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Post by Taylor on May 13, 2006 5:39:03 GMT -5
Good website by the Nominating Committee. Participation in voting may increase if the NSS advances to the point of secure online election voting capability. Easier said than done I imagine. However, I've voted and returned the ballot, thanks for the reminder.
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Post by Taylor on Mar 5, 2006 19:29:30 GMT -5
Bumped this thread as a reminder on the Call for COG Issues.
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Post by Taylor on Mar 24, 2006 21:51:11 GMT -5
Azurerana, was there any information given as to why the organizers of the 2008 Arkansas bid declined to present their bid at this weekend's BOG Meeting? Nothing against the Florida Convention bid, in fact, I would be fine with Florida in 2008, but information has been not been widely communicated regarding either of the 2008 proposals.
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Post by Taylor on Mar 3, 2007 12:30:12 GMT -5
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Post by Taylor on Nov 11, 2006 17:23:16 GMT -5
2007 Cave Rescue Operations and Management Seminar Roanoke Valley Fire/EMS Training Center, Salem, Virginia June 16 - 23, 2007 The seminar consists of extensive classroom and field work in all phases of cave rescue including underground environment, vertical rescue, hauling systems, extrication techniques, medical management, communication systems, and the organization and management of cave rescue operations. Basic and advanced course material is presented for students who typically include cavers, emergency service personnel, and emergency managers. Each course provides approximately 100 hours of instruction over the eight day seminar. These classes are physically strenuous and participants must be in good physical health. See the web site www.caves.org/io/ncrc/2007Seminar/seminar2007.htm to register for the seminar. National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC)
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Post by Taylor on Aug 15, 2006 23:22:10 GMT -5
Ashburn girl survives cave ordeal By: Eileen M. Carlton 08/15/2006 Emily Bacon, of Ashburn, went into Glade Cave near Mount Solon in Augusta County as any Girl Scout should go anywhere - prepared. She had been thoroughly indoctrinated into the proper way to explore a cave by experienced cavers. She was wearing all the certified and compulsory equipment. She was going into a cave that had been mapped and explored by hundreds. Then Emily slipped, and the excursion became not one of exploration, but one of rescue. By the time the 13-year-old was extracted from between two boulders 90 minutes later, she had learned that tingling and numbness from an arm and a leg going to sleep becomes pain. Emily learned that the cold of a cave, even in August, will penetrate several layers of clothing. The average temperature in Glade Cave is 50 degrees. Finally, Emily learned that heroes can be found anywhere, even in a tiny town southwest of Harrisonburg. The cave trip began the morning of Aug. 4, and was the final major activity before the Girl Scouts, ages 13-15, would leave Camp Mayflather after being there one week. "We had rules about what we weren't supposed to do," Emily said. "We were not allowed to vandalize the caves. We were to leave nothing behind. We had to have three points of contact with the walls of the cave at all times." With caving instructors leading the way, Emily said the girls were told to use a "commando crawl." They wore layers of clothing, gloves and helmets with headlamps. The floor of the cave was muddy, with no pavement or lighting. There weren't any handrails. "We didn't get far because it's really muddy," Emily said. "I was just going behind one of the girls. I was in the back of the group; one counselor was at the bottom and one was right behind me and she was helping us get down to crawl between two boulders. You're supposed to go down on your butt. I turned around to go down and face out. I turned too fast and slid in between two boulders. I thought I could get out really easily. The counselor behind me said, 'I'll help you get up,' and then I realized I really couldn't move." Another counselor was called and several unsuccessful methods were tried to free Emily. Another counselor went to get the farmer who owned the land, while four individuals stayed with Emily. "After about 10 minutes I was afraid," Emily said. "Because I had my whole right side stuck in there. Half of my chest was wedged in between the rocks and that whole side hurt really bad. My shirt was up around my shoulders and on the left side they covered me with four or five blankets. My arm and leg went to sleep." The counselors were also making sure Emily's spirits stayed on an even keel. Complete article: www.timescommunity.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17058389&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506035&rfi=6
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Post by Taylor on May 29, 2006 1:08:16 GMT -5
Rescue Workers Save Six Trapped Cavers May 28, 2006
Rescuers workers saved six people trapped inside a Southern Kentucky Cave. The search and rescue operation happened in Pulaski County.
People in the area refer to it as the Green House cave.
Around 11 Saturday morning, seven people went inside the cave to explore. The group decided to take a shortcut, but the part of the cave they entered was flooded.
One man tried to wade through the flood waters and ended up stranded on an island. He suffered from acute Hypothermia.
It took rescuers five hours to get that man out of the cave. Three hours after that, the remainder of the group was brought to safety.
The seven were friends from Michigan who were camping out and caving in Kentucky.
WKYT Channel 27
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Post by Taylor on Mar 29, 2006 8:01:15 GMT -5
Thanks mpclk2006. The additional information gives a different spin on the overall situation. It will be interesting to see if any legal entanglements follow.
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Post by Taylor on Mar 24, 2006 22:05:26 GMT -5
Thanks for the name of the cave mpclk2006. Do you know if Shipman had permission to be in the area at all, which according to media reports is on Fort Huachuca property?
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Post by Taylor on Mar 20, 2006 2:49:24 GMT -5
The lucky young fellow was released from the hospital. Does anyone know the name of the cave yet? It seems to be a closely guarded secret from the state with "no caves to speak of". ;D Man who fell into cave pit discharged from hospital March 19, 2006 A spelunker who was rescued after he fell into a 50-foot pit inside a cave in the Huachuca Mountains was released from the hospital Saturday. David Shipman, 20, a Duke University student from Sierra Vista, was rescued Friday after about 24 hours in the wet cave. He was flown to University Medical Center in Tucson. Shipman was discharged from the hospital Saturday and is recovering in his home, a UMC spokeswoman said. No information was released about his injuries, and he declined a request for an interview. Shipman, home from school on spring break, went hiking Thursday with two friends in a remote area of Fort Huachuca. He told his friends he was going into the cave to look for a memory card from his camera that he had lost on a previous trip. When he failed to emerge in two hours, one friend went for help. Some 170 military and civilian law-enforcement personnel and volunteers were involved in the rescue. A Blackhawk helicopter from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's 305th Air Rescue Squadron had to fly para-rescuers to the site. www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/120766
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Post by Taylor on Mar 8, 2006 9:42:24 GMT -5
Surfer rescued from cave off Sunset Cliffs (San Diego) March 4, 2006 SAN DIEGO – A 53-year-old surfer escaped serious injury Saturday when rough water pushed him into a cave at the bottom of Sunset Cliffs, trapping him, a lifeguard lieutenant said. Lifeguards flagged down by a concerned surfer shortly before 1 p.m., were told another surfer was in trouble, lifeguard Lt. Nick Lerma said. Lifeguards went to the 1100 block of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, near Osprey Point, and looked down but could not spot the man, Lerma said. A lifeguard who dove off the cliffs and into the water spotted the man, who is from Hawaii, inside a cave at the bottom of the cliffs, Lerma said. The lifeguard fought the strong surf to rescue the man, Lerma said. “(The surfer) was getting thrown around as if he was in a washing machine,” Lerma said. After being picked up by a surf boat, the surfer was treated for cuts and scratches and released, Lerma said. “The last we heard from him, he was going to celebrate the fact that he was alive,” Lerma said. www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060304-1743-surfer.html
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Post by Taylor on Jan 28, 2006 10:56:19 GMT -5
Well, apparently there's a lot wrong with this picture. ;D It seems like we read of at least one incident similar to this in every issue of the ACA. I'm not sure why these guys thought one working flashlight was enough light for five people anyway.
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Post by Taylor on Jan 27, 2006 7:46:27 GMT -5
Men Rescued from Lost Creek Cave in Georgia 01/26/06 The Catoosa County News Five men and a puppy were lost inside a cave in Catoosa County after their flashlight died and were found cold, but unharmed early Wednesday morning thanks to the expertise of the Walker County Cliff-Cave Rescue Team. After 15 hours inside the 3,519 ft. Lost Creek Cave, referred to as "Suckhole" by locals because of the underground spring it contains, the men were relieved to see the ten rescuers appear, according to Walker County Fire & Rescue Chief Randy Camp. Sandra Gordy, stepmother of one of the cavers, said that they had been in the cave many times before and knew what they were doing. "The problem was that they didn't have enough light, their flashlight burnt out on them and they became disoriented. The best thing for them to do was to stay put, which is what they did." Ty Johnson, Syrus Gordy III, Kenneth Eares, Bradley White, another young man and a brown puppy named Rooster went out to the cave after the men left work Tuesday. Sandra Gordy said the families became worried sometime around midnight when they realized the five men were together. "We started asking questions and (found out) they were supposed to have gone caving. My husband (Syrus Gordy, Jr.) got dressed and he decided to go check the caves out. He found their stuff on the outside of the cave, therefore, we knew they were in there and that something was wrong," she said. Rooster's leash was found right outside of the cave's entrance, according to Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Lt. Steve Quinn. He said the cave is located along the Chickamauga Creek. According to Quinn, the Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Department was contacted around 1 a.m. and the Walker County Cliff-Cave and Rescue Team was called immediately. Randy Camp said the team located the cavers around 4:45 a.m. and had the area cleared by 6 a.m. A systematic approach was used to locate the men. At first glance, the cave resembles a rock shelter with an arched entrance and a flat floor. But to actually enter the cave, the team had to lie down on their stomachs and squeeze in; the opening was not even big enough to crawl, according to Captain Diane Cousineau. They did not have a map of the cave at the time, but Cousineau knew that because of the geology of caves found in this part of Catoosa County the cave was most likely small and maze-like. "Caves are as different as people," she said, some caves in Walker County have vertical climbs and more depth. Because of the geology of this cave, she was able to predict the route the men had taken. The team used a method called "hasty search." Once the team was inside the cave, they divided up into sub-teams. Each sub-team took ten minutes to search a different area and then reported back on what they found. To indicate which team had been where, they used different colors of flagging, said Cousineau. They also had to carry in field phones because wireless communication cannot be used from inside the cave. One team member was stationed at the mouth of the cave to hold open the lines of communication between family members and rescuers. As they moved deeper into the cave, Cousineau left a team member at each major junction. One sub-team returned reporting signs of traffic. At that time, Cousineau called the team back together and proceeded; at which point the cavers were located. The men, and Rooster, were glad to be found and happy to see their families again. Cousineau said the men were stranded because they had insufficient equipment. She recommends that recreational cavers have a quality helmet that has been approved by the Climbing Association, three sources of light (ideally you should be able to mount two of those lights on your helmet so that your hands are free), sturdy hiking boots, food, water, appropriate clothing and a good backpack. She added that gloves might come in handy, as well as extra batteries for light sources. It's important to consider the temperature of the cave you will be entering as well. According to Cousineau, caves take on the average of the high and low ambient temperatures of the region they are found in. Caves located at higher altitudes and in the north are naturally colder. The temperature in Lost Creek Cave is approximately 56 degrees year-round. Chief Randy Camp is very proud of his volunteer rescue team. Cousineau and her team train once a week and complete a couple of mock scenarios per year. Cousineau said she is a member of the team because having the particular skills needed and volunteering is the natural way to help others. news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=724&NewsID=692575&CategoryID=3418&show=localnews&om=1
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Post by Taylor on Mar 3, 2007 15:42:37 GMT -5
I hope the producers think to have the cavemen take up caving and join a grotto. One of the largest grottos, Dogwood City Grotto, is located in Atlanta.
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Post by Taylor on Feb 2, 2007 21:42:35 GMT -5
Cavers aren't the only ones who've taken a liking to the caveman commercials. ;D The unofficial blog of the US Coast Guard has posted a manipulated photo of the Geico caveman wearing army fatigues and toting a rifle with a caption reading "Army: So easy a Caveman can do it?" ryanerickson.com/uscg/2006/12/06/army-so-easy-a-caveman-can-do-it/
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Post by Taylor on Sept 23, 2006 14:29:04 GMT -5
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Post by Taylor on Aug 27, 2006 21:17:46 GMT -5
A newly discovered deep cave in Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness has been mapped to 1586 feet deep. Virgil The Turtle's Great House Cave was discovered and mapped by Phillip Rykwalder, Jason Ballensky, Hans Bodenhamer, and Ben Sainsbury.
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Post by Taylor on Aug 20, 2006 10:04:27 GMT -5
Hollowed territory Need something to sate a deep desire? Try cave exploration By Brian Metzler, Special to the News August 19, 2006 Dropping into the subterranean depths of a cave can be a bit spooky at first. But once you get used to the darkness and confining conditions, a whole new world opens up around you in the glow of your headlamp. Exploring wild caves in Colorado, you might encounter extraordinary geological formations, underground bodies of water and uncommon wildlife - such as bats or albino insects. And depending on the cave, you're also likely to do some hiking, climbing, scrambling or crawling along the way. Experienced cavers consider it the last frontier, the opportunity to venture into places where few people have been. Others find it a unique way to combine outdoor recreation with scientific inklings and a quest for adventure. "It's a lot of fun," said Glenn Strouhal, 33, a computer programmer and part-time Englewood resident who has explored several caves in Colorado. "I like the exploration factor and the fact that there's always an element of the unknown." There are about 700 known wild caves in Colorado, but there are believed to be many more that have been kept secret by cavers or private landowners. Many of the known caves are believed to have undiscovered chambers and passages. Although a few caves in Colorado were formed by fissures, or faults, in the Earth's surface, most were created by rushing water during the course of hundreds or thousands of years. Caves close to the Earth's surface maintain a constant temperature of 45 to 55 degrees all year. But deeper caves, which might stretch several miles underground, have temperatures slightly above freezing. Some are dry, some are damp and many feature underground streams. Like snowflakes or 14,000-foot peaks, no two caves are the same inside. Take, for example, three caves near Eagle. Fulford Cave has magnificent stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones, as well as an underground stream. Sinking River Cave has a 160-foot pit, the largest of any cave in the state. Groaning Cave, believed to be the state's longest cave, with more than 11 miles of passageways, has numerous geological features, including a red-gray-blue carbonate ooze known as moonmilk. That might sound fairly intri-guing, but if you want to start exploring caves in Colorado, you won't find much information readily available. There are few caving Web sites on the Internet, and the only book ever published on the state's caves is long out of print and very hard to find. For the sake of preserving the fragile environments found underground, the caving community doesn't openly share details or locations of caves outside of "grottos" or caving clubs. Vandalism, injuries and theft of geological features are other reasons the clubs limit the information they make public. There are five grottos in Colorado, the largest of which is the 112-member Denver-based Colorado Grotto. The clubs conduct monthly meetings to discuss exploration projects, share trip details and welcome new members. While some caves are beginner-friendly, Christa Schneider, president of the Colorado Grotto, suggests anyone interested in caving should join a grotto so they can learn the necessary skills and make their first subterranean trips with experienced club members. "A lot of times, our best way to protect a cave is to keep it quiet," said Schneider, 32. "It's not that we'll never take new people there. But we'll take them in a controlled environment where we can have experienced people with them that can teach them the proper ways of moving through a particular cave and areas we might want to avoid." Many caves on Forest Service or National Park Service land are gated and locked, in order to limit the number of people who are allowed to visit them each year. Grottos are aligned with land agencies and have access to those caves, and their members often conduct volunteer exploration and work trips to help preserve the caves. For years, grotto members have followed the motto, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time." But caves that are not gated often wind up covered in graffiti and broken beer bottles. Last year, at the Fault Caves near Golden, eight grotto members picked up 40 pounds of trash and debris found in and around the caves and spent hours scrubbing spray paint from cave walls. "Conservation is our No. 1 focus," said Schneider, who works as a buyer for an electronics company. "Once there is damage done, it can't be repaired, it can't regrow. There are some caves that aren't beginner caves and can be dangerous places. And a rescue attempt can do a lot of damage to a cave as well." There are several commercial caves in Colorado and nearby states that can serve as a good introduction to wild caving. Among them are Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs and Wind Cave National Park in Hot Springs, S.D. Schneider, who also enjoys skiing, backpacking, camping, kayaking and mountain biking, got hooked after taking a tourist trip through Cave of the Winds nine years ago. She has gone on two or three caving trips a month since the spring, including trips to South Dakota and New Mexico. "My mom looked at me and said, 'Why in the world would you find that fun?' " she said. "It's definitely different, and it's not for everybody, but it's a lot of fun. For me, it's the beauty, the exploration and the uniqueness of every place that I go." www.rockymountainnews.com/
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Post by Taylor on May 15, 2006 8:06:56 GMT -5
MVOR - Mississippi Valley-Ozark Region
OTR - Old Timers Reunion
KOR - Karst-O-Rama
OVR - Ohio Valley Region
NRO - Northeastern Regional Organization
MAR - Mid-Appalachian Region
VAR - Virginia Area Region
WCC - Western Cave Conservancy
CDS - Cave Diving Section
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Post by Taylor on Apr 8, 2006 12:32:46 GMT -5
Meghalaya caves: In need of conservation and research April 7, 2006 New Delhi: Meghalaya has always been a popular tourist destination because of its sylvan hills and pleasant weather. However, what is now attracting the globetrotter is large number of caves located all around the state. In the last one decade, with the discovery of over one thousand caves in different parts of the state, it has become a hub of cave explorers and adventurers from all over the world. Recently, a 17-member team comprising spelaeologists from England, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and Ireland besides India linked the 'Krem um im-Liat Prah' cave system in Jaintia hills to the 'Krem labbit (Khaidong)' caves to create a single cave system of 22,202.65 metres which is the longest known cave in the Indian sub continent. "During the discovery of the longest cave in the subcontinent, 39 other caves were also explored, mapped and photographed to discover 15,498 m of new cave passage in the state, " says Brian Kharpran Dally, a spelaeologist from Meghalaya, who was also a part of the team. Till the early 1990s, very little was known about the caves of Meghalaya. About a dozen caves were known to the people. In 1995, an organisation known as the Meghalaya Adventurers Association (MAA) started its first expedition. Today there are approximately 1060 discovered caves in the state. "Since 1995, we have been undertaking expeditions under the 'Caving in the abode of the clouds' project. It has led to unexpected discoveries," says, Brian who is the general secretary of MAA. www.newkerala.com/
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Post by Taylor on Mar 29, 2006 7:54:59 GMT -5
Caving group looking for tunnels under town By JENNIFER BUNDY Associated Press Writer March 25, 2006 MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- There's a void under the historical General Adam Stephen House that may be part of a long-lost tunnel system believed to run beneath one of West Virginia's oldest towns. The tunnels are part of the lore of this Eastern Panhandle city, which Stephen founded in 1778. Some tales suggest the veteran of the American Revolution and French and Indian War built his house over a cavern so his family would have a quick escape route in case of attack. Other stories say the tunnels have been used by railroad robbers, moonshiners and slaves trying to escape north. The tunnels--part natural limestone caves, part manmade--were filled in during the early 20th century to protect curious children from harm and to protect unsuspecting homeowners from children playing tricks. "Here you are in your house, relaxing, and all of a sudden you hear people in the basement yelling," said John DiCarlo Jr. of Keedysville, Md. DiCarlo, who portrays Stephen in historic reenactments, is also an officer of the group Tri-State Grotto, which has been digging for the past decade to find the tunnels and verify the claims. "I think it's amazing the interest is still there after 10 years," DiCarlo said. The caving group, which has about 100 members, works on the project about once every three or four months. Last year Tri-State Grotto brought in an expert in microgravity to help look for a tunnel on the Stephen house grounds. "The results of his microgravity work was, yes, there is a void down there," DiCarlo said. "It seems to be headed in the direction we are digging. He recommends we continue digging where we are." The group has dug a 20-foot-deep hole in the house's basement. Another hole has been dug in a second house located nearby on East King Street. The cavers knew where to look for the tunnel in the second house, but there were conflicting reports about a tunnel opening under the Stephen house, said Keith Hammersla, curator of the Adam Stephen House. Both houses are owned by the Adam Stephen Memorial Association and written accounts say a tunnel once connected them, with branches going to openings under at least two other houses. Several years ago, two separate people touring the Stephen house pinpointed the entrance to caves they had played in as children, Hammersla said. Digging then moved to the Stephen home around 2000. In the East King Street house, a rough stone stairway leads from the cellar to a lower chamber with an arched roof made out of stone blocks. Another rough stairway leads from there to a landing and a 10-foot hole the cavers have dug. The stonework archway in the subcellar dates back to the late 1700s, the same time period the Stephen house was built with the same type of stone work. "It is likely there was just an underground room over here before there was a structure constructed on top of it," Hammersla said. A log home occupied the site in the 1820s, and the current house was built in the 1850s, said Hammersla, who has researched the deeds. A grocer owned the house and stored goods in the cellar. DiCarlo said his group's explorations have been slow-going. Digging has been by hand, and group members must carry the dirt out in buckets. The holes are only big enough for one person, who fills a bucket and hands it out to a line of fellow workers. Also, the group has been forced to dig though cinders, garbage, fill dirt and water. The worst muck was found under the East King Street house. The owners filled in their tunnel entrance about the same time indoor plumbing became available. The owners apparently used the area for sewage disposal before a sewage system was built. "They figured that would seal the hole off and help keep the kids out," DiCarlo said. DiCarlo hopes to one day break through to a natural cave and follow it to see where it goes, or what it yields. So far the only artifacts the diggers have found are old bottles, pottery, glass and a skeleton key. "It didn't go to the house, but it was still neat," DiCarlo said. If the tunnels are found and opened, DiCarlo and Hammersla would like them to become tourist attractions. The caving group will give tours of the tunnel sites on Adam Stephen Day, which is May 13. "Who knows what could have been in there," DiCarlo said. "It's like a time capsule." www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/
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Post by Taylor on Mar 16, 2006 9:38:04 GMT -5
The first adventure races ever held in KY, the Odyssey KY 12hr Adventure Race and KY Sprint Adventure Race, return to Carter Caves State Resort Park the weekend of April 1-2, 2006, with Saturday marking Odyssey's 50th adventure race. The events, set to attract as many as 300 competitors, will include mountain biking, hiking and trail running, paddling and non-technical caving in and around Kentucky's Carter County, near Ashland. The race weekend will feature two separate adventure races: a 12-hour race on Saturday and a 4-6 hour sprint race on Sunday. The 12-hour race will cover approximately 45 miles and the sprint about 25 miles, both races traveling through the rugged terrain and beauty of the mountainous surroundings of the park. Soloists and teams of two or three competitors will face challenges that test their endurance and navigational skills. The 12-hour race is designed for experienced athletes looking for a very demanding single-day race that tests all of the skills of longer competitions. The sprint race is the perfect opportunity for ambitious athletes to learn more about adventure racing, says Angell, KY course designer and president of Odyssey. Teams from KY, TN, OH, IL, PA, IN,VA, GA, MI and as far away as Guatemala have already registered for the event. Only 8 slots were left for the 12hr AR at the time of press, but there is still plenty of room in Sunday's Sprint Race. Details on registration for the competition can be obtained by visiting Odyssey's website at www.OARevents.com or calling 540-444-4422. The first place team overall in the premier division (three-person coed) will collect a cash prize of $525, second place a $300 race voucher, and third a $150 race voucher. Saturday's race is the first in a series of three 12hr adventure races. Series #2, the Mountain Sports Festival AR, will be held in Asheville, NC and Series #3, the Wild Wonderful 12hr AR, in the New River Gorge, WV. The series winner will receive a $900 race voucher plus paid entry into a 2007 Odyssey www.checkpointzero.com/
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