Uh oh. Nice conditions update Jill, my snow shoe jokes were in jest. I had been starting to consider my winter riding shoes for CA and MT though until I reached a postal drop...

Here's my two cents. Definitely wait until a week or so before the event and check final snow reports. If May temperatures have been mild and snowpack is still well above normal (which of course should be close to zero in mid-June), then consider bringing snowshoe-like platforms for your feet. A pair of plastic children's snowshoes from Super Target weigh probably in the range of two pounds and cost about $30 (Not even sure if they're stocked at stores this time of year, but you can probably find cheap snowshoes online.) Strap those to you bike shoes and it will make the difference between simple slogging and punching to your thighs and scraping your shins to shreds in snow banks, sinkholes and other areas of deep, rotten snowpack. You might still do that, but the snowshoes will help. Seriously.

Good luck to all with the final prep! I'm excited for you guys and more than a little bit jealous.

Today, May 10, I went on a road ride through Kananaskis country. Took this photo at the Elk Pass trailhead, which is the bottom of Elk Pass (first Continental Divide crossing on the GDMBR.) There was about 18-24 inches of snow across the trail. You could cross-country ski it. I know there's still a month of melt to go, but still. All of those jokes about carrying snowshoes to use on high passes for the first week ... having seen this and the piles of snow everywhere else, even in the town of Banff, I'd be inclined to take that advice a little more seriously.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xOoo6AbHOUwEROgnGX014mgcQVyOlV_8DpfA8xlpc_A?feat=directlink

Since when do government bureaucrats see reason? ;-) I'm only recounting some of the rumors I've heard. I have no official information so you can take it at its face value, which is to say, not worth much.

I personally don't care about the chest-thumping going on here and there; the Tour Divide isn't that hard. ;-) But I do think the size of the group is a legitimate concern. Under current regulations, legal group size is limited to 10 people in BNP, which has obviously been exceeded since the beginning. These regulations were obviously written for people who both travel and camp together; there's no precedent for a race. However, there are rumors among people in the community — friends of mine and their friends who work in both Parks and tourism — that crackdown is possible, especially if some people in Parks decide this massive group of people flooding the Spray River Trail all at once might have a negative impact on the paying tourists at that very ritzy hotel next door. Could just be a rumor; I don't know. And of course there's no government-issued statement yet. But I don't believe this concern is baseless.

Another approach is to limit the size of the start pack by having multiple starts. This one is more clear-cut, and deals with the issues without necessitating cut-off criteria, putting people on the defensive, etc. Maybe not ideal, but at least it's inclusive and welcoming.

Not a bad idea. Limit group starts to 30 or so people had have riders seed themselves based on how long they expect/hope to take to finish the course. <18 days starts on Friday at 10 a.m. 18-20 days on Saturday, 20-22 days on Sunday, 22-25 days on Monday, >25 days on Tuesday, or some variation therein. Keeps the entire group largely "together" in an event that can be followed at basically that same time, and allows the faster racers in each group front-of-the-pack advantages and also an opportunity to chase others, but eliminates several of the issues with group sizes exceeding legal limits, overcrowding at hotels, etc. There are at least a couple of food resupply spots that are listed on the maps that likely literally cannot meet the needs of 100+ hungry visitors in a week's time (Atlantic City, Wyo. comes to mind.) And of course most local bike shops on the route would still be overtaxed if the entire field does exceed 100 or 200 people. But for the most part staggered starts reduce a lot of the problems that have been brought up in this tread.

I recently interviewed Jeff for an article for ACA. He told me he developed his first seat and frame bags for personal use in the mid-1990s, and also made a few for his friends, but didn't decide to start offering them commercially until he was injured in a ski accident in early 2006 and posted an ad on MTBR offering to make bags for mountain bikers. That was about a year and a half before Eric offered his first commercial bags with Epic Designs.

Oh, and Jeff also said the purpose of his early bags was to carry gear for overnight mountain bike camping trips, so presumably Jeff was pioneering rackless camping gear systems as early as the 1990s. But I'm not sure where the seat bag fits into the mix.

I'd worry about surprising mom and cubs cooking around a turn at 20 mph, not one coming after you in the night trying to steal twizzlers.

Precisely. People spend way too much psychological energy fretting about camping in bear country when cycling in bear country is much more dangerous, statistically and practically.

Interesting discussion about the "elephant in the room." I think nearly everyone with close associations to Divide racing is concerned about the large numbers this year and the potential backlash with government authorities and also small businesses that make up the lifeline of this race. Even ACA is concerned to some extent because they want good bicycle ambassadorship on their route, and a bunch of people breaking into private property, littering, trespassing or otherwise breaking laws is certainly not good PR. This isn't to say that just because there are 100 people in a group, there are going to be a lot of bad behavior incidents. But the odds are certainly better than they used to be.

Like many veterans, I too feel a strong desire to go back to this route someday to challenge my own abilities and expectations. In my case, it would likely be an ITT effort in the late summer/fall, but still, I would hate to see the Tour Divide devolve into a "remember when" kind of an event, or a punchline.

The issue is that no one has stepped forward with a solution. The spirit of openness has allowed all of us a chance to try it, but an open-ended policy only has room for unlimited growth. However, no one can set up restrictions because technically no one runs this race, at least directly. It seems unlikely to me that the people who currently head up the organization of this race can possibly sustain it under these kind of numbers, especially given there's no entry fee and even the minimal organization has to cost a fair amount of time and money. Sadly, I think most of us are just watching and waiting to see whether TD tries to go "legit" or implodes under the weight of its own good intentions.

JayP's philosophy of keeping the original intention of Divide racing through self-policing is noble, but sadly not very realistic. As the Divide racing has gotten more popular, the overall finisher rate has only gotten better, meaning more people are showing up prepared for the rigors of this race. It is possible to set up real cut-offs and time limits, but the issue is who decides those. As other people have mentioned, and as I experienced during my few days riding with John Nobile in 2009, one person's soul-crushing race pace is another person's fast-touring pace. It's very difficult to determine where to draw the line.

Anyway, good discussion. It's good to see that others are thinking about it, too.

Personally, I think a Fatback fitted with 29" wheels and a carbon fork would make a great bike for the Tour Divide. One of the most frustrating issues I ran into with my Surly Karate Monkey was clearance. Mud and clay would build up on the wheels and jam the tires against the frame after just a few rotations. The Fatback's wide clearance in both the back and on the fork would alleviate this issue. In the worst peanut butter mud, you'd at least be able to push your bike rather than being reduced to carrying it. Plus, because the front and rear wheels are interchangeable, you could put a singlespeed hub and cog on the front wheel, which you could switch out easily if your freehub or rear derailleur failed (both of these things have happened in the TD.)

Fat bikes with the really big wheels would also help float some other mud conditions, but don't count on them helping in summer snowpack. It's just too soft and rotten to establish any kind of viable trail. Especially on warm days, the sun will melt the tracks of previous people within a couple of hours. You may be able to float on top of some crust, but more likely you're going to break through at inopportune times (planting the front wheel and endoing over the handlebars, clearing the stem only if you're lucky.)

Pugsleys and Fatbacks with wide rims are super-comfortable, though. Heavy, yes. But it's a great way to get some of the benefits of "full" suspension without shocks.

I used the 29" Nano Raptor/Slime Tube set-up in the 2009 Tour Divide. I only used one set of tires and tubes for 2,700 miles — never once did I get a flat that required a tube change, although the tire rubber was precariously thin by the end. I only had three or four instances, all in New Mexico, when I ran over something sharp and all of the air leaked out of one of the tires. However, the Slime Tubes always sealed and all I had to do was pump air back into them. For spares, I carried regular tubes. You can always purchase new slime tubes in bike shops along the way. They are heavy, and can't be refilled.

I've had more flats and other issues with my tubeless/Stans set-up on my Rocky Mountain Element in considerably less miles, but then again on that bike I've been using some kind of wimpy 26" Huthchinson race tires, and have typically ridden it in rougher terrain than the average GDMBR mile.

FYI- everyone should really be paying attention to Tracey. record to McGrath, record to NOme (north), and going south this year. if she completes this years she will be the only women to complete both and possibly have all records....just sayin'

Indeed. Tracey is awesome. You two are in for another solid adventure starting next week. Thanks for clarifying the contribution set-up for the No Idle Tour. I hope to contribute and look forward to watching your progress.

Dave Nice: Great photo with your pink bike and tarp. Do you mind if I use it with credit in an ACA blog post?

Agreed, DaveH. This is pretty close to off the charts. Few people really understand just how different and difficult two events like the Iditarod and RAAM really are. Almost like resolving to climb Mount Everest and ride the Tour de France in the same year. Then add the Divide ... almost an afterthought to Jay. Super ambitious although I have no doubt he'll be able to pull it off.

I missed the part about a RAAM record. Where does he mention that? Because that really is a huge goal ... Americans usually don't break the top three in RAAM, let alone win, let alone break records.

Also, is there any mention of an Iditarod record? The southern route record is still pretty soft, about 22 days I believe. Seems even in "touring" mode, Jay stands to break this one as well.

It really is a matter of what you think you need. It certainly is different for everyone. I'm still of the opinion that if I did not have my full body wind layer (because let's be honest, in a strong thunderstorm that's all rain jackets and pants really are), my uncomfortable situations had the potential to become dangerous. Protecting oneself from windchill can make the difference between "cold" and "hypothermic." The weather of '09 got everyone in different ways, but I wore my rain coat or pants at least once during all but four days, and the arm/leg warmers at least part of each day but one (the last). I finished the experience valuing every piece of clothing I brought, including the one fleece glove that I sadly lost outside Butte (I never replaced it, but often switched hands with the one glove that remained.) But as Marshal pointed out, others get along just fine with minimal clothing. Any decisions should be based on personal comfort levels.

I do think you could get through this race without a sleeping bag. That would be a risk in itself, necessitates a few considerably long days to get through remote sections, of course costs more money, arguably takes up more time than camping, and some might say goes against the spirit of the TD, but it could be done — especially if you had enough warm clothing to just keep moving through most situations, "emergency" bivies in outhouses and post offices wouldn't be necessary. It can be done. But would you leave the sleeping bag at home just because it's possible? I know I wouldn't. That's the way I feel about rain pants.

Yet I still can't get over the exposure of not bringing rain pants, knickers something, nor the water capacity thing. Sure if you know every water source along the whole 2700+ miles, but I do not. After some study it seems like some long dry sections to traverse and the risk of them not all being there as well. I remember the call ins from a few years ago when Matt couldn't get water cause two reservation stores were closed due to power outages. He did some monster miles on like one water bottle, in New Mexico that could kill me. But It is something to ponder.....Jefe

ps in reality it is the # of miles that makes me question every thing that has worked for me in the past.

I'm in agreement with you on this one. Rookies who try to mimic a bare-bones set-up by eschewing rain gear or water-carrying capacity are taking a big risk. Of all the bike riding I did in Alaska, including in temperatures down to 35 below and hours on end in extra-wet-slushy-sleety Juneau, I have never been as cold on a bicycle as I was a couple of times during the Tour Divide, caught out in big thunderstorms. It was especially bad when I was stuck in the mud and couldn't ride. Pushing the bike through peanut butter was like a core workout — amazingly hard work but not cardiovascular enough to work up much heat. I was a shivering mess. And I had quite a bit of rain gear and extra warm clothing with me. I can't imagine leaving it behind. I'd much rather go sans sleeping bag/mat/bivy than sans-rain gear.

I also had the capacity to carry 9 liters of water. I started out with that much the morning I set out across the Great Divide Basin and drank it all. Of course, that much ins't completely necessary even there because there are at least a couple of possible water stops in the Basin. But I was grateful to have it.

I admire the athletic/adventure aspect of JayP's endeavor as well. I also love the snow-road-mountain trifecta of his plan; that is what makes it really unique. It's also what makes it really expensive. Three bikes, three different trips, three different sets of gear. I've read that RAAM alone can cost something in the range of $15,000, and support vehicles and crew are compulsory. Iditarod demands a $1,000 entry fee and a lot of time, gear and travel, and GDMBR a lot of time and yet more gear. Sponsorships are a necessary evil to fund things like this. And the easiest way to achieve sponsorships is to tell potential sponsors that your crazy/inspiring/intriguing adventure will help support a good cause. It's a kind of "everyone wins" situation. Jay gets to attempt the adventure, sponsors get the exposure and endorsement, and some kind of charity gets whatever is left. Jay picked a worthy enough charity. I'd question its effectiveness but the sentiment is solid.

To demand that something must be self-funded in order to be "pure" is unfair. That's basically stating that only rich people or people with a lot of cash to burn deserve to take on these kinds of challenges. Ernest Shackleton had the financial support of the government. These days, adventure money comes from corporations.

I'm excited to watch this all unfold this year. It promises nonstop excitement for Jay and his supporters. Go JayP!

As for the a route through Canada: You might be able to string together some dirt roads/trails in southern British Columbia, but I think even there the options for through-routes on dirt are extremely limited. Within the Kananaskis area there are some amazing singletrack trails that you can string together with a few dirt roads and pavement from Roosville, Montana, through Fernie, into the foothills of western Alberta and all the way to Banff, basically by combining bits of the GDMBR with the current TransRockies route (albeit with a fair amount of bike pushing, especially if you're loaded.) Otherwise, I think the best route is to follow the GDMBR through Banff, up the Icefields Parkway and onto the Cassier Highway to the Al-Can to Whitehorse. There's really no options for dirt touring north of Jasper. There's just not a whole lot of development up there — no maintained dirt roads and certainly no trails. But once you reach Whitehorse, there is an abundance of awesome singletrack developed by local mountain bikers.

You can always take route inspiration from these guys: http://www.ridingthespine.com. They sought to ride as much dirt as they could across two continents but mostly rode paved highways in Canada.

I set up my Surly Karate Monkey for late-season road touring in the Yukon and Southeast Alaska. Slap a couple of slicks on the wheels, and the KM makes an awesome road touring bike. I packed a -20 degree sleeping bag, Ridgerest, bivy sack, three days of food, water, down coat, hat, rain coat, rain pants, gloves, mittens, extra socks, extra jersey, water filter, repair gear, med kit, and misc. items without racks. It was a good set-up for the 370-mile Golden Circle in late September, with some (minimal) gravel sections and a snowstorm. I camped in temperatures in the upper teens. The heavy front-loading on the handlebars didn't bother me nearly as much as front panniers used to on my touring bike; I prefer to have the weight higher. I wasn't exactly packed light, but I do appreciate the simplicity and ease of bike bags. They're first-generation bags from Epic (now Revelate) Designs.

Camping in bear country is more about whether or not you can sleep soundly, rather than whether or not bears are actually going to bother you. Black bears are much more likely to approach camps looking for food than grizzly bears, and even then the chance is relatively small. You're much more likely to encounter a bear when moving than to have a bear encounter you while you are sleeping, especially if you cook, eat and store food a fair distance away from where you've bedded down. So the "perceived danger" is a much bigger deal than "actual danger." Because if you're up all night freaking out about bears, it really wasn't such a good camp site after all. Personally, I feel comfortable sleeping outside in bear country. Statistics are heavily on my side.

Brilliant. My favorite part was the tribute to Mike and Ike candies, with tribute to real silence a close second. Beautiful and haunting. Thanks so much for creating this. Can't wait for the next installment.