Tour Divide 2013 - Snow report 2012-2013 Comparison



Updated May 27th 2013... Here is the comparison from the same time last year.  Top picture is 2013, bottom picture is 2012.  Looks like more snow in Wyoming and Colarado but may be a few less inches in Canada and Montana.  From this it looks like snow in the same places and maybe slighty less with exception of Colarado.  We may benefit from a bit later start this year.  Thoughts???

Follow that purple line down from Canadian border through Montana, Wyoming and Colorado and you pretty much have the route.  I hope that colour doesn't really mean 40-50" of snow.  Well still has a couple weeks to melt.... 

 

 

 



Tour Divide 2013 - Committed, Be a DOer

Watched 'Pain and Gain' Saturday night.  "be a DO'er not a DONT'er"  although Marky Mark maybe took this a little too far I did find this pharase rather funny but yes I guess it is good advice.  I was surprised to find a facebook page dedicated to this.  Not sure I can take this phrase too seriously after seeing that movie but here is the link https://www.facebook.com/Be.A.Doer.Inc

I bought my plane ticket, booked my room in Banff.  No turning back.  It is suddenly real again and knowing I am committed now is extremely encouraging.  It has taken a lot to get to this point again this year.  Sacrifices from my family, sacrifices in my professional career, finance juggling and battles with my own deep illness (still coming to terms with depression being an illness and not my own personal weakness) will all make this years race that much sweeter.  Slaying this dragon will truly be a launching pad for dreams to come.  I was asked how I put my life on pause to take such a trip and my answer is that this trip is the play button.  "When I'm dreamin', I know that it's alright" thanks Weezer.

A friend of mine from Seattle has announced her intention last night to ride the Pacific Coast Highway from Washington to the Mexican border this year starting June 14th, same day as the TD starts.  the goals of our trips are completely different but her announcement of her parallel journey, literal and figurative, really made me remember my moment of commitment and actually made me a little bit jealous.  To accomplish a goal I think you first need to set one and then you need to make it public.  Once its out there, it's much easier to carry out for fear of publicly failing.  I don't mean saying "someday I'm going to" but rather saying "I am going to".
In reading her announcement I was envious of the leisure at her disposal on her route, but inspired by her boldness to change her life to commit to a dream.

Wow, 47 days to go...

Tour Divide 2013 - Training Update

Didn't feel like getting out today.  Suck it up.  Turned out to be a good day for it actually.  Still a little cool, but once my motivation overcame my laziness I got out there and had a good time.  I am doing about 30-35 miles at a little quicker pace to get my time in 3 times a week and then back it off for my longer rides on the weekend.  I still find it hard to carve 6 workouts a week into my week so I try to make the best of the time I do have.  Every ride is a mini shake down.  Riding with different gear and trying to see what I can live without.  I would guess that heading up and down the Escarpment a few times gets me 1500 feet of climbing in.  Not nearly enough, but that's what I have to work with here.  Weather has been terrible so at least that has helped sort out my foul weather gear. My front and back rings are missing teeth and my bottom bracket is making a terrible noise.  Guess I got my monies worth out of that.  Trying to keep it together until the new parts arrive in the mail. 
Here is a look at Hamilton from the top with Lake Ontario in the back. 

TOUR DIVIDE 2012 - The quick edit

This is a little quicker than watching all 5 videos. You may have seen some of this footage before. Made this edit for a fundraiser earlier this year. Banff to Butte.  Last video I will post about last years race.  Really put me in the mood today after watching it.

Tour Divide 2013 - Superman on a bike, the early years...

Superman on a bike.  I guess that has always been my goal.  This is the day I got my first "2 wheeler"!  April 6, 1980.  Loved that bike and sticking baseball cards in the spokes with clothespins.  I actually did ride past several bunnies on the ride last year and dealt with a few demons.  Crazy foreshadowing. Love this picture.

Tour Divide 2013 - Gear Changes

First shake down ride of the year and I am making some changes.  Yes that is my dirty bike in the rec room and no, that is not a popular thing to do in my house.  Though I don't see the issue.

Having a small triangle on my frame I am forced to keep a lot more gear on in the saddle bag and the handle bar bag.  I am switching out my Porcelain Rocket Saddle bag for the Revelate bag.  Seems to be a little wider and deeper at the base and I can get a little more stuff packed close to the seat post.  This, I am hoping will allow me to get some stuff out of the handle bar bag and pack a little more bulk closer to the seat post.  I hope this will also help me get rid of the annoying, heavy dog tail feeling I got when my saddle bag was packed like and ice cream cone, top heavy and swinging unsupported away from the seat post.

I am taking a packable back pack for emergency food and water, and probably going to save some dough and use my old rain coat.   With no pack on my back my coat will be fine.  Trying to control temperature with the pack on was a terrible task last year, not to mention the extra weight.  Less to worry about as well, with my tendency to lose things.  I am looking for rainpant  suggestions. I will bring some but light and packable are a must.  I picked my last pair up in Banff before I left last year and they were terrible.  They had a mesh liner in them and they tore a hole in Day 4.

Also, Gore socks on order and Giro shoes.  Gloves are sorted and Long haul Greg you will be glad to know they do have clips that I can use to attatch them to my jacket. 

Thanks to E-Buddy for helping me get my bike back together. 

Tour Divide 2013 (playlist)

ipod...  coming with me this year.  Hopefully will help me fill some of my lonley hours.  Looking forward to getting lost while getting lost.  I went to an early Cake concert when they were opening for other bands and remember getting a cassette tape sample of The Distance. Yes cassette, it was that long ago. Love that tune.   Enjoy

Tour Divide 2013 - Best Birthday Ever

Ever have one of those weekends that was so awesome you wished you didn't have to leave? And it was my birthday on Sunday as well.

It was perfect.  Blackburn treated us Rangers so well.  What an amazing group of people.  California blew me away and I think it is now one of my favourite places.  Met some incredible people and did some epic riding.  It felt really good to get some climbs in that I can't get back home and test out my gear as I rode fully loaded for the first time this year.  All was great with the bike and new wheel set up but I am rethinking some of my gear choices now.  Still want to gear down and shift some weight around as I am still to front heavy. No jokes intended.  

 wEvery few miles seemed to provide a completely different view.  From the ocean to the redwoods.  Several miles actually made me miss being out on the route and really got me excited for June.  Some of the awesome people I was lucky enough to cross paths with on the weekend enjoying some incredible food in Spring Valley in the picture to the right.    Nick will be racing the TD in June (Blue Glasses) and was the ring leader for the weekend along with Robin who represents Blackburn famously but will not be racing (back with crossed legs).  The other Rangers all had great back stories.  Phil from Salida (not in picture), will be riding segments of the GDMBR and if you are reading this and planning on taking the route through Salida, you must stop at his coffee shop in Salida and say hello! Dr. Jennifer from Seattle (maker of great chocolate chip cookies) just had her appendix removed a few days before the weekend and didn't ride for obvious reasons (right side) and Dennis the "road rocket" (stuffing in calories between Nick and Robin) will be riding the entire Pacific Coast Highway. Jason the human Wikipedia from San Fran who happens to live on a sailboat (in hat) will be riding segments of that route.  Dom and Nadia from Encompass films (front left) also attended and will appreciate my use of... parenthesis.  Together we are the Blackburn Rangers.  More bios and info on their adventures to come. 

Did I say Awesome people already?  Hey Mark, thanks for the lift to and from the airport.