Just remember that if the bear decided to give chase, you can't outrun it even on a downhill- they can go 35mph.

Galton Pass (less so), Whitefish Divide, Red Meadow Pass, Richmond Peak. Its not unusual to see something on the Elkford Pass too.

The thing is, a raccoon can give a bear a hard time, and a bear of any size knows that its really not worth it to get an injury that might take a while to heal. So they have a certain level of caution that humans exposed to clean water and soap may not appreciate.

I have a friend that was honestly talking about bringing a gun on the TD! Bear spray is more effective than a gun, legal issues aside.

Even though they are an apex predator, bears really don't seem to want anything to do with you. I encountered two in Canada, one on the Wigwam Road (a juvenile) and the other on the Galton Pass descent, which was huge. Both were grizzles.  The first turned and bolted as soon as he saw me, the second was already in a full gallop away from me when I caught sight of him. Both made me nervous.

You don't want to run from a bear, and you can't out ride them even on a downhill. They can run 35 mph. So you have to stand your ground and try to look as big as possible. Apparently they will mock charge you and stop a few feet away if you don't give ground (this according to Crazy Larry in Banff). By that point you better have the spray ready if not before then so its a good idea to practice pulling it from the holster and removing the safety. Always have the spray with you when not on the bike, and never approach a bear.

Apparently bells don't do a whole lot. If I see several piles of bear poop in the same area, I try to make as much noise as I can since that might be 'territory'? I'm hoping they don't like my singing...

Its a good bet that the 2017 maps will be very similar to 2018. The story is that bridge outages on the upper Flathead road wont be corrected until 2019, so Koko Calamity will still be in the mix and it appears that the other major diversion around Rawlins will still be with us as well.

Expect a bit of crank creak with the Cutthroat. Its not there right away, but it shows up. Its not the crank apparently. The stock gearing might be a bit tall if you get the 1:11 drive- stock is a 36 in front. I went to a 32, but on the ride I noticed racers passing me on hills had lower gears than I had. I went to a 28 when I got the Helena (which was a bit depressing since I lost the high gear...) but it was too late for my knees at that point.

I'd bring a few brake pad spares too- mine were shot by the time I got the Helena. With larger disks (the Cutthroat pretty much has a braking system for a road bike) the brake pads would run cooler.

I had been working on a Jones Plus (29+ tires) but it was not ready by the time of the Grand Depart. It is now- Rohloff hub, 203mm disk brakes. Seems to handle gravel and single track better but it is a heavier machine being made of steel. Its more fun to ride IMO; really looking forward to my next bikepacking trip.

I thought the restaurant at Echo Lake Montana (Echo Lake Cafe) was pretty good.

There's a nice Mexican restaurant just off the city center in Helena. Contrary to rumor there are (or were) two restaurants keeping normal hours in Basin.

Elkhorn Hot Springs are off the descent into Polaris.

The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone are pretty obvious.

There are a number of non-commercial hot springs in the Jemez Springs area that are on public land. In the other direction (west instead of east) is Chaco Canyon.

North of Salida is Princeton Hot Springs, over the Poncha Pass and south on the pavement about 20 miles (5 or so miles south of Villa Grove- might be easier going there from Sauguache) is Joyful Journeys hot springs. Both are pretty commercial. But Ojo Caliente has gotten that way in the last 5 years too.

Abiquiu is one of Georgia O'Keefe's homes. There is a museum dedicated to her work there and you can tour her house and studio.

If a bear is really taking an interest, you'll want the spray as close as possible. They can run 30-35 mph- you can't outride them- so spray should be easy to get at. A few seconds could mean a lot!

Anybody know if the new ACA section north of Banff is going to be added on?

What I've heard so far is that the Grand Depart is still in Banff.

^^ Thanks!! Exactly what I wanted to know...

Excellent!! He's looking well!

Just can't get enough...

Awesome!!

Did he do that ride dressed in cotton??

And I believe Ovando is OUT for the year.  Thank you all for reading.  To TDR 2018!
Carry On.

Thanks for your help and enthusiasm!!

Scratched. Lisa has edema.

Yikes! Sorry to hear that!

Lisa and Rosemary's spots have not moved in the last 36 hours! Any idea why?

1. What is your level of experience?
Noob- my only touring experience is the Tour Divide.

2. How long is your average trip?
So that was 10 days, 800 miles roughly.

3. What footwear do you bring on a bike packing trip?
Usually I ride with sandals even in races. But for the tour divide I chose trial platforms and hiking shoes since there is a lot of HAB on the Tour Divide. However Shimano just re-released their clipless sandals so I have a set of those that I'm trying out.

4. How much time do you spend riding, how much time walking/hiking...on an average day?...at extremes?
I was riding about 9-13 hours a day. At the end of the 10 days one of my big toes was numb and its only just now coming back.

5. What sort of issues do you have with footwear?
Usually its not wide enough and my left foot runs slightly larger than my right. I don't like my feet getting hot so I tend to wear sandals most of the time until it gets really cold or really wet. The nice thing about sandals is they can adjust in case your feet swell, which mine do after a few days.