TOP 15 – MOVING ON! THANK YOU, AGAIN, FRIENDS! – Gretchen and I want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for all of our friends and family who have propelled me to first place in my Group in Outside Magazine’s “Ultimate Explorer” contest. Thank you for voting, re-voting (you can vote again every 24 hours), and sharing my profile (https://ultexplorer.org/2024/tim-hamby-yIWY). Some of you have even generously purchased votes (funds go to the National Parks Foundation).
I wanted to share a little insight on how the contest works. Each week, the 5 competitors in each Group with the lowest votes are eliminated. The rest move on until there is only one competitor left in each Group. The winner in each Group (along with a wildcard winner) advance to Quarterfinal Groups where the VOTES RESET! Top competitors in each Group advance to Semifinals. VOTES RESET! Top Semifinal from each Group advance to Finals. VOTES RESET! Grand Prize Winner is determined October 17th. I’m in a great position now, but the competition heats up as we approach the Quarterfinals on September 23rd, when votes reset. Each time the votes reset, things get more challenging. So, if you’re feeling like you’d like to contribute, then Sept. 23 – Oct. 17 would be the best time for that. But we appreciate all of your votes, time and energy!