We decided to do the Upper Savannah River/Augusta Canal Race as a two-person team since we hadn’t raced as a two-person team since June of 2004. The weather was warm with blue skies, but there was lots of wind, causing some concern about the paddle on the river. No support team was needed.
The race started at 7am at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion in Augusta with a requirement for one person from each team to fill a cup with water from the river and then climb a hill as many times as was needed to fill a bucket at the top of the hill with the water. Everyone ran up and down the hill except Zach since he knew it was going to be a long day and there was no need to expend the extra energy. Once the bucket was full we were given our passports and the check point coordinates. Although we were the last team to fill the bucket we were not last leaving for CP1. Since we had a lot more experience than most other teams in plotting coordinates we were able to finish rather quickly.
The first leg was five miles straight down the Augusta Canal Tow Path by bike to a 2-mile single track where we found CP1. Then it was straight back up the canal tow path past the start point and on to paved streets for a 25-mile ride on city streets and over a bridge to South Carolina. During the ride we joined up with Team Reversico. Shortly after crossing into SC the two teams decided to cut through a farm. We received permission from the farmer to cross his land and he gave us directions through the woods that would take us to the road to CP2, Fury Ferry Boat Landing. We saved considerable time with this shortcut and no other teams thought of it. CP2 was the Transition Point from the bike to the Rogaine on foot. It was also the return point for the Rogaine where we would start the paddle.
The orienteering Rogaine consisted of six check points spread over a wide area. We left for CP3 with Team Reversico. The route to the CP was mostly a bushwhack. We had difficulty finding the CP and started to run into other teams looking for the CP as well. We spent another half hour trying to find it before deciding it was in the wrong place. Our assessment later proved correct as only two teams found the CP, both by accident. Misplaced CPs are the most common problem in ARs and the one that causes teams the most frustration. From there it was a short leg over to CP4.
At CP4 there was a zip line set up. Unbelievably there was an ominous looking tree very close to the zip line with padding wrapped around it. About half the people in the two teams before us hit the tree a glancing blow to a knee, foot or head. Zach’s turn came and he leaned back on the zip line and his feet turned right. As he approached the tree, he saw that he was going to hit. He tried to pull his feet back but he didn’t have enough time, room or both to do it and smacked into the tree with his left foot. The zip line was traveling over 20 miles per hour when he hit. The ankle should have been broken. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be as he was able to stand on it, but it was start swelling. After Cathy zipped down with no problem we headed out for CP5. Team Reversico had already left for the next CP so we were traveling alone. It required some bushwhacking up a hill to a road. Once we arrived at the road Zach tried to run but couldn’t so we walked quickly. We found CP5 and CP6 without any problems although it was an hour and a half journey. We had previously decided to skip CP8 since it was out of the way and only an hour penalty for missing it. On the way to CP 7 we decided to go straight to the boat landing since Zach’s ankle was getting worse. Two hours later we arrived at the canoes.
We had a six mike paddle ahead of us on a very windy day. Our best bet was to head straight over to the Georgia side of the river and hug the shore to stay out of the wind. During the paddle down river we almost caught up with another team. The paddle was quite enjoyable because the GA side of the river was lined with huge beautiful houses. (There must be a lot of money in Augusta.) At the end of the paddle we turned into a cove which would bring us to the take out. The wind picked up considerably as we headed into the cove and turned the boat in circles. We had no control. Just as quickly it calmed down and we were able to paddle to the take out point. Then we had to carry the boat trough a marsh to a road before we finally finished that leg. When we dropped the boat off we found out we had to carry our paddles and PFDs with us the three miles back to the starting area. Zach’s foot was feeling better so we ran all the way. When we arrived back at the Pavilion we found out the second paddle leg had been eliminated because the Rogaine took longer than the Race Director anticipated.
All we had left was a 50-food rappel down a cliff and a run to three CPs and back to the finish line. The rappel was quick and fun as usual. It was about a 10-mile run down and back up the tow path we had biked earlier in the day. The team we almost caught on the paddle was right in front of us, so we decided to join up to find CPs 13, 14 and 15. We ran down and back up the canal and only walked for the bushwhacking parts. CPs13 and 14 were all off the canal and required considerable bushwhacking but we found then with no problem. CP 15 was over our heads so two of us lifted Cathy on our shoulders and she punched both passports. There was one last surprise on our way back to the finish. We had to carry a 175 pound dummy 100 yards. Since we had the two teams together the five of us picked the dummy and transported it the100 yards without any problem.
We arrived at the finish line right after 7pm, 12 hours after we started. We were the first coed two person team and the fifth team to cross the finish line.
Zach immediately started icing his foot and iced it all the way home and frequently on Sunday. We're leaving for a week in the Vegas area, “business of course”, so Cathy thought it best if Zach had his ankle checked because we had planned to do a lot of hiking out there. The doctor looked at my ankle and said "it’s broken". When Zach told him he had hiked and run over 25 miles since the injury occurred he said “well maybe not”. After the x-rays he decided it was a 3rd degree sprain, the worst possible. He wondered how Zach had run the rest of the race. Now Zach is wearing one of those boots with no running for at least two weeks and PT for three weeks. The doctor said he should be ok for Blue Ridge on April 9th as long as he wears a brace. We'll see.
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