One of the most popular times of year for tourism in northern Vermont is the early autumn when the green mountains briefly turn bright red, yellow, and orange for a few fleeting weeks. Narrow, winding country roads connect the small towns and villages that are tucked into the hillsides of the Northeast Kingdom. Early October paints the mountains here with the vibrant brush of peak fall foliage. The morning air is crisp with the anticipation of winter, but the sun still warms the days and it makes the perfect setting for an adventure.
GMARA’s Hard Fall started off innocently enough with a flatwater paddle across scenic Lake Willoughby. A popular tourist destination, the lake is rimmed by dramatic and imposing looking granite cliffs that absolutely explode with color in the autumn. Racers were perhaps less concerned with the beautiful colors, and more focused on the 20mph headwind that they faced at the start of the paddle.
Stepping out onto the north beach of Lake Willoughby at 9am, the weather was decidedly ominous. Dark clouds hung in the sky while cold winds whipped up whitecaps. Undaunted, all of the racers geared up and pushed off. For most of the teams, the paddle was straightforward and fast. With no points to stop for along the way, the top teams quickly separated from the pack, setting a strong pace into the wind and across the lake. Many teams struggled against the wind and choppy waters however, and a few athletes had to retreat to the beach after capsizing several times.
The paddle across Lake Willoughby might have been mostly serene and warm, had it taken place the day before, or just a few hours later. After the start, the winds blew the dark clouds from the sky and the sun came out again in short order. There was a clear line in the weather between the north end of the lake and the south end. At the southern end, the sun had already broken through and the wind had died significantly. The teams that were able to push hard through the tough conditions at the start found the weather improving minute by minute. Those still struggling against the cold wind and rough waters remained on the lake for what seemed like an eternity until they finally passed into calmer waters.
Choices, choices….
Navigator Kit Vreeland (right) and Evan Moreshead of Strong Machine Adventure Racing plan their route
Coming off the water, racers had some serious strategic choices to make. The first section after the paddle was a unique trek that included massive point bonuses for a select few controls. As the teams had discovered during that morning, the course for the 2021 Hard Fall was quite large for the time allotted. Experienced navigators like Kit Vreeland of Strong Machine quickly recognized this and adapted her strategy to simplify the route as much as possible: “One way to approach a course strategy that requires dropping CPs is to consider your strengths and weaknesses as a team, and how much time, physical and navigational effort each point will cost. You only have 24 hours, and dropping points early may allow you to maximize your strengths later to get more points with less cost” That turned out to be the winning strategy as she and her teammates powered through to the overall win ahead of perennial favorite Rootstock Racing.
In some races, the strategy revolves around optimum route finding alone. Who can clear the course in the fastest time? Whose route was the most efficient? At the Hard Fall, navigators also had to make some extremely tough decisions about which points to drop and which ones to attack. With top teams only checking in with 70% - 80% of available controls, the strategic game was very much in play. Those who were able to simplify their routes came away with the top placements, while those who had more ambitious plans of clearing some sections eventually lost too much time.
With the peril of the Lake Willoughby paddle behind them, the racers settled in for the long haul. A point to point course, the Hard Fall is a postcard from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Traveling southward, teams had the opportunity to experience New England Autumn in its full glory. Biking across endless rolling hills on gravel roads, hiking through state parks and riding the trails of Vermont’s premier mountain biking destinations, the Kingdom Trails. Competitors also had the chance to take on three separate corn mazes - a unique and challenging break between connecting sections of the course.
As the race pushed on into the night, it became clearer to the teams that they would need to forgo a significant number of points in order to make the final long paddle down the Passumpsic River toward the finish. A tricky pitch black off-trail rogaine section in Darling State Park near Burke Mountain proved too much for the field, as even elite teams struggled to find even one or two points while others either wisely skipped most of the section.
On the way to the finish, teams would head out on bikes to the Lyndon Town School where they would gear back up for the water and set off on a long overnight paddle. Still in darkness, they dragged their boats into what was unexpectedly shallow water. The paddle route included five hefty portages already (plus one in-river portage) and the low water level overnight made carrying boats even more common. I often come back to this piece of wisdom I picked up along the way: In adventure racing, don’t assume that because you’re on a paddling section that you will actually be paddling.
Kasia Wegryzyn and Emily Moreshead carry their boat into the Passumpsic River the start of the final paddle section
Dealing with the slow-running river, most teams (and the race organizers) knew by early morning Sunday that the full course would be too much for most to accomplish within the allotted time. With six miles and four portages before the finish and one optional foot orienteering section remaining, the race organizers made the decision to cut the paddle section short and pull teams from the river early. From an outsider’s perspective, this was unquestionably the right decision. Watching the GPS tracker and several times hiking down to the river to check progress, I was certain that only a few teams would finish on time if they all continued to deal with the incredibly slow waters.
Once back on their bikes, the race seemed to spring back to life, as teams compressed along the final legs of the route. Many saw each other on bikes and in the woods as they tackled a short three point foot orienteering course on the way back to the finish. That unassuming three point course proved to be extremely challenging for the sleep deprived, soaked and physically exhausted teams. Many teams simply went directly to the finish while others seemed to struggle with those deviously set points. In the end, only the podium contenders were able to clear that section.
The finish was a quick bike ride through the town of St. Johnsbury, back to where everyone had congregated the previous day for registration. Teams came in one by one, many past the 24 hour cutoff time. The combination of cold, wet, and ambition had gotten the better of many teams. Those who chose to simplify their routes, strategically drop points, and stay focused throughout some of the more “suffery” times were the ones who ultimately came out on top.
The 2021 Hard Fall was set in some of the most gorgeous and dramatic terrain that New England has to offer, at the absolute perfect time of year. This edition’s course was a grand tour of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Teams found themselves immersed in the breathtaking landscapes as well as local culture from start to finish. The race organizers have taken great care to guide the route through what can be described as quintessential New England Fall. The course, heavy on strategy, was a real test for the navigators. With plenty of opportunity to push oneself, the course was also a test for even the strongest athletes.
