WLM
| adventure
COWBOY TOUGH
ADVENTURE RACE:
it’s all about sleep
by Casey Adams | Photography by Joan Dean
“Hey… would you
be willing to be our
new Cowboy Tough
team member?
Pleeeeeaaase??”
I
I texted Adam Swisher Wednesday
night, one week before the four-day
Cameco Cowboy Tough Adventure
Race began.
Our team of four was hanging on by
a thread, as Chuck Schuster had been
officially benched by an injury that
evening, and only two- and four-person teams can compete. His wife, Karla
Wagner, was still willing to race despite
having to make the last-minute switch
28
Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine | Fall 2014
to her bike rather than ride tandem
with Chuck. Our fourth team member,
Shad Hamilton, remained calm and
steady as we awaited an answer. I was
still asking myself on a regular basis
what I had gotten myself into and, admittedly, wondering if this injury was
a blessing in disguise.
The next morning, I hovered at Adam’s cubicle as he turned his computer
on, filled his coffee cup, chatted with
our manager—all while avoiding eye
contact with me.
Governor Matt Mead initiated the
Cowboy Tough Adventure Race (CBT)
last year because, “Wyoming’s amazing outdoor recreation opportunities
make an excellent venue for a national
caliber outdoor event.” A week’s worth
of events throughout the state — Ad-
venture Week — promote Wyoming
and active lifestyles, priorities for the
Governor. Rev3 Adventure committed
to five years of Cowboy Tough, each
highlighting a different region of the
state.
The Rev3 website boasts, “This race
will challenge individuals’ and teams’
physical and mental endurance to the
limit. With Wyoming as the backdrop
for the event, you can expect a wide
variety of terrain that is beautiful, rugged and inspiring. For year two, we
have taken feedback from 2013 CBT
participants to make this adventure
even better. Teams will start out in a
genuine ghost town before tackling
some of Wyoming’s most challenging
backcountry.
Mountain biking through technical
single track, fire roads, and flowing