The Hub July 2015 | Page 8

Angelica Haggert I have never been more exhausted in my life. As you read here in The Hub previously, on June 20, I and my team of two extras competed in the SCAR - the South Coast Adventure Race, organized by the Essex Region Conservation Authority. It was the most exhilarating, challenging, exhausting and thrilling thing I have ever done. We knew the day had about 40 kilometres of biking, 10 kilometres of trekking and 8 to 10 kilometres of canoeing in store. Add some orienteering into the mix, and we had two goals: to not get lost, and to finish in the 8-hour time frame. Our bikes had been dropped off the evening before at Point Pelee National Park. At 8 a.m. we rolled into the meeting area at Hillman Marsh and joined the crowd. A quick briefing and the maps were handed out. We had 10 checkpoints to hit with the start not at Hillman Marsh as we expected, but in the middle of Point Pelee: they were going to bus the 250+ participants to the beginning of the course. We managed to plot our way from checkpoint to checkpoint without much arguing. I was working with two team members not from the area, so I was able to suggest things about Leamington and Essex County that they might not have thought of. We had to get from Point Pelee back to Hillman Marsh, with a stop at Seacliff Beach, Two Creeks Conservation Area, and some time in the marsh itself. We knew we weren’t quick on our bikes. With four knee surgeries in my past, I am still regaining the muscles needed for a quick Want to see some of what Angelica and other SCAR participants endured? Click here to watch the video! cycle. We hoped to make up for it on the orienteering, trekking, and the paddle. With two former Scouts on our team (myself being one of them!) we figured we had a leg up from the rest of the pack. On the bus to Point Pelee I found an old Girl Guide leader of mine, reminding me that those in love with the outdoors rarely fall of out of love. We counted down as a group until course designers blew their air horn at “zero,” and took off down the main road of Point Pelee. Gradually, the pack began to spread out, as some sprinted the three kilometres to our bikes and others walked. The first trek and bike was what we had expected - but man those hidden hills could kill! If you thought Essex County was flat, you are sadly mistaken. It rained pretty viciously for the first hour we were on the course, making the bike difficult and making every path we took that much more muddy. It eventually tapered off, and the day stayed cool for us. As we biked through Leamington, I had to bike on recreational paths, grass, and at one point had to lift my bike over my head to get it across some concrete barriers. In Wheatley, I fell off my bike attempting to go up a slick muddy hill, and banged up my knee, but I got right back on and kept going. The paddle was last and I was ecstatic to not have to be on the bicycle anymore. Forty kilometres on a bike and anyone’s butt would hurt, even with the fancy padded biking shorts I had on! We sang Disney songs as we paddled, overtaking a number of teams who had been ahead of us on the biking sections. Unfortunately, we finished at 6:05 p.m. - five minutes past the eight hour window - but for us, that was an accomplishment: We FINISHED! I saw parts of Essex County I had never seen before, and I grew up exploring and camping all around this area. But you don’t have to compete in an adventure race to see the beauty that this area has to offer. The Chrysler Greenway and 1