AAR 2004

Please take me everywhere that you can, I want to see interesting sites and places. As an adventure travel bug I just want to be on an adventure to see the world and you can help.

The bug is MIA so the copy will be used.

Adventure racers from Vermont; New Brunswick, Canada; and all over Maine gathered for the start of the much anticipated, annual Aroostook Adventure Race (AAR) on Saturday, August 28, 2004. Teams knew only that the course was 26.2 miles long and included mountain biking, trekking (hike, run, walk), and canoeing. Beginning at the Skyway Middle School in Presque Isle, racers sprinted from the start line to a location about 50 meters away to pick up their race course instructions. From there, teams dashed off on mountain bikes over hilly and often muddy terrain through the first few checkpoints trying to gain a distance advantage before the paddling portion of the race. Near the end of the mountain biking leg, teams faced a surprise challenge in the form of a "mud relay" that required racers to wade through a 300 foot long path in mud that was three feet deep. Then the racers had to wade across the Aroostook River to the first transition area for the start of the canoeing leg of the course. Once on the water, teams journeyed approximately six miles down the Aroostook River. Here the skill of orienteering, or using a map and compass to navigate through unfamiliar territory, was key during the final leg of the course. Teams that were able to advance without the benefit of an established trail, were able to pick up time on teams that struggled to find checkpoints. Finally the finish was at the Nordic Heritage Ski Center.