Desert Winds Expedition Race - an epic journey

Written by Cyril Jay-Rayon
Created Date: Wednesday, 29 September 2010 14:15

The team (Jen Segger, Matt Hayes, Ryan VanGorder, and Cyril Jay-Rayon) just returned from the Desert Winds Expedition Race that was held in the Mojave Desert along the Colorado River straddling the Nevada/Arizona border. After nearly 4 days of racing, the team tied for 1st with team Bones who are good friends and incredible competitors. The 4 day long battle between the 2 teams kept the race interesting and as you'll see, it really did come down to the wire.

Every now and then comes a race that reminds you why we do this. Desert Winds expedition was such a race. Everything about this race was epic and it was truly a racer's race. The adventure was high, the sections were massive, and team work was the name of the game. We had competed in numerous Desert Winds 24 hour races so we knew that their expedition race (we raced for almost 4 days) would be a journey both physically and mentally. We were not dissappointed as our skills, determination, and self reliance were tested with each new horizon. Yet, the race was not gratuitous, quite to the contrary. Although each section was very long, the course was designed thoughtfully and kept things interesting and varied as it showcased the best the region had to offer. The course was designed by racers who are proud of where they live and they did an amazing job of showing us why. Completing a race like this was the reward for all the sacrifices we've all had to make to be ready (less family time, endless training hours, and less time for other things that life has to offer).

The race was broken down in a few mega sections which started with a 94 km trek/packraft, followed by a 163 km mountain bike, a somewhat shorter 38 km trek/packraft, and ended with an 80 km canoe/canyoneering section. Simple but daunting to complete.

The first section - 94 km trek/packraft - cleverly started at 9pm to lessen the effects of the desert heat (it was still in the 80s) with a mixture of canyoneering and packrafting from one canyon to the next along the Colorado. We climbed and descended canyons all night and at one point did 9 rappels down a canyon. The final rappel was down a waterfall into the Colorado. During that time, Bones took the lead with fast canyoneering and an efficient packrafting set-up. When the sun came up, we left the Colorado for the high desert for 45+ km in the heat and waterless landscape. The stunning vistas and challenging navigation along the ridges kept things interesting as we tried to chase Bones down. By the time we returned to the might Colorado at the end of the day, we had reduced their lead to some 20 mins but they again increased the lead back to 40 mins at the end of the packraft section that took us to the other side of the river into Arizona.

On the Arizona side, we had to climb out of a canyon and follow navigationally challenging washes on our way to our Transition Area (TA) out in the desert. This section was 30+km long so we opted to sleep 2 1/2 hours by the river before heading out. We knew that climbing the canyon would be incredibly hot as the canyon walls radiate intense heat. So by sleeping at the end of the day, we'd embark on the last part of the trek at night when the heat was substantially less. It was clear that this race was going to be long and that the heat was going to be a major factor so sleeping early in the race and during daylight was a strategy we were confident in.

As we climbed the canyon at the beginning of the evening, we were glad we slept as the heat was still overwhelming. Not a breeze stirred the air and it felt like we were in an oven just after it had been turned off. The heat eventually subsided somewhat as we made our way out of the canyon and navigated our way to our first TA where our bikes awaited. When we arrived some 30 hours after the race began, we were told that the race was put on hold as a team had not reported into a CP or turned on their SPOT. We decided to catch some more shut eye while we waited for an update. Some 5 hours later, we were informed that the team had been found that they were all doing fine. They simply had decided to camp for the night but had forgotten to turn on their SPOT and send an OK message. The unexpected break "off the clock" threw off our race strategy since we decided to sleep before the TA while Bones had pushed on but benefitted from the "off the clock" break at the TA. As a result, we arrived at the TA some 2 hours behind Bones. It was loosely agreed that the race would be reset with the original spread before we slept by the river which was 40 mins. So, we headed out of the TA some 40 mins behind Bones.

The 100 mile bike section took us through varied landscape in Arizona including remote corals, watering holes, a dried up lake, and across a high mountain range. We biked through the day and well into the night. As the night fell, we stopped and slept 1 1/2 hours just before climbing into the mountains. In all, we climbed some 10,000 ft while chasing team Bones whom we suspect hadn't slept.

With sore "derrieres", we transitioned to the next trek/packraft section in hot pursuit. A few hours into the trek, as the sun rose, we spotted Bones in the distance. It looked like they finally had slept which allowed us to catch-up. We were now once again within minutes from each other on a 38 km trek. The first part of the trek involved undulating terrain and challenging navigation to a somewhat hidden water tank at a CP. When we arrived at the tank, we caught up with Bones who were enjoying some shade as they refilled their bladders and water bottles in anticipation for the next part of the race which would take us to a ridge line overlooking the Colorado some 20 km below. It was a spectacular section that took us down another canyon to the scorching plain below on our way to the refreshing waterway. Although the 2 teams descended separately, we reached the water at the same time for the final 4 mile packraft to the last TA. Bones opted to run part of the way and made up some time as they arrived at the TA shortly before we did. 

At the TA, as we were changing our wet clothes at sunset, it was the first time in 3 days that we felt somewhat chilled as the wind kicked up. As had become the norm, Bones left first and we chased, With the strong winds and the challenge of being 4 in a 16.5 ft canoe, we had our work cut out staying balanced and keeping the water out of the canoe as we headed in a cross wind. After rounding a turn in the river, we opted for an 1 1/4 hr sleep before heading into the depth of the night. We knew we'd be racing well into the following day so we needed some shut eye if we wanted to make it without the sleep monster rearing it's ugly but entertaining head. 

The 80 km canoe section was interspersed with 4 canyoneering sections where we had to navigate to a canyon entrance, climb up, and come down another canyon to the river. On this section ,we could split the team and have 2 climb while the other 2 paddle to the next canyon to wait for the climbers. At the first canyoneering section, we caught up to Bones and from then on we leaped frogged each other throughout the night as each team took the lead and then lost it by some navigation mishap. Some of the canyons were stunning and involved some really challenging climbing, especially when sleep deprived.

As the sun came up, we had taken the lead but at the last canyoneering section we took a daring approach which didn't work out. We decided to down climb and try another approach up an easier canyon. By the time we were climbing the easier route, Bones appeared hot on our heels. What ensued was comical given that we had more than 3 1/2 days of racing in our bruised bodies. Matt and I on DART and Jason and Roy on Bones ran to the last 2 OPs located on saddles. We took the ridge route while Bones took the gully route. The result? We got back to our canoe some 5 seconds behind Bones. 

The last 11 km canoe to the finish was a blur as we paddled as hard as we could without missing a stroke. We crossed the finishline 43 seconds ahead of Bones. But it was clear that both teams deserved the win and had motivated one another throughout. And, the unexpected break at the first TA changed the dynamics of the first part of the race. So, after a very short discussion, both team agreed to share first place. Sharing first place felt right for each team.

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