Well….we’re here!  Did our skills testing today.  Second fastest team to finish our skills testing!  Probably as close to the top teams as we will ever be.  Sorting gear today.  Race briefing tomorrow and the start on Monday at 10:00 am.  Wish us luck!

 

Hypothermia testing picture below.  Water temp 48 degrees.  Our training on the black river paid off!  We laughed at the water temperature.  Felt like a hot tub!

 

Ropes testing below.  We had to ascend the rope.  Transfer at mid rope.  Top out on the chairlift tower and the switch to rappell.  Lots of fun!

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This was the Team MAAR motto for our whitewater weekend on the Wolf RIver.  This was our last group training opportunity before PQ and we hit the Wolf River in Northern Wisconsin for some whitewater kayaking, playboating and riverboarding.  Andy McCarthy was our guide and Melaine’s brother Warren joined us for the fun.  Their guidance and expertise were well appreicated. The river was a bit low so some of the boulder gardens were a bit bony.  We had a blast riverboarding at Gilmore’s mistake rapid.  We were definitely the hit of the rapid as the playboaters hit the eddy’s to watch crazy Team MAAR hit the holes and the wavetrains on their riverboard.  Photos below:

 

 

Video at Gilmore’s Mistake:

Team MAAR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_xQAVmLuE

 Mickey and Melaine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_xQAVmLuE

 Chris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewp_S90etAE

 Dan:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_xQAVmLuE

 

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Dan from Team MAAR teamed up with Nick Rogne from Team Albatross/Masterlock to take 3rd place overall in the open division and 2nd in the all male division at the inaugural “Race for the Booty” adventure race held May 17,2008.

  http://www.raceforthebooty.com/ 

 Nick and Dan road and mountain biked and navigated over 80 miles in just over 13:30:00.  The race, which was based upon a pirate theme, covered the Northern Kettle Morraine Forest and Long Lake.  The format of the race was unique with teams choosing the race segments and completing them in any order.  There were time penalties for missed controls and missed segments.  Nick and Dan finished all the bike/nav segments missing ony one optional control (damn pirate flag) and finished one of the “paddle” segments, although never got their boat wet :)  Overall a good training day.

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Team MAAR headed to the Black River in northern wisconsin to do some whitewater training the weekend of April 26.  The idea was to get some whitewater paddling and riverboarding in.  Mother nature had her own plans and made the weather a factor.  Significant rain and snow melt made the river pretty gnarly.  The usual discharge for this time of year is 800 cubic feet/second but on our weekend it was flowing at nearly 3000 cubic feet/second.  Add on top of that temperatures that peaked at 39 degrees, snow and 20 mph winds gusting to over 30 mph made for an adventuresome weekend!  However, it didn’t deter Team MAAR from getting in some quality training.  Saturday consisted of whitewater kayaking.  The kayaks that we used were not truly meant for whitewater and the spray skirts were loose causing alot of cockpit water and a fair amount of swimming in 40ish degree water.  Lots of fun.  We were too cold to take pictures!

On Sunday, we decided to riverboard some Class 2-3 rapids.  It was a blast.  The temps were the same but at least the sun was out.  Pictures below.

 

Video of Chris Decker riverboarding the Black river: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nObbkesCqn4

 

 

 

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