Team South Dakota crossed the finish line earlier tonight to the cheers of a wild and raucous crowd that was more than ready to welcome home its heroes. The four racers, Gary Haven, Lisa Gustin, Andrew Busse, and Eric Hansen, became the first home team to complete a Primal Quest, and it seemed they had the entire state behind them every step of the way. The outgoing and very friendly people of South Dakota were supportive of all the racers, but it was clear who their favorite team was on day one. Congratulations to the entire team. You made the whole state proud!

We’re on the final leg here in Primal Quest, and the locals are building into a frenzy.  Everyone wants to know the race results – especially since South Dakota is expected to finish shortly.  One woman lost her internet connection and couldn’t stand the suspense, so she drove straight to race Headquarters in the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn – from Sturgis!  Interest in the race has peaked in the local community, to a level unseen in any other Primal Quest. The camaraderie is not limited to the locals — teams are regularly seen traveling together, helping each other out, and enjoying each other’s company. Team InnerStrength waited approximately 5 minutes as Kickapoo Scouts got ready, just so the friendly teams could travel together.

So here’s where it stands: in the Adventure Category (those teams that did not complete the entire course), South Dakota, Big City Mountaineers/Team Spanos, Five-Ten/NUMA, SOAR/Native Eyewear, InnerStrength, and Patent Docs are expected in overnight.  The last full-course team, TecnuExtreme/ StaphASeptic is making their way in as well. Team SCAAR had been making slow progress across the Badlands, and race officials were forced to return them to the Checkpoint in Scenic, SD, so they could proceed on their bikes to the finish.

Team Kickapoo Scouts Head out on the Final Leg

Although many of the finishers who came in on the shortened course wish they had had a crack at the Badlands, the feeling for those still out there is that they are glad to be headed home. “Beer, Food, a Shower, and Bed” are the objects on everyone’s minds.  Many racers felt the turning point for the race was the long, arduous Timondo Prairie Paddle.  The paddle was actually shortened due to low water levels, but racers still had to push and pull their kayaks over some sandy beaches and rocky shallows.  While some younger members complained that it was the hardest paddle they’ve ever done, an older crusty adventure racer admonished them to “put that in your pain locker” – a reference to the character-building nature of difficult experiences.

Not everyone minded the paddle though, Tracy (the Scot) from Patent Docs said with her usual Scottish chipper nature that she didn’t quite mind it – her feel felt great afterwards!    But she agrees that she doesn’t exactly want to spend another night huddled under a space blanket trying to stay warm. It’s the home stretch, the horses smell the hay of the barn, and they’re heading back with haste.  Much of the field will arrive tonight and throughout the early morning hours. 

Stay tuned for continued adventure…

Team Subaru Canada crossed the finish line just as the sun came up

Over the past 24-hours there has been a lot of speculation and questions regarding the final placement of the top five teams in Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT. Determining that final order is not as simple as who came across the finish line first, as a lot of factors need to be weighed into the equation, including any time credits earned or penalties incurred, and the number of orienteering points found while on the course. Each of these is added or subtracted from a team’s final time total to determine who will be named the Primal Quest champion.

For the past day and a half, the Primal Quest race jury has worked long and hard to factor in all of this information to determine what the final order of finish will be for the top five teams, and while the results are not official until the race ends at 12 PM local time tomorrow, that order should look like this:

1. OrionHealth.com
2. Salomon / Crested Butte
3. Merrell/Zanfel Adventure
4. Bones
5. WEDALI

Congratulations to these five teams for completing the longest adventure race ever held in North America. The grueling 600 mile course through the Black Hills and Badlands was designed to test your skills and determination, and it is safe to say that you passed that test with flying colors.

Comeback after the race officially ends to see the final order of all the teams that competed in Primal Quest Badlands.

For the past few days, media volunteer Jan de Bree has been manning one of the remote checkpoints that fall along the Primal Quest course. The racers must all pass through these checkpoints on their way to the finish line, and are required to sign in and out, recording their times in the process.

For the volunteers who man these CP’s, it can be long hours without seeing another soul, and teams can come and go at all hours of the day and night. To get an idea of what it’s like to be stationed at one of these places, read on…

Check Point Volunteer
by
Jan de Bree

A check point is a place where race teams stop to record their arrival and departure. This place is hosted by one or two volunteers. My first assignment was check point thirty-four, Sage Creek Road, and the Larsen Farm that borders the Badlands National Park.

Sharon drove the two of us in her Toyota four-wheel drive pickup truck. We bounced our way along the farm’s two and half mile driveway. Over the hill and down into the valley we arrived at the dilapidated barns and a concrete silo that had written on it, “Larsen Farm, 1960. The trees surrounding the buildings were dying. Barbed wire and weathered wood was scattered between the buildings. Curious black Angus cattle stared at us as we hung our Primal Quest signs on the silo.

Sharon’s shelter was her truck. I came with my tent. Sharon brought a chair and a puzzle book. I surveyed the site in search of a portable toilet and a water supply. Sharon laughed, “A toilet and water? This is a check point not a transition area.” I had visited several transition areas and therefore I expected a similar arrangement at the Larsen Farm. I came without water. Sharon brought four quarts of water that she now had to share with me. We had to be judicious with her water. I was reminded of cowboy films in which two people trek across the prairie with only a small canteen of water and vultures circling overhead.

Once we were setup we studied the gate at the top of the hill and lived in expectation of the first team to arrive at our check point. We were told that they could arrive in the evening or during the early morning hours. After several hours of waiting and looking, Sharon telephoned Primal Quest communications. She asked, “How close is that team, which is heading toward check point thirty-four?” The team close to us had not yet arrived at check point thirty-three. We could bed down for the night and enjoy uninterrupted sleep.

The next day the team was not within reach of our check point as expected. We spent the day walking among the farm buildings and we we inspected several cattle watering holes because we were low on water. Sharon had brought a water filter and a water purification chemical. When filtered muddy water where cattle meandered, urinated and defecated, we were taking risks with giardia. We boiled the water for added security.

The hours spent waiting for a race team to arrive never led to romantic visions of “Little House on the Prairie.” The Larsen farmhouse was reduced to a concrete foundation and concrete front door steps. Mrs. Larsen left her husband for a man in Rapid City. And as the story was told to us, Mr. Larsen put a gun to his head and shot himself.

The Larsen homestead was now a home to cattle, antelope, deer and coyotes. Sharon and I were transitory sojourners. And yet during our three day stay, we talked often about the place. Someone had pushed the outhouse onto its side. It had room for two people. Sharon questioned whether a family would want to toilet together in same the outhouse. And when gusts of forty-five mile per hour winds and pelting rain hit us one evening, she said, “I now know why Mrs. Larsen left. I am supporting her decision.”

The arrival of Europeans to South Dakota was beyond our imagination. Although we could not touch the past, we were touched in the present by the land, the weather, the vegetation and the animals.

During our second evening, we checked in our first team. They were on their way to the Badlands with only a five or ten minute stopover with us. We watched the four person team disappear behind a small rise on the prairie while we cherished our moment of chit chat and camaraderie. We were again patiently waiting for the next team to arrive. As a consolation we ate one snack and then another.

During our stay at check point thirty-four, we processed seven teams. On the second day we drove to Scenic for additional water, a chocolate bar and a bag of chips. On the drive out we met a team on the road. We hurried to the store and returned quickly to our post. When we drove the road and the lengthy driveway, we did not see that team again. Sharon asked if we were hallucinating. She telephoned Primal Quest communications. They told her that Sage Creek Road showed no teams traveling along it. A lack of water and the isolation had us imagining a team walking toward our check point. An hour later the phantom team arrived. Their Spot tracking device was inactive. We activated the device and they continue on their trek to the Badlands.

Day three we drove to Scenic again for water. We were met by the man that transported volunteers to check points. He had brought us our replacement. What a surprise! Our replacement came a day early. Sharon drove Steve to the Larsen farm. We gathered together our belongings. By two o’clock we were at Saga Creek Road and on our way to Rapid City. I came away with my first experience at a check point where I waited in anticipation, where I watched the crest of a hill and a gate for approaching teams and where I felt the wind. And I took with me a photographic record of the place.

If you’ve ever raced in an expedition length adventure race, you’ll attest that there is always hearty conversation about food that you can’t wait to sink your teeth into after the finish.  After the Primal Quest Badlands 600+ miles of hail, sun, cries, fun, aches, pains, stars, rains, hills, flat tires, snakes, barbed wires, smiles and confusion, and midnight madness delusion, a party for the palate awaits.  Thanks to Ron, owner of the Cold Stone Creamery in Rapid City, who donated cases of dessert cups, racers are receiving a titillating implosion of nirvana for their taste buds at the finish line – namely in the flavors of Founder’s Favorite and Dark Chocolate Devotion – and it’s been love at first bite!  Cold Stone Creamery’s Mission Statement is “We will make people happy”.  Team Bimbache (in photo) says, “Mission accomplished!”  Thank you again to the Great Faces and Great Places of South Dakota for all of your support!

Endurox R4 is the latest team to finish Primal Quest Badlands, arriving just moments ago to a cheering crowd of fans. The team is made up of two members from Ireland and two from the U.S., and Irish eyes were definitely smiling on them when the crossed the finish line, becoming one of the few teams in the race to complete the full 600 mile Badlands course. Congratulations to Avril, Peter, Mark, and Eoin on a job well done!