Specific Routes and alternate routes?

[Quincer]

My wife Sheila T is racing so I have been watching her carefully.  She is still outside Lincoln a ways.  She's near the back of the pack so I've been watching that "group" of riders.  Anyway, I noticed right before Lincoln, around Ovando, Montana there is an alternate route you can take.  Many have started on it, then when they get to a section on Hwy 200, they just stay on it back down to the main route.  Is that OK?  8 people took the alternate but didn't actually go on the alternate, just jumped down HWY 200.  The 9th person that didn't stay on track was Cadet Bryant, poor guy is down in Missoula, 7 hours off the route.  I know this is an "underground" race still and no race director can monitor everyone but if you know you messed up shouldn't you go back and fix it? 

[Done]

The TD isn't really "underground," especially regarding the rules. I haven't checked into the specific issue that you mention, but I expect that Matthew Lee and many others have--and they will render a verdict at some point, probably when the race is complete. With all the eyes out there, you can pretty much bet that if someone cuts the course (accidentally or intentionally), they will be discovered. In the past, small detours have resulted in relegations, DQs, etc.

While ultra-racing rules have often been contentious in the past, and probably will be in the future, the TD has about the clearest and most complete set of rules of any of the races. Deviations from the course are certainly not a "gray area," although I expect that there might be more misunderstandings this year due to the many route changes due to snow, floods, fires, etc.

[Quincer]

Thank You Toby for your reply.  More than a dozen have now taken the wrong alternate that I spoke of.  I'm really scared, Sheila will be hitting that section today...I'm crossing my fingers that she makes the correct choice and stays in map contact.  She's an awesome navigator so she should do fine.

[Done]

Thank You Toby for your reply.  More than a dozen have now taken the wrong alternate that I spoke of.  I'm really scared, Sheila will be hitting that section today...I'm crossing my fingers that she makes the correct choice and stays in map contact.  She's an awesome navigator so she should do fine.

Likewise, I  hope that everyone finishes w/o missing sections of the route. The TD has so many junctions; staying on track has got to be tricky.