"Hanging out" among hammock beds on the boat for the i2P Youth Expedition to the Amazon. Left to right: Ray Zahab, Jessie Lilly, and Marshall Ulrich
No doubt Marshall would go with Ray Zahab just about anywhere in the world. In the last couple of years, they’ve explored the Canadian arctic and the Sahara desert together, and Ray coached Marshall during his training for the 2008 run from San Francisco to New York—117 marathons in 52.5 days. Prior to that, Ray had finished a 4,500-mile run, and his experience and insights were invaluable preparation as Marsh got ready to cross America on foot. They’re cut from the same cloth, those two.
This year, they’re in the Brazilian Amazon together on an expedition through the Tapajos National Forest with four youth adventurers, trekking nearly 125 miles through dense jungle and swamps with a quest to learn more about the culture and biodiversity of the region. One of the youth explorers remarked that it’s like Jurassic Park all around them. (Incidentally, while Marshall is out there dealing with the intense heat and humidity and thunderstorms, we’re in a winter wonderland here in Colorado: the snow is so heavy I’m lucky to get online right now.)
They set out about a week ago, on October 21, and I heard from Marshall on Sunday, the fourth day in the jungle for the i2P team. He told me he’s in charge of the youth ambassadors, taking the lead to make sure they’re watching out for each other, staying hydrated, and communicating about how they’re doing and what they need from each other.
A fellow in Tuscon 
