Grand Depart - Class of 2011

It is the evening before the Grand Depart.  The sun was finally out for the first time this week.  Since we arrived on Monday the weather has been wet, cold and gloomy.  What has been rather amazing is it stays light until 10:30pm, despite the oppressive wet weather!  There is a reason they run this race shoulder season and the extended daylight hours is one.  Lots of time to put in the miles if you have it in you at that hour.  A storm is scheduled to blow in tonight not surprisingly.

Met lots of interesting cats from all over......Germany to Switzerland and Virginia to California.  Seems like there is lots of nervous energy from the rookies and Eve said it appeared to be a very somber bunch.  Some of the veterans of the Divide came in later and are happy to share their knowledge.  A much more calm group for sure.  And Crazy Larry was making the rounds and holding everyone in rapt attention!  Mathew Lee, the guru of divide racing, multiple winner and all around great guy was missing this years event, but watching over us and sending emails regarding re-routing, GPS info and logistics. 

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One of the riders doing an ITT (Individual Time Trial), Dave Bruno, lives in Switzerland.  He left around 3pm on Wednesday and I rode with him for a few miles out of town on the Spray River Trail.  He was missing his family and was ready to roll.  We had an excellent chat and it gave me chills to escort him out of town on a magnificent trail and wish him well as he rounded the bend and disappeared in the silence and the mist.   Safe travels Dave and I hope you make it to Antelope Wells.

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Many thanks again to Eve, Erin and Ali - wouldn't be here without your unconditional support and love.  And so many thanks are due to dear friends who are so behind this and have become part of it .  Much Love, kindness and respect to each of you. 

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0.0 - In the parking lot behind the Banff Springs Hotel,

begin riding south on the Spray River Trail.

8:00am - the Tour Divide Class of 2011 rolls out!



Shout out to some very special people

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When I wrapped my head around the thought of doing the Tour Divide, back in October or so, it seemed like I had lots of time.  Well, I did, but the time has now come.  We leave this morning for Canada.  Ali is taking a break from her studies to join us and Erin is driving from Seattle to meet us in Coeur d'Alene, where we will spend the night, and then Monday we head north to Banff.  I'm very happy my family is going to see me off.


We'll spend a few days together in Banff hanging out, hitting some pubs, relaxing, riding, final prep and going to the pre-race BBQ Thursday evening.  Beers and Food with other aspiring Tour Dividians!  I really can't wait!


The past week has been a whirlwind.  With kit prep, closing the loop on work, and trying to get some rides in it has been HECTIC!


The highlight of the week, however was getting together with family and friends at Harrison Hollow for pitchers of beer and some great food.  These people mean so much to me and their support and encouragement have truly given me strength and courage to give this race the best shot I can.  During the good times, and the dark times I know that their thoughts and prayers will be with me.  I love them all to death! 

85 year old Norb Sr. who inspires me every day; my sister Connie and my brother Doug who are always there for me.  Dear and devoted friends: Iron Couple John & Michelle and their super cool daughter Allie; Photographer Extraordinaire Darren; Fellow Fargo Fiend Chuck; Luvvly-jubbly Tri Couple Harold and Jules.  Thank you all so much!

And special thanks to my wife and soul mate, Eve.  Wouldn't even be close to getting this thing out of the blocks without your love and sacrifice.  I owe you big time!!  And my sweet daughters Erin and Ali, thank you for listening to countless, and I mean countless, discussions about all things tour divide.  Not to mention Ali helping with those custom cue sheets.  And Erin tracking down 'The Cordillera' at a Seattle book signing.  Many, many thanks girls!! 

And with that, I am signing off. Hope to throw in some updates from the road, but I really don't know how that will play out. The adventure begins.....

See you in early July when we can share a beer.

~~~ Best to all ~~~

Following the Race

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There are several ways to follow this year’s Tour Divide race.   All racers carry a SPOT Personal GPS Locator, so you can see a map showing where everyone is in near real time on the Tour Divide’s leaderboard by clicking here, which will take you to the trackleader site.   

Save this site to your desktop so you can be a blue dot junkie all of June and into July! 

And another very cool way to keep up with the race is to listen to the MTBCast podcasts. Racers periodically call in and leave a quick report of how things are going out on the route. It’s really a great way to get into the heads of the riders attempting this ride. You can find the podcasts on iTunes, and you can check out the MTBCast Facebook page right here.

Eve will also be doing some updates as she gets them from me or from the other sources.  She will post to Facebook and the blog as she is inspired and has time.

EAT.SLEEP.RIDE.GREAT DIVIDE

Random Thoughts.....Divide Wisdom

As I was going through the process last fall of trying to understand if the Tour Divide was a potential reality or just a dream left to others, I started making lots of notes from my research and it grew into a booklet of ideas, inspirations, pictures and quotes.  I ended up with a 26 page manifesto.
I spent some time re-reading this document recently and it has taken on an entirely new perspective for me.  What follows is an edited version of 'divide' wordsmithing that caught my attention.
Authors noted if known with apologies otherwise.

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"The most difficult thing in life is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." 

   ~ Amelia Earhart

Your travel arrangements and most importantly your safety is up to you. Approach the TD as if you are doing an independent adventure and have your own emergency plan in place.

    Of course, I am not actually intimately involved in this race. What do I know? I haven't been close enough to feel the rhythm of The Race's heart. All I know is what I've read online and seen in photos and skimmed in comments on posts. What's interesting though is that even from my computer screen-- I can feel the heat!!!

          

The Tour Divide will test a rider’s physical stamina and mental capacity to endure. Physically, the route poses many challenges. Cardiovascular fitness is key. Most of the route is in the high desert above 7,000 feet and ascends up to 11,900 feet. Approximately 85 to 90% of the route is on dirt. A rider may loose up to 15 or 20 pounds of body weight by the end of the ride. Carbohydrate, protein, hydration, and salt intake are critical for stamina and health.

A rider will pass through free range cattle lands and be exposed to water born parasites and viruses, (much like traveling to a third world country).

Endurance is more important than speed. Some sections it is impossible to go fast and the downhill sections can be just as hard to ride as some of the long uphill portions. Wind currents blow from south to north and a rider will experience strong head winds, especial in the exposed basin regions. A rider may also be exposed to rain, thunderstorms, and even a mid summer snow. A rider should be prepared at all times for extreme temperatures that may range from 0 degrees to 120 degrees F.

The route is mentally demanding. A positive attitude is key to success on this ride. Some days a rider may feel like giving up. Don’t, the rewards are worth it. A rider will have to experience the bad to appreciate the good and there is much more good than bad. The route will push every rider outside of their comfort zone and challenge them in ways road tours cannot. A rider must be confident in their abilities and react to pressure with a level head. Common sense is also key.

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My point earlier…..asceticism was not that it is the answer for all, only that for each of us there are 'personal conditions' favorable for tapping into the awe of a grand tour race. It's up to each of us to figure out what those are, ipod or not. One thing's for sure: you will probably leave Banff thinking one way on many ideas/methods that you turn 180 on by Mexico.

Toughness is displayed at the moment one is confronted with the option to motel it -- at the 'choice' junctures (usually in towns). If you make it past this and out of town, the survival part down route in the backcountry will take care of itself -- no matter how not conducive to good sleep or resupply it might be. You have no choice, really. You bivy. You cope. Part of toughness is great physical strength/endurance but just as important is the unwillingness to be influenced from gobbling miles no matter what. This is where my talk on uncluttered and no concessions come from. Eliminate the 'tough' choices and you have no choice but to be tough -- because ultimately we all have that capacity. And therein lays the beginning of the 'heightened experience' and one of the more beautiful elements of racing a grand tour. Ask of yourself earnestly with faith to go bigger than you've ever thought possible. When/if you respond and break through to the next level, the possibilities seem endless.

One last thing regarding mental…….I am hereby calling you and anyone else out that tries to cite their age as a factor in their 'choices' on how to race a grand tour. I would like you to stop it. And get that nonsense out of your head. It's you against the course- Period. Not you on an age curve, but you on toughness curve. Cool!

You'll come to conclusions about what your own circadian rhythm will be out there. I suggest you arrive at it quickly and stick with it. The race is too long, too painful to be mixing it up too much. Train the machine early, let it do its thing and it will be happy. Happy machine = happy mind.

~Mathew Lee, multiple Tour Divide winner

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"Living on the road
 My friend,
 Is gonna keep you
 Free and clean..."  

  ~willie nelson

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain 

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One Week Out.....

Here I am one week out from the Grand Depart.  Life is certainly hectic with final prep for the tour and getting business concerns and personal stuff in order to be gone for 5 weeks.  Feels overwhelming but we are leaving this Sunday so I know things will be done.  We have our deadline and it will be met.  Really no choice in the matter.

I am extraordinarily fortunate to have my wonderful wife and soul mate in my corner on this journey.  From the time when this adventure was just an outlying dream; and as it grew into a consuming obsession she was there to encourage and challenge me every step of the way.  It has not been without sacrifice!  Truly without her continual and unconditional support this TD endeavor would not be happening. She will be with me in my heart every pedal stroke and post hole of the way and be my rock and strength in the good times, the times of difficulty, and the space in between.  I am grateful!

If I stray too far from you, don't go and try to find me.

It doesn't mean I don't love you, it doesn't mean I won't come back

and stay beside you.

It only means I need a little time

to follow that unbroken line.

To a place where the wild things grow.

To a place where I used to always go.

                                                                                                ~Lucinda Williams

Snow Conditions are Biblical

Snow pack up North is severe and without a real warming trend happening fast it sounds like there may be a reroute or two.  An adventure it will be!! 

Crossing the Continental Divide 29 times means many high passes and unless snow conditions retreat in the next couple weeks there will be lots of pushing and slogging through snow, and melting snow and mud.  Parts of the Flathead received more snow in the month of April than December through March combined.   Not surprising considering a week ago we had a bunch of snow dump in our foothills and blanket Bogus and Brundage.  I can't even get down the other side of Bogus at the moment because of the level of snow!

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This is a great article on the '08 Tour Divide by Outside Magazine.............enjoy.

The World's Toughest Bike Race Is Not in France

Along with the myriad of logistics and details associated with Divide racing, another element to add to the equation is the tacit understanding that you will be riding for many, many hundreds of miles in dense bear territory.  The Divide route goes through the thick of bear country in Alberta, British Columbia and Montana.  In Montana, the route skirts just east of Glacier only a few miles from Polebridge.  I’ve backpacked in Glacier and they do lots of educating in the park before they issue your backcountry permit. No animal commands as much respect, interest, wonder and fear as the bear.

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I recently purchased a book titled “BEAR ATTACKS, Their Cause and Avoidance”.  This is a must read for all Tour Dividians and was suggested by a few of the veterans and those that live and work in bear country. 

The fundamental premise of the book is that knowledge of bear behavior and ecology can help mitigate the chance of an unwanted bear encounter.

  Some of the highlights: 

• There are two types of attacks: defensive and predatory with different ways to respond to each and you need to understand the difference.
• Playing dead is the best bet for minimizing injury during a defensive attack
• Fighting back using any available weapon (a Fargo, for instance) is essential for a predatory attack  Most serious and fatal attacks have been predatory
• Most serious or fatal bear attacks have happened to single individuals or two people.  There is safety in numbers.
• Activities characterized by speed, not cautious attention to the possibility of encountering a bear, increase your chance of sudden encounters and related bear inflicted injuries.

The bottom line is you need to be alert and cautious; make noise with your whistle, do some yodeling; and be extremely cautious around blind corners.  And understand general behavioral patterns.

A map was created by a Tour Divide guru of BEAR ACTIVITY zones and where to avoid bivying at the end of the day, or night……which is most of the route in Canada and Montana.  There are a few zones that are relatively ‘calmer’.  Banff is at the top where the red line begins and it goes south to just northwest of Yellowstone.  That red, orange and yellow line is the Tour Divide route.

RED = Highest probability of encounters;  ORANGE = Medium;  YELLOW = Lowest

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My personal strategy is to get to Elkford (109 miles) on Day 1 and bivy in the town park.  With a 9:00am Grand Depart that morning it means a late start.  Day 2 will be tough with the mileage from Elkford to Roosville at the Canadian/US border being 144 miles.  I probably won’t have the legs to get the distance, so, decision making will happen en route. 

Gotta be smart about things, especially with food at night.  All food off the bike, out of the jersey, into a bear bag 100 yards downwind, with nothing in the tent that would attract a bear.  Try to grab some shut-eye…………with one eye open and a vigilant ear to the ground. 

Shakedown Ride # 2: Indian Valley Area

The second Tour Divide shakedown ride (Friday the 13th - darn flats!) came together quickly with a 2 day window to get out and explore.  Decisions on which route to take were alleviated when my Dad said I should ride up into Indian Valley - brilliant suggestion!!  With just a sketch of a route planned out I thought I would just make decisions as to specifics when the time came.  The goal was 100 + mile days, test the knee (recent seat and cleat adjustment - thanks Harold!), work on gear detail, and get out and ride in some HEAT!

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The morning was crisp but all I needed were arm warmers since I would be climbing right away. 

Riding some slab up toward Pearl.

Once you get out into the country you see some interesting mailbox standards. In college I did an independent study/photo documentary on the history and folklore behind these things. I am still fascinated by what people come up with and thought this was clever.

Snakes were out in full force for the weekend - a sure sign of spring! 

 This was really a fantastic road.  Blue skies and silver clouds.

 Puncture wound number one.  The rocks on this section were sharp.

But there is always lots of junk on these roads from trailers bouncing around

and parts and pieces falling off.

Plugged and ready to roll. 

 On toward more of the same.  More blue, more sky, more cloud.

 

Bill's hacienda in Indian Valley.  Bill was an intriguing cat; a vet who lives off the grid, a philosopher and a historian.  Sipping Keystone Light and rolling his own smokes as we talked, he gave me a tour, lighting up as he talked about his past 30+ years in the valley.  He pointed out the history of the area (home of the last Indian war in the Northwest), the hiking, arrowheads, his bike collection, the neighbors - what neighbors?

He was a very engaging guy and I plan to pay him another visit and hike some of the country he was pointing out.  And deliver a case of Keystone as well to repay him for the cold and refreshing well water he offered.  

A collection of very interesting rocks.

An effigy in honor of the Forest Service.



Bill is a bike nut and was fascinated by the Fargo

 Home Sweet Home

One of Bill's many collectibles

On into the town of Indian Valley

Rode Cottonwood Creek and the map and GPS showed an old road that looped to the east and then south to the Middle Fork of the Weiser where I was planning to camp that night.  As I got into it it was steep and rutted.  After an hour of pushing and riding I decided that was enough of a cardio workout for the day so turned it around.

Riding a quick downriver pace on Cottonwood Road I had another puncture to the tubeless.  It was hot and I was tired and not in much of a mood to deal with a flat.  Bike strategically placed almost in the middle of the road (no traffic all day!), I heard a car approaching and turned to waive it around and there was Chuck P!!  Chuck had been following my progress with the SPOT Tracker and decided to come up and hang out and camp wherever I ended up at the end of the day.  My reward for a successful tire plug was a cold Deshutes Red Chair, or was it Mirror Pond?  Either way - cold beer with a good friend on a gravel road in the heat under a blue sky in a new place is priceless!  Thank's Chuck - you are awesome!

 

Riding the Middle Fork road to find the campsite.

Always fun to hang out around a camp with fire, water, shelter and beer.  I was sure happy.

Excellent steaks and bakers cooked in the fire.

Happy camper!

 Heading out early morning

One of my favorite images - color, contrast and texture was a sensory overload.

Lunch time in a slight drizzle.  Tortillas, crackers and tuna with trailmix.

Dodson Pass area

Relocated SPOT unit helped a lot!

Some company and cold well water in Sweet

Another day, another cemetery

Chugged two chocolate milks before the climb out of Horseshoe Bend - delicious!

 Another hot one!  Removed helmet to cool down and had tunes going for the long, slow climb

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SUMMARY 

• 206 Miles
• Approximately 10 hours a day in the saddle
• Left knee felt better (made a minor cleat and seat adjustment)
• Rode at a higher cadence - more spinning and less grinding
• Food was exceptional - thanks again Chuck!
• Hydration OK but in heat I was going through water quickly
• Still avoiding the pack on my back

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Very pleased with the ride and the performance of the hardware.  Not happy about two flats but pleased with two successful plugs that held.  Good test anyway.  The relocated SPOT worked flawlessly this round.  Hell, Chuck found me in the middle of nowhere - may have been some luck thrown in there but I was impressed!  Friends in Boise gave the SPOT reception a thumbs up.  And my sweet Eve knew pretty close to where I was at all times.

I feel a step closer but still have lots to get accomplished at the home front, work to bring to closure, and a never shrinking task list of things yet to do.  But it will get done and I will leave on the 5th of June for Banff.