For the teams at the top of the leaderboard, Day 2 of Primal Quest 2008 started with the lifting of a dark zone at Transition Area 2, and the beginning of the Travel Montana Inflatable Kayak paddle section, the first in this year’s race. Teams Nike, Merrell, and PeakAdventure.com hit the water at sunrise, and began a fast and furious paddle to TA3, where all three teams transitioned to the TATE riverboarding section, and took an icy plunge into the Gallatin River, which was flowing as fast as 14 MPH at times, making for a wild ride. Wild enough for the PQ Management Team to institute a mandatory portage around the infamous House Rock.
Following the river boarding section, all three teams were passed through medical check before heading out onto the trail once more. The three teams who vied for the win in the 2006 Primal Quest, seem poised to push each other to the limit once again.
As the morning progressed more and more teams completed the initial trek and arrived in TA2 and have begun to make their way out onto the water. As of this writing, Team Bones is holding down the 4th spot on the leaderboard, and Team MOAT is running in fifth. Local favorite Team Big Sky is in 12th.
After the riverboarding section, teams will face another 48 miles of trekking before reaching their mountain bikes for the first time. The warm Montana sun will take the chill off after spending hours on, and in, the river.
More updates as they become available.
Photo by Mike Hedge
Primal Quest Rises To The Top
