by Jess Evans
November 26, 2019

The weather is now cooling off quickly and snow is falling in Colorado. The Fig is over and some of us are looking forward to winter races while others are settling in for winter training to prepare for those spring and summer races. While many races took place in the last few months, we have missed them on the blog, so now it is catch-up time. Some of the next few blog posts will highlight the NOMAD 48 Hour AR from July and the Bears Ears 12 Hour AR from August. But this post will focus on the Raid International Gaspesie (RIG) that took place in September.

The Only MOSTLY Lost team opted to go international this year and do a Canadian multi-day race. We found the RIG, which has taken place in Quebec for the last 5 years. We made the trek to eastern Quebec September 10, looking forward to the change of scenery. When we arrived, we were greeted with cool, cloudy weather and rain. It was a good introduction to what we would experience during the race.

Race day 1 started on September 13 in Matapedia, a small town on the edge of the Restigouche River which drains into the Baie des Chaleurs and into the Atlantic Ocean. We started at an artistic tower above the town and ran down a steep slope to the town in search of checkpoints. We quickly moved onto the canoes, and I was surprised to see how many teams had reached the canoes ahead of us. I am always slow at canoeing, so I knew we would not make up time on this leg of the race. We paddled east on the river, later needing to portage our canoe for what seemed like a mile to the transition area. The sun was out and felt very warm until we got on our bikes when the wind picked up. We rode into the mountains, dropped our bikes and trekked up a steep slope to the top of a mountain and back again. I lost the sole of my right shoe in this trek. Luckily, I brought another pair of shoes. We biked to the next transition area where we had to zipline into a lake, punch a checkpoint, and swim back to shore. I climbed two ladders strapped to a tree to a platform high in the tree with two guys sitting there smiling at me. They hooked me in and gave me a big push. I flew through the air, not dropping as quickly as they had intended. I hit the water, bounced up, and hit the dock. The shocked volunteers informed me that I was the only person who hit the dock. Most people dropped like rocks and had to pull themselves to the dock. I nodded hurriedly to reassure them I was not hurt, punched the checkpoint, took a deep breath, and jumped back into the cold water. It took my breath away when I hit the water. While trying to breathe, I began to swim. Once on shore, I stripped off my harness and PFD and was ready to get going on the bike. The wind was cold, and I needed to get moving to warm up. We biked back to the river below the mountains and scrambled into our canoes in the deep mud as the sun was setting. We reached the finish just after dark. Shockingly, we were close to the last team in.

Day 2 started with a paddle from Miguasha National Park. It was a 11km paddle which ended with a run down a rocky beach to get the last paddling checkpoint. As we ran, I slipped and tumbled to the ground. Teams around me asked if I was ok as I jumped up again and took off. No time to worry about my stubbed toe. The rain had started and stayed with us the rest of the day. We carried our canoes up the steep slope to the transition area and took off on our bikes. We immediately got into the mountains and found ourselves pushing up steep rocky slopes. We also had a significant river crossing. My poor bike was abused by the mud and the water in this race. Much of that day was spent in the driving rain climbing up steep hills. We eventually made our way down to the bay for a swim. We got our wetsuits on and headed for the water. We crossed the first section of water to the peninsula and then were told that the rest of the swim was cancelled due to the tide going out and the frigid air temperature. We picked up the checkpoints we were allowed get and hopped back on our bikes. The rain was lighter now, but we were back in the mountains doing some serious bike pushing. Night fell and we made our way along ski trails through the mountains until we found the final zipline and the finish. Camping that night was miserable in wet tents.

Day 3 started at 5:30am for those of us in the 300Km race, with the 150Km teams starting at 6:30am. We headed back up into the mountains via a rocky creek with rock cliff walls. The race directors had set up ropes to allow us to climb up waterfalls. It was beautiful but slow going in the creek and on the wet rocks. To our astonishment, the top few teams from the 150Km race passed us at 7:30am. We had been on the course for 2 hours, and they were only on it for 1 hour. Again, I was amazed at the speed of these Canadians. We climbed up into a windmill field. The mountains were foggy, so we could not see the windmills, but we could hear their loud “whoosh”. We spent several hours biking in the fog around the windmills finding checkpoints. We had a tough bike-whacking section trying to bend our bikes around trees growing closely together. When we finally hit a trail, there was great relief. These trails took us down to a trekking section and then on to some really nice mountain biking trails. I would like to try them again some day when I am not in a hurry. We climbed up to the top of a mountain overlooking the bay and had a short trek with zipline, then back on the bikes for the bay. Our ride down was very muddy, and by the time we reached the volunteers, we were covered in a light brown mud. They joked that they liked our choice of make-up. Unfortunately, we had missed the cut off for the final paddle, so we were instructed to go straight to the finish.

We were on the course for about 12 hours each day. Because it was a staged race, we slept in our tents each night in the rain. It was a new and fun experience. They are not having this race again in 2020, but there are lots of great races out there for us to enjoy. Go to www.arcooperative.org to find all the awesome adventure races in North America for 2020.

by Jess Evans
October 1, 2019

The USARA Championship Race took place in Boone, NC this past weekend celebrating adventure racing in the United States. So many familiar faces and great teams found their way to this race. To top it off, the Facebook coverage was phenomenal, keeping family and friends in touch with all the teams and their progress. There are so many great pictures, videos, and interviews. The results are up on the website. They really brought the race to life. Congratulations to all the teams for finishing what was a tough course in very hot and humid conditions. But most of all CONGRATULATIONS to 361 Adventures Chickpoints for their first place finish in the All Female Division. You ladies rock!

This was my first time missing the race in about 7 years. It was definitely fun and hard watching it from the other side. I loved seeing the action on Facebook but also felt the tug of desire to be out their racing alongside everyone. There is always next year.

This blog has been pretty quiet this summer due to all the races I have directed and participated in. The next few blog posts will be focused on those races. I will just be rehashing them for my own pleasure, but you are welcome to come along on the memory journey. I will end with my amazing adventure in Canada at the Raid International Gaspesie. Unfortunately, this year was the last year for this race.

The next big race everyone should be focusing on now is THE FIG!!! Registration is open, and you know this race is always beautiful, tough, and loads of fun. Stay tuned as we round out the last few months on this blog post, but get registered for the Fig ASAP!

by Jess Evans
August 21, 2019

August flew by without a blog post from me… but it has been a fun month!

We have been busy with the NOMAD 48 Hour Adventure Race, the Dead Fred AR, and the Bears Ears AR. All three races had their tough, yet memorable, sections that we, as race directors, feared racers would hate… but they loved! Bike pushing up mountain sides, bike-whacking through tick infested grasslands, and determining your route over a sea of down trees is apparently what adventure racers really want. I guess we had better forget about that flowy single track we are always looking for to add to our races. You people want a “suffer-fest”!

There are two more races left for this crew in 2019, the Trailblazer Adventure on September 7 and the Fig on November 2. The Trailblazer Adventure will be at Hisey Park in Warren County, Ohio. It is a fundraiser for the Little Miami Watershed Network and a very beginner friendly course with educational checkpoints. Join us to support the conservation effort on the Little Miami River and to learn a thing or two while you race. Then gear up for the Fig in November. This race is a crowd favorite with awesome views throughout the Red River Gorge area. It is a 12 hour race, but it is really a sprint across the rock formations of this natural awe inspiring place. Register now to secure your spot!

by Jess Evans
July 22, 2019

July is almost over, and I have mixed emotions about that. July is the heart of the summer with warm long days and beautiful nights. I love being outside and enjoying the weather. This July has allowed me to do just that. However, I have been so busy with prepping for and setting up the NOMAD 48 Hour Adventure Race, that I have nearly missed July. The NOMAD race starts at 9AM Mountain Time on Friday, July 26. I have been so focused on it, I have not taken the time to smell the flowers – literally. We have had a very wet spring and summer in Colorado. The creeks are flowing strong and the flowers are blooming everywhere. While setting the NOMAD course, I wanted to sit in the fields of flowers on the mountainsides and breathe it all in. But alas, who has time for that? Enjoying the flowers, mountain goats, red tailed hawks, marmots, and various other animals will have to wait until Aug… no October.

Athena Adventures will post as much as possible on Facebook the sights of the NOMAD race starting Friday morning. Stayed tuned to Facebook as the race progresses and after the race for more information and pictures. Also, we hope to have a tracking map of the teams on the Rocky Mountain Adventure Series website… if we can pull that off. Go there to watch your favorite teams duke it out across the 115 mile course.

And I would be remiss if I neglected to mention 361° Adventures’ race on August 3. For those in the Midwest, sign up for the Dead Fred 9 Hour AR, the second race in the Unbridled Series. Registration closes July 31. The end of July is approaching quickly Get registered!

by Jess Evans
July 9, 2019

The last two weeks have flown by without me getting a chance to even think about writing a blog post. Fortunately, everything slowed down just enough for me to take a breather and knock one out. I just completed the Quarry Mt Quest 6 Hour Adventure Race in Steamboat Springs, while Dallas and Shawn hammered out the Dale HollAR. Both races delighted and challenged the participants, as the photos reveal. Photos for these races are on Facebook under the 361 Adventures page and the Athena Adventures page.

Now I am heading full speed into preparing for the NOMAD 48 Hour AR. This race is going to be full of all the adventure and beauty that the Rocky Mountains can provide, but it will be challenging for all involved. The NOMAD is July 26 to 28. Registration will remain open until July 19. I have been out on the course at least 4 times. Each place I visit, I am thrilled at the scenery and exhausted by the climb. The race will be worth the experience.

Shawn and Dallas are preparing for the Dead Fred on August 3. It is the second race in the Unbridled Series, allowing racers to step their race experience up a notch. It has been years since I visited Yatesville Lake State Park in eastern Kentucky. The lake snakes through the mountains with many hidden coves and inlets. It will be lovely, as all the Kentucky races are, and a great paddle.

There are plenty of adventure races to participate in for the rest of the summer in both Kentucky and Colorado. We look forward to seeing you out there.