For sale: Revelate Designs expedition pogies. Fleece lining, reflective material, outer pockets on both sides. Used in the Iditarod Trail Invitational, very warm.  $75 plus $12 shipping.

For sale: Revelate Designs frame bag, 12" by 20." Made for a 16" Surly Pugsley, and also fit well on an 18" Karate Monkey. Inner divider and mesh pocket, as well as an outer side pocket. $50 plus $12 shipping.

I'd be interested in chatting about some of the more uniquely female issues of the race - because yep, I've considered I'll feel a bit weird about broadcasting where I'm sleeping alone in a tent, and being a solo female traveller is definitely sometimes uncomfortable...

Definitely. I've thought about the whole SPOT stalking (as in real stalking) thing as well, and while I think chances are low, it's still worth considering turning off the SPOT 10 or so minutes before camping, and not having it on at night. The effect on data gathering would be minimal, and at least the specifics aren't being broadcast.

And definitely, if you have any more questions, send me an e-mail. It's jillhomer (at) gmail

And ABfolder — I'm actually a supporter of carrying bear spray in bear country, but I do think it's important to keep all risks in perspective. You're starting to sound like a gun advocate who thinks having a weapon somehow makes everything safe, which doesn't help anyone. People need to be aware *and* prepared. Bear biologists would advocate making noise, carrying food in a bear-proof container, *not riding at night,* AND carrying bear spray.

I've competed in several group events in grizzly bear habitat, having lived in Alaska for five years. I rode 2010 TransRockies through Fernie and Canmore, and I was one of the only riders carrying bear spray in that event, with 500+ others tearing through bear country. Believe me, you don't need to convince me. But Tour Divide riders really need to do an honest assessment of all of the risks. If you're going to be so panicked about bears, I only hope you're giving at least equal consideration to hypothermia, heat stroke, trauma as a result of a bike crash in an area where help is far away, vehicle collisions, lightning strikes, dog attacks, crime, etc. I only mention all this because your approach comes across as fear-mongering.

You're right, but as others have pointed out, it's more important to prevent a bear charge than try to defend one, by hanging food far out of reach when camped, and making noise when rolling through the woods.

Two-legged creeps are far more prevalent and less predictable than bears or mountain lions. The fact that this issue comes up about 1% as often as bear banter only proves that most people play up their own fears, rather than review logical risk assessment. Or ... maybe this is just because there are still far less women out there doing a solo bike tour that involves long stints of riding through remote areas at night, alone, and camping at random spots in the woods. 

When I lived in Montana I would carry bear spray in a holster attached to the shoulder strap of my backpack. It's no more annoying than those water bottles runners like to wear, and is very quick to access in that spot.

I also fall in the "do what works for you" crowd, but I'm a proponent of carrying an 11 oz canister of pepper spray the entire length of the Divide, especially for women. Some of those areas are pretty remote but nearly all accessible by vehicle, and there are some characters out there. I experienced creepy cat calls and felt iffy about pulling off to bivy in some areas. The bear spray gave me some peace of mind, and I believe it would be effective in deterring an advance, at least involving an unarmed individual. Stranger danger is a small concern statistically, but it still outranks animal attacks.

I rode the dirt part of Summit Road once, this past May. Climbed up via Loma Prieta and exited down Mount Madonna. I also was sketched out by unfriendly vibes and a "no bikes" sign, but I researched it afterward and Summit is 100 percent open. The issue was taken to court and ruled in favor of public use, and while the signs are still up, they have no legal bearing. Other nearby roads in that region, including the Ormsby Cutoff, are closed to public use but potentially could be opened if the issue were taken to court. A few others are inarguably private. Either way I didn't enjoy the vibe and am not in a hurry to go back.

There are a number of land parcels in that region that are currently owned by the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District but not open to public use. The MPOSD is working on building new trails and securing easements via their current projects plan, and reportedly the Mount Um area and new trails could open as soon as 2017. It's still a long way out, but encouraging nonetheless.

I recently planned a three-day loop with campground camping in Aptos and Big Basin, but my friend and I opted for a more relaxed overnighter in the Big Sur region. I'm hoping to find time for this Santa Cruz trip before the end of the year. 

Thanks for the update! I'm hoping to join the fun in April. Looks like a great route. I've been wanting to tour through the Carizzo in spring for three years now (missed an opportunity in April 2012), so I'm looking forward to your scouting assessment.

I think, to some extent, the Tour Divide has suffered from a lack of centralized record-keeping over the past few years. The tourdivide.org Web site still exists, but from an outsider's perspective it looks like a dead site, and with the exception of changing the date on the home page. Are people who line up for the start even looking at this page? Do they even know the basic tenants of self-supported bikepacking? The importance of following a precise course? Do they bother to read the rules? Or did they learn about the Tour Divide from other media, find out more on this forum (or elsewhere), and show up in Banff with their own ideas of what the Tour Divide is, followed by surprise when they're called out for a very basic rule violation, like going around an entire pass on pavement.

The problem is, how do you centralize the operations of a race without a race director? The whole free-for-all thing can work. Look at the community of Fastest Known Times, which is organized in a proboard forum run by Peter Balkwin. The "read this first" sticky at the top of the page is key. http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/19/read-first. Therein one interested in pursuing a fastest known time learns about the basic tenants of supported, self-supported, unsupported, and how to go about declaring and recording their effort. People can go on the forum and ask specific questions about style and routes. The FKT community is pretty good at policing itself. Might the Tour Divide benefit from its own forum more prominently displayed on bikepacking.net? One with multiple threads for issues and questions that aren't buried in 200 pages of a thread called "Tour Divide 2014." Does it deserve such a thing? I suppose that's a question for the community and for Scott.

So I attended a meeting of the Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers last night. (http://www.romp.org) Great group! After trying out those newly opened trails in Sanborn, I realized that I need to take a more active advocacy role in my home region. I committed to joining a campaign to urge San Mateo County to open trails in the San Francisco Watershed District to public use.

I also learned that MPOSD is working on a trail to Mount Umunhum and pretty close to obtaining the rights-of-way to legalize access to not only the peak, but up and over the Loma Prieta area to Summit Road — so you could plausibly ride dirt all the way from San Jose to Santa Cruz (through Sierra Azul, over Mount Um, down Loma Prieta and Soquel Demo to Aptos.) Exciting projects.

Great report! Thank you. My friend and I are going to head that way on Saturday. We'll probably connect up all the trails along Skyline starting with Black Mountain down around Russian Ridge, then south to John Nicholas, exiting on Sanborn Road. It all sounds right up our alley. Thanks again.

Good point. Thanks. Usually when my friends and I make the long drive out to Demo, we ride a couple of loops and climb the Sulphur Springs fire road. Never loaded, but it is considerably shorter than the ride-around on Highland and Buzzard Lagoon. It takes half the time or less if you include the time you take riding out Hihn's Mill Road. When I'm fresh I can clear the whole thing, but once we did three trips down (only time I tried Braille, Tractor, and Sawpit together) and by the third climb I had to push the final half. Climbing is about the only thing I'm sort of good at on a mountain bike. I pretty much tolerate the scary downhills so I can enjoy the scenic climbs. I do enjoy riding the Braille Trail, although I don't take advantage of any of the features. C Line forever.

If anyone has ridden the John Nicholas trail I'd love to hear a report. Better uphill or down? I'm putting together a ride for this Saturday and would like to check out these newly open trails.

I also would echo the sentiments of Mikepro, with obvious differences in individual experiences. The parameters of a race do matter, as parameters are all there are to define a "race" versus "a really cool adventure." The current self-support paradigm has been well developed in the past ten years. It's more defined now than it was in 2009, and I appreciate all of those adaptations, too.

I like the idea Scott presented. Trackleaders has become the main documenter of the TD; for better or worse (worse because I'm sure they hear a lot of flack they don't deserve), many see it as sort of an administrator now. I didn't follow the 2014 race at all — I was completely offline during month of June — so I'm not sure how it was managed last year. But things like course deviations, self-relegation, etc., could be transferred to a sort of "adventure class" tracker, separate from the competitive tracker. If people don't know the rules, or intentionally cheat, well ... that happens always and it's no one's job to out these people, although course cutters were called out by other competitors even before Trackleaders got involved. Obviously if this is implemented, there will be complaints from those who feel they were unjustly relegated. It's unfortunate that someone has to make some kind of call about it, but as long as data is broadcasted, it will be scrutinized.

I also share the sentiment that a person does not need to be right at the front of the pack to be "competitive" in a race. Everyone is trying to do the best they can within shared parameters. Striving together.

I was just out there two weeks ago and there was still a big no bikes sign posted at the trailhead of Black Road. But I found this today, and it appears a few new sections of trail have recently opened. Very cool! No if only they would open that PG&E fire road on the other side of Lake Ranch Reservoir connecting to Montevina Road and El Serreno. That would be a great connection for a majority-dirt loop.

http://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/SanbornGuideMap.pdf

I didn't actually post an illegal route ... just an awesome running route and some wishful thinking. ;-)

For an overview of the best of Coe, I recommend checking out the Hard Coere 100. I've ridden ~45 miles of it and even that was a brutal route, with a few fun things thrown in: http://www.strava.com/activities/90175912

As for riding north on the coast, it's true that will be into the wind. Overall (time-wise) it's a pretty short section and in my opinion a small sacrifice for climbing and descending what are more often the better climbs and descents, which is what a clockwise direction allows. But it's plausible to ride in either direction.

I look forward to seeing what routes others come up with.

Also, I can't help but share this route. It's a 50-kilometer trail run I did earlier this year through Portola and the upper edge of Big Basin. It's 95% singletrack, probably 85% off limits to bikes, but it would be a most amazing mountain biking loop. I'm too much of a rule-follower to ever poach these trails, and actually I'm pretty happy running where I can't ride. But with the exception of Skyline to the Sea it is very uncrowded, and very scenic.

http://www.strava.com/activities/110531804

I've ridden Butano fire road from Cloverdale to China Grade. At the time I was not aware of the restrictions, but you are correct that shortly after the Boy Scout Camp there is a sign explicitly forbidding bikes.

I've also ridden McCreary Ridge in Big Basin. That is a fun singletrack, very steep at the top as it rolls along this narrow ridge with fantastic views on both sides, and Waddell Beach in the distance, then winding through the forest with some tight hairpin turns. I was somehow certain it was open to bikes when I took my friend there in July, but alas, at the Waddell Creek junction there was a no bikes sign. Sigh.

I included Gazos Creek Road because it is my favorite descent in the region. You start up on a sandstone ridge, fly past this crazy tree house, and descend into an enchanted redwood forest on a logging road. The loggers threw down a bunch of loose gravel on the steeper sections sometime recently, and it is decidedly a less fun descent right now. Past the gate, it's a nice gradual paved coast to Cloverdale Road.

Saratoga Gap/Skyline/Russian Ridge is a fun trail system. I consider these and Steven's Creek Canyon my local trails as I live near Steven's Creek Reservoir in Los Altos/Cupertino (I've never been able to figure out my city, actually. My address is Los Altos but it seems everything surrounding us is Cupertino. Weird.) Anyway, I've ridden them quite a bit. They're great to include on an increasingly more ambitious loop. Possibilities.

Thanks for the discussion. I'd like to plan a longer tour this coming June, and hope to spend the spring training with longer rides and overnight tours. I don't mind stealth camping as much when I'm by myself and can hide away easily, and that's good info about Castle Rock SP. If any bikepackers in the region are making any plans, let me know.

I detailed above some of the reasons why I didn't include Coe in my route. The reasons boil down to ... I don't really want to subject my friends — who I'm trying to coax to visit me in California under the guise of a friendly bike tour — to Coe. It's a great adventure spot for this region — remote, rugged, all steep, and allows wild camping. But it's notably different from most of the riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I think my friends and I could average 8-10 miles per hour on my current route. Through Coe, maybe 5 mph. Maybe.

Coe trails probably have quite a few similarities to the TDLP route, I'm guessing. Like I said, Coe is great, in the right mindset. But I view my route as a fun and scenic tour, and Coe is more of a tough adventure.

Thanks Erin. Pavement is unavoidable for long-distance rides in this region, but I really enjoy the road riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains. So many narrow, scenic, steep and winding roads with low traffic to choose from. I tried to keep my route to mostly secondary roads and fire roads, and included a few of may favorite trails within reach (Like the Braille Trail in Demo, and Whittemore Gulch in Purisima, plus Skeggs). I can't really get behind poaching, although I'm not one who would lecture others for riding illegal trails. I also think it's lame that there are so many restrictions on what are truly uncrowded areas, and I'm aware that Santa Cruz has an entire culture of insider trail knowledge. Still, I think there's a lot of fun to be had without getting yelled at by hikers.

Conceptualizing the an aesthetic local touring route is a fantastic excuse to explore new trail systems in the name of scouting. I'm really looking forward to exploring Pacifica this weekend.

I'd love to check out that Marin loop when it's finished. I'm hoping to finally explore the Los Padres route this coming year as well. What's the earliest in the year you think it's mostly rideable? Are you planning on holding another group ride this coming spring?

When I first decided to race the Divide in 2009, I intended to line up with the Great Divide Race, and one of the reasons for that decision was its explicitly stated 24-day cutoff. At the time, the (border-to-border) women's record was just under 22 days. Not much wiggle room there. But it seemed like a great challenge. I can be weak-minded like any slower endurance enthusiast, and admit I value pre-established, nonnegotiable parameters to light a fire under my ass.

There were a lot of varied reasons why I showed up at the Tour Divide instead, and I'm glad I did. I was still bummed to watch the GDR dissolve, in an inevitability that started because of infighting about rules. As Scott mentioned, cut-offs were an unpopular notion. I supported them. My finish time in the TD ended up being north of 24 days. Could I have squeaked by in under 24 if I believed I had to? It's likely. I believe the impetus is rewarding, in that it forces me to push seemingly immovable limits.

This isn't to diminish anyone's efforts, or question behind-the-scenes hard work and decisions. And I wouldn't begin to venture at a "fair" cut-off for the Tour Divide. As you pointed out, there are often extenuating circumstances that prevent finishing within an arbitrary time. I have been pulled from races before because I missed a cut-off. It sucks, a lot. Last year, I was volunteering at the Western States 100, and watched a guy run across the finish with 30:01:xx on the clock. The cut-off is 30 hours. He didn't get a buckle. He ran every step of 100 miles, and he knew he did it, but that still has to hurt, just a little.

I also followed the 2013 Iditarod Invitational, when Shawn McTaggert attempt to establish a women's foot record to Nome. At the time, the record was 42 days, but the race has a cut-off of 31 days. She was 80 miles out with just over 24 hours before the limit, and no one thought she could do it. But she did arrive in Nome on time, with a few hours to spare. She was accused of cheating, of taking a snowmobile ride. As far as I know there was never any concrete proof for this, only the belief that it was "impossible" to cover 80 miles of the Iditarod Trail on foot in one day during the thousand-mile race. So in 2014, she ran that section in ~27 hours again, just to prove she could. I'll never know all the facts, but I believe she did it. I have a lot of respect for her.

I support race cut-offs, in general. But I'm not about to go imposing standards on others. I just wanted to offer that perspective.

Thanks for weighing in. Good idea about including Summit Road. I rode that way last spring while trying to find a route to Loma Prieta, and got the sense that the locals weren't all that cyclist friendly (I saw a no-bikes sign posted on somebody's private gate.) The best linkup is that Ormsby cut-off, but I heard that road is gated. But that's worth scouting out as well.

I showed the route to another friend, and he mentioned we should include Coe on our tour. Coe is technically part of the Diablo Range, so it doesn't fit in my "Santa Cruz Mountains" tour. But yes, Coe does have the bonus of lots of singletrack and wild camping options. I admit I'm not the biggest fan of Coe. I view it as a menagerie of hike-a-bike, steep loose downhill, sun-exposed hike-a-bike, poison oak tunnel, hike-a-bike fire road, tarantulas, rattle snakes, no water, very thirsty, crazy downhill, etc. Fun for a three-hour ride, but pretty brutal for any distance farther than 15 miles. It's hot nearly year-round, except for the two months in the winter when it's frigid. And yet I gave serious consideration to a Hard Coere 100 attempt with a friend in early October. Then I was injured and unable to ride, and it turned out to be 95 degrees that weekend anyway. Yeah, no thanks.

I'm hoping to "fast" tour the 500K in four or so days, probably pre-planning indoor stays in Morgan Hill, Santa Cruz, and Pacifica or San Bruno. I'm trying to sell it as a luxury, get-away-from-breakup-to-sunny-California comfort tour for two friends in Alaska who aren't opposed to long days in the saddle. So not exactly bikepacking. Credit card bikepacking. Is that a thing?

I might be willing to bend on 100% legal for some good sneaks. That Empire Grade to Little Basin cut-through was one I wasn't sure about. I've ridden probably about 60 to 70 percent of this route, and hope to scout the rest this winter, as search out the the best options in places like Skeggs and Santa Cruz. I got the idea from this thread. It seemed like a fun project.

Thanks again.

I'm working on a partial dirt loop around the Santa Cruz Mountains that I'm hoping to entice a couple of friends to join me for a tour sometime in the spring. Any feedback would be appreciated. My objective is to keep it 100% legal, include a few fun (legal) trails, but not have it end up too convoluted.

A friend and I are planning to head to Pacifica this weekend to scout out Rancho Corral de Tierra and possible links to Montara Mountain. I've never ridden there, so it will be a fun exploration ride. The next part of the project will be to scout for better roads/trails near Uvas Reservoir

The idea would be to ride a clockwise direction and probably credit-card tour with hotels. It is tough to find spots to camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I'm building the route here: http://www.strava.com/routes/1108734

It's a work in progress. Suggestions welcomed.