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.
Today the spotlight falls on Tate Incorporated, a company that specializes in training and education for high risk personnel in both the public and private sector, as well as research and development, testing, and implementation of new technologies.
Tate’s training procedures focus on employees, both for the government and private industry, who are working in hostile or high threat urban and rural environments. Their background in special operations and SERE training make them an excellent choice when for offering a wide array of services, including threat assessment, survival training, and high risk operational education.
Amongst Tate’s list of illustrious clientele include the U.S. Air Force and Army, the Center for Navel Analysis, 720th Special Tactics Group, Joint Military Attaché School. In addition to these, dozens of civilian corporations contract with Tate to handle their high risk training operations for their over seas personnel working in hostile environments.
Primal Quest is proud to call Tate Incorporated one of our segment sponsors. Thank you Tate for all of your support!
Team 54, Werewolves/MPGear.com continue to post in their excellent blog of the race, with good updates on the progress of their team and general information on the course. Yesterday they posted this video of two team members, Tom and Paul, getting rescued from an island on the Gallatin River when whitewater became a little too wild. The footage was shot with the Werewolves’ GoProHero 3 Camera.
Major props to PQ River Director Josh Galt for getting the Werewolves, and others, back to shore safe and sound.
Day 3 recap from PQ contributing writer Craig Stein
Wednesday June 25, 2008 - Emigrant Montana
By Craig Stein
A new dawn met sleepy racers this morning at Check Point 12 on the Yellowstone River. The top three teams made this transition area during the early morning hours only to find that the sea kayak section on the Yellowstone to Big Timber, Montana had been cancelled. The river is flowing at 9.5 ft. which qualifies it as being in moderate flood stage. Fully grown cottonwood tree trunks are freely floating down the river colliding with bridges, creating unsafe conditions for race teams to enter the cold, brown, boiling waters. Local rafting companies have cancelled all float trips.
Team Nike was first into the boating transition area this morning at 2:15 AM. Mike Kloser looking very energetic said, “We feel pretty good but we need to sleep for a while!” He certainly did not seem to mind that the paddling had been eliminated. Within minutes Team Nike had been fed and was off to their sleeping bags for an early rise and departure at 6:02 AM.
Things aren’t always as they appear. As racers approached the Yellowstone River, the seemingly calm waters beckoned to them. Despite the fierce whitewater from yesterday, the racers desperately wanted to get off their feet, relax, and cool down in the 40 mile Travel Montana paddling segment. They would not get their wish. For though the Yellowstone appeared placid, under the swift current churned dangerous eddies and undertow. Thirty- and forty-foot trees floated downstream at over 10 mph. River officials shut down the river and requested that Primal Quest eliminate the paddling section due to dangerous conditions.Locals commented that these were very unusual and dangerous conditions, and that this is a very different Yellowstone River than what they are used to seeing.The 9th Street bridge in Livingston was on the verge of collapse from the increased flow.
The real danger laid underwater, though.With many sandbars and regular islands now submerged due to the flood, anyone who fell out of a kayak could easily get their feet tangled in branches or other debris, and with such a strong current, they would become trapped underwater.Race directors, after much consultation with experts, decided to cancel today’s Travel Montana Kayak segment.
After having one of their teammates withdraw due to a minor, non-life threatening injury, Team Radioactive Beagles continues the race as an unranked team. The other members are in good spirits and racing well.
- Teams are hoping to hear from friends and family from home, and comments are welcome. Go to your favorite team’s page on the PQ website and leave comments and words of encouragement. Simply click on a blog post on the teams page, scroll to the bottom and enter your note. When you’re all done, hit the “Submit Comment” button and your message will be off to the team.
- The top three teams continue their assault on one another and the course today, not missing a beat with the removal of today’s whitewater course. Team Nike was the first team out of CP15 and are now heading into the Crazy Mountains, with Merrell in pursuit, and TeamPeakAdventure.com not far off the pace. Rumor has it that Nike left their snowshoes back at the TA however, and when last scouted, the Crazies were still covered by a deep layer of snow.
- Teams were happy to see their bikes for the first time today after a number of long trekking sections, but arriving at CP13, where they were expecting to hit the Yellowstone River, they were told that their first bike ride would last longer than they had first expected.
- Not everyone was happy to stay off the water today. Word from the course is that Team BaseCamp was hoping to test their skills on the Yellowstone, and even Dart-Nuun and Team Bones were a bit disappointed that the river was closed as well.
- Finally, the course change today was clearly a good idea, as it took PQ teams straight down Adventure Lane.
PQ is looking for investors interested in growing “The World’s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition” and the Primal Quest Sprint Series.
If you’re interested in learning more about investment opportunities, contact Don Mann
Random PQ-Related Quotes
“Don Mann is one of the pioneers of adventure racing in the US and has always supported the grass roots racers. I think PQ’s offer is awesome! Seeing the USARA National Champs get a chance to square off against the best teams in the world will be thrilling. We are excited that PQ has extended the offer and look forward to cheering on the 2007 national champions at Primal Quest.”
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.
Day 3 recap from PQ contributing writer Craig Stein
- Teams are hoping to hear from friends and family from home, and comments are welcome. Go to your favorite team’s page on the PQ website and leave comments and words of encouragement. Simply click on a blog post on the teams page, scroll to the bottom and enter your note. When you’re all done, hit the “Submit Comment” button and your message will be off to the team. 
