PQ Montana, originally uploaded by Brian Knight Photography.
The course will be revealed in five minutes!
3:05pm Sunday (MDT) – Time in Big Sky, Montana
The Colorado Room at the Big Sky Resort is full and Don Mann is just starting to talk…
Mary Ericson, from National Forest Service… is happy to be here, representing Gallatin National Forest.. talking about wolves, grizzlies gets a (nervous) chuckle from the audience
Jane from National Forest Service… a gem of the National Forest Service system… one of the most beautiful places in the lower 48, if not the world
MyTopo.com… Paige Darden and Kevin Toohill… Don called over a year ago and asked if had a race in MT where would you want to have it… Big Sky… so much terrain… enjoy!
Brandon from Big Sky Resort! Brandon has a GREAT BIG VOICE!!! Brandon and Big SKy are very happy to have PQ at their resort.
(ed. note: obviously we’re just getting through the opening preliminaries)
Morning Basin… Top 3winners get a comped stay after the race!!
Presenting sponsor SPOT is now talking… their new tracking system is really cool and I’ll have more about it later. Each team will carry a SPOT messenger with them so you can all track your teams from home via the web.
The SPOT/PQ leader board goes live as soon as the race starts
Leader board is sortable…. shows team tracks… has discipline info…course elevation profile (100,000′+ elevation gain)… map only view… partnership with MyTopo for detailed mapping…
3:25… Sherry Simpson, PQ Sponsor Director… over 60 partners… the racers got some pretty sweet swag bags this year… Sherry is reviewing and introducing the segment sponsors… plus platinum, gold, and silver sponsors (including yours truly!)
3:32… Race schedule: Don’t forget the 10am (MDT) start
3:34… Don Mann is talking about how he came to be the manager of PQ…”we tried so, so hard to develop a really challenging course for you, and we did, but now we’re worried…” “after one year of designing the course the snow of the past couple weeks totally wiped out the race course” snow snow snow = mountains on lock down, avalanche fears…
Don is addressing use of GPS… was really worried that with all of the snow teams would not be able to navigate at all… GPS is now NOT mandatory… teams are encouraged to bring a GPS, toss it in a waterproof bag and seal it up, but, if you run into an emergency, and you feel you need it, then use it (this btw is exactly how the old sat phones were designed to be used in PQs past).
PQ really appreciates all the support from the state… never had so much support from another state, or at another resort…
MyTopo… has provided $30,000 worth of maps, not to mention ins to the state of Montana…
Talking about rivers… the one you saw driving in the other day is NOT the river to worry about, that’s the “easy” one! (the water on that river is H U G E)
Weather is a BIG factor for this race and so there might be changes to the race course that occur during the race…
This race course is not for the first time racer… he understands that there might be some first time racers, and he wishes you lots and lots of luck, but the race is really not for you…
Race course is more challenging than in Utah (PQ 2006)… done because there are support crews, friends and families, who can give more care to teams…
Television… it will be shown on HD TV… will be shown up to 50xs a year on HD television… aggressively marketed… Tim Powell… has produced, among other things, the following:
- Eco-Challenge Fiji Islands” (2003) TV series (supervising producer)
- Eco Challenge New Zealand (2002) (TV) (supervising producer)
- Eco Challenge Borneo (2001) (TV) (producer)
- Raid Gauloises: Race Across the Himalayas (2000) (TV) (producer)
- Raid Gauloises: Race Across Ecuador (1998) (TV) (producer)
- Eco Challenge British Columbia (1996) (TV) (producer)
Vernon… terrific supporter of adv racing… has made ceramic bowls for all of the racers…
3:52… Course designers George Rice, Chris Caul (and Slim)… “bad news: course will be incredibly challenging… good news [Slim] this year old 25 pound dog has done the ENTIRE COURSE!”
Chris Caul… “I have real bad news… 2 months ago Slim was a 200 pound Bull Mastif”
3:55… (and now for the good stuff) (just kidding – after the break)
You’re never going to forget: Lone Mount (3 hrs after race start)… grizzly tracks… Gallatin River… Telephone Ridge… Highlight Resevoir.. Yellowstone River (flowing at 10mph)… The Crazy Mountains (base line snow lever @7K’, 30mph winds)… Bridger Range (4K’ climb)…
In Moab there was one factor you had to overcome… the heat.
Here you have altitude, water (gigantic), wild life… If you work together as a team you will prevail and get to the finish line…
3:58… Ops Director Dawn Mann, is introducing the teams…
4:05… Still introducing teams…
4:08… done! (with introducing teams)
4:11… Kraig Becker, Media Director introducing his team… (hi everybody!)… we are looking to have the most comprehensive coverage of the race to date… send your stories to press@ecoprimalquest.com (even for you all watching from home – we want to hear from you!)
4:13… Will Ramos, Photo Director… introducing his team…
4:15… TV Production… Renee… trying to get tv was its very own reality television show… “these racers deserve tv”… Greg at Voom was the guy behind eco back in the day, and he gets adv racing… Voom has world wide distrobution… PQ is Official Race of their network… production team was assembled in a very short time… guys have shot Iditorod, EcoChallenge…
4:18… Short Intermission… (after these messages, we’ll be right back)
4:31… And we’re back!!!
4:32… Lights are out which means I think there is a video to watch… Susanna Greever is giving big love to the volunteers… teams are giving a standing ovation in appreciation… :)
4:34… Ok, really, now the good stuff… Climbing Director Jay Smith… Describing climbing areas… Lone Peak… fixed rope, 400′ long… must clip in to the rope… more than one person can be clipped in… just to keep you from sliding off the mountain… should be “relatively easy, based on the rest of the course”…
beware of rocks, silently falling down upon you… no ice axes… trekking pole would work… you can self-arrest with a single pole (Jay describes the technique)… if you don’t take a pole, be sure to stomp your feet, make a step… if you do fall, dig your elbows in, try and create drag… “really want you need to do is not fall”
two other climbing sites… first is an ascent… new to adventure racing, free climbing!… not extreme (no 5.13s)… true climbing… will be on a rope… self belay… won’t fall more than a couple hundred feet… helpful to have sticky rubber shoes… (climbing approach shoes optional)… white ropes are ascent ropes… one competitor between knot passes… hand lines are orange… one person between knots…
when there are two ropes, as a team you are confined to a single rope…
you will be traveling through a popular, local climbing site… beware of other climbers… rock is generally sound… watch out for loose rock… if you have any question about the rock, thump it with your hand… if you see it move, flex, vibrate, etc., notify a guide…
when ascending ropes, work as team… put strongest in front, next in rear… help the weaker climbers of your team…
last advice… be efficient… be aware of clipping in, unclipping… take your time… double check… hopefully you’ll think this is the best ropes course you’ve ever done…
4:49… wild life awareness… Gallatin is one of the most complete forests in the lower 48… primary message is one of safety… not only for racers and support staff… negative encounters don’t happen very often… focal species… bears… grizzly and black bears… moose… big, faster than you think, don’t like to be pushed around… mountain lions… wolves are all over the place… they are not very timid…
bears… grizzlies do not like aggression… key rule is “remain calm” (haha, yeah right)… if you run or squeal or do anything silly, react in a panic… that will trigger a chase response… not one athlete in the room can outrun a bear… acting aggressively is normally the right thing to do with a black bear… but there is a lot of species overlap here… no time to ID the type of bear… safest thing to do is consider it a Surprise Encounter… stop, let animal know you are a human… animals are generally afraid of humans and are reluctant to engage in a confrontation… give them an escape route and they will most likely take it… be submissive… back away… talk to them in a calm voice… pepper spray is really, really effective with bears… have pepper spray ready… do not pack it ANYWHERE in your pack… needs to be right on your person…
mountain lions and wolves… a situation where you want to act aggressively.. make yourself big… make noise… don’t back down…
food storage order in place in all National Parks… mostly bears, but really any animal… don’t lay down for a nap with your head on your pack! … any scented product (sun screen, lip balm, insect repellent), be careful…
going 24/7 increases possible encounters with animals… dawn & dusk primarily… stick to designated routes… if you are camping, etc., any time you are in an area where animals don’t expect you to be there, that increases your chances of encounters…
don’t run into a moose while biking…
other animals you might encounter… mountain goats… are suprisingly aggressive… also raptors… if you see any large birds flying at you… duck!
watch out for baby animals… food sources (if you see a carcass, let someone know)… even bio waste (banana peel), pack it out…
extremely rare encounters… predatory attacks… if an animal is stalking you… watch out…
(ed. note: is anyone still reading? leave a comment!)
don’t leave pepper spray in car for any amount of time… it will burst… ruin your car… if you use the spray it has an effective range of ~30′
time for questions…
- can teams use cell phones to report bear sightings? / yes, animals are extremely unpredictable
- what do you do after you use your spray (and it is effective)? can you run then? / yes, back away, get out of sight, then RUN
- if you see a grizzly at a distance while biking, do you stop riding? / no, if 30 yds away you’re ok, but be sure to let your team know, and others…
- question about food storage, can i sleep with my food nearby? / food must be attended
- mtb follow up… ok, what if they’re close to the trail, then what? / if the bear is close by, say “hey bear” if the bear doesn’t move off trail, don’t keep going! don’t try and push him off the trail… of course, it’s personal choice…(ha, yeah right)
- are air horns effective? / maybe if you’re up close… but the pepper spray is really effective… you need to let the bear know you are a human… bells, horns, etc. what if the bear doesn’t know those are human sounds? talk to the bear!
- if i have my sandwich in a bag is it effective? / no. no it is not. not at all. animals have a highly effective sense of smell. highly effective.
5:13… Water looks big from the shore, but don’t worry, once you’re in the water it looks A LOT bigger! (haha, humour from the H2O director…
three main things… 1. water is SUPER cold… really, really cold… swim check water was about 10 degrees warmer than the rivers… stay as warm as possible… teammates need to pay attention to each other… 2. water is moving really fast… House Rock (basically a big huge giant house size rock smack dab in the middle of the river) is a recommended portage… only about a 200yd portage… rock isn’t even the problem so much as the big hole… just walk if you’re having a problem… 3. lots of wood floating around… watch out for it… also strainers… take care… strainers will be marked… always point to safety… point positive… don’t point towards a hazard…
on the Yellowstone… encouraged to wear your spray skirts… there are few, if any, eddies to stop and hang out in… (this was supposed to be a flat water paddle, now, not so much)…
5:20… MTB update… mud. sweat. tears. (emphasis on mud)… bring device for cleaning shoes, etc…. snow can be deceivingly hard… ride is very scenic…
5:21… Trekking update… 60% of course is going to be on foot… (um, apparently Trekking Director, Seth “Osprey” Schumacher crapped his pants the first time he sprayed a bear… thanks for sharing Seth!)… he is from here and has used the bear spray twice… recommends testing reaching for the spray, etc. (Seth, btw, is, as Don just said, 19yo and has thru hiked the AT in 102 days and has also hiked Continental Divide trail.
5:22… Logistics… instead of Ryder we have Uhaul…
5:22:30… Dr. Bill Webster, Director PQ Medial Team… med team is here for you.. foot care should be primarily dealt with by Support Crew… most med issues are treat and release… Med team can treat anything from Grizzly attacks to hypothermia, avalanches, exhaustion, rock fall, lightning…
lots of ticks, use deet… altitude issues… AMS… etc. keep an eye on eachothrer and have a great race…
5:31… there is a moose walking around the room… SAR (search & rescue) director is talking now… thanking SPOT (thanks SPOT!)
teams need to realise when they are lost… know when to call for help… there are hilarious graphics… will try to get screen shots of them posted to flickr…
local agencies have gone out of their way to assist you… local sheriff (Gallatin Co.) are also 100% on board… have a safe race!!
Weather forecast for next 10 days… (outlook looks good)
5:35… Comms Director… all teams need to check in with emergency comms… in Canada more people are killed by moose than bears… Timonda will give survival and nav course to first five teams who get lost! … comms will be watching you on the computer thanks to SPOT… we love to watch the teams go in circles (at night), then they stop, and go to sleep, and in the day light they can go again back on course…
5:40… Notes: If your team is carrying a GPS unit, PQ staff must package it up… Two teams are still looking for human waste bags…
5:41… Course Fly Through Time!!! (I’m going to go watch it)
… Google flyover video was sweet! big cheers came from the first segment that sends teams straight up Lone Mt…. there are some other BIG climb sites that got people cheering too…
5:57… Maps and Passports were just handed out to teams… 10 of 11 maps were just handed out…
6:06… Just watched a fun video overview of the course…
and, that’s all for now folks! stay tuned for more fun!!
