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Description
> April
2001 - Raid
The North - Bark Lake, Ontario |
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START
The race will start at 4:00am on Saturday, April 28 in Silent Lake
Provincial Park. This is an early season race, so it will be cold
and dark as teams huddle together on their mountain bikes awaiting
the official "GO". A total of 42 teams have gathered to
brave the first race of the Raid the North season in hopes of
earning a spot in our National Championship race in September.
Leg
1 - Mountain Biking - 40 kms
The first mountain bike section starts out on a wide road to give
teams a chance to sort themselves out before heading into some
narrow single track. Teams with solid mountain biking skills will
be challenged by this technical system of trails in the dark, and
less experienced teams will be frustrated by the steep hills and
wet conditions. Once out of Silent Lake Provincial Park the route
continues along dirt roads to reach the end of the bike leg at a
Bike Drop (teams will not see their support crews at this point).
Leg
2 - Trekking - 26 kms
The first trek of the race begins on a well-established snowmobile
trail, which is only partially shown on the competitors' maps.
Teams must use their wits and compass to decide when to leave the
trail and head over land, treading their way through wetlands and
around swamps to reach some cottage roads leading to the next
checkpoint. These roads are only a small break, as teams must
again pick a route on high ground over a glacier-scarred landscape
and through dense forest south to TA1. Staying dry through this
trek will be a virtual impossibility as teams pick their way
through the many swamps and lakes and over beaver dams.
Leg
3 - Canoeing - 22 kms
As teams come into the Transition Area they will see their support
crew for the first time in the race. Fast teams will move quickly
into the canoes paddling hard to make the first portage. The
birthplace of the modern canoe, the Kawartha region boasts some of
the most challenging and beautiful paddling and oldest portage
routes through a vast chain of lakes. Through Long Lake, Loucks
Lake, Cox Lake, Cold Lake, Gold Lake, Mississauga Lake, Beaver
Lake and finally, Catchacoma Lake, the lead teams will push hard
to be off the water before dark. The ice was only completely off
these lakes the previous weekend, so conditions will be quite cold
into the night.
Leg
4 - Mountain Biking / Low ropes - 40 kms
Teams will meet with their support crews for the second and last
time during the race to pick up their mountain bikes and grab some
hot food before heading out into the dark. The first mountain bike
section was only a taste of the muddy conditions and deeply rutted
trails that are yet to come in this wet and cold section of the
race. Although starting on a well-used road, the route heads
deeper and deeper into the forest and gradually becomes virtually
unrideable due to frost heaving. As night falls and the
temperature plummets their bikes will freeze and shifting will
become impossible. Near the end of the ride, the route takes them
across a swollen, muddy river. For safety, a rope has been
extended across the river on which teams will traverse above the
water with their bikes in tow.
Leg
5 - Trekking / Ropes - 15 kms (Regular route)
Teams will drop their bikes to begin another challenging trek
through rocky hills and beaver-flooded lowlands to eventually
reach the ropes site. The lead teams will struggle with the cold
and difficult route finding through the night of this maze of
swamps and streams. After 5 kilometers through the raw
wilderness teams will arrive at a 150 ft wide canyon and a zip
line ropes section. Each member must traverse the rope suspended
high above a frothing river before continuing into the home
stretch and the toughest portion of the trek.
Leg
6A (Advanced) - Trekking / Canoeing - 15 kms
For the lead teams that make it to the ropes site before 0800
Sunday, they will have the option of doing the "Advanced
Section". After crossing the ropes they will continue along
the river through rugged hills and thick vegetation, avoiding
swamps and making their way an extra five kilometres north west of
Bark Lake. From here they must once again paddle from Koshlong
Lake to Bark Lake, with a tough 1km portage on muddy trails in
between. Once on Bark Lake they can cruise the final 2 km paddle
to the finish line.
Leg
6 - Trekking / Canoeing - 2 kms
From the ropes, teams will continue on foot the last few
kilometers to Bark Lake. Over rugged hills and through thick
vegetation, this last trek may prove to be the most trying for
many. The teams that make it this far will be relieved to get off
their feet and paddle a short distance to the finish at Bark Lake
Leadership Centre, on the south end of the lake. |
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