From Denver Post on 08 Leadville 100:

Lance Armstrong leads Dave Wiens up the brutal Powerline climb. The two have about 70 miles under their belt here, not even three-quarters done with the Leadville Trail 100. They raced tire-to-tire for almost the whole race. The next racer is 30 minutes back. It’s either of theirs to lose. Wiens pulled ahead atop the climb, but Armstrong caught him at Hagerman Pass Road and the two raced on pavement down to Turquoise Lake and back up to the St. Kevins climb. That’s where LA surrendered and Wiens took ‘er home for his sixth consecutive title and yet another course record: 6:45:45. Armstrong finished second at 6:47:41. Manny Prado, of Costa Rica, took third at 7:20:53 and Crested Butte ski patroller Ethan Passant took fourth at 7:28:00. Passant, by the way, just last week won the 530-mile, fully self-supported Colorado Trail Race with a new record: 5 days, 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Quite a heating trend the next several days all along the course in NM.  Be careful!!!

"Una" as in one?  It is more fun not to count them.  Live large.  BTW, the internet is a wonderful thing, look what I just found:  http://www.summitpost.org/hachita-rest-stop/376181

With the SoBos getting closer to NM it is time for a Spanish lesson.  Repeat after me:

Hole-la!

Good, Good, you have the idea, now try:

Cerveza fria por favor.

After you have repeated the above 3 or 4 times in a place of public refreshment try:

Quanta para la nina?

As you get closer to AW make sure you stop at the Hatchita rest stop for a photo op.

"He went past Lost Maples, through Leakey, Del Rio, Sanderson, etc."

I deer hunt in Sanderson and there are a couple of things to think about.  First Sanderson is the rattle snake capital of the world.  These aren't the sissy little 40" snakes like most of the Southwest these are Texas sized up to 8'.  I hunt in December there so they aren't an issue because the temps can get down to the teens.  Add in some wind chill and were talking cold.

This route runs along the Border.  Remember Sanderson was where "No Country for Old Men" was set.  It isn't like there are shoot outs everywhere but you have to be mindful camping along the border.  The best thing to do is go to a McDonalds (if you are in a town big enough to have one) around 7:00 am and there are always several BP guys getting ready for their shift hanging out.  BP guys are some of the most helpful guys you will ever run into.  Tell them what you are up to and they will give you tips on staying safe.  They will also have the other BP guys keep an eye out for you.

Sanderson is prime Mt Lion habitat.  Mt Lion sightings are very rare however on the ranch I hunt on in both of the last two years lions were shot.  Last year one was shot after it was stalking a hunter for over an hour.  The hunter went after the wounded lion in some heavy brush until he came to his senses realizing he was no Jim Corbett.  I used to run into government hunters often before sun up in the area, that tells me there are lots of kitties around.

That said it is a wonderful place and the people are great.  It used to be a big sheep raising area back in the 1920s before it dried out.  The people who stayed are either descendants of the old ranchers or retirees.  You can't go into a restaurant without getting into a conversation with everyone in the place.  It has been really dry there and the local economies are really taking a hit so every dollar spent in locally owned businesses is greatly appreciated.

In regards to David Horton here is a link to a piece on the Barkley that he ran.  http://www.mattmahoney.net/barkley/  If you are not familiar with the Barkley it is an ultra that is run near Oak Ridge TN around Frozen Head Park.  The race commemorates James Earl Ray's escape from Brushy Mt. State Pen. which abuts Frozen Head.  When I lived in Oak Ridge I used to trail run, hike and generally suffer there.  The terrain is steep and unforgiving.  Add in the heat and humidity, throw in the copperheads and bugs and you have a hellish experience.  I have never been able to comprehend what it takes to actually finish that race.

"The" David Horton!  I have been reading about him for years.  It will be great to hear his comments on the "process" of the TD.

I remember seeing those around.  I thought they would be a pain as the strap would flatten out thus making it difficult to get your toe in.  With toe clips all the frame does is hold the strap up.  I will definitely check them out before I start tinkering.

Showing my age again, or perhaps dementia.  I like being clipped in most of the time.  I haven't used toe clips in 20 years except on borrowed bikes.  Recently I bought a Fargo and installed Cook Bros Candy pedals.  I thought my riding shoes with Time cleats on them would work but they un-clipped all the time.  Finally I installed the cleats that came with the Candies and they work fine on the Candies but not on my Time pedals on my mtb.  I really don't want to buy yet more shoes and cleats.  I don't like riding platforms most of the time.  Then I had a thought (danger, danger), what if old fashion toe clips were used on something like an early 90s XT pedal (probably the best and most durable pedal ever made) and where the clip "frame" screws to the front of the pedal heavy duty marine canvas snap fittings were used?  Those snaps should be plenty strong for the forces involved.  When the toe clip wasn't wanted is could be simply unsnapped.  True the snappers on the pedal would be exposed to possible damage when the clip wasn't being used but they could be installed on both sides of the pedal to mitigate that.  The advantages would be instant choice between being clipped in or platforms and you wouldn't need expensive shoes or $40.00 cleats.

Has anyone seen something like this being done?

"As for Justin S, I admire his perseverence, but when I read about a 250' snow slide down fleecer ridge my first thought was-people die that way...."

+1

Please be careful.

I think the dry bag idea is perfect.  I ruined a nice camera in Baja in the 80s.  I thought I had packed it well but a day long (Xmas day) dust storm got fine sand in everything.  If conditions looked bad I would also put your cell phone, gps, etc in the bag,

The state that produced Dick Cheney knows how to do things right.  That would never have happened in California. 

Definitely. He was pretty much telling me last night that he was going to call it quits, but i'm trying to convince him to take a day or two off, see how his neck feels, and maybe get back out there. So, we'll see.

Take him over to the Fox Club.  Slip the gal at the entrance a twenty and tell her he has a sore neck.  That'll straighten him out.

Ouch!

Mine is slowly coming together.  I put a nice rack (love that name) and a Node 2 computer on it.  The rack is built like a tank and has the weight to prove it.  I am always slow learning a new computer but I am beginning to suspect this one has a defect somewhere.  Sometimes it will not give a cadence reading, usually at the beginning of a ride.  I was having a devil of a time getting it to reset trip readings.  The other day I just gave up before a 50 mile ride then in the middle of the ride it decides to reset.  Some pieces of technology are meant to be hauled out into the desert and shot at.

I make a point of saying hi to other cyclists when I am riding.  I do the same hiking or running.  I always chuckle to myself when the Lycra clad roadies pretend I don't exist.  They even do this when I am on my road bike.  Anyway, it seems worse when I am on the Fargo.  Mostly it is the guys and gals with all the furrin writing on there outfits.  I wounder if any of them understand what is written or does it just look cool.  Could it be the sure sign of ignorance, contempt for what they don't understand?  Maybe they just don't give a sh!t about the guy on the funny looking bike.  Who knows, who cares?  I am rambling again.  Next time they don't respond I will say "I said hello!".  If they still don't respond I'll ask "Is it my breath?".  Enough procrastinating it is time to go riding.

"...and EP and KR are still riding together..."

People are going to start talking...

Just saying...

From the Tour Divide web site FAQs:

"'Off-route' means lateral movement on a side road or trail away from the designated route. Occasionally off-route movement is more advantageous than backwards movement. At the point your bike is not rideable, it's all going to be a crap-shoot. It may be faster to hoof it forward to the next possible town or available off-route road than to hitchhike backwards.

This rule can be a bit problematic to think about in the depths of trailside fatigue so it's important to be clear on it. How well one chooses can be the difference in hours or days of time lost and even relegation--or not. FWIW, the original intent of prohibiting forward (on-route) hitchhiking is A) to ensure a challenger rides the entire GDMBR (one cannot cheat, i.e. fudge a re-start when only hitchhiking backwards), B) to prevent the reconnaissance of the route ahead and C) to penalize a rider for getting in a car."

The last sentence of the first paragraph sounds on point to me.  Of course we don't have the facts.

Oh, we'll get him a Cold Smoke for sure.

My roomate Mickey is down there floating the Blackfoot and is going to try to see whats up with him.

and maybe a toast to the last free state.

There are worse places to go.  Picture a cold beer or two at one of those out door places down town on a nice summer evening.  Remember, Missoula is a college town.

It looks like Paul has stopped at the little store where the Conejos River crosses the highway.  There is another store up the river a few miles in a campground which is a nice last chance place for a soda or ice cream.

Compared to what is ahead NM looks like a dream.  Paul looks like he is entering the Conejos area which is stunningly beautiful.  A great place to camp.  The thing about CO is it is generally higher elevations than NM.  The general rule of thumb is one day to adjust for each 1000 feet.  I believe the CO riders will have a great advantage since they train at those elevations.  It will be interesting to see what a rested Russ does to close the 100 mile gap between him and Paul.

This is amazing racing both ways, super human.