Paddle 8:45:00 [3] 25.08 mi (20:56 / mi) +6ft 20:56 / mi
shoes: Altra LP Blue #2
Jolly Roger with Dusty and Rico. He was so adorable! He always got out of the boat with me to find CPs, which included swimming and wading in swamps as tall as he was. Started out very tight and twisty with lots of bumper boats. No way to avoid hitting all the banks and plenty of getting out to get over logs or shallow spots. Joe/Jeff and Rootstock got a bit of distance on us, and we kept trading places with Fritz and Molly and a couple other teams. Noticed an inlet on our way to the foot section which I thought could be the entrance to it but looked too small. We kept going and found a pile of beached boats. This turned out to be way to far south, and it took us awhile to reorient. We ended up shooting due north to hit the stream, and in doing so, accidentally ran into F2. That works! Cool challenging foot section then back in the boats. Took a completely diff route than Fritz/Molly, but they got back in their boat at the same time as us. At Q (canal), we hit it dead on from a bearing and Fritz struggled. Hightailed it out and kept picking off CPs. Nice houses along the Mullica. Leaving the last CP, they were coming in, a couple minutes behind us. They were faster paddling all day, so game on! We made it hurt the last 3K and held them off for 3rd OA. Such a fun day! I was spent. So many ticks this wknd. Pulled off over 50. Thanks to Abby and Brent for a new and different race, esp one we could do with Rico! He was tired by the end and ready to be out of the boat.