This past weekend, race director Tony Berwald and I took map and compass in hand to scout checkpoints for the upcoming Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race near Helen, Georgia.

Racers will be treated to a first-rate event in a truly beautiful and rugged area. About 4 inches of snow remained in the upper elevations, so we enjoyed crunching through the icy stuff as we bushwhacked up and over high passes and down steep re-entrants into the night. We obviously can't give much away, but the picture at right (that's me crossing one of the many creeks on the course) should offer a glimpse of what racers can look forward to.

Maybe by race time, Mother Nature will drop a few more inches of the white stuff on the course. I'm betting so. Isn't this a Berwald-designed event?

Paul Cox, team member and race volunteer