The End of a Long Bike and the Beginning of a Long Trek

Jul 17

The heat, humidity and insects on the course have taken a toll on Maine Summer AR teams. Oppressive weather conditions made the already difficult Stage 1 bike even more challenging. As the teams headed Northwest into the Mahoosuc Mountains, they now face a trek through a huge swathe of old growth forest. This ROGAINE section would challenge the best navigators to find the checkpoints hidden on faint and often overgrown trails. An additional two checkpoints set at the top of Old Speck Mountain would provide an additional incentive for teams - at a cost of some significant elevation gain.

Team Scrambled Legs and Aching resting after Stage 1. *Photo: R. Perry Flowers*

Solo Racer, Andre Cyr has a refreshing moment on Stage 2. *Photo: Legendary Randy Ericksen*

The race spread further and further apart at this point and the gap between the front teams and the rest of the field continued to grow. The early teams into Transtion Area 1 had the opportunity to take on Stage 2 in the daylight, while others trekked on in darkness.

Photo Gallery: Transition Area 1 and Stage 2. Photos by Legendary Randy Ericksen