Discussion: Awesome! Very exciting!

Thanks! It was cool to have to push the way we did! The nav was challenging, but we learned from our mistakes and slowed it down a little and did a TON of pre-planning to make sure we did it right. It's great to duke it out with another team. Last year, Blue Bayou and this year AGS. I thought for a while that we could compete with DART NUUN, but they kept growing the gap until it was pretty much insurmountable. We'll keep working at it until we can, though. :)

Well, you all should be very proud! The course was jaw dropping. What a great race. It was the talk of the SMOC meet yesterday, at least MY talk. :) Hear you are in for the Wilderness Traverse too! I'm going to volunteer. Have a great day!

Congratulations Hillary! Great race!

Awesome, congratulations! All the work and training coming together for a terrific result!

Were you disappointed not to use your new boat for the paddle legs?

Thanks! I am very happy. Barbara, you're READY for 24-hour. After you volunteer at WT, you should be totally in for one. I am racing that one with Hafke Legal Services (presuming that's what the team name will be since Jim Hafke is putting the team together.)

Funny about the boat... if we were on the main branch of the AuSable, I would have wanted my new boat, but while crashing over logs and beaver dams, I actually said to Phil "this is the time you're thankful for livery canoes." I didn't want to beat up my new canoe quite that badly yet. Jens, did you guys try to go over that small waterfall? Phil and I tried to run it, but the river turned so sharply at the bottom that we couldn't avoid the bank/brush and we ended up going for a swim. Mike and Tony opted to get out and go over the brush to the right side.

Your boat would've ripped up that main branch!

We saw Brian and Maria make that small waterfall with the ultra sharp right hook, so we did it as well and made it. The were the better boaters and nearly tipped so I thought we would, but we got lucky and bounced down and around and avoided the stuff on the side. It was my favorite part.

I cannot imagine what they had us skip if we got the "better part"!!

No kidding! It was still actually a fun paddle, though. Most of the times we got out were pretty quick. We managed to "jump" a few of the logs by paddling hard up to them and sliding over top.

At first I thought it was crazy, then I sort of started to enjoy it. I was developing a skill at jumping out, pulling Jeff over (when possible), then hurling myself back in. The temps were good for it.

I less enjoyed this part of it:

Love all this...so great to read!

NO WAY! That sucks! Is that one of those $500 Epic paddles or is it a competitor wing blade? Ouch. Where were you guys on the paddle when that happened? Did you have to break it down and use half of it like a canoe paddle?

It was a cheap intro to wing paddles - carbon shaft but plastic blades. <1/3 of an Epic. I though the plastic blades might take better to rocks and logs of Michigan rivers. Whoops!

I pulled hard in water (didn't hit a rock or log), and it snapped off. Maybe 1/2-2/3rds through the creek part of the second paddle? Watching the teams we were reeling in on the first paddle float away from CP 8 on the Au Sable proper as I used it canoe style (using the broken nub as a crude t handle, hooray for gloves) was frustrating, but Jeff did a great job keeping us straight.

That's two paddles busted in AR so far. Other one was on its aluminum shaft. Also in water, not on an obstacle.

Nice race Hilary!

Thanks! :)