Training Log Archive: Garrison

800 - Leg 1, snowshoeing. Teams were tightly packed. We actually went without shoes until the lake at CP1. Post holing across was a good sign it was time to swap. Timing on this was about perfect. Stayed with lead pack through CP3 on Maiden Peak. Technicality of glissading in snowshoes slowed us down a bit here. Reconnected with some top teams at CP5, we apparently picked the right route/tracks on this one. Awkward downhilling with more glissading and really variable snow. All out of water at this point. CP6 was the "manzanita" control. Exposed and sunny with now water, this one was not fun. Reached the TA around 1700 hours.

TA1 - Efficient transitions are tough with a new team. We lost time in TA's throughout the race. They weren't horrible, but all could have definitely been shorter. Not sure on times based on results available online.

1800 - Leg 2, part 1, packraft and lava trek. Wind picked up on the lake crossing but it wasn't unbearable. I hit the wrong cove for the takeout which slowed down the mid leg TA, and caused a little stumble on CP7. Packs were unpleasantly heavy and off balance which made the next hours on the lava extra fun. CP8 was no problem. Tried to just shoot straight at CP9 but in the dark with the lava it was foolish. Ended up knowing we were off but travel in the lava field was so slow, you didn't want to go questing around. No reset points other than the road intersection, which we used. Based on tracker data this cost 2.5 hours, and a lot of legs. First part of this trek was named "broke pack mountain" by Julia, and rightly so as hers broke in multiple ways. Lava field was dubbed the "are you ok?" part of the trek based on how many time we both said and heard other teams say it. Even heard the Uraguayans, "Esta bien?" after a teammate took a nasty fall.