Up ahead we saw the trail turn down a road to the left, where Challenge 2 - "Baby Grand" was, then returned the same way. Other racers were trickling back down the road past us; one visibly limping, another calling out "You won't believe what you have to do next!"
We came to an area with a high red clay bank (eight feet or so) with ropes hanging down. Obviously, we had to climb this. No problem! Wait... that's how you get TO the Baby Grand? We threw our packs up, then climbed and shoved and pulled up the bank.
Farther down was the actual challenge - rappel down a 20-foot vertical clay bank, then run up the eroded cut at the bottom (still 7 feet deep or so) and climb out at the end.
The wall was very slick from the passage of many feet. Grace made it down OK, but my feet slipped, so I lowered myself by my hands, getting a nice rope burn from having it around my wrist as a brake. Crystal slipped also, and we sort of caught her as she slid down. More dirt and some scratches too!
We heard from the volunteers that several people didn't do this one. I found that odd, since I personally had been looking forward to the challenges (whatever they turned out to be)!
Eventually, the run was over, and the paddle leg began. We had to paddle a 3-man raft four miles down the Altamaha River. Rafts have no stability at all, and spin on the least pretense. With three paddlers, it's almost impossible to go straight! After several minutes, we worked out a rhythm that allowed us to travel pretty well, but it was hard and annoying for someone used to the straight-line speed of sea kayaks. But then, that's the challenge, right?
No pictures of the paddle (didn't want to risk the camera), but soon we were waved over to the shore for Challenge 3 - "Osama Yo Mama"
Some of the challenges were just silly fun, and we loved this one. Only one of us had to hit Osama, and I got him on the second shot. Grace wanted to try it and nailed him on the fifth shot - pretty good for a first-timer!
Back in the raft, and down the river to Challenge 4 - "Hoopla". We had to carry the raft over soft sand to a small arch about 16" high, drop the raft and crawl through in turn. There were three arches to crawl, with about 50 yards of lugging the raft between each. Then back into the water, and on down the river to put ashore back at the starting line.
All that effort to get back where we started. Now we do it again!
We all elected to change clothes and grab a bite before we started off on our bikes. I'm not sure what came out of my shoes, but they only had a passing resemblance to the feet I stuck in there four hours ago.
Dry socks are nice, even when your feet are covered in silt and dirt.
Got the bike shoes, brain buckets, mighty mountain bikes... Okay, let's go!!!
This is a good road - reasonably-packed dirt and sand.
This isn't! Swampy bottom land, sticky and muddy and hard pedaling to overcome the drag of the soft ground, grass, mud, etc..
Sometimes we were taking "off-road biking" to the textbook extreme.
Now you see them...
...now you don't! (same spot, yep. Look closely at right-center)
Our average speed for the bike leg was 7.6 MPH. On hard surfaces, we can make 12-15 MPH...
