Unexpectedly, the evening of Saturday, April 6 began the 2002 adventure racing season for Team High Profile.  The Team was at the Great Mississippi River Adventure Series race at YMCA Camp Merrill Benson in Mt. Carroll, Illinois.

 

     The race director Mike Ehredt announced at the prerace briefing that there was to be a prologue to the 4:30 a.m. Sunday race start.   At 8:30 p.m., a four mile foot race would be run into Mt. Carroll, from a mass start, to the Ravens Grin Haunted House.  The teams would have to stay together and would tour the house, then run back.  In the attic, the teams received the race maps from a goulish looking character, aka, Leo Grant, a Mid-America Xtreme race director.  The run time was added to the adventure race time to determine the final rankings.

     The race began on Sunday with a mass start down a trail to a fire ring where the teams had to locate their bike helmets and return up the trail to the bikes under cold, rainy conditions.  The first biking leg was approximately 15 miles over hilly, muddy, gravel roads to CP3, the transition to the first orienteering section.  After two checkpoints it was back on the bikes for a 3 mile ride to CP6 and three more checkpoints.  From there, a 5 mile ride took the Team to CP10.  At CP10 the Team was instructed to continue with the orienteering leg.  This took place in the north part of the Mississippi Palisades State Park.  Fourteen checkpoints were scattered thoughout the re-entrants, bluffs, ridges, and creek beds of this hilly area.  Our altimeter watch showed over a 5,000' total elevation gain for the day.  Upon locating these checkpoints, the Team arrived at CP25 for the canoe leg on the Mississippi River.  Three checkpoints were located attached to duck blinds.  The river was rough and choppy with white capped waves.  The rain and wind continued at a light to moderate rate throughout the day.  The paddle was approximately 2 miles. 

     At the end of the canoe leg the Team got back on their bikes for the return to Camp Benson.  By this time the gravel roads were muddy and slick.  A 16 mile ride with three additional checkpoints, the last being in the mouth of a huge skull at the Ravens Grin Haunted house, brought the Team to the Camp. 

     From the Camp, the Team was instructed to trail run down to theWaukarusa River, cross the river, and free climb up a 30' wet, slippery, moss covered cliff to the zip line.  From there, the Team crossed the valley to the 80' rappel into the Waukarusa River.  Upon completion of the rappel, the team trail ran up to the finish line. 

     Team High Profile finished 9th overall and 5th in the four person teams with a finishing time of 11:09:02.  The race was run under the most difficult of weather conditions.  It was reported the next day, that the rain fall on Sunday, April 6 set an all time record amount for that date. 

     The Team also overcame adversity early in the race with a severe bout of leg cramping after the first bike leg and later in the race with hypothermia. Through teamwork, persistance, and a no quit attitude, the Team finished respectably and strong.  It is true, that during an adventure race, all team members go through highs and lows.  It is all a matter of surviving the low times because high times will surely follow.  Overall, it was another brick in the foundation of team development for Team High Profile!

     The Team would also like to recognize and congratulate fellow teammates, Melaine for her teams 3rd place finish and Lynn for his teams 6th place finish.