We're back from the Land of the Midnight Sun
posted Wednesday, July 02, 2008 by Team Checkpoint Zero @ 12:42 PM -
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Well, we weren't quite at the Arctic Circle, but certainly in the Land Where it Never Got Dark ...
Allen and I are back in Atlanta after finishing 3rd in the male tandem kayak division of the Yukon River Quest last week, and our boat "Babs" (an acronym for Big Arse Boat!!) is tucked away at Up North Adventures in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Our fingers are a bit numb and my feet hurt from pushing against the kayak foot pegs for 48 hours and 9 minutes -- but my fanny doesn't hurt a bit!!
We got a little prize money for our efforts, so we're happy. It was a bit disappointing, though, that we were passed during the last 91-mile section. Knowing it was a gamble, I tried some shortcuts around the MANY islands to close the distance on the lead team. But instead of picking up time, we got sucked into too much slow water and lost second place. Oh well, I feel good for going for it, and Allen cut me some slack. The Yukon River is so big, and very unlike anything I'd ever paddled before. Our rivers in the Southeast aren't even half as wide, so it's not as hard to find the fast water around every turn. I'm going to try to get a map of the shortcuts for .. ahem, next year!
Some Brits from Jersey finished first in our division, with a mixed Aussie and Brit team ahead of us for second. Great competitors they were! The second-place team greeted us loudly at the finish line with a roaring "You BAAAHSTARDS!" for making them sprint for the last hour of the race. My forearms are paying the price for that sprint today.
Allen and I have lots of stories ... from sneaking into a museum exhibit army tent at a Canadian Welcome Center to sleep (after we couldn't find our gear after the race), to meeting the absolutely nicest volunteer ever who took us into her home (two doors down from where Jack London once lived) for a warm shower and a good night's sleep after the race, to my first experience at a Western-style gambling/dance hall in an authentic gold rush town. Yes ... a dance hall just like in those Wild West shows.
The winning team overall was a 6-person voyageur team from Canada (paddling the most beautiful boat you'll ever see).
I'll post a race report on checkpointzero.com soon.
- Paul
Allen and I are back in Atlanta after finishing 3rd in the male tandem kayak division of the Yukon River Quest last week, and our boat "Babs" (an acronym for Big Arse Boat!!) is tucked away at Up North Adventures in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Our fingers are a bit numb and my feet hurt from pushing against the kayak foot pegs for 48 hours and 9 minutes -- but my fanny doesn't hurt a bit!!
We got a little prize money for our efforts, so we're happy. It was a bit disappointing, though, that we were passed during the last 91-mile section. Knowing it was a gamble, I tried some shortcuts around the MANY islands to close the distance on the lead team. But instead of picking up time, we got sucked into too much slow water and lost second place. Oh well, I feel good for going for it, and Allen cut me some slack. The Yukon River is so big, and very unlike anything I'd ever paddled before. Our rivers in the Southeast aren't even half as wide, so it's not as hard to find the fast water around every turn. I'm going to try to get a map of the shortcuts for .. ahem, next year!
Some Brits from Jersey finished first in our division, with a mixed Aussie and Brit team ahead of us for second. Great competitors they were! The second-place team greeted us loudly at the finish line with a roaring "You BAAAHSTARDS!" for making them sprint for the last hour of the race. My forearms are paying the price for that sprint today.
Allen and I have lots of stories ... from sneaking into a museum exhibit army tent at a Canadian Welcome Center to sleep (after we couldn't find our gear after the race), to meeting the absolutely nicest volunteer ever who took us into her home (two doors down from where Jack London once lived) for a warm shower and a good night's sleep after the race, to my first experience at a Western-style gambling/dance hall in an authentic gold rush town. Yes ... a dance hall just like in those Wild West shows.
The winning team overall was a 6-person voyageur team from Canada (paddling the most beautiful boat you'll ever see).
I'll post a race report on checkpointzero.com soon.
- Paul
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