Rss/XmlARWC: TA7 to TA8
Today Merrell/Wigwam had a long paddling section with a time cut-off hanging over their head. Teams' Balance Vector, Crested Butte and Merrell/Wigwam were all hanging in the balance, none of them made the 1pm cut-off. Balance Vector missed it by 10 minutes, Crested Butte was about an hour behind them and Merrell/Wigwam was an hour and a helf behind them. Crested Butte decided to sleep on the double decker coffee cafe bus in the transition area, whilst Merrell/Wigwam pushed on. All teams were diverted from the long course route over the Glencoe mountains to a more direct route to TA8. The killer in this section was the massive portages, hauling those gear laden boats over bog is incredibly difficult. Each team brought at least one set of portage wheels for each kayak, while those work great on paved and even dirt road they're useless on thick boggy soil.
The team was still in good spirits, healthy and determined to finish leaving TA7 and TA8. No injuries have been reported from anyone on the team. Tomorrow should formally determine the winner and end the race for Merrell/Wigwam. Jeff Akens
