Tour Divide Day 14

Tour Divide Day 14-Marshal Pass to Del Norte, 130 miles

This was a tough, tough, tough day. Effing epic toughness. Off the charts for anything that I had experienced up until this point in my life. 


Although it started out amusingly enough....




I awoke from my nice comfy outhouse/B and B slumber to the sounds of foot steps. I thought for sure a bear had caught a whiff of my food and was coming to investigate. Then to my surprise, somebody knocked on the door. What the hell was somebody doing out in the middle of nowhere, knocking on this random outhouse door at 5 am??

I said, "Uh.... just a second?" and hurried out of my bag. I opened the door just in time to see Aidan Harding speeding off into the distance. I later learned that he had slept in the wood line just next to the outhouse. He had seen me the night before and he thought he was hilarious by not letting on that he was there.... I'll get that meddling kid some day! (I said that in a classic Scooby Doo villian voice FYI.)

I had planned to sleep a little extra because I was really feeling tired but since I was up and my adrenaline was going I figured I should ride. The descent into Sergeants was absolutely frigid and I was really hoping for some warm food to start the day. Unfortunately when I arrived everything was closed. I was however able to refill some water and drink a liter while I was filling. In hind sight, I should have brought more.

By time I left Segeants, the sun was up and I was getting hot as I rolled the easy pavement. I realized there were very few clouds in the sky. I was in for a hot one. The rubber on my Ergon Grips even started melting on this day.

Melty grips from the top....

Melty grips from the front....

Here is a video that I shot about noon. I recant a hilarious interaction with a local.

The riding between Sergeants and Del Norte really isn't very bad but the miles are long, there aren't really many places for water refill (which I was hoping for by time I reached the last 20ish miles to Del Norte) and there is not respite from the heat.

I really don't remember much about this day until the last stretch before Del Norte. I think I don't remember much because I was suffering from heat exhaustion, hunger and dehydration. At least that's what I say in this video... that I don't remember making.

It just got hotter and hotter out there.

Eventually I neared Del Norte, and the outskirts of a small town that is outside of Del Norte. I was about out of water, with maybe half a liter left. It was roughly ten miles to Del Norte. I figured I would be ok even though I saw a church just a couple blocks off the road that I could likely get water at.

I turned a sharp right and headed into a pretty strong head wind. Even in my aerobars while hammering, I was only riding in the small ring up front. It was painful and the wind was blowing tons of dust. As I slowly made my way along the route the road deteriorated dramatically and became very sandy.

In my tired and dehydrated state I could barely ride in the sand. I had to walk some flat sections. Normally the riding wouldn't have been that bad but I was just whooped. I had been making forward progress since I started riding at 5 am, except for refilling water in Sergeants. The sun was now going down. That means I had been riding for about 17 hours nonstop.

The headwind continued to drain on me physically until I was about in tears. I had only made it about three of the ten miles into town and I was out of water. My mouth was so dry I couldn't even chew gum. To top it all off, the setting sun made it so I couldn't see the arch that the course goes by. I was so pissed about suffering and missing that.

The route then turns into rolling single track with lots of baby head rocks. I fell a few times. After about my third fall I just laid in the sand staring up at the darkening sky. I just wanted to go to sleep and never get up again.

I rallied the proverbial troops and got on the bike again. All I could think about was food and water. Finally the trail started to head downhill towards Del Norte. I could see the town in the distance across the arid terrain. Then to my surprise the route turned away from the town.

The turn opened the technical trail into a large flat gravel roadway. It seemed like it might actually be an old airport. The route criss crosses the old runways and the head wind seemed to follow me no matter which way the route turned. (Bonus!!!) I can't tell you how hard it was to be able to SEE the town while I was riding in a circle away from it.

As I rounded the last turn towards town I saw a family. They were all standing around their truck, in the middle of the old runway, at sunset, for no apparent reason. It was kind of odd looking.

When I neared them they all started cheering. They were actually all out there to cheer racers on. No joke! It was a great lift to my spirits which were incredibly shot. I'm so thankful for fans like this. Thank you family of four in Del Norte!!!

I made it into town and found a gas station that was still open. I bought a ton of Gatorade and food for dinner and the next day. As I was leaving I was stopped by a guy outside of the store. He said he was planning on racing the tour next year and we chatted about gear for a bit. We quickly exchanged emails to continue our gear geekery and I was off. (Hi Steve!)

I realized that it was now dark out. I also really wanted warm food but everything was closed. I found a subway in the other Del Norte gas station and figured that would do. As I sat there my inner racer and my inner tourer fought it out. The racer really wanted to move on but the tourer didn't know the road conditions nor where a camping spot could be found.

Then I remembered meeting Patti and her suggestion to call her husband Gary, a couple of ACA map infamy. I called Gary like his wife had suggested. I was really just hoping for a camp spot in his yard but he offered up a room and a shower. The inner tourer wins!!

I made it to Gary's place and was out after a quick shower. This was the best shower that I had on the divide and I was so thankful for Gary's kindness. This shower was made even more special because it was the last one that I had in the race!

Toughest day in the race yet, followed by the best ending.

Rigid or Half Squish

A reader sent in this question....

"Dear Abbey, why did you choose to go with a rigid fork for the Tour Divide? Did you like it? Would you do it again?"

In my opinion the rigid fork is the way to go for the Tour. (I almost ended this post by answering with this one sentence but I should probably go on and expand A BIT.)

The Tour Divide goes through some rough country and there are definitely some fairly technical sections. There were lots of sections that I had to hike and some sections that required some technical prowess to get up without dabbing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the course is on 'dirt roads' but it's not all that smooth. (Think dirt roads that haven't seen a maintenance crew for about 50 years...)

During the Tour I experienced three feelings about having a rigid fork:

1) This thing is a piece of ^%&%$$#^ and I really want a cushy fork right now. (About 10% of the time)

2) You know this road isn't that bad but a suspension fork might be worth the extra weight. (About 15% of the time)

3) This Niner Carbon fork kicks @$$. (About 75% of the time)


As you can see by my break down here, most of the time I loved the rigid. When I do the tour again I will likely ride with my Niner Carbon fork again.

Keep those questions coming!!!

Tour Divide Day 13

Tour Divide Day 13- Breckenridge to Marshal Pass, 120 miles

It's five am and I can't sleep so you my faithful readers get another lovely blog entry.

Staying up this late is really interesting compared to life on the Divide. On the Divide I would already be riding. I would be standing and working my way slowly into sitting as the swelling in my saddle sores subsided. I don't remember specifically working through the saddle sore pain on day thirteen but I am SURE I did.....

Day thirteen's morning started out early (445 am!!). It was brisk and it made me glad I hoteled it for the night. The climb over Boreas Pass loomed large in my mind as I was getting ready and I was sweating it as I rode out of town.

As the climb started I slowly let my legs wake up to the idea of powering through another long day in the saddle. The climbing was steepish and I definitely worked for it, especially at 11,000 feet, but at the same time it didn't seem too terribly hard. As I rounded every corner I kept thinking that it I was really going to be in for it but then the climb would let me down with more gentle grades. I eventually made it to the top without really needing to leave the middle ring. It was kinda.... disappointing. (I know, I'm whining that the climb wasn't harder. It's what the TD does to you!)

This is a video from the top of the pass. The snow in the background should tell you why I didn't want to sleep outside!

After I hit the pass I had one thing on my mind, Absolute Bikes in Salida. I needed some bike lovin'!

I passed through Como and immediately I wished I had stayed there. It was a quaint little town but different from all the rest of the small towns on the Divide. It was artsy. And, the signs were actually funny. The town just had a charm that was all its own. I shall go back some day I do reckon.

The roads outside of Como were nice, gentle rolling and smoooooooooooth. In fact the roads were freshly graded smooth. So fresh in fact I rode past the graders as they were grading on the roadway. It was like carving fresh turns in three feet of powder snow.

I was cooking right along when I came across a nice gal by the name of Patti who was riding the route northbound. We stopped to chat. It turns out she was touring the route in pieces from her home in Del Norte. She told me she was the Patti listed with her husband Gary on the ACA services directory. They let Divide riders and racers camp at their place. She said I should call Gary while I was in town.

Patti and I parted ways. I headed towards the next little town (I can't recall the name but it's the one from Ride the Divide where they interview the nice lady from the general store and she says Matthew Lee is going to name his son "Branch"). The store owner was really nice (just like in the movie!). If you go there, bring cash. I don't think they take credit (hint, hint!). After filling my jersey with ice cream sandwiches I was off towards Salida.

It started to get pretty hot out. There was just something about the heat that takes me for a ride. I always lost a ton of energy from about 11am, when it started getting hot, until 4pm, when the sun started going down and it got cooler. As the race went further south this window got bigger and bigger until I was suffering in the heat from 930am until 630pm.

Eventually I crested the top of the canyon road outside of Salida. I was grateful for some respite from the climb and heat. I started bombing down the pass. As I neared the bottom, about six miles later, I realized my spot had come off of my bike.... somewhere on the descent. I reluctantly turned around and started climbing back up the hill. As I was riding a jeep passed me.

I flagged him down and explained my predicament. I asked it he saw my Spot if he could kick it out of the road so it didn't get run over. He seemed astonished at the race that I was undertaking and at the same time amused at my worry about the Spot. I guess it is interesting that I wasn't worried for my safety out there at all but I was worried about loosing $200 worth of gear. He drove off up the pass and I continued riding up for another mile.

As I rounded a bend I saw the same jeep driving down the canyon road. When the driver saw me he started waving my spot out the window. He had actually driven up to the top, found my spot, and brought it back to me. He was so nice about it too. I wish I had his address to send him a thank you. Hopefully he will see this blog someday and see how thankful I am!

I got into Salida and after some confusion (stupid iPhone mapping program!) I found Absolute Bikes. As I was pulling up to the door a mechanic who was out test riding a bike half a bock away shouted at me, "DUDE YOU NEED A NEW REAR TIRE. I CAN SEE IT FROM HERE!" I looked down. My poor Nanoraptors were bald. They looked like they were city commuter slicks. How did I not notice that?!

The mechanic took my bike from me and got going on a quick once over. Lucky for me, there wasn't anything wrong and the tune up was done before I was done eating at the cafe next door. (Absolute Bikes rules!!!!) I rode up to the local grocery store and gathered some supplies for the trek to Del Norte. My profile showed there were a few tough climbs between here and there but from the looks of it I was confident I could hit Del Norte by the next afternoon. Boy was I way off.

After a resupply at the grocery store and a phone chat with my wife, I was off. I got turned around in the city a bit and had to back track to find where I left the course. Eventually I was on my way headed up towards Marshal Pass.

As I was climbing another rider pulled up next to me. He was riding so fast he actually had to BRAKE to slow down to my speed while climbing into the pass. It was Aidan Harding , one of my favorite bike racers. He is just such a nice guy. The kind of nice that makes you happy to see him do well. (I was even happy to watch him pass me going up the climb and I hate getting passed!)

We chatted for a bit. It turns out he had broken his frame and had to back track on the course to get it fixed. That's how awesome he is. He broke his bike, back tracked, fixed it, re-rode to where he left off on the course, and still caught me. I let him go on the climb because, 1) I can't ride nearly as well as him and 2) he rides a single speed and those guys have to climb hard.

It was awesome to meet one of my heroes.

I continued to climb at my relative snail pace into the darkness of the night. I was hoping to make Sergeants but the darkness made it really hard to ride the dirt road and I kept falling. It felt a bit too cold to camp but I was beginning to fell like I might not have a choice. Descending on that road would have been suicide in the dark.

Then I saw it, a beacon of hope in an otherwise dismal world. It was.....

Another forest service bathroom!!! Wooooohooooo!!!!

I scampered in, prepped my bike and bed. And, hit the hay. I felt like it was a pretty good day on the divide overall and I got to meet Aidan!!

In this video I claim that I want to sleep in. Little did I know what would happen in the morning!!

Tour Divide Day 12

Tour Divide Day 12- Past Steam Boat Springs to Breckenridge, 150ish miles

I awoke in the morning feeling refreshed. Despite the last couple days of complete and utter mental/physical annihilation I was still intent on ripping it up and doing the best a cripple could do. I got out of my outhouse/bed and breakfast just in time to watch the sun rise as I rode the remaining miles around the lake.

It was a beautiful morning. I spent a few hours following some tracks that told a story of squishy mud riding. The tracks were pretty deep and looking at them made me feel better about all the mud hiking I had done in the last few days. Even better yet, the road was dry for me and I was smoking right along.

As I was riding I noticed it looked like there was a matching set of tire tracks but one was going the opposite direction. That meant either two guys were riding together with the same tires and one had the tires on backwards OR the same rider had backtracked for some reason. I started to get worried I was on the wrong road but my GPS quelled my fears and I continued on for some time.

Then I figured out what the back tracking was all about. I came to a river that was obviously severely flooded. I recall seeing a photo that Fixie Dave posted showing this river. He said it was eight feet deep just a few weeks before the tour started. I looked up river and down river for a shallow crossing spot. It all looked swift and deep. The only way to find out was to give it a go.

I waded in, at first up to knee, then up to mid thigh, then above waist then above belly button. There was no end in sight to the rising level and I wasn't anywhere near the other side. However..... I was near enough to the other side to see that there were no other bike tire tracks or muddy shoe imprints. That told me the leaders had gone around.

I knew that going around had been discussed as a race legal possibility if it was too deep and swift. I was being swept away by the river and I'm a big guy. I figured discretion was the better part of valor. I waded back to the shore and went around. As I went around I spotted other racer tracks so I was confident I had made a race legal and morally responsible choice.

After I was back on the course and had ridden a few miles I saw a van driving towards me. It was pretty surreal. The road I was on was pretty rough and I was really surprised to see anything besides a 4x4 out there. The driver stopped next to me and rolled down the window. The sweetest lady started chatting me up about how I was feeling and such.

She was so nice I was starting to wonder if I was hallucinating. Then she asked me my name and said, "Dave will want to know who I met." I said, "Uhhhhh..." She replied, "I mean Fixie Dave, he is my son!" I thought, "No way I am meeting FIXIE DAVE'S mom. After a bit more chatting she told me I could stop by their ranch for water if I wanted and we parted ways. I still can't believe I met the mother of a TD legend!

As the day progressed it got warmer and warmer. My arch nemesis, heat, came out to play by 11 am and I was fighting it pretty hard. This would be the first of many days that the heat really got to me...

I continued on climbing and descending some totally epic passes. I began to realize that I was starting to get into TD mode. I kinda just watched the climbs go by as my body automatically climbed them. Don't get me wrong, I was really working hard and suffering as I raced but... It just seemed like it was easy to distract myself. I think I was discovering the "inner diesel" that Matthew Lee speaks of.

I encountered a few more northbounders and I stopped for a brief chat.

I continued on.

I rode more.

I rode more.

I rode more.

I started to run out of water.

I ran out of food.

I continued to ride.

Half way up the big climb before Silverthorne I bonked. Hardcore. I was seeing stars, having tunnel vision, and my body was shaking with weakness. The worst part of the climb was that it went past a chemical treatment plant and it's treatment areas for about 20 miles. I couldn't filter any of that water, or at least I wasn't willing to risk it.

I finally made it above the treatment area and found a small flowing creek. I filled a bottle and put some treatment tabs in it. Now all I had to do was wait for thirty minutes for it to work.

In my bonking haze I remembered I had spare 'emergency calories' in my Revelate seat bag. I tried to devour a bag of trail mix but my mouth was so dry I couldn't eat more that a few nuts. I decided that waiting twenty five more minutes was not worth it. I put the trail mix in my jersey and pushed myself to ride further.

After another several miles of climbing the water was finally done being treated. I tore into that bottle of water and my emergency trail mix like a scene from that Tom Hanks movie where he has a love affair with Wilson the Volleyball. I was so weak I actually fell to my knees as I ate and drank that beautiful, wonderful, and horrible tasting bottle of water.

After eating and drinking I still felt incredibly weak. I knew that my blood sugar level would rise in 5-10 minutes but I was so weak I just couldn't move. So, I just hung out on the side of the road, in the gravel,  on my hands and knees while I waited until I had the energy to get up.

Eventually, ever so slowly, I was able to get up. I got my bike upright, got a leg over, got one foot clipped in, and tried to push off. Failure. I was so weak I couldn't stay balanced long enough to get the other foot clipped in. I was also so weak I couldn't keep my unclipped foot on the pedal while I tried to ride the bike up hill. I kept trying and trying to actually get on the bike and ride.

After several stutter starts and near falls, I was able to get on the bike. I rounded a corner and saw the top of the climb. I then realized I had bonk about 800 feet from the top of the pass. So close yet so far.....

I descended the paved road towards Silverthorne in a haze. I realize now it was pretty dangerous but these self preservation thoughts aren't what you have when you are bonking. I should have taken a break but I just wanted food so bad.

As I was descending I saw a truck coming up the road towards me. It looked to me like the truck was in MY LANE. After a few blinks and squints I realized he really was in my lane. I had nowhere to go. The shoulder of my lane was only six inches wide and there was a guard rail that had a huge drop off on the other side of it.

A quick math check, me going about 40 MPH and him going 40 MPH..... Yup, that's gonna be a big collision. I started waiving my arms frantically and hollering at the top of my lungs. As the vehicle got closer I realized the driver was looking down.

At the very last second I yelled, "Hey mother f)#$&#($*&, I'm going to kill you if you hit me!!!" The driver must have heard me because they looked up and veered out of the way into their proper lane of travel just in time. They looked mortified. I must have looked pissed. Reminded me of my old cop days. I guess I haven't lost my touch!

I finished bombing the descent and ended up about ten miles from Silverthorne on a highway. I started slowly riding towards town. My legs were still jello from the bonkfest. Those ten miles of pavement might as well have been the distance of the great Basin all over again. I just wanted to lay on the ground and never get back up.

I kept pedaling with all I had. One slow revolution after another. My cadence must have been about 40. I looked down and I was in Granny gear... on pavement.... flat pavement. What a joke.

Just then a silver truck pulled up that had two nice mountain bikes in the back. A guy and a gal were in the truck. They were hooting and hollering and cheering. They knew my name. They said they had been following me on the Spot Leaderboard. I tried to talk back but I felt like I was jibbering. They just kept on with the well wishes. As they cheered I felt my spirits lift and the strength flow to my legs.

They moved on but their spirit stayed with me. I was able to rider stronger into town and despite my weakness I made it. I found a restaurant. I made it to chair. I ordered food. (I know these sentences are really simple but they are the only memories I have. I guess it really reflects that simple state of mind that one experiences when they are bonking like no other.)

After the food hit my stomach I began to feel better. I ate a ton. I drank a ton. After I could stand again I went out to my bike and kept riding through Silverthorne. I stopped at a gas station and refueled for the next day. I tried to call a bed and breakfast in Como to get a room. They were closed on Tuesdays. It was a tuesday.

To be honest I was relieved. It would be a huge push to Como in the dark and it was getting cold. I was tempted to stop in Silverthorne since it was dark but I pushed on about fifteen more miles to Breckenridge.

In Breckenridge I tried to find a hotel room. Most of the hotels were full. It was really cold out and I really didn't want to camp. I decided to check one more hotel and I was relieved to find a room. By time I got to a room I realized I had spent an hour of my evening looking for a room. I was pretty upset to waste that much time but I just didn't have an option. My sleep system was just a bit out of range at this elevation thanks to all of my body fat loss.

I called my wife to drown my sorrows. While looking at my GPS I realized I had been up and riding for seventeen hours of which I had only stopped for one hour total. That includes stopping to pee, eat, resupply, and a few chats with northbounders. It was quite a productive day and I slept like it had been.

Big Bang Theory

Well, it's official. My blog is blowing up. I have readers from every continent except Antarctica (though I'm sure those will be coming soon!). 


Several readers are, like me, stoked on bikepacking. Given the stoked-ness of my general readership and my apparent 'expertise', many readers have turned to me with questions. 


This post is dedicated to answering some of those common questions about my tour divide set up, the race, and logistics. If you have more, feel free to post and ask. As I get a second collection of commonly asked question I will post another blog entry along these lines.


Without further ado...




Did you stay in hotels very much?


I stayed in hotels sporadically. The first week, I stayed about every other night. The second week, about two nights. After Del Norte I camped every night and didn't shower until the finish.


Did you use a tent or bivy sack? make and model?


I used a special home made Tour Divide set up. I literally spent more than 200 hours researching, testing, and making my own gear JUST FOR MY SLEEP SYSTEM. In hind sight I would change a few things but they would be minute in nature. 


The sleep system itself, including the dry bag that held it, weighed 1 pound 14.6 ounces.


This included:


1- Western mountaineering highlite (long) that I cut down and re-sew into a quilt that covered up to my mid chest.


2- Neo Air (short) that I cut down and resealed so it was torso length.


3- A backpacking light bivy. This bivy weighs about 5 ounces, has a water proof bottom, and very breathable top.


4- A sil-nylon tarp that I cut down to be JUST big enough to provide SOME shelter from rain.


Below is a picture (albeit poor) of the tarp set up. The tarp is attached to my bike with a custom/home made system. Next to it you can see the dry bag that held all my sleep goodies. 

Next is a photo showing how my sleeping bag/quilt fits with the pad underneath.

Finally the quilt and pad in a bivy.

It is important to note that this system is VERY minimal. I only trusted myself out there because I know my skills. More importantly, I know my suffering threshold. For example, the race I did before the Divide was the Susitna 100, a 100 mile snow bike race on the Iditarod sled dog trail. At the beginning of the race it was -12 F. The course took me 24 hours and it got well below -25 F during the night. I know what kind of cold I can handle for hours on end because of my training. It is very important that each and every divide racer understands what their particular physical limitations and strengths are. If you need something that is a bit warmer than what I took, pack it up and take it. A warmer sleeping bag is only a few more ounces of down for chrissake!


Don't imitate my system based on my experiences... FIND OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. I would hate to see a racer need rescuing off the course because they became hypothermic using a system based off of mine. Unless of course they were in front of me. Then I wouldn't mind so much gaining a place in the standings (I kid, I kid!).


Did you use a GPS? If so, what make and model?


Yup. Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. I have also used the Delorme unit that is now mate-able with the latest Spot device. It was a good unit as well. I switched to the Garmin because it is compatible with my Mac (Damn you Mac addiction!!!!).


Did you have Cue cards? I know some of these racers did, but not sure were they got them.


I did not use cue cards. I used home made profile sheets with notes on them about different services along the way.

This should give you an idea....

The information that I used on my profile sheets was gleaned form the ACA maps, bikepacking.net, and dozens of blogs. I read, read, and re-read each blog. I felt like this was strength also. I had the most veteran knowledge that a rookie can have in this race.


Some racers made cue cards off of the electronic version of the cues that you can get from ACA.



Did you use the ACA maps?


Yes and no. I used the maps for intel when route planning and note taking. No, I did not carry them. Again, I would NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS. I almost got seriously lost out there a few times. Sometimes it was just so hard to tell where to go exactly with out the cues in front you.


Every now and again the cues just refer to a general direction and some feature that can be seen. Like on Fleecer. At the top the cues point you through a field to 'lonely fence post' that is in a random direction. Had I not seen another racer going that direction, I would have been seriously bewildered up there in the dark all alone wandering aimlessly along the general direction of a gps heading. 


How difficult did you find figuring out where to go? 


It was really easy to figure out where to go (most of the time!). The problems came when I would get tired and stop paying attention to my GPS. Then I would occasionally make wrong turns and get in some bonus mileage (Only really about a few bonus mile altogether throughout the race thanks to the GPS. However, those miles probably cost me a couple hours of being lost altogether.). 


I found it easiest to miss turns while I was bombing down hill. Sometimes I was too concentrated on staying up right and not looking at the GPS. Then I would get to ride BACK UP the hill and take the correct turn!


I found it best to just slow down a bit and watch what I was doing. 



I would like to see your complete gear list


And I would like to see Matthew Lee's complete gear list!!! But really, you can see a list that I have that is close to what I brought. Go to bikepacking.net, look up posts by the user BigPoppa (that's me!). Early on in the Tour Divide '11 discussion (not the race update thread, the prerace discussion thread that is now locked) I posted my gear list asking for advice. That list was closely unchanged for the race. 


It's like an easter egg hunt! Go find that intel!




What did your Tour Divide set up look like?


Here is my ride. Straight pimpin'.

Compared to most other racers I looked like I was out on a day ride.

Aidan Harding referred to it as 'the bare, bare, ultra-minimalist set up'.

The guy at the bike shop in Banff said, "Matthew Lee's ride is the only divide bike I've seen with less gear." (Now THAT is an endorsement!)

How much money did you spend while you were actually on the route?
I'm not really sure how much I spent each day. Some days the rooms were 50-100, and some days I camped. Some days I ate at a lot of restaurants and some days I resupplied at a supermarket. It was just highly variable. I would say if you motel it, maybe 150-200 a day..? If you camp, maybe 50-100..?

It's really just hard to estimate the cost.


Did you have to hang your food any where?

I never hung my food. Every crevasse of clothing was filled with grease and crumbs by the end of day 1. Hanging wouldn't have done me any good. In fact, the only smart and 'bear safe' thing would have been to hang myself from a tree.




What was the most amount of food you carried between resupply points?

I planned my resupply by the distance to the next resupply. I would make sure I had a 'meal' for each meal that I thought I would be out there for. And, I brought plenty of snacks.

For example, it was ~140 miles from Atlantic City to Rawlins. I thought that would take about 24 hours (including some sleep) and I was leaving at noon. So I took a late lunch, a dinner, and a second dinner for bivy time. Then for the next day I took a breakfast and a lunch. Then I filled up with snack foods after that.

Really though, what food you need depends on your needs and you will learn that with experiences out there. You will learn by day 4 what you need and it will be second nature.


What would you do different next year?

I wouldn't really change a thing. I had worked and practiced with my kit extensively. I had done a few multi day training rides. I knew what it would take.

Maybe I would do a few small gear changes but only to save MAYBE half a pound. Other than that, it was gold




What gear companies do you use? 


I ride and recommend:

Niner bikes, Revelate bikepacking gear, Wester Mountaineering stuffs, SRAM components, WTB Nanoraptors, Cheap bottled water bottles, Dumonde Tech, Princeton EOS lights, Syntace aero bars , Ritchey carbon accesories , and Granite gear drybags.


I just wish these people would sponsor me!!






Ok, that's all I have for now. There will be more to follow on Tour Divide set up, logistics, and general gear geekery!

Tour Divide Day 11

Tour Divide Day 11-Brush Mountain Lodge to Past Steamboat Springs, ~70 miles


This was a tough day as well. I woke up to the pouring rain pounding on the roof of my cabin. It was a loud sign that the road out of here was going to be muddy.

A little update video from the morning.

I ate like a king at breakfast again. I also took a little extra time to work on my bike. The front derailleur was stuck again and the bike was a mess from the day before. After getting everything going I headed off into the rain and mud.

A bear outside the Brush Mountain Lodge just as I was getting ready to leave.

I actually rode my bike fore the first half mile. Then it was hiking until I made it up and over the summit (which was about twenty miles). The mud became so deep on this road that was almost knee deep in places. It also became so thick that it would stick to my tires and clog the frame so bad the wheels wouldn't roll.

It was hard to clear the mud from my bike. I had to use sticks to clear out my frame, wheels and drive train about every 40 feet. I continued on like this for miles. Walk 40 feet, clear the frame, clear the tires, clear the drive train, walk 40 feet. I even had a stick collection going, each with a different shape that helped clear a specific part of the bike.

This continued for the better part of 15 or so miles. It was mentally exhausting. I became incredibly frustrated and I just really wanted to be home, in bed, snuggling with my wife.

Eventually I made it to the snow, which was a relief. At least I didn't have to clear mud as I hiked.

This video is from the pass above Brush Mountain Lodge. It was pretty deep snow. I look a bit demoralized. 

I finally made it to the bottom of the snow and stopped to chat real quick with another northbounder. The trail got much better after the snow. After riding for a while I came to a small town general store. I stopped in for some quick food and continued on.

I eventually made it too Steamboat and I hit up Orange Peel Bikes. They worked on my bike while I got some new socks and some new liner gloves. My other liners had worn huge holes in almost every finger.

After my bike was done I went back to the part of town that I had come in at, about three miles away. I had inadvertently missed part of the course so I went back and picked it up. I realized my cassette was skipping while I re-rode back into town. I stopped back at Orange Peel (as I rode by AGAIN) to get a new cassette as well. After the cassette was installed I hit up the grocery store and resupplied. I also found an outdoor clothing place to get a base layer. I didn't want to add the weight to my kit but the elevation was only increasing and I wanted/needed to be able to sleep wherever the terrain dictated.

As I continued on out of town I came upon several washed out bridges, flooded parts of the route, and lots of confusion about where to go. Some parts of the course I rode even though they were closed. These flooded parts were over my knees as I rode through them. Some places I had to pick my way through marshy areas near the course but far enough from the over flow that I wouldn't be swept out into the main river. It was daunting but doable.

Eventually I made it to clear road and trial. As I was riding just out past the edge of town I smelled something delicious...... BBQ! I just had to stop. I ordered a full rack of ribs and a baked potato to go. I had them wrap the ribs and potato in tin foil. To carry it I put the entire rack in a jersey pocket. It must have looked pretty funny, a dirtbag bike racer riding down the road with a rack of ribs hanging out of his jersey.

As I road out of town the rain that had given me a slight reprieve started all over again. I continued riding emotionally feeling low but physically undeterred. It was just hard being alone and away from family and friends. At least the rain finally let up and gave me some sign that things would get better.

It was quite a sight for sore eyes.

I stopped to call Liz, but there was no answer so I kept riding. A few minutes later I stopped to call again. No dice. A few minutes later I stopped again. I stopped about ten times fearing that I would miss her before I lost cell signal. I decided to call a friend of mine Chuck. We chatted for a bit. After I hung up with Chuck I realized I only had one bar left of signal. I gave Liz one last call knowing I would loose signal around the next bend. She answered!!! After a chat with her I started feeling better and I continued on.

I rode for about twenty more miles before full dark. I came upon a fishing area with a parking lot and a forest service bathroom. I decided to camp in the bathroom (I used the girls side of the bathroom, even the outhouses are bigger for the ladies!).  It was only a few minutes and I had; the bike prepped and cleaned, my bivy out and set up, and ribs in my tummy.

A check-in video from the floor of an outhouse.

Tomorrow the onslaught continues!

Tour Divide Day 10

Tour Divide Day 10- Rawlins to Brush Mountain Lodge, 90 miles

This was the shortest day in the race (by mileage) that I had up to this point. It was really demoralizing from the beginning. I think it had to do with a combination of tough climbing, horrible weather, and the toll that big miles had been taking on my body.

I started out the morning by getting some grub at Subway. Mental note, Subway eggs SUCK. The food just wasn't very good and it took a serious toll on my attitude. That combined with my ever growing saddle sore problem and I kinda just wanted to lay down on the side of the road. As in lay there FOREVER.

After I got a ways out of town the climbing really began in earnest. The roadway just kept going up and up. Nature started to call like you wouldn't believe. I scrambled down into a small ravine to relieve my self. And there, with my pants down, squatting in a ravine the heavens opened up.

It kinda came out of nowhere. I mean, it was cloudy but I hadn't heard any thunder or smelled the rain coming. Nothing. Then it was just DUMPING, like me. (Get it?!?!?!? HA!)

Anyways, shortly after the rain began the pavement ended. As I reached some of the upper elevations thunder and lightning began. It was an incredible show. I actually saw lightning coming down on both sides of the road. Scary but cool.

The torrential down pour made road soup. My riding slowed and eventually became a walk. Then a trudge as the mud got deeper. As my progress slowed, my body became colder and colder. I started experiencing heavy shivering again. My spirits dropped even lower. It was a good thing nobody offered me a ride at this point, I probably would have take it. Hell, it's a good thing nobody drove by because I probably would have hitched a ride!

I eventually came to Aspen Alley, which was really beautiful. It at least made me smile. Something which hadn't happened all day.

Aspen Alley, one of the places I was really excited to see on the Divide. Too bad the riding wasn't better!

The road conditions didn't really improve. Although, there were some sections that were rideable. I really enjoyed those little sections. It made dragging my bike through the mud worth while. 

Eventually I made it to some pavement. I began riding and realized the mud had really taken a toll on my drive train. It was creaking and popping like crazy as I tried to shift. 

This picture is hard to see because it was partially covered by my rain mitts. However you can see that the entire roadway was washed away down the side of the mountain. The hole is about twenty feet deep!

I rolled on down the roadway and enjoyed some free speed from a large descent. Then I saw a sign.....

Good bye Wyoming!

After leaving Wyoming I came to the little town of Slater, CO. 

The Slater Post Office, a trailer, is the only thing in Slater.

At this point it wasn't too late at night and I thought I had about four miles to make it to the Brush Mountain Lodge. Although the road was really muddy I figured I could make it before full dark, grub up, and head out to get towards the snowy pass before I camped. 

Boy, was I wrong. 

The road leading to Brush Mountain Lodge is a serious slog. It's basically a hill at a steady grade with no reprieve and it winds so you can't see what is coming up more than 80 feet ahead of you. It was muddy and I had to walk the entire thing. It also turns out the lodge is FOURTEEN miles not FOUR up the road. I stopped several times to check and re-check and re-re-recheck my cues. I was out there for so freaking long that there was even a discussion on bikepacking.net about what was going on with me. 

Then finally, after HOURS of hiking, I rounded a corner to be blinded by a bright light emanating from the infamous Brush Mountain Lodge. (My experience was very close to what Jill Homer experienced as she stumbled into the Brush Mountain Lodge. Too funny.) 

I walked up to the door and was greeting by Kristin. She was as awesome as all the lore about her. She welcomed me in and fed me a feast like no other. I estimated that night that I ate close to 10,000 calories: beer, pasta, muffins, cookies, fruit, and seconds of everything.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!

Kristin gave me another plate of food to take bed. I hit my room. Washed out my stuff and put it by the fire (yes I had my own fireplace in the room) and laid it out to dry. I passed out in bed with cookies in my mouth. 

Apparently I was awoken at some point when Kristin knocked on my door. My lovely wife had called and we had a short conversation. According to Liz, my wife, I sounded pretty out of it. I literally remember NOTHING about this. I must have been really tired. 

It was a good thing I was sleeping hard because the next day was even tougher.

Tour Divide Day 9

Tour Divide Day 9- Post Pinedale to Rawlins, ~220 miles

I woke up this morning freezing my ghetto bootie off. After I unzipped my bivy I looked down and realized why I was so cold. There was so much frost on my bivy that it froze to my sleeping bag. There was also frost lining almost the entire interior of my bivy. It was a pretty cold and miserable all night but for some reason I was undeterred. I just packed up my stuff and got riding, it was the only way to stop the incessant shivering.

I knew Atlantic city was about 70-80 miles away and I hoped to hit it by 11 am or so, have a big lunch, resupply, and dominate the Basin. That way I could hit Rawlins midday the next day and resupply. I would later realize that the next day was a Sunday.... a day on which all post offices are closed!

The road left pavement about five miles after I started riding. I really wish I would have realized this the night before. I could have had a way better sleeping spot!!

The terrain was really pretty and rolling.

It's hard to get an idea from this picture but the terrain is rolling. Although the elevation gains were small, the total elevation gains were relatively high due to the repeated short steep climbs. 

Self portrait. My sunglasses are sitting low on my nose because the nosepiece broke off about day 3. I would ride like this until the end. I had quite the scab on the bridge of my nose.

Recanting the squirrel gang fight story from the previous night. 

Eventually I made it to Atlantic City (after a short stop at the town three miles before). I ate a ton at the local bar. I was really glad it was open. I had no idea if it would be or not. I got the last of the ice cream too. I kinda felt bad for the guys behind me but only for a few seconds!

A sign outside of the Atlantic City bar

Then it was off into the Basin. I took a ton of food and seven liters of water. Wayyyyy too much. I ended up dumping some water about ten miles into the Basin. I realized I was moving pretty fast and the water was just slowing me down. My balance between victual/water weight and speed was compromised so I dumped some to help me move a bit faster.

Shooting a quick video as I hike a super steep hill leaving Atlantic City

There really isn't much to say about the Basin. It is kinda flat, kinda rolling, really windy, and boring as hell. I made it through the dirt road of the Basin just as it was getting dark. It was a mentally challenging section, nothing to do but worry that I was going to starve or die of dehydration, but physically it was pretty easy.

Nightly update as I cruise the 30-40 miles towards Basin. (Sorry there isn't much to see!)

I had my first northbounder encounter on the way towards Rawlins. I think it was Paul, he was the leader and by quite a margin. He was really nice and it was nice to see my first racer since Wise River. We had a short chat and then we parted ways. The last stretch into Rawlins was mentally challenging. I just really wanted off the bike and I ended up riding ten miles further than I thought I needed to. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.

I eventually ended up in Rawlins. I found a hotel. Ordered food to go from the diner and ate like a horse in my room as I fell asleep sitting up in bed. I actually woke up several hours later still sitting up.