Team Rookie Rampage
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Photo by David Bitton (Mike's brother)
Members of Rookie Rampage take a break from snowshoe training for a team portrait in front of Mt. Hood. Pictured are (from left) Cindy Chastain, Scott Markham, Mike Bitton and Cristina Fillis.

In preparation for our next adventure race, members of team Rookie Rampage spent three hours yesterday snowshoeing around Trillium Lake. There for the fun were Scott Markham, Cristina Fillis, Cindy Chastain, Mike Bitton and Mike's brother, David Bitton, who was visiting from his home in Colorado Springs, Colo.

While Scott and Cris are experienced snowshoers, Cindy and Mike are not. This trainig gave them valuable time on task for Feb. 4, 2007, when the team competes in the 4th Dimension Winter Adventure Race at Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. Trapsing around the woods in snowshoes looks very much like a walk in the park, until you try it. Lifting your feet with the oversized shoes works the leg muscles in a unique way, and it doesn't take long to feel the effects!

Trillium Lake sits an the south side of Mt. Hood. As we worked our way around the lake's loop trail, the glorious sight of the shrouded peak was never far from view. The distinct thumping of a twin-rotor Chinook helicopter often drew our eyes northward. Yesterday was the first day of clear weather in a week, and rescuers were out in force to find three climbers from Texas and New York who had become stranded on the mountain. According to news reports, the trio planned to summit and get off the peak before an approaching storm closed their window of climbing opportunity. The climbers left, the storm came in, and the men never came back.

As we finished our hike, Scott checked the news on his cell phone and learned rescuers had found a snow cave near the summit of Mt. Hood. There was climbing gear in the cave, but no climber, according to the report. After the drive home to Portland, we learned a second snow cave had been found, and, sadly, that the lifeless body of one of the climbers was inside.

Today, the sun is out again, and search crews are holding out hope the other two men will be found alive. The tragedy on the mountain helps remind me that we have one of North America's most wonderful playgrounds right outside our doors here in Portland, Ore. It also reminds me to hold my family and friends close, because conditions can and do turn deadly in the great outdoors. We've all heard stories of people who do everything right and still don't come home alive.

Photo by Mike Bitton
Rookie Rampage members (from left) Jon Ng, Scott Markham, and Ivan Arredondo (far right), pose with Melissa Coombes, after a mountain bike training ride.

Ever heard of a paceline? Neither had we, until we took a ride this morning with elite adventure racer Melissa Coombes.

Coombes, who pilots rescue helicopters for the U.S. Navy, is in town for the holidays. Rookie Rampage member Scott Markham asked her to teach us to tow, and she agreed.

We expected her to break out some ropes, bungee cords or dog leashes, which many adventure racing teams use to pull each other around the course when necessary. Instead, Coombes taught us about pacelines.

A paceline (essentially drafting) is what professional cyclists use to keep their team together when one or more of its members are having a tough time keeping up with the group. It's seen often in road biking (think the Tour de France), but works well for mountain biking as well, as long as the terrain isn't too technical. Here's how it works.

Whoever feels strong leads the paceline. They are followed by the athletes who feel OK, less OK, and lousy. The team member in front blazes something of a wind shadow in which the rest of the team can bask. Sure, it's tough work to be out front, but every five minutes or so, the leader drops off to the side and moves to the end of the line. Teammates continue take turns until the slowest person feels better, or the team arrives at its destination.

Rookies on the trail this day included Mike Bitton, Scott Markham, Jon Ng, and Ivan Arredondo. We all took our turns in front, and could really feel a difference as long as we kept our front tires within 12 inches of the riders in front of us. It made for a few close calls, since you can't see what's ahead of you on the trail! One thing there was a lot of was water, which resulted in lots of mud. We all went home muddier than we'd been in recent memory!

Thanks, Melissa, for giving us instruction on how to virtually tow our team through the tough times!

Photo by Cristina Fillis
During the Fall BEAST pre-race briefing, Rookie Rampage members (from left) Ivan Arredondo, Jon Ng, Mike Bitton and Scott Markham, listen for clues that will keep them on track.

Rookie Rampage completed its first adventure race today, the Fall BEAST in North Bend, Wash. Athletes Mike Bitton, Scott Markham, Ivan Arredondo and Jon Ng, trekked and biked on the course for just over seven hours. Ice and snow were a constant challenge in the upper elevations of the course, while water and mud made things tricky in the lower locations.

Overall, we are extremely proud of our performance. We learned the hard way to check our map against our compass while traveling! During part of the bike leg, we were on a paved road when we were supposed to be on a trail. That mistake cost us an hour or two. By the time the race was nearly over, the navigation error cost us more in fatigue and frustration that we could have ever imagined.

Next time out, we will be sure our direction of travel jives with where we think we are on the map. We'll also ask for clarification of what exactly a "forbidden" route is. I thought the illegal road was marked "For Bitton!"

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are somewhat spoiled to have two awesome adventure racing series' to compete in; the TRIOBA series in Washington state, and the Wicked AR series in Oregon. When we dreamed up the idea of Rookie Rampage, participation in both series' was a key part of the plan. It would allow us to race locally six to eight times during 2007. I'm very sad to report that Shane Gibson, director of Wicked AR, recently announced he will produce no events in 2007.

My initial reaction was empathy. I know Shane is in the process of changing jobs, as well as in the middle of trying to sell his house near Portland and move to a neighborhood in Seattle that he and his wife Kat love dearly. Changing jobs and homes are major life changes that take time. Shane decided to take a year off while he gets his non-AR life arranged the way he wants it, and we will welcome him back with open arms in 08.

My secondary reaction to the loss of Wicked AR was concern. Would the sponsors of Rookie Rampage still be interested in the team if we could only do four races? We'd pitched them on six or eight! Are there enough "other" adventure races in the Pacific Northwest, or along the West Coast, to get us back up to six or eight races? A little research shows there are. But could the team get time off of work to travel the extra distance to those races, which are likely to be in Canada and California?

We'll likely make up a few of the Wicked blank spots on our calendar by competing in more of the BEAST sprint races in Seattle. We also have our eye on the Mind Over Mountain adventure race series in British Columbia, Canada. To the south of Portland, Ore., California has the Big Blue Adventure series, the Silicon Valley series and the Explore the West series.

Yes, there are enough races to fill our dance card and keep the sponsors happy. We will deliver the exposure we promised. In fact, we'll deliver exposure in the markets we we promised, as well as in a few we did not promise! And in the process, we'll surely come to know dozens of fascinating people we otherwise would not have met.

The plan was simpler with Wicked AR in our lives. We will miss you, Shane and Kat. Best of luck with the job and the house. When you open registration for your 08 races, we will be the first in line.