Tour DIvide - Day 3

 Video of Day 2 and 3 is on my YouTube channel "jdpaulstourdivide"

Waking up and still alive.  I must admit that I dreamt of cougars circling me in the night.  I think I was dreaming.  As I heard the few other racers that slept in the cabin starting to stir I started assessing the day and realised I actually got 5 hours of sleep the rain had stopped for now, and I would be able to pack up with out getting any more wet.  The tent worked great (Big Agnus one man) as  the vestibule, while tiny, was just big enough to store my pack and shoes and my ultralight sleeping pad was minimal but awesome.  The pad rolls up to about the size of a coke can.  It was about 5:30 am and the sun was breaking out.  I just wanted to get going so I just threw my wet gear together.  I thought about waiting for Chris to wake up and ride out with him again but once I was packed I couldn't wait and the reality was we all had our different goals and expectations for the day.  I needed to get out of the Flathead and I needed all the time I could to get to Eureka.  I think I was starting to find the spirit of this race.  I was starting to feel a sense of belonging now.

I rolled out about 6 and was relying on the tracks ahead to help me navigate.  Not sure what to expect. A couple hours in I ran into Adam repairing a flat.  Turns out he picked something up  from beside the cabin on the previous night.  I guess there were some roofing materials on the ground.  Prior to the race he had ridden in from Washington St. to Banff with a friend of his.  Crazy.

Today was brutal!  I arrived at Cabin Pass.  The snow seemed to go on forever and every time I thought I could see the top it continued on.  Like a mirage in the desert.  I had a hard time making sense of things.  Several false flats, even short descents seemed uphill.  When I finally got over the top the descent was snowy, wet and slippery initially.

I was running low on food when I was introduced to the wall on the single track extention.  Along the river and then a wall of mud that required lifting and pushing and climbing for what seemed to be a quarter mile.  Wore me out.  This lead me to Galton Pass.  This to me was the worst of the snow. the map told me to switch back right and it would be 0.3 miles the Galton Pass.  So believing this I ate the last half of my last energy bar and started the trek in the snow.  On the way up I noticed parallelling the racer footprints where Grizzly tracks.  So hungry and tired was I, that I didn't really care.  I couldn't see the bear so right now it wasn't a concern.  0.3 miles came and went.  1 mile came and went and I was still climbing.  At this point I did not know how far this was going to go on for so I was looking for sleeping options in the snow.  Do I build an igloo?  I was starting to go through all the episodes of Man vs. Wild for pointers.  So what I decided was to keep moving.  Moving kept me warm, moving meant I didn't have to camp with the grizzly and moving meant I may get out of this and find food.  Man I was tired.  It must have been 3-4 mile of pushing through deep snow before I noticed I was headed down the other side.  What a reward!  That was the best downhill by far.  A little dicey in places and later I was told of a few big crashes by other riders there.  It was a blast!  Racing down at 40 plus mph it took what felt like 10-15 minutes to go down what took my 4+ hours to go up. 

As I approached the highway and then headed for the border  I turned noticed an incredible contrast.  It was peaceful now.  Sunny.  I looked back to the hills of Mordor and couldn't believe I made it out of there! 

I passed through the border and passed on by a restaurant that I  noticed some other racers at.  I was hungry but didn't want to stop twice. 10 miles to Eureka and the first warm bed in days, warm food and shower.  I felt like a King!  I made it 270 miles and counting! 

Tour Divide Failures

I am taking a break from my daily divide entries to remember my failings.  As I was finally watching the videos I took, reading through the journal that I had to force myself to write every night of the race, I noticed a bit of a pattern.  I started the failing before I started the race.  I have a terrible memory. 

A list of breakdowns.......equipment, mental and physical.....

1) Brakes - Unpacked the bike in Calgary and the Hydraulic line needed to be bled.  Didn't think much of it at the time but what I didn't know was the seal was busted and I had a small leak. May switch to mechanical for 2013.  Pads were wearing thin and I didn't bring extra.  They were not as common a part as I thought and 3 out of 3 bike shops I went to had none.

2) Derailleur Hanger - Bent.  The guys at the Outdoorsman did an incredible job trying to work on it in the absence of a spare.  Those guys are awesome.  Next year I make room for and hanger and brake pads.

2) Computer #1 - Still in Calgary, tried to mount a new cycle computer I bought in Hamilton but realised I left the mounting bracket back home.  Off to a good start. Went to Calgary Cycle to fix the brakes and buy a new computer.

3) Booties - I debated bringing these at all, and I guess the debate wasn't settled in my own mind because I got to Banff with only one.  I guess the other one was back with my computer bracket.  Was going to not worry about it but the weather report didn't look good so I went downtown Banff and bought a pair of neoprene booties and some rain pants.  The neoprene was not the best choice.  Hard to get on and they were heavy when wet.  Not taking them next year.  Better shoes and plastic bags will do.

4) Computer #2 - Something happened on that first snowy climb.  The magnet was in place, the display was working, but it wasn't reading.  Changed the battery but still nothing.  cleaned the snow build up, nothing.  I had to use my mantracking skills to follow other riders trails at some points. Once out of the snow, I tried again and couldn't get it to work.  Bought a $20 dollar unit in Big Fork (with a wire) and it worked awesome.

5) GPS - I had a GPS but didn't pre-load the route.  Used a Edge 605.  Tried but couldn't manage it.  Also had trouble with the battery life.  Left it on the first night in Elkford and battery died.  Had to charge it at a plaza in Sparwood for 4 hours.  With that being my only computer I decided to use it sparingly and kept it off most of the time.  I used it more for speed and altitude and to check distance on difficult stretches.

4) Gloves - Stopped to fuel up about 30-40 miles in on day one.  There was a break in the rain so I took of my gloves and set them down while I ate.  OOPS.  I guess I didn't pack them when I finished lunch.  That was the last I saw of them.  Had to buy several different types of dish gloves and various corner stores.  The big blue cleaning gloves worked out to be pretty good actually for the rainy cold parts.

5)Rain pants- these were a waste.  Too bulky and too hot.  They had full length zippers up the side for venting which was nice.  A few days in and they were torn and trashed. May have been from the on again off again ( which took a lot of time) and the packing and repacking, or just from the brutal conditions.  Won't take these again.

6) Booties Part 2 - Too much gear.  When packing up from camp day I left them in a plastic bag on a picnic table.  I realised they were missing much later in the day and was way to far tho think about getting them.  Day 4, as I was headed in to Columbia Falls in the dark, I noticed and reflection on the road ahead.  As I got closer I realised it was one of my booties.  From its condition I knew someone got good use out of it.  Next morning I ran into some racers at a gas station and headed of with them.  As they pulled ahead of me I noticed a map fell out of one of thier packs.  I yelled ahead and when I returned the map and told them about the bootie I found he told me he had my other one.  Sweet.

7) Knees - This was by far the biggest physical challenge.  By the end of day 4, about 370 miles in to the race I couldn't pedal.  I had to walk some prime and sought after pavement on my way to Whitefish.  I got some great advice from the riders I met at the "bootie exchange" about my seat position and that kept me in the race.  Only managed 30 miles on day 5 but I was riding! I found the snow on later days great for icing my knees!  With the pills, ice and better position they started felling better in later days.

8) Shoulder Pain - My lack of experience was the problem here.  The back pack was part of the problem I am sure, but the big problem was my riding position and my death grip.  The pain was at its worse end of day 2.  I tried stretching, lots of pills and changing positions on the bike.  Made for an uncomfortable ride.  I really wanted out of the Flathead so badly  that 3 days wasn't an option so I had to focus on the bigger goal and try to forget about the discomfort.

9) Butt Pain - This, I think is self-explanatory but I will expand.  I got some advice before I left because as a new rider I predicted this to be my biggest challage.  2 pairs of shorts and lots of chamois cream.  I made room in my gear for this!  The 2 shorts was awesome when needed. I found that several climbs the snow and fatigue made me walk a few hours a  day.  This turned out to be a great solution for my rear end as well.  The discomfort was unbearable at times but this walking break, though not intended for this purpose, gave my butt a much needed rest.

10) Fingers - Numb. I had a real hard time using the zippers on my gear.  The vibration, my death grip, the wet and the cold along with the assault from the rocks and holes took their toll.  It took several weeks after I left the race to gain feeing in some of my fingers.

11) Anger - The rain really played tricks. Putting gear on, taking it off, putting it on , taking it off.....this part was terrible.  The rain would stop and I would wait, and wait. Then once I decided to pack my gear away, it would start.  So I would wait, and wait, and wait. Once I decided it wasn't going to stop I would gear up and not 2 minutes later it would stop.  So I would just leave it on and then heat up and sweat.  If a racer yells in the forest does anyone hear him?? I screamed a lot. And getting to town when everything was closed and I was cold wet and hungry well.... I was angry.  However no matter how long and painful the day, I always found joy knowing I made it through and looked forward to the next day.

12) Confusion - It is hard to stay mentally focused.  I was saved a few times by locals and other racers when I when I had made a wrong turn.  A few of those mistakes were caused by exhaustion and lack of focus. Without my computers working they could have been long detours.  I locked myself out of my B&B in Ovando with my gear inside at 4 in the morning. I had to wait till about an hour and a half before I had the nerve to go across the street and start knocking on doors in town to find where the owner lived.  Ovandoites were awesome as a side note. I found myself at times in a trance like state.  Watching myself in some of my videos I realised why I was get such strange looks.

13) Lonliness - Took its toll on me.  A few days without  someone to chase or push you along was hard.  When I got into Butte and called my wife from the parking lot of the Outdoorsman (which was closed on Sundays, much to my shock and dissapointment) she told me other riders were in town.  I felt a warm rush like a kid on Christmas and made a direct line to their hotel for some company.

 

14) Pride - This hurt most of all.  Quitting was the most painful part by far.  The race became a part of me.  I had ultimately decided that I was way past my time budget. I couldn't finish in 28 days, it was looking more like 32 and I didn't have 32 days. I was running out of money, my hurting body had put me days behind and I guess ultimately, I wasn't ready.......

Video Tour Divide Day one - Part 2

Here you are. End of Day 1.  I ended up in Elkford.  As you can see the weather got really wet. http://youtu.be/fMRGjO5tUE4

REMEMBER  SEPTEMBER 26th  I am Screening:

Ride the Divide 6:30 http://vimeo.com/9654326

Reveal the Path 8:30 http://vimeo.com/37744449

You must check these out! 

 

Tour Divide - Day one video

Trying to get through my hours of video is quite the chore.  Here is my first attempt.  http://youtu.be/dx5eNlqmEfI

Tour Divide Day 2

Didn't sleep much.  Realised I had the wrong sleeping bag.  It was the one item I saved money on by borrowing from a friend of mine.  For most instances it would have been great but it just wasn't warm enough this night.  about 4:30-5 am other racers started cleaning up camp.  I really wanted to try and get some sleep since I was kept awake most of the night by the violent jackhammering in my legs.  I really didn't know what was worse, staying in the sleeping bag or getting out. It was a bit of a reality check as to what this race was. I managed to convince myself to grab my clothes and head into a camp washroom to warm up.  I was miserable and I knew that feeling this way wasn't going to help me, so I decided to give myself a little pep talk.  I showed up in Banff! I made it 110 miles to Elkford through rain and snow and 8,000 feet of climbing! (I am sure you could debate that number but rounding up was really helpful at the time) Now I'm a rock star. 


Had a hard time managing the zippers on my equipment with my numb fingers, but I managed to pack up all my gear and head out about 5:30am.  In my haste to get warm and get to sleep the night before I left my GPS on.  That's bad.  I was already turning it on and of to save battery but now I had nothing.  I was already without a cycle computer.  Hoped the map cues were perfect.

 I was headed 30 miles to Sparwood for breakfast and I had passed a couple racers, goal number one. After passing a carcass of something that I am sure a grizzly was feeding on I decided to pick up my pace and started singing loudly a Bob Marley and Rob Base medley hoping that would let anything know I was on my way.  Ran into another Mike, from D.C. (I was hoping he didn't pick up on my singing) who was walking a flat section of gravel road.  I wanted the company so I joined him for a bit.  We ran into a couple of downed trees and snow barricades and slippery climbs.  When we hit some flatter sections I settled into a quicker pace and said goodbye to Mike. I was so in a zone with my head down just pedalling that I missed a turn. I started climbing up a hill on  Highway 43 when I heard a whistle.  At first I thought it was campers somewhere in the trees and then I heard it a little louder and I knew it must be for me.  I turned around and saw Mike making a left hand turn.  Checked the cues and realised my mistake. That saved me I am sure a 10 mile ride until I would have realised my error.  That was a bit of a wake up call for my mental awareness.  I really needed to stay sharper.

Made it to Sparwood.  Had to find a plug to get my GPS back up and running so I opted for the warmth of restaurant and found a plug.  Reviewed the maps, ate my french toast and packed up.  Decided to use the bathroom and when I came out I saw Chris Bennett sitting at the table I was using holding a light that looked just like mine, I had left it under the table.  Thank God for Chris.  I couldn't really afford to keep this pace of losing gear.  I headed to the mall to grab some food and water and wait for the GPS to charge in a little coffee shop. Anxious as I saw racer after racer pass through but I wasn't leaving until it was fully charged since I was headed to the Flatheads and no services for 2 days.  This section was intimidating enough just for me to think about, I didn't want to be lost in the Flathead.

I am not sure what it was but in researching the race sections, this is the one that scared me the most.  Very wild, very rugged and this is the first test on travelling a couple days between services.  I knew I had to make it to Butt's Cabin if I wanted to get out in two days.

Started through a mining area and then straight into a slow climb followed by another snowy pass.  About an hour in I noticed a figure in front pushing around the corner.  This was exciting.  Having Someone one to chase down was always a motivator.  It was Chris Bennett again.  He had left about 45 minutes ahead of me in Sparwood.  It was great to have someone to ride with.  It numbs the pain a little, and I was starting to feel the pain.  We walked out of the snow to find that it ended in a washed out road that resembled more of a river.  As I looked for my rain gear I realised I had left my booties in a bag at camp.  Man I am an idiot some times. My wife did predict that I might have this problem!  She said at some point I would be turning around to get something I forgot.  I wasn't however about to turn around.
I threw on some plastic bags and we continued on the rain through the rocky washed out roads and swimming pools.  Everything now was wet.  The pain in my shoulder was incredible. I took a few more pills, tried riding with my pack off and one handed. At the time I thought it was the backpack, but I think now it was more my tense riding posture causing me the issue.  On any other day it would have been my biggest concern, but I was cold, wet and tired and was looking forward to the cabin as my reward. We pushed on and made it to the cabin just before sundown.  No room at the inn.  The cabin and out building were full of riders.  Great to see everyone there but lousy that we had to set up to sleep in the rain.  End of  day 2.  This was awesome.  It was incredible to know I was doing this and one more day I will make it to the border!








  

Tour Divide 2012 - Race Day

Gorgeous sunny morning!  Up about 6 am.  When I say "up" I mean got out of bed.  Had a real hard time sleeping trying to manage my excitement and my fear.  Some final prep on the bike and out to fuel up and chat with some of the racers that I will never see again after the start.  I was not expecting to keep up with the top racers.  Crazy Larry again very present, getting everyone to sign his book and give quick video interviews. 

 

7:45 - Group Picture
7:50 - Off to the start and so it begins. 

Check out this video of the start! http://youtu.be/dx5eNlqmEfI

I was feeling like I really accomplished something taking my first pedal over the quite unceremonious start line at the trailhead.  The hours,days and months of obsessing over training, searching gear, logistics, maps, food choices and other riders stories was suddenly paying off.  The sad goodbye at the airport saying goodbye to my family and having my kids hugging me so tight I could sense their fear, was still front and center in my mind.  This is crazy.

 My first real goal was accomplished.  Showing up and and pedalling over the line.  No turning back now.  Spent the first couple hours enjoying myself.  I was trying to fit in to the pecking order constantly evaluating riders as I past them or they passed me.  I was focused on my next goal. Elkwood which was 110 miles.

My joy soon changed to misery.  The rain started and didn't let up.  The mud was relentless and I was very cold.  Lost my rain gloves when I stopped to get a snack.  Dummy. Guess I didn't pack them right.  Stopped at a trading post about 60 miles in and bought a pair of dish gloves in a week effort to warm my hands.  About a dozen were riders fighting for canopy space to dry off and get warm.  Poor girls at the cash! Took me a while to get comfortable again and get back out there. Wondering what I was getting into at this point.

 I was not preparing for the next few miles! Hit Elk Pass and immediately hit a pusher of a climb and the snow began!  I have heard the reports and seen the pictures of the racers pushing through the snow but to be here was a different thing entirely.  I mild panic set in as I had never experienced this before and there was no way to know how much to expect, 20 minutes or 6 hours.  I soon found comfort knowing that I was following other racers as I was literally walking in there footsteps, and that became my motivation.  It was my goal to catch someone everyday and never be caught!  So like a hunter and the prey I pushed through step by step, stopping to clean off the snow every once and a while that built up on the bike.  Through the snow to the mile of  the thick unrideable mud of the divide pass under the hydro lines and down the other side.

Soon caught up to Michael Clevland.  Great guy!  Think he was as happy as I was to have someone to ride with to push through to Elkford with.  The town that seemed like it would never come.  In the snow pushing through climbs  my cycle computer decided to stop working (no it wasn't just the magnet) I had no idea how far I had left as I was only depending on the map cues and my own mental ability to measure time and space (which is less than remarkable).  It was an agonizing, cold anticipation hoping to dear God that over every hill I could see the lights of Elkford.  I was hungry, tired, my hands were numb, and as the sun set and  we continued in darkness. I reached for my headlight which apparantly was turned on inside my pack so instead of fishing through my  pack in the dark for batteries I grabbed my maglight, held it in my hand and rode into town.  Hotel full, restraunt closed.  Grabbed a beef sandwhich from a liquor store fridge and headed across to the campsite cook shelter. Laid my bag out at about 11pm, between tables and other racers and involuntarily shook all night.  Day one 110 miles to Elkford complete!