Day 1: Alaska to Mexico Marathon Rally Adventure
Today, I find myself in the midst of Rally the Globe's (RtG) most ambitious adventure to date, and it's an exhilarating experience. We've gathered in the heart of downtown Los Anchorage, known as The City of Lights and Flowers, along with nearly 50 endurance rally crews. This event, spanning the next 30 days, marks a significant milestone for RtG as it's their first-ever Marathon rally, promising challenging terrain and long days.
The day before embarking on any major rally is a unique blend of anticipation and preparation. It's that transitional period between the ordinary and the extraordinary, where jet lag dissipates, nervous energy fades, and excitement takes over.
Although the festivities are just kicking off, there's some pre-start business that requires attention. Safety checks and compliance inspections are conducted by the diligent sweep teams, while the event admin team takes care of the paperwork and associated rallying matters. Given the length of this event, both teams are in full swing.
As always, our team of mechanics, including Andy Inskip, Charlie Neale, Jamie Turner, Jack Amies, and Russ Smith, had their hands full.
Gill Cotton and Iain Tullie assumed responsibility for the paperwork. As we completed our registration and left the Rally Office, the navigators were almost buried beneath stacks of maps and roadbooks, which will be our constant companions throughout the journey.
Mark Appleton, the Clerk of the Course, and Fred Gallagher, the Rally Director, along with local expert Sarah Ormerod, meticulously planned the route.
"It truly is the ultimate rally, and completing it will be a remarkable achievement for both us participants and the organizing team. We anticipate witnessing extraordinary wildlife, enjoying breathtaking scenery on remarkable roads, and, of course, navigating plenty of gravel. It's a joy to see so many old friends and new faces here in Anchorage, a gathering of over a hundred like-minded individuals in fifty cars, all eagerly awaiting the adventure of a lifetime."
The rally is scheduled from August 27 to September 26, 2023.
Day 1 will take us from Anchorage to Fairbanks, covering a distance of 618 kilometers on August 28, 2023.
As the day broke, it was an early start with Fred Gallagher initiating the rally by waving Old Glory and sending us off at 7:31 am, amid damp and drizzly weather. Our first day's agenda included a Test and a Regularity, kick-starting the journey with some scores on the board. We'd also reach the northernmost point of the rally, offering spectacular views as we passed through Denali State Park along the Nenana River.
Just 65 kilometers from the start, at the aptly named Alaska Raceway, Jim Smith and Dr. John Llewellyn launched the first Test of the 2023 Alaska to Mexico Marathon, set against a dramatic backdrop of looming clouds and majestic mountains.
In yesterday's briefing, Fred Gallagher promised plenty of gravel, and he kept his word. Within an hour, we encountered a lengthy Regularity section on loose terrain, guiding us through the Talkeetna Mountains and over the 1184-meter Hatcher Pass, leading to the first Time Control at the Sheep Creek Lodge. The Pass itself was a remote and wild experience, where Gill and John Cotton meticulously recorded each timecard, surrounded by a subarctic landscape. In contrast, the Lodge provided a cozy refuge for the crews to enjoy some lunchtime refreshment, although Manuel Dubs found himself in a carburetor-rebuilding situation.
The afternoon's route featured two Passage Controls, with the Denali View and the unique 49th State Brewing Company as their respective settings. The latter even showcased the original bus from "Into the Wild" in its garden.
Our lodgings for the night were at Pike's Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks, where over dinner, it became evident that everyone had remarkable stories to share from this impressive first day.
