Destination: Yellowknife
Event: Rock and Ice Ultra 2008 - K-Rock Ultra
Cost: 2-3 k depending on what you have for equipment. This includes travel, registration, and two nights hotel lodging.
Extreme Factor: High Due to Environment. In a recent climate study of Canada's largest cities Yellowknife ranks number one in thirteen categories, including;
Coldest Winter, Coldest Spring, Coldest Year-Round, Most Cold Days, Most Deep Snow Cover Days, Extreme Wind Chill, Most High Wind Chill Days, Driest Winter Air.
Organization: Excellent thanks to the monumental efforts of race director Scott Smith and his dedicated team of volunteers. This race presents some interesting logistical challenges as there are only two points with road access. Almost everything is done with snowmobiles - camp and check point set up, support, monitoring and tracking of the racers by the safety crews etc.Race Background: This is the second year that this event has been running. There are three categories - the Cold Foot Classic (75 km, one day), the K Rock Ultra (135 km, 3 day), and the Diamond Ultra (225 km, 6 day). You can compete on foot or cross country skis. Everyone starts together, and multi day racers camp out in the wild at the completion of each stage. The race is partially supported - organizers set up and breakdown camps each night. Yes there are heaters - Scott did a great job of ensuring each tent had heat.
Check In:
The arctic safety team did a great job of covering all of the challenges we would face - exposure/hypothermia would be the greatest risk. For those of you not used to traveling on frozen lakes the fear of falling through an overflow will be constantly on your mind. I am glad that they covered the floor of the grand marquis tent with carpet - the site of the black abyss below my feet in the exposed ice sections made me queasy. After a gear check and some sharing of local k nowledge on what does and does not work in the Yellowknife back country we were off to Overlander sports for some last minute shopping.
Day 1: Yellowknife Bay to Prelude Lake East - 45.5 km
Nervous excitement was the only thing keeping us warm on the start line- we waited 30 minutes out in the cold prior to the start doing racer roll call.
Challenges:
- The temperatures - not cold for a Yellowknifer but minus 33 with wind chill was a shock for us Vancouverites.
- Snow - a few centimeters the night before and it was blowing horizontally off the start line. Our goggles iced up in 30 minutes flat, but they were great while they lasted. Thanks Oakley!
- The first 6.5 km - wind scalloped nightmare on foot or xc skis. You sank up to your knees when you broke through- every three or four steps...
- Our first taste of skiing portages - a roller coaster of narrowly spaced whoop de doos. No glide!
- The final 14.5 km on the Prelude lake crossing to camp - a never ending slog that played havoc on the brain. All of the lake crossings were long and wind exposed but this was a monster. I was border line hypothermic at the half way point and had to push ahead from Nancy to camp in an effort to raise my body temperature.
- A broken jacket zipper for Nancy - I relinquished her my outer layer for the final lake crossing and nearly froze on the journey. Warm eload melted the ice cubes in my chest.
- The chopper whirring overhead filming and taking photos of us. It gave Nancy and myself a real feeling of be part of something serious.
- The arrival of the sunshine and blue sky at 2 pm in the afternoon. This took the edge off of the temperature shock.
- The hot soup and bannock at Prosperous lake - a resident in the area brought it down to the CP because she felt the racers looked too cold. A welcome treat. Fueling was an issue this day because it was so damn cold we did not want to stop.
- The golden retreiver and the hot chocolate at CP 3 on Prelude lake west. We spent about 20 minutes here warming up for the final push to camp.
- Seeing the tee pees at Powder Point - our camp for the night. It was dusk - day one was almost 10 hours. The feeling of relief as I saw Nancy pulling into the finish - still smiling!
- Eating a freeze dried dinner under the aurora borealis - mother nature did not dissapoint and we had the best seats in the house.
- Getting into our sleeping bags in a heated tent - a luxury after the first day of adventure. We made sure not to consume too much liquid to avoid unnecessary trips out of the tent that night.
A cool but sunny start gave way to a more relaxed day. The first five minutes were comical as we did the march of the penguins up and over a short steep portage trail that put more than one racer on their butt going down the other side -including myself!
Challenges:
- Getting out of the tent to start - it was warm inside!
- The headwinds across Hidden lake to CP 1. They were vicious - I used my hood for extra protection.
- Fixing Nancy's binding so her ski would stay on - a fall had bent the securing mechanism and she kept popping out - a little Markgyvering and we were on our way.
- The endless lake chain search for our camp at Jennejohn. Again we rocked in at dusk - 10 hours.
- No heat in our tent for the first 2 hours and Nancy is a little hypothermic but does not realize it. She was shivering like crazy and a little unresponsive. I had to urge her to get her down jacket and camp boots on, and then to get some warm food in her. I could see how this would quickly escalate to a dangerous situation in the back country if you did not know how to identify the signs.
- Squatting on the ice at 8 am in the morning with a tail wind - not something I look forward to repeating.
- The best skiing of the whole trip was on the portage trail sections after hidden lake. Picturesque taiga and a smooth roller coaster ride that you could actually kick and glide on.
- The staff at the first CP on Hidden lake - they undid our packs got us warm water for the thermos and kept our spirits high. It was 5 diamond service in the back 40!
- The tail wind when we finally started heading due west - it just felt like less work. The blue sky sure helped.
- Conversations with the Arctic safety team at various points along the way. It gets pretty lonely on the ice over 10 hour periods. It was nice to know we were not the only humans out there.
- The sight of our stage camp just as we were getting ready to put our headlamps on.
- The inspiration we got from Nikki and Tracy - these two hardcore girls were doing the six day Diamond Ultra on foot. We shared tents both nights and swapped tails from the trail. They gave us strength and kept our sense of humour in check
We awoke to a brilliant blue sky and sharp winds blasting the tent. Our camp was located right where the lake narrowed so the wind speed was exaggerated here. Today was shaping up to be quicker day with the tail winds and the shorter distance.
Challenges:
- After two days of holding it in I braved the cold and practiced my deep squat mechanics on the open ice. Record time with the tailwind....
- The endless miles of white - today we linked together a straight line of 25 km of lake chains. It was a white super highway of ice as far as you could see. Tough mentally because you felt like you were never getting anywhere. The snow was firm and progress was more rapid than previous days.
- Another brush with hypoethermia. I started the day with an extra jacket because the tailwinds were sharp. I was sweating more than usual and then my outer layer frosted on the inside. I was so reluctant to take it off and I kept trying to push the pace get warm. When I started to shiver and sweat at the same time I knew something was wrong. Finally took of the outer jacket and manged to warm up.
- Nancy had an ankle dorsiflexor sprain from a portage trail crash yesterday and her foot was swollen in her boot. The pressure made kicking the skis really uncomfortable - for the entire 8 hours. Ibuprofen is good.
- I froze my foot - right gaiter iced up and chilled all of the blood going to my toes. I had no feeling in my right foot for 25 km. The heat packs I had took for ever to get going, and I stuffed them around my ankles to warm the blood. Did not realize I had toes until the last hour of the day.
- Staying with the pack leaders off the start line for the first 6 km. The start happened so fast this morning that many racers were late. We had a huge breakfast and were fired up about not having to tent it tonight. Once we heard the sleds fire up we were already waiting with our skis on to go.
- The snow was firm and fast - it was easier to move quickly, especially with a tailwind.
- Taking off the balaclava to get some sun in the afternoon as it warmed up to minus 10 and the winds died down.
- One of the volunteers at the last CP - she got us so fired up we forgot it took 7 hours to make it that far. People like this make a difference.
- Rolling out onto Great Slave Lake and realizing it is the size of an ocean. The trucks on the ice road in the distance looked no bigger than we felt out here.
- Skiing the ice road - you could see just how thick the ice was by looking at the pattern of cracks in it. I am still blown away at what this frozen highway can support.
- Snowboarders kite boarding on the ice in the bay, and then a mountain biker rides past us on the ice road. Bizarre - northerners re crazy.
- The overwhelming sense of accomplishment in Nancy's s
mile when the Matrix village came into view. We took our time crossing the line and really soaked in the beauty of the experience on such a brilliant blue sky day. I still cannot believe I do this for a living - there is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone accomplish a personal victory like this one. - Oh yeah and the 10 ounce prime rib at the Explorer never tasted so good...
I will be back next year with more people to share this epic adventure with. This time I will stay a while longer and do the six day version. The event is well organized, the people are unbelievable (one of the locals drove us back to the hotel after staying to watch us finish, thanks Dana!), and the beauty of the place is enticing. This event has all of ingredients needed for an enjoyable arctic adventure.
I will be posting a training program and race/gear recommendations. Stay tuned!
