The Dirty Avocados share their most challenging moments from Primal Quest 2008.

Video by Gulnur Tumbat

We at HQ just caught up with Denise and Greg of Team PeakAdventure.com, the team that had been swapping second and third place for much of the race and withdrew yesterday.  Scott, the team member whose severe case of tendinitis cause the team to request airlift out of the Bridger Mountains, is doing fine.  The team is already looking forward to their next race (even though they wish they were still out on the course!).  The Canada-based team is taking advantage of the down time to try to plug the Yukon as an option for a future Primal Quest.

The team’s assessment of Primal Quest Montana is that though it was a difficult race, it was made easier by the beautiful weather in Montana.  With daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s and snow readily melting, teams cruised along without the oppressive conditions racers experienced in Primal Quest Utah.

Denise and Greg both have minor battle scars — Denise’s neck is raw where her dry suit rubbed off a layer or two of skin, and Greg has a minor scrape on his head that only hints at the brutal mountain bike crash he had earlier.  Invisible damage includes a bruise to his hip and a ruined helmet, which took the brunt of the crash.  They indicated that they very surprisingly did not lose any weight over their 300+ mile journey, and one member thinks he actually gained weight!

Needless to say, the team wishes they were still out there but knew that there was no decision to make when requesting the helicopter — their teammate was in dire need.  Luckily, the damage isn’t permanent and the whole team will be here to welcome in the finishers over the next few days.

Luxury resort community Moonlight Basin has generously offered up two nights stay for the top three teams from Primal Quest 2008. Racers who stand on the podium will have the opportunity to “experience Moonlight Living” while relaxing at one of Montana’s premiere destinations. 

Moonlight Basin offers some of the best skiing in the Rockies, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, and plenty of other activities for all seasons. The resort offers convenient access to Yellowstone National Park as well as the endless possibilities for adventure in Big Sky, Montana. The Lodge also offers fine dining and a world-class spa that is unlike any other in the region. 

Primal Quest athletes staying at Moonlight Basin will also be treated to deep muscle massages, including arnica oils finished with a peppermint foot scrub, that will soothe their aching bodies, and put them well on the road to recovery. 

Look for video interviews with teams on the stunning Moonlight Basin property coming soon!

The coverage of Primal Quest 2008 by the media outlets in Montana has been outstanding, and the entire state seems to be captivated by the event. But the local Bozeman NBC affiliate of KTVM has gone above and beyond with their coverage, following the race and teams everyday. Here’s an example of their work.

Thanks to Jake Zivin and Jeff Friedman for their great work. More clips coming soon!

Nike on the ropes course (Photo Courtesy Will Ramos)

Lunch Time! (Photo by Frances Fisher)

Big Sky Country! (Photo by Frances Fisher)

Nike on Saddle Peak in the Bridger Range (Photo by Josh Gage)

More video from Primal Quest 2008. In the first clip we have Team #18, Brunton, subtly weighing in with their feelings on the GPS issue. The second clip reminds us that there is no crying in adventure racing, even on riverboarding sections courtesy of Team Xtreme Couture. In the third clip we get a scouting report on the course, and thoughts on Primal Quest from a young fan, and finally PQ Water Director Josh Galt makes a GoPro promo video.

All videos shot with the GoPro Hero3 Digital Camera. 

Throughout the race we want to take an opportunity to thank our partners, without whom there wouldn’t be a Primal Quest. Each of them plays a vital role in the success of the race and deserve credit for allowing us the opportunity to have this great adventure.

When Primal Quest was scouting locations to hold this years race, a number of states were considered. However, it wasn’t long before it became clear that one location stood out above all the rest. The state of Montana has all the elements that the PQ team was looking for, vast open spaces, amazing mountains, staggering heights, incredible whitewater, and much, much more. 

In order to make an event like Primal Quest work however, you need more than those wonderful natural resources. You need the support and assistance of the state itself, and when approached with the idea of hosting the most challenging adventure race on the planet, the response was complete cooperation and enthusiasm. 

We have said many times that there would not be a Primal Quest without our partners, but that couldn’t be any more true with the state of Montana. The entire state welcomed the race, and made us all feel at home. Not only were the mountains, forests, and rivers a sight to behold, but so was the friendly nature of the people that inhabit the state. We couldn’t have asked for a better location to hold our race.

Primal Quest is proud to have partnered with the state of Montana for PQ 2008. The event has been everything we could have hoped for, and so much more. We only wish we could come back next year to do it all over again.

To learn more about Montana, and everything it has to offer, go to VisitMT.com. 

The breaking news tonight is that Team Big Sky/Flathead Beacon has withdrawn from the event. The team arrived at TA 9 after emerging from the Crazy Mountains and elected to end their Primal Quest 2008 race. As the only team from Montana, the team was followed closely and cheered on by fans across the state. The team did Montanans proud and raced a good race.