Monday, June 7, 2010
Fat Otter RAID: more to WI than the Frozen Tundra
Along with the plethora of Wood Ticks, the Fat Otter RAID delivered Team Gore-Tex a satisfying win and a surprisingly fun adventure. I have to admit, before we arrived on site, my Wisconsin adventure-factor expectations were low. My wife having grown up in Green Bay, I had visited the flat, featureless Frozen Tundra over several holidays. During each visit, I was denied any real adventures, but not for lack of trying. My closest encounter with an epic adventure was when I tried to cross-country ski along the Fox River through a windchill of about 60-below; most locals were on the couch eating Brats and drinking Tom&Jerry's, with TV's poised and ready for the next Packers game.
Luckily, the Raid took place on the WESTERN side of Wisconsin, far away from that frigid escarpment of Green Bay that I had anticipated. The western WI landscape, having been carved up by glaciers, is a conglomeration of wild rivers, lakes and curious hills called "mounds". The race director, Rod, did a great job of linking a series of these mounds like sausages, strung together over 300+ miles with a mix of forested trails, country roads and waterways.
For me, the highlights of the race were reaching a checkpoint on top of a new mound, each one as unique as a bag of cheese curds: climbing the pinnacles of Castle Mound; rappelling off the cliffs of Wildcat Mound; riding epic single track surrounding Levis Mounds; navigating the bluffs and ravines of Bruce Mound.
Our team found a comfortable rhythm right from the start of the race, and we transitioned from stage-to-stage, from day-to-night with seamless efficiency. The map preparation and route execution by our new navigator, Brad, was flawless. The leadership of our fearless captain, Julie, always came at just the right time. Our engine, Peter, assumed the pointy-end of the tow line early and often.
And I did my part for the team by eating early and often, providing vivid descriptions of my hallucinations, and singing polka songs off-key (on purpose, of course, for effect).
Submitted by Mike Dawson
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