Looks like Rebecca Rusch just missed the turn off Redington... hopefully she figures that out before she gets back on the line in the wrong place, goes too far to correct it, and gets herself DQ'd.

Heck yeah.  She's killing it out there!  Flying!  Maybe riding with Neil, as their trackers aren't updating at the same time...

Looks like Dana has pulled away from Dion Clark pretty significantly, given that they were riding close most of the day yesterday.  I know his strategy was little sleep.  Yesterday he tracked literally within minutes of my 2015 300 run... this morning he's about an hour ahead.  Can he keep it up?  I hope so!

In 2015 I slept for a few hours at Redington on the first night, then rode through the entire next day, night, and day again to the finish with only a few ~30-minute cat naps.  Was pretty tired at the finish.  Will be interesting to see if Dana sleeps at all for the remainder.  If it all sticks together he could be in for a ~2 day, 7-10 hour finish.  But the sleep monster is a powerful beast!

Hello friends.  Just couldn't resist... I'm back to watching those blue dots.  Wishing that I was one this year, seeing people I know ride through areas I've been makes for a slideshow of memories! 

Scott, thanks as ever for putting this event on and providing the tracking to boot.

Shout out for Dana Ernst (no relation to me), flying out there and making Bedrock look good even freshly off a crash-induced shoulder injury.  Stoked to see Dana and so many friends from over the years out there for 2018!

Still the best.

Bedrock Coconino with Railwing.

Why, thanks!

I saw this posted on a website I frequent, it looks like a great idea.

As for that "Woho" thingy - not to put too fine a point on it, but it appears that they've taken our RailWing concept and, well, made everything good about it bad.  I won't go into it here, but if you read up on what makes the RailWing tick and why the design looks and operates the way it does, you'll quickly understand why that Woho gadget is a poor idea.  Kind of like using an band-aid when you need stitches. 

By the time you get to the last climb out of the Platte, you're like "what climb?" 

Oh yeah - I posted the above hypothetical Section 27 reroute in a N > S direction, which is obviously backwards from this year's S > N Grand Depart.  So, reverse everything I said.  And remember, this is hypothetical for now! 

Justin, Tenmile from the south is interesting - the last big HAB you face, super steep in that direction, but man, the descent down the east side is amazing.  Way better than descending the west side, IMO.

Highly doubt there will be a GPS reroute unless someone feels like drawing (and knows how to draw) it on a digital map by hand.  Shouldn't be too difficult, navigation-wise, regardless of what's on the ground up there.  Just a major bummer to miss that last ~40 miles of the CT.  I assume *BUT DON'T KNOW* that the reroute would simply be from the northern boundary of the closure (Hotel Draw road), down Hotel Draw to the east, then down Hermosa Park road to the north Hermosa Creek TH, down the trail to the south Hermosa TH, then ~16 miles of road to Durango.  No good way to skirt the closure and come back to the CT without some major oddball routing and lots more climbing.

But at what cost to the souls of CTR racers, to miss out on that glorious HAB?

Huge cost.  Huge.  Or, in the parlance of our times, "YUGE".  Actually, personally, I always liked Tenmile.

Personally I consider that dependent on your sleep strategy.  If I'm "racing" and sleeping very little, I'm certainly not hanging my food, and probably not in a given spot long enough to really worry about bears or smaller scavengers.  But if I'm on tour, or sleeping more, I'll bring a bear bag and very small-diameter rope, and hang my food at night.

+1 on the MSR... I use the old Sweetwater and have been since 2010.  Works like a charm, but larger than the Sawyer.

Been checked out of the thread for a bit.  Lots of good info!  My two cents:

+1 on the wet wipes, hygiene is important.  It's just that showers aren't necessary.  Good dirt, bad dirt, you'll learn the difference.  I don't use a chamois - I wear unpadded, seamless synthetic briefs under baggies - so carrying an extra pair of briefs is super tiny and light.  I only bring one pair of shorts (the baggies).  I don't let them get super wet, if it's raining, I put on rain pants.  No extra jersey, I wear light wool - insulates when wet, and doesn't smell even after a week straight (side benefit!).

I take two tubes, 2oz of Stans, and a genuine patch kit (glue and all).

Currently for lights I'm using the Exposure Revo dynamo light with a SON hub, and and Exposure Diablo on my helmet.  I charge the Diablo off the hub during the day.  I have also used a Black Diamond Storm, it's great for low speed riding or hiking, but not powerful enough alone for really bombing through the woods.

As others have said, sleep kit depends on how much you're going to sleep - but I concur with others, 32oz for a bivy is nuts.  I've had multiple tents under that weight.

Dynamo lights are awesome. Never worry about batteries again!

Shower? What's a shower?

Dana, Chase, yeah!

Note:  Apple should in no way be construed as, used as, or counted on as a "resupply" of any kind.  He's not there to resupply racers, he's there to be a bit of trail magic for trail users.  I missed him altogether in 2011 and enjoyed a completely unexpected root beer float in 2013.

Justin, not harshing on you, just not completely certain what you meant and didn't want newcomers getting the wrong idea. 

I agree with Justin.  Don't worry about mail drops.  Plenty of food out there.  Also, if you're leaving Silverton in the AM as late as the PO or grocery will be open, you're setting yourself up for some serious probable afternoon weather trouble on the high sections (22/23).  I'm personally a fan of packing food from Durango to BV, and making sure I'm heading for Stony Pass by 3-4am if at all possible.

Hamilton!  Yes!  Glad you're in for another go.

I heard you were getting your wisdom teeth yanked!

Just found out that the dentist screwed up the procedure in a major way and now, two months later, I have to go have the whole thing redone.  Things are not looking good for riding/training this year so far... pretty bummed.  Also not looking forward to more antibiotics and liquid "food".     If you're ever in Durango and need an oral surgeon... go somewhere else, because we only have this one.

Welcome to the board, Dummey (somehow that sounds wrong)!  If you feel fully prepared for this beast without having done it before, then you're probably overconfident or unaware of what's in store... ha!

Nevertheless, you will have a most excellent adventure.

I would bet he wouldn't have wanted the race cancelled. Sad news.
That is what he lived and died for.

I wholeheartedly agree.

No words.  Be careful out there, everyone; this could have been any one of our community.  RIP MH.

RE storms, lightning:

-Start high sections early (pre-dawn) if possible and the timing works out
-Have experience watching, experiencing, calling high country weather (ideally) or, barring that, just know that high country weather is quick to change and WILL catch you out
-Make smart decisions and manage risk; you probably won't avoid all storms, but if you're not going for the record you can wait out the nastiest weather
-When you get caught out, don't hang out under solo trees, or small stands of trees.  Entire forests are good.  Stay off ridgelines, away from open areas, the bottoms of drainages, etc.

I generally don't worry too much about riding in a lightning storm through an alpine forest, unless the storm is centered directly over my head.  But I don't mess around with lightning above treeline.  In the 2011 CTR, I ditched my bike along Section 22 and ran down about 600 vertical feet into some low scrub when a sudden squall blew up over the ridgeline and threw a bolt onto the ground directly ahead of me.

This story brings up an interesting point:  Don't let peer pressure dictate your moves.  I was with a small group that day - about 3-4 of us riding together for a few hours.  It was sunny, with large thunderheads popping up here and there, but nothing overhead.  The CT passed to the south of this large, deep valley, but just enough on the other side of the ridge that we couldn't see over into that valley.  We were at about 12,500', well above treeline.  Suddenly a small but violent squall just blew up out of that valley and over the ridge ahead of us; as soon as it came over I told the group I didn't like the look of it and was ditching my bike temporarily.  I received a skeptical response, so I headed down alone.  Not 15 seconds later and the low grumbles coming from that squall turned into incredibly close and sharp cracks of thunder - cloud to ground lightning, directly ahead of us and not more than 1/4 mile away.  Everyone else dropped their bikes and followed me down with no delay!  Moral of this story - if you don't like something, don't follow someone else's lead, unless they're much more experienced than you and you trust their judgement. 

Mmm... not certain yet.  I have a long way to go to get back to CTR shape after a couple years of forced lameness.  But I am definitely thinking about it, will just have to see how the riding goes this spring.