of which Barger seems to have mastered.
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