2017 Berryman Adventure 6 hour and 18 hour races by Captain Ahab

2017 Berryman Adventure 6 and 18 hour races by Captain Ahab

Robert Bart, Jessie Brown, and Captain Ahab (that would be me), set off to destroy the 3 person coed 18 hour Berryman Adventure.  We would be accompanied by Dave Beattie and Amy Crews on the 2 person coed 18 hour, and Dave Cortivo, Alane Wolins, and Neil and Luke Dickhaus on the 4 person coed 6 hour.  Robert and I started out by meeting at my house to rig a tow on his bike and to get there early to set up camp. 

We had to make a detour to pick up Robert’s 4 part kayak paddle before heading to Bear River Ranch. 
Jessie pretty much showed up at the same time as us, checked in, and then we drove far down the gravel road to set up Robert’s massive tent on rock hard ground.  After a few failed attempts we managed to get the tent up and drove back to headquarters, but we were stopped and told we couldn’t drive back and forth to camp.  We met the other BOR’s for dinner and a toast, checked out the ring tailed lemurs, and after the mandatory meeting was given by Kevin Edwards, we plotted our maps, and hitched a golf cart ride back to camp to get some sleep.

We awoke at 4:30 AM and drove Jessie’s car back to HQ since it was down at camp anyway.  We then took the bikes with Robert’s truck to the (4:45AM) bike drop which was a good half hour away.  We started noticing we were going to be real close on time to make the 6 AM start, so Robert drove as fast as he could and avoided killing both a deer and a skunk.  We made the bike drop as fast as we could and then started our way back to HQ. We saw Dave and Amy coming in as we were headed out and knew they would be late for the start.  We arrived with like 3 minutes to spare.  We were given coordinates to plot and Dave and Amy showed up.  We plotted and started in second to last place.  The BOR’s were bringing up the rear. 

I shot a bearing to CP1 and we entered a reentrant fairly quickly in the dark.  Robert was holding the bearing as I navigated and I figured we had over shot, but knew a road was ahead and when we hit the road it confirmed my suspicion that we overshot.  We went back up the reentrant a little bit and found the CP.  Traveling back down the same reentrant we got to the road at dawn and basically took it all the way to CP2 that was behind a house in a cave. 
We took the same road back some, passed a lot of teams on their way to CP2 (including Virtus), which made me feel like we made up some time unless they had already picked up CP3 since they were in any order (but that route would have been a terrible idea since it was on the way to CP4).  We then took a fence line that separated the public land from private and a 2 person male team hopped the fence and entered private property.  Not wanting to cheat we backtracked some and found the fence that went to public land, jumped it and quickly within 3 steps jumped the same fence again as it was the corner of the land.  We followed the same fence up to the road and got CP3.  I figured if we would have just taken the road around the private land that we would have moved much faster.  As we walked down the road we saw Dave and Amy in the distance behind us.  I figured they took the road and made some ground on us.  We then noticed the bastards were running!  WTH right? We kept walking for a while until we could get into shouting distance, heckled each other some and then we started running flats and downhills.  We barely beat Dave and Amy and another coed 2 person team to the canoes (CP5) after picking up CP4 along the road on the way.  Now we were using CP’s and routes that we had previously plotted the night before.

Jessie jumped in the middle of the 2 person canoe and set her butt down in the water that Robert was violently paddling into the boat.  I steered our way terribly up stream zig-zagging to CP5, which was on an island.  A female racer told me we would do better with the two kayak paddles in front and the canoe paddle in the back, so I decided that I would eat the bullet of sitting in the middle the rest of the race.  We trekked to CP6 on the island while passing and repassing Dave and Amy.  Amy declared that it wasn’t a competition between us and I knew that was complete bull crap because I have raced against Dave a few times and knew he was out to beat us.  I’m sure he knew I was out to beat him. 
Going downstream in the canoe we kept this same passing repassing madness up with them, but we noticed a white water turn ahead and I told Jessie to slow and not to enter with the other canoe.  Dave and Amy also slowed and I shouted that if they didn’t shoot it, we would, and that we both didn’t need to be in the turn at the same time.  I didn’t want both of our boats going over since I would rather have one TeamBOR team do better than both going in the drink.  Dave and Amy shot first and made it with no issues.  We entered at a bad angle, too slowly, and hit a log.  I had done the same exact thing in a previous paddle and knew we were going over, so I instantly jumped to the left and watched water come in and hit Robert’s hip.  He jumped to the left and Jessie must have also because we saved it from going over.  I couldn’t believe we saved it.  We had some catching up to do to CP7 and some bailing. 

We transitioned to the bikes and decided to follow our route to CP14 first which was the hillier of the two possible routes.  The thinking there was to get the hard part over first.  All 5 of us rode together.  Robert towing me and me towing Jessie.  Dave towed Amy. 

 I mentioned we needed another tow so we could do a 5 person train.  The tows worked out really well and allowed us to pass several teams.  We got near CP12 at Clifty Hollow (Park name eludes me) and decided again that it was trespassing to bushwhack from the road although another team went ahead and did it in front of us.  The 5 of us dropped our bikes in the park parking lot a little farther up the road and traveled to CP8, which the night before Beattie showed us that we mis-plotted it (thanks Dave!).  We took the trail using the available park map to the creek (Amy showed us that nifty trick...thanks Amy!)  Next we took the creek to the CP while seeing a lot of teams.  It’s a good feeling when you see a lot of teams because you know you are still in the pack.  We agreed we would take turns navigating and finding CPs, but Amy was sniffing them out like a bloodhound.  We took the creek to the reentrant that led to CP9 and then took the trail/creek to the hillside for CP10.

  We shot a bearing and pace counted to CP11.  Jessie took on her new pace counting training.  I checked Robert’s bearings a couple of times and Jessie’s pace count a couple of times, but once I knew they had it I trusted them fully and just navigated.  It is so helpful to split the navigation duties up like that.  So I navigated with the map and gave bearings and estimated distance in meters and I was also the mule carrying all the team gear.  Robert held bearings (and bike towed us) and Jessie pace counted and kept track of eating and drinking.  We continued the same jobs the rest of the race.  Well back to the trekking now.  From CP11 we navigated our way to the natural bridge and stopped for pictures and a discussion on trespassing via a creek. 

 I stated that the creek was not trespassing legally, but Amy stated that the boundaries and the rules of the race were clear.  We agreed taking the creek to the CP was race illegal.  We then voted to skip CP12 as it was a long hilly bushwhack to it and back to get to the trail to the parking lot.  A two person coed team came out of the creek from CP12 and we knew they had cheated.  We took the trail back to the bikes and ate a snack.

Back on the bikes we met up with Chuck and Kate from Team Virtus, Kate yelled something to the effect that we were riding too hard.  That was true as I had to tell Robert to slow down a few times climbing the hills in tow.  It would come back to haunt me later.  We split up from Virtus as we needed CP13 and I believe they went to CP14.  Back at the canoes CP15 we saw our 4 person coed 6 hour team and stopped to take a group photo, which I ruined by having my life jacket on. 

We then paddled to CP16, which was on a stinging nettle island.  We had to trek to it and back to the boat, it wasn’t long, but it was painful.  I tried washing my legs off in the river to soothe the sting.  I heard Amy say she was covered in seed ticks too; stupid island.  I usually enjoy the paddle, but I was very uncomfortable in the middle.  I had to keep switching from sitting in the bottom, which hurt my shoulders, to kneeling, which hurt my knees, to sitting on the bar, which hurt my butt and made the boat tippy.  I think I spent most the time sitting on the bar and kneeling.  We finally got our paddling team work down with Robert keeping the water in the river and paddling less with his superior strength left arm dig, me synching my paddle with Robert’s and not tipping the boat, and Jessie steering and paddling in synch with our paddles.  The only times we veered off course is when Jessie took pictures, but I’m happy she did.  Our new paddling teamwork allowed us to leave Dave, Amy, and Virtus behind and we passed two or three more teams.  We picked up CP17 on another island that was simple to see from the boat and Robert jumped out and got it and we were able to pass two more boats that took longer than Robert to get the CP.  We hit CP18 at the take out right before the transition area and Robert noticed a spigot and we filled up our water.  Our transition was pretty slow and Dave, Amy, Chuck and Kate caught us again. 

Back on the bikes we again took off towing each other, except Robert, he doesn’t need to be towed, never, like never ever.  We picked up CPs 19 & 20 along the road on the way to 21 which was a parking lot to another park (name escapes me).  Robert and Jessie plotted points 22-33 while I shoved my face full of food.  I had been drinking “orange Gatorade” Fireball Whisky since CP19 when my knees started hurting.  We again made good time, but Virtus and 2p BOR caught us again at transition.  BOR and Virtus discussed our evacuation plans to be out of the park.  I was thinking 8pm, Chuck said 8pm, and Dave said 7pm.  I changed out of my wet chamois and threatened racing in my underwear and Jessie took some sketchy pictures. 

We grabbed the park trail map and set out after transitioning with Chuck, Kate, Dave and Amy.  As we headed down the trail to CP30 I felt incredibly drunk and I started sweating profusely.  I started my usual drunken obnoxious taunting of people and decided to pick on Kate some.  I had a lot of fun, but I don’t think Kate did.  Dave and Amy disappeared, or I was too drunk to remember them.  We climbed up a steep fallen tree covered reentrant and got CP30. 

At this point I started sobering some and we had previously planned to hit CP29, but Jessie being of sound mind and strategy said we should try for CP27 first.  Since the map was still slightly blurry I decided that sounded like a good idea and going back down that reentrant would be no fun. So we left Virtus and bushwhacked down the side of a massive hill to the creek and up a spur looking for CP27.  We walked up to the trail and must have just walked right passed the CP, confirmed my suspicion with another team, which for some reason they didn’t believe me and set off in a different direction and we went right to the CP…their loss.  Now being totally sober and feeling much better minus some dehydration we shot a bearing, pace counted, and bushwhacked to CP25.  Robert led us through a maze of downed trees and we popped out in the creek about 15ft from the CP.  A 2person male team met us at the CP and I could hear them talking about evacuating the park.  I heard their navigator saying there wouldn't be a chance to find CP26 by dead reckoning, so I told them to follow us.  We shot the bearing and pace counted right to it and I told their navigator he owed me a beer.  They were going to start heading back and I talked him into going to CP24 with us. 

They followed us to Cedar Creek and up a hillside to the CP.  He asked if I like Blue Moon to which I responded was my favorite.  I tried talking him to going to CP33 with us.  It looked really easy, but they left and started heading back.  We should have done the same, but instead we walked and walked and walked the creek forever never finding the CP.  I started to get into the mindset that it’s just around the bend, but I knew we neglected pace counting and we may have overshot.  I figured we were getting close to CP23 and a creek junction ahead would help me confirm that, but I had went up a small creek looking for CP33 and noticed Robert and Jessie didn’t follow.  I came back to the creek to find them both sitting.  I figured I may have pushed them too much and felt a mutiny coming, so I told them we were leaving and gave Robert the duties to find an escape trail on the park map while I used the map to navigate the creek.  It was a super long way back walking in the large rocks of the creek bed.  It was superior ankle training.  It was also getting dark and we were approaching our transition time we had previously set of 8pm.  We donned headlamps and finally met up with some other teams also trying to find a quick way out, so we joined them in the hunt.  They had cleared the trek, which was impressive.  As we walked I told Jessie I was almost out of water and very thirsty.  She told me to drink everything I had and promised me she had enough for both of us.  I told her she didn’t know how much I drink.  I kept looking at the creek thinking I am finally going to have to drink creek water.  We walked along with about 2 to 4 teams still trying to find the trail out of the creek.  I heard another team talking about their water situation and I piped in that I was thinking of creek water.  They agreed and we found a small clear pool.  As I filled my camelback trying not to disturb the bottom I noticed many minnows and crayfish.  That made me feel better about the water, but I still put one iodine tablet in Robert’s 16oz bottle and 2 tablets in my 100oz bladder.  I didn’t want to take the time to read the instructions and getting the tablets out of the bottle was a chore in itself that was accomplished using Robert’s glasses.  Robert is an Eagle Scout and I was a Boy Scout and we both have used the tablets as children and knew we had to wait a half hour before drinking.  I figured my “orange Gatorade” would offset the possible lack of tablets in my water.  The other team filled up quickly and we found the trail out and Team Virtus, who told us they had found 4 CPs.  Knowing we had 5 CPs, I knew we had beaten Virtus, but where was Dave and Amy?

We transitioned back to the bikes after a gear check of headlamp, headlight, and taillight.  We rode with Chuck and Kate and I am glad we did because I think I would have rode much slower without them as Kate kept pulling ahead of everyone.  TeamBOR towed some up the hills to conserve energy and we found CP34 together.  I noticed Chuck had a suspect route planned and I showed him my route that used all roads.  His had a portion of unknown and he agreed that they would follow my route.  I was hugely shocked and rode off.  They didn’t follow us at first and I thought Chuck had some master deception going on to get to the finish faster.  Then I thought, “well we have more points so it doesn’t matter,” and I had to find and try to get in front of Dave and Amy.  We rode on, and as we rode on, I would feel like we were dropping Jessie and then she would fly by me like I was standing still.  Then Kate flew by and I knew Chuck and Kate must have just taken time to mark their route.  We found the rest of the points mostly together, which was a lot of fun because I had never had the chance to race with Virtus before.  Getting close to the end we saw Dave and Amy and knew they were ahead of us and all I could do was hope we had more CPs.  Even though I knew we were getting close to the end I could feel a bonk coming on.  Ever since we got back to the bikes I felt weak so every chance I got I would eat, but just in case on the very last hill I thought it was better to ask Robert for a tow instead of cramping up.  The finish was basically right around the corner and we finished with Team Virtus.  Dave was waiting there to see how many CP’s we had gotten and I was relieved that we had found more than them.  TeamBOR is a team but we do try to beat each other and Dave has been known to take out other BORs at finish lines on purpose; like he actually tried to kill John Naas once. 

We finished well under 18 hours, 48 minutes under, and I kind of wish we would have tried for another CP, but we may have risked a time penalty.  The race was a hard 18!  I estimated we rode 43 miles (my bike computer showed 47, but it actually wasn’t working for a short time, so I think we rode 50 miles).  I estimated we trekked 12 miles and paddled 10 miles…thoughts?  We Found 31 out of 39 CPs, and only couldn’t find one out of all that we attempted.  We worked very well together and I think we had some of the best team work that I have ever experienced in an AR.  I was very proud of the effort that Robert and Jessie put in.  We achieved 1^st place 3 person coed.  If I had to do it over I would have liked to had another teammate to make a 4 person coed just to avoid 3 people in a canoe, I would have ate and drank earlier and more often, and I wouldn’t have drank as much “orange Gatorade.”  Hmm…that last statement is most likely untrue.  I also probably should have written this immediately after the race instead of a week later so my memory was clearer.

In the end, my new navigator friend brought me an ice cold Blue Moon at dinner.  We got our awards and bummed showers from my nav buddy.  We then broke the rules and drove to the campsite to sleep, and sleep we did.  We awoke, struck camp, went to breakfast, drove home, re-set up the tent in my backyard to dry, and then went through all of the unpacking and cleaning while my legs blew up in seed ticks, chiggers, and stinging nettle blisters.  I then scratched and scratched and scratched for about a week. – Ahab.