Braving the elements
Grand Haven native set to begin Montana quest Saturday
Fri, Jun 20, 2008 
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BY D.J. SOBISH
news@grandhaventribune.com
Jason Snell never projected the image of an adventurer when he was young. In fact, his mother — Fruitport resident Linda DeCamp — never saw her son as the "absolute leader" that she says he is today.
Yet when the Grand Haven native ventures into the Montana wilderness starting Saturday, it's his leadership abilities that the rest of his team will count on.
Snell, 36, will be participating in Primal Quest: Montana — a 500-mile trek where athletes will hike, bike, swim, raft and climb their way through woods and canyons across the state. Four-man teams pay a $12,500 entry fee to race, and 80 teams from around the world are expected to compete.
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"It's the longest thing I've done," Snell said. "Hopefully, it doesn't take us a full 10 days, because this is definitely the biggest and most intense thing I've ever done."
When Snell told his mother about the event, her motherly intuition took over.
"I saw a video on the (Primal Quest) Web site and said, 'You're not doing that,'" DeCamp said.
The minds behind Primal Quest stress the teamwork and dedication associated with the race. In order for teams to be officially ranked, team members must be together at all times and finish at the same time.
Snell will be responsible for keeping his team together and on track, and his navigation skills will be imperative to its success.
"Navigation is definitely the name of the game," he said. "It's a bigger race, so it's easy to make a mistake, but you can easily rebound."
DeCamp takes pride that her son was chosen for such a long course.
"He's got to guide them through 500 miles, so they're putting a lot of trust in him," she said.
Snell isn't the only member of the family involved with the race. According to DeCamp, the family is sending an RV with seven people (and a dog) from Michigan to Montana to show support.
Snell's sister, Denise Micell, is traveling from Maryland to assist at checkpoints that the team must pass. There, they will change clothes, eat and pick up any needed equipment.
"I don't get to hang out with her much and she's totally supporting it," Snell said of his sister. "She's good at that sort of thing. Being a mom, she's really used to organizing competitions and stuff. She's ready for it."
The winning team at Primal Quest: Montana earnes the $100,000 prize, along with recognition as one the top adventure teams in the world.
