This week in dot watching: Cameco Cowboy Tough AR
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ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
Fast and focused through the first transition area, and on the tails of the lead teams.
Start was a 7 mile peloton out of city of Casper that had a leader car. Lead dropped off and they were off for another 23 miles to the first TA where they hopped on boats. Lots of paddling today, paddling legs in total will be about 100 miles. I hope the winds will be in their favor and they take time to enjoy the views too
Start was 6am, assuming they started on time. Teams started to roll through at 745 fast and furious and most transitioned to boat in 5 minutes. Impressive speed considering all the gear and weight that's involved.
Start was a 7 mile peloton out of city of Casper that had a leader car. Lead dropped off and they were off for another 23 miles to the first TA where they hopped on boats. Lots of paddling today, paddling legs in total will be about 100 miles. I hope the winds will be in their favor and they take time to enjoy the views too
Start was 6am, assuming they started on time. Teams started to roll through at 745 fast and furious and most transitioned to boat in 5 minutes. Impressive speed considering all the gear and weight that's involved.
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qclabrat
Well-Known Member
They need to do everything together... they can only go as fast as their slowest member.
However, some sections of the course are optional and they can decide to skip them.
They also have to make it back before the end of the pre-specified time if not they lose almost all of their points.
ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
The paddling has already proved to be a challenge with this swift moving water. One team has gotten a hole in their own lightweight kayak they brought to the race. It's a two man team that is out for the paddle and will move to next TA that bypasses the water essentially as they're limited to just bike and foot legs at this point.
Another team that is 4 person were on two kayaks provided for the race. The one kayak got pinned in this fast water and is completely tacoed, also their tracking device is stuck in that. I don't know much about paddling stuff, but I think that speaks to how fast and powerful this river is right now. All four people hopped into their other tandem kayak to continue on.
Its still early, but Aaron and team seem to be going smoothly. I passed them a couple times in the town of Douglas and they looked good. They have a few points to get here on foot around town before getting back on wster. One of the checkpoints in town as at an old bar, where there are whiskey shots for the racers (or iced tea). I was there earlier to help set up. The owner is just awesome, an old guy just hanging out with no worries it seems.
Another team that is 4 person were on two kayaks provided for the race. The one kayak got pinned in this fast water and is completely tacoed, also their tracking device is stuck in that. I don't know much about paddling stuff, but I think that speaks to how fast and powerful this river is right now. All four people hopped into their other tandem kayak to continue on.
Its still early, but Aaron and team seem to be going smoothly. I passed them a couple times in the town of Douglas and they looked good. They have a few points to get here on foot around town before getting back on wster. One of the checkpoints in town as at an old bar, where there are whiskey shots for the racers (or iced tea). I was there earlier to help set up. The owner is just awesome, an old guy just hanging out with no worries it seems.
Dare you to eat one of those pickled eggs behind the bar.
ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
This guy has owned the bar since 1976. Pretty sure it's been the same jar of pickled eggs these past 40 years
ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
https://rev3adventure.smugmug.com/2016CamecoCowboyTough/Chris/i-QRrmFcH/A
Some awesome pics have started!
Also, when you are at the website looking at the live maps or leaderboard, check out the Toughgrams area. This is basically trail mail and they are messages you can send to teams. They're being printed at TAs and placed on the teams bins for them to receive. The last time Aaron did an expedition length race, he said that trail mail was pretty much the only good thing that kept him going when it started to get rough. So if you're interested, check it out, especially tomorrow and Saturday!
I've been at TA4 for the afternoon, which is at Glendon State Park. The top teams have started their last paddle leg before arriving here, it's a 20 mile paddle on stillwater. Wind isn't bad right now so top teams are estimated to take 3.5-4 hours, coming through this TA4 around 10-1030 pm. I'm guessing NYARA will be through sometime very late/wee hours.
This TA will be interesting, it is the first that the teams will see their bins, where there is more food drink gear clothes shoes etc whatever they've packed that they'd either change out or just didn't need to carry with them to this point TA4 is also sort of a turning point for some teams. From here, they have the option to keep paddling to TA5 where they'd then bike to TA6 with optional checkpoints between. Or they can just hop right onto bikes and head straight to TA6, and still be official because they'd only be missing optional points. It's a tease because a lot of teams will be coming through here in wee hours after 70 miles of paddling. Mentally, it's hard to get back in at that point, especially when you have the option not to. It's a point where some slower teams can try to make up some time, and it's a potentially tough call for teams somewhere in between. Very strategic point in the race for anyone looking to stay official and not necessarily in it for the tough elite win. Of course, top teams it's a no brainier because they're out to "clear the course" and get all checkpoints.
That's that for now and probably for many hours. No interesting pictures right now, but here's what I'll call home for the night.
Some awesome pics have started!
Also, when you are at the website looking at the live maps or leaderboard, check out the Toughgrams area. This is basically trail mail and they are messages you can send to teams. They're being printed at TAs and placed on the teams bins for them to receive. The last time Aaron did an expedition length race, he said that trail mail was pretty much the only good thing that kept him going when it started to get rough. So if you're interested, check it out, especially tomorrow and Saturday!
I've been at TA4 for the afternoon, which is at Glendon State Park. The top teams have started their last paddle leg before arriving here, it's a 20 mile paddle on stillwater. Wind isn't bad right now so top teams are estimated to take 3.5-4 hours, coming through this TA4 around 10-1030 pm. I'm guessing NYARA will be through sometime very late/wee hours.
This TA will be interesting, it is the first that the teams will see their bins, where there is more food drink gear clothes shoes etc whatever they've packed that they'd either change out or just didn't need to carry with them to this point TA4 is also sort of a turning point for some teams. From here, they have the option to keep paddling to TA5 where they'd then bike to TA6 with optional checkpoints between. Or they can just hop right onto bikes and head straight to TA6, and still be official because they'd only be missing optional points. It's a tease because a lot of teams will be coming through here in wee hours after 70 miles of paddling. Mentally, it's hard to get back in at that point, especially when you have the option not to. It's a point where some slower teams can try to make up some time, and it's a potentially tough call for teams somewhere in between. Very strategic point in the race for anyone looking to stay official and not necessarily in it for the tough elite win. Of course, top teams it's a no brainier because they're out to "clear the course" and get all checkpoints.
That's that for now and probably for many hours. No interesting pictures right now, but here's what I'll call home for the night.
ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
That page isn't working for me on the mobile site, but it might be here ... http://www.cowboytoughwy.com/#!toughgrams/ccvg
It should be an option under the Tracking area of the website. Under tracking are options for Course Info, Leaderboard, Live Map, Toughgrams, and so on.
That bucket thing was the challenge. There's been a bunch of incorporation of historical sites during this race. That challenge was at some old fort or camp where they had to run buckets full of water from the river to the top of a hill to fill a cistern, which is remaining from the fort and also the way they had filled that cistern and built their water supply back when the fort was active.
It should be an option under the Tracking area of the website. Under tracking are options for Course Info, Leaderboard, Live Map, Toughgrams, and so on.
That bucket thing was the challenge. There's been a bunch of incorporation of historical sites during this race. That challenge was at some old fort or camp where they had to run buckets full of water from the river to the top of a hill to fill a cistern, which is remaining from the fort and also the way they had filled that cistern and built their water supply back when the fort was active.
go to the map, then click on the 'monitor' icon on the right.
scroll down, bottom right.
---
not sure if this will work for others.
http://www.123contactform.com/sfnew...27&viewMode=site&deviceType=desktop&locale=en
scroll down, bottom right.
---
not sure if this will work for others.
http://www.123contactform.com/sfnew...27&viewMode=site&deviceType=desktop&locale=en
ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
So the winds HAD been favorable earlier, top teams started coming into transition at 940 pm with other teams still on last paddling leg or about to start it or not there yet.
Fast forward a couple hours and the winds picked up making that paddle even harder because they were paddling into the wind on stillwater. NYARA and some other teams have pulled off the lake throughout the night because the wind had created high waves that they decided to wait out. That's been the last couple hours, and our guess is they're probably taking the opportunity to catch sleep wherever they've pulled off. There were teams that were capsizing in those waves last night so they weren't the only ones to pull off and wait. Nighttime is always the worst time for that.... even colder, harder to dry out, and dark to see if you've got everything back in again.
Fast forward a couple hours and the winds picked up making that paddle even harder because they were paddling into the wind on stillwater. NYARA and some other teams have pulled off the lake throughout the night because the wind had created high waves that they decided to wait out. That's been the last couple hours, and our guess is they're probably taking the opportunity to catch sleep wherever they've pulled off. There were teams that were capsizing in those waves last night so they weren't the only ones to pull off and wait. Nighttime is always the worst time for that.... even colder, harder to dry out, and dark to see if you've got everything back in again.
ajcourain
Retired from burrito Shiffering
3 hours of sleep in the bank, they finished that paddle this morning. Came in dry, somehow. Transitioned to bikes for 20 techy miles this morning and they'll need to be back on the water by 10am for last paddling leg of 30 miles. Their plan is to stay on that full course. Spirits are high, looking and feeling good.
Nice treat to have some rest so early! Pulling off and waiting had its advantages last night. Reports of 5 ft waves, couple rescues on water overnight too, and count of lost canoes up to 4.
Top teams were able to bank some rest too as they could not start the last paddle until 530 this morning (a "dark zone" where they will receive time credit so long as they've cleared the course until that point where they had to wait). No doubt that will help them keep hammering today. For anyone following the top teams, Swedish Armed Forces had the lead but apparently blew up a hub on bike leg last night, not sure what their plan is on that for rest of the race as I think they are only maybe 50 in out of the 270 total miles of biking. Unfortunate as they had issues last year and came here determined (and fully capable) to take the win.
I'll likely lose service sometime today, so enjoy those dots!
Nice treat to have some rest so early! Pulling off and waiting had its advantages last night. Reports of 5 ft waves, couple rescues on water overnight too, and count of lost canoes up to 4.
Top teams were able to bank some rest too as they could not start the last paddle until 530 this morning (a "dark zone" where they will receive time credit so long as they've cleared the course until that point where they had to wait). No doubt that will help them keep hammering today. For anyone following the top teams, Swedish Armed Forces had the lead but apparently blew up a hub on bike leg last night, not sure what their plan is on that for rest of the race as I think they are only maybe 50 in out of the 270 total miles of biking. Unfortunate as they had issues last year and came here determined (and fully capable) to take the win.
I'll likely lose service sometime today, so enjoy those dots!