NOTE: Terra Events is now Wicked Adventure Racing

Mountainzone.com race report: Can I get some wind with that rain?

Spring is here, I mean was here, so it was time to start racing again. Lee Halford and I were start the season off racing as Mountainzone.com. The course was all laid out, 20 miles of MTBing, some trekking, some snowshoeing on hard pack melting ice and a nice 70 foot repel followed by a 600 foot low angle decent. To bad for us that was two weeks before the race started. That is when that guy Murphy popped his head out and said, "Remember me? I'm that legislative guy that passed that really annoying law about things going wrong."

That is when the snow started to fall. Over two feet of fresh stuff the week before the start. Ok no MTB section, but some nice snowshoeing and repel still sounded fun. Ops Murphy showed up again. Did he say just snow? He meant freezing rain on top of snow and then some more snow; throw some sleet in there just for fun. Ok now there was avalanche danger in Heather Canyon and wet slick ropes. Say adios to the ropes.

It was down to an orienteering snowshoe race. So with the snow falling and the wind blowing, we headed off from Mt Hood Meadows ski lodge. The race started with an uphill trek, followed by a down hill section, after that a short uphill, preceded by a long down hill, only to climb back up, (we were racing at a ski resort on the side of a mountain so the terrain limited the choices). Finally, we got to traverse across a steep slope, only to go down and back up it again. The race finished with a nice down hill.

Due to the ever evolving weather and course conditions, Shane was forced to come up with on the fly changes, which he did a very good job at. Like all races, this one too was filled with memorable experience. For example, the second CP was blown off the side on the mountain (yes it was that windy up there). After searching for a while, teams came to the conclusion that yes we were in the correct place and that the CP was gone, so onward we went. Two CPs later, we found ourselves on an exposed point, which I can imagine has a beautiful view. Sucks for us that when we hit the CP visibility was down to 20-30 feet and the wind almost blew our map and passport away. Then there was the decent down the ridgeline. Ever tried bushwhacking down a steep finger ridge over downed trees in the snow/sleet/rain while wearing snowshoes? It is actually harder and slower then is sounds.

As the day wore on the morning snow turned into light rain and sleet, but was quickly replaced by down poor. This allowed us to watch waves of water come rolling down the hill as we trekked around at the lowest elevation of the day. Then we started up hill again. Here got to enjoy a nice trek up a raging river, o wait that was the road back up to the parking lot/ski lodge that had been transformed due to the record rainfall combined with the now melting recent snowfall.

After passing the lodge, we started back up toward the next CP. As we climbed the hill, the wind picked up once again. Through the blowing sleet and snow I saw Race Overlord Shane standing on near the top. He smirked as the winds swirled around him. A deep belly laugh could be more felt then heard as he raised his arms and in doing so increased the wind and rain. He waved his left hand causing rain and ice filled wind to slap me in the face. Then he swung his right hand and the wind kicked me in the ass. His minions came prancing down the hill, laughing and singing. Of course I had snow in my eye during this time, so I maybe a little off on the facts. You could always ask Lee, he had goggles on and could see better.

As the race wore on, it became clear that my water resistant clothing were not made for deep sea diving, hence the under layer began to dampen. Then they quickly became saturated with water, adding a good ten pounds or so of extra weight to carrying. The second draw back was that the wet clothes began pulling heat out of my body. So the trek through the last two CPs was spent shivering, shaking and blowing hot air into my purple hands. Needless to say I was happy to finish the course and get some dry clothes.

Like all of Shane's races there was a fun post race party with plenty of food and a raffle. I, like always, did not win anything, but that is because there is a conspiracy against me.