Team Baja!

[WhiteThaiGer]

As some of you have heard there are 3 members of the forum who want to test their off-road capabilities outside http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/shocked.gif the truck.

Team Baja is registered to participate in a little Adventure Race north of Phoenix on April 17th. Disciplines are: trekking/orienteering, mountain biking, kayaking and mystery events.

It's not much of a spectator event, but some cheering supporters at the finish line might be useful http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif

We also already have our first sponsor, as MrS donated an emergency whistle to the cause.

I'll have to do some serious work on the kayaking. Anyone here know of a good place to do that in San Diego county? I'll try to rent something on some weekends in March, if anyone is interested let me know.

There'll also be a training weekend for the team in KOFA in March (20/21st).


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http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org

[GoodTimes]

Uwe, there are several places in SD that rent kayaks......sea kayaks anyway. The larger places also offer classes, which I highly recommend if you are new to kayaking. At least take the basic class, which will show you proper paddling techniques, wet exits (it is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when), re-entries, boat handling skills, etc. I don't recall any of the names off hand, but a quick internet search will get you there, that is how I found them last year.


olllllllo <---- If you can read that, roll me over.

KG6OWO

Price is soon forgotton, quality is not.

[JackSilb]

I will give you a lot of moral support and see you guys getting ready already get me worked out.

Go team Baja go.
-JACK


So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net

[JackSilb]

Found something for you
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578260647/sunfindervacatio/104-2391646-8953569?dev-t=D2I2M997VKU44Q%26camp=2025%26link_code=xm2


</div>



So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net


Post Edited (JackSilb) : 2/28/2004 3:49:00 PM GMT

[expeditionswest]

Here is the Team Baja! logo. What do you guys think?</div>
http://www.expeditionswest.com/team_baja!.jpg</div>


Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[JackSilb]

Nice.
Why using different font on the Adventure, Exploration, Discovery. Just changing color is fine. Too much change is too much change on my opinion. Just like when people start playing with Powerpoint. The animation, colors, type of fonts shadow the message.

-JACK


So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net

[BajaTaco]

I think that training for this (http://www.bajataco.com/ar_training/index.htm) is maybe more fun that the race? http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif I guess I won't know until race day. As soon as the weather (i.e. wind) gets a little better, I will add some shots from the canoe. (I have a bunch already, but they are not from training sessions, so I don't want to cheat!)


http://www.bajataco.com

[expeditionswest]

thanks for the feedback Jack.

Great pictures Chris!

Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[WhiteThaiGer]

Nice training grounds Chris! Compared to that mine are much more suburban, heck, I come across mini vans coming back from dropping the kids at school... http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/eyes.gif


***************************************
http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org

[GoodTimes]

Hey Chris, what is all that white crap all over your taco? http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/headscratch.gif

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/devil.gif

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/joker1.gif


olllllllo <---- If you can read that, roll me over.

KG6OWO

Price is soon forgotton, quality is not.

[BajaTaco]

paint! http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/joker1.gif


http://www.bajataco.com

[JackSilb]

Nice way guys.

Uwe,

There were lots of snow around the Laguna Mountain this weekend.
Marcelo and I took the kids for some sledding this weekend. Then we added a back road to I8. e had some turns around due to road closed (fire damage / recover...)

-JACK


So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net

[WhiteThaiGer]

JackSilb said...
Nice way guys.

Uwe,

There were lots of snow around the Laguna Mountain this weekend.
Marcelo and I took the kids for some sledding this weekend. Then we added a back road to I8. e had some turns around due to road closed (fire damage / recover...)
I saw the snow on the way back from Truckhaven. Also, as I write this there might be more snow falling up there, a storm is moving through. To get back on topic...I hope it's not too bad, as I plan to do some adventure race training up there this Sunday.
</div>


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http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org

[JackSilb]

Talk to us about the Truckhaven in another thread. I almost made it. Found someone to be in the lab at 6:00 AM Saturday so I could make it. But there was liability in case we had problems. I changed my mind and decided to work on Saturday 6:00 AM ...
It seems that always when Harry has cool trip I can't make it.
-JACK
</div>


So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net

[WhiteThaiGer]

GoodTimes said...
Uwe, there are several places in SD that rent kayaks......sea kayaks anyway. The larger places also offer classes, which I highly recommend if you are new to kayaking. At least take the basic class, which will show you proper paddling techniques, wet exits (it is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when), re-entries, boat handling skills, etc. I don't recall any of the names off hand, but a quick internet search will get you there, that is how I found them last year.Just a little update on this: Last weekend I took the 'Comprehensive Weekend' (http://www.aqua-adventures.com/lessons/compweekend.html)with Aqua Adventures which included all the things GoodTimes mentions above. In addition to that there is some practice on getting in/out through the surfline. It was quite a bit for just one weekend. On day two we paddled well over 5 miles on the ocean, not bad for just the 2nd day ever in a kayak.


I'll see if I can getin some paddling practice sessions on one of the lagoons around here before the race.
One side note: the group of people in the class reminded me of this forum with a number of people from AZ and even a guy from Brazil (at least that's what he said. I have my doubts, he was on time...)!



</div>



***************************************
http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org

[BajaTaco]

WhiteThaiGer said...

...even a guy from Brazil (at least that's what he said. I have my doubts, he was on time...)!




</div>http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/rofl.gif



http://www.bajataco.com

[GoodTimes]

WhiteThaiGer said...

[quote]
... In addition to that there is some practice on getting in/out through the surfline. The surf line is the reason I ended up taking a class. I tried to figure it out on my own, but it didn't work too well.http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/lol.gif I was about 4 for 7 when I decided enough was enough. Now I am not too bad at it. Just out of practice since I am more than a 5 minute walk from the beach now.


olllllllo <---- If you can read that, roll me over.

KG6OWO

Price is soon forgotton, quality is not.

[JackSilb]

> side note: the group of people in the class reminded me of this forum with a number of people from AZ and even a guy from Brazil (at
> least that's what he said. I have my doubts, he was on time...)!

We have have to check his background ...

-JACK


So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net

[WhiteThaiGer]

On Sat. April 17, 2004 the team completed it's first race successfully.</div>http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/camera_flash.gif to follow soon....



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http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org

[AlWalter]

Does that mean you won the event, or that you completed the event?

KG6SGM
Always ready to go.

[expeditionswest]

Yes we were successful. Great Team, and a great adventure!</div>
We finished, and was 3rd place in the all male team division (out of 9 teams). Uwe's navigation skills and a couple cool strategy decisions really helped!</div>
I will add some more pics and a write up soon. (I am in Vegas for a higher education conference http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/sleeping.gif )</div>











Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[AlWalter]

Congratulations to you allhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/beertoast.gifhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/supercool.gifhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/yeah.gif

KG6SGM
Always ready to go.

[YukonPeggy]

Congratulations Team Baja! Good work - you make us all proud.....but what happen to the guayabera shirts, sombreros &amp; maracas?http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/notme.gif Hey Baja, don't look now but something http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/freaked.gif is crawling outyour shirt http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/freaked.gif Can't wait to seemore pics http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/cool.gif</div>







Good friends are like stars... You don't always see them, but you always know they're there.

[BajaTaco]

Thanks! Peggy, we started outwearing the guayabera shirts and sombreros, but the wild, young, screaminggirls (groupies?) ripped them off ofus before we left thefirst transition area! It was crazy!http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/joker1.gif ... (ok... I guess the groupieswere our wives http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/rolleyes.gifhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/lol.gif )


This was soooo fun!! Scott and Uwe are exceptional teammates. These guys ROCK!


http://www.bajataco.com

[WhiteThaiGer]

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/camera_flash.gifSrisuda's race impressions (http://www.whitethaiger.net/albums/ar041704/index.htm). http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/camera_flash.gif

Some remarks about the race:

Stats: Bike ~ 20miles, Kayak ~ 2.5 miles, Hike ~ 7.5 miles

Fueling: Our research into fueling really paid off. Scott made sure that we ate right the night and morning before the race. Druing the race Chris had a timer to remind us when to drink and eat.We had our regulardoses of Hammer Gel and electrolytes through out the race. As a result we were not overly exhausted at the end of the race.

Improvisation and working as a team: We worked well together and made use of the resources at our disposal, improvising when necessary.

Navigation: This was my responsibility and it turned out to be much easier for this race than I had thought. We didn't make any mistakes, as a matter of fact we found mistakes by the organizers and at one point we got a bunch of about a dozend bike riders back on track. They had been searching for the right road for 45min. On the sat pic in the picture gallery you may notice that CP2 is not on the bike track, this is because the check point was set up about 150m away from the coordinates given to us...
Even thought the navigation was easy some teams managed to get really lost. Even one of the top teams with international experience and experience in expedition length races messed up on the navigation and visited check points in the wrong order.

Mental strength: Chris showed incredible mental resolve. He developed knee problems in one knee about 13miles down the the road on the bike. He had to push his bike on sections. When we started the hike he was in quite some pain and had to resort to pain killers. Hiking the about 8 miles with that knee was just an awsome effort! http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/bowdown.gif

Overall we had a great first adventure race. We learned a number of things, but we did surprisingly well for rookies. Now it's time to use our experience in this race and do some more. I am ready, let's go Team Baja!

</div>



***************************************
http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org


Post Edited (WhiteThaiGer) : 4/22/2004 5:32:41 AM GMT

[BajaTaco]

Cool!! Thanks Srisuda! Good comments Uwe.

Regarding your mileage total - does the 7.5 miles of hiking include the hiking that we did at the very beginning to get the maps?

An intereresting note: The very first leg of the race involved trekking on foot to find three check points and we could do them in any order.One of the CP volunteers was not even remotely close to where they were supposed to be, so it became kind of chaotic (i.e. put the "adventure" in Adventure racing!). I think maybe one of the other CP's was a little off too (Uwe?). This cost us a considerable amount of time (as it did to other teams as well) and they ended up removing this first leg from the overall times/scores of the race.

Also, I noticed on the map - CP5 was also CP6, and what you have marked as CP6 was actually CP7, no? Great map though - thanks for putting it up! It's always cool to see the sat version.



WhiteThaiGer said...


"...When we started the hike he was in quite some pain and had to resort to pain killers..."Yea, the good stuff... Advil !http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/rolleyes.gif http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/lol.gif

On the way back towards the finish line,I was wishing that Bob would be there waiting with his bowl of fresh limes and...


http://www.bajataco.com

[WhiteThaiGer]

Regarding your mileage total - does the 7.5 miles of hiking include the hiking that we did at the very beginning to get the maps?

No, the 7.5 is just an estimate for the final hike. The little run-around at the beginning is not included, hardly worth noticing http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif

....I think maybe one of the other CP's was a little off too (Uwe?).....

Yes, but that one did not cost us time since it was within sight of the actual position. I think hardly anyone noticed... The chaos at the beginning was much worse. Losing time is one thing, but spending all the extra energy is even worse. We spent around 45 min climbing up canyons and ridges looking for the point. When we finally met that lady handing out the maps she asked me "Is this were I should be?" http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/shocked.gif
I told her to stay put, because most of the teams had come to the conclusion that that must be the spot. Next time the organizers plan to use GPS's for the people at these points. Doh http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/banghead.gif

Also, I noticed on the map - CP5 was also CP6, and what you have marked as CP6 was actually CP7, no? Great map though - thanks for putting it up! It's always cool to see the sat version.

Yes, you are right.

On the way back towards the finish line,I was wishing that Bob would be there waiting with his bowl of fresh limes and...

We all fantasized about that by that time. Got to remember next time to stock the fridges http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/beertoast.gif



***************************************
http://www.confluence.org
http://www.usgo.org

[YukonPeggy]

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/camera_flash.gifLove the photos!




Baja said...

On the way back towards the finish line,I was wishing that Bob would be there waiting with his bowl of fresh limes and...
Baja

Bob says we will be there next year with limes and... He even went out and got a good luck belt like yours. We're all set!






Good friends are like stars... You don't always see them, but you always know they're there.

[BajaTaco]

YukonPeggy said...


Baja

Bob says we will be there next year with limes and... He even went out and got a good luck belt like yours. We're all set!OMG!!! http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/baja_rofl.gif That's a great pic!!!!! Julieta, huh? So you don't mind other women wrapping themselves around your foco?? http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/lol.gif [/quote]


http://www.bajataco.com

[YukonPeggy]

You haven't answered my question http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/notme.gif What do you have wrapped around your waist in your photos? Is it a snake skin? </div>
Haven't you heard,Judy (short for Julieta) and I share foco.http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/devil.gif Bob just has a thing for snake skin. Hmm, I wonder if that's a reflection on mine?http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/headscratch.gif </div>




Good friends are like stars... You don't always see them, but you always know they're there.

[BajaTaco]

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/lol.gif No, I don't think that is a reflection on yours! But that doesn't surprise me about Bob liking snakeskin...

Those are my ultra-cool-d00d shorts. They have some really neat artwork on them - some cobras wrapped around the waist with their heads raised up, baring their fangs. http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/devil.gif I'll have to wear them on one of our trips so you can see 'em.
</div>


http://www.bajataco.com

[YukonPeggy]

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/blush.gifhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/smhair.gif Oops - don't tell Bob it was only fabric. I told him it was probably your team's good luck charm. He wanted a lot of luckhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/confused2.gif





Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance</div>

[BajaTaco]

BTW Peggy, I really dig the new avatar http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/wink.gif


http://www.bajataco.com

[JackSilb]

http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/bowdown.gifNice work folks. I am tired just reading it.
It is very nice to see that around here people still keep in shape and to outdoors besides driving. It keep the mind fresh and give energy to all of us.
This is definitively a cool crew.http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/supercool.gif
-JACK
</div>


So much to see, so little time. Try using your 4WD tosee and do more.
Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly...
http://www.4wdtrips.net

[YukonBob]

Team Baja

Congratulations on your great race. I and my limes will do everything in our power to be at the finish line next year.

Julieta will wait until you do an jungle race. http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/joker1.gif Not everyone likes Yuma in Sssummer.

Post Edited (YukonBob) : 4/28/2004 4:53:58 AM GMT

[BajaTaco]

YukonBob said...

Team Baja

Congratulations on your great race. I and my limes will do everything in our power to be at the finish line next year.

Julieta will wait until you do an jungle race. http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/joker1.gif Not everyone likes Yuma in Sssummer.http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/beertoast.gif http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif


http://www.bajataco.com