Fellow rookie here, wondering the same thing. I am planning an Aug 18 start. The weather almanac for Durango seems to indicate slightly less rain inches in Aug than July, but I'm definitely not counting on that. I invested in a 14 ounce single-walled dyneema tent https://zpacks.com/products/plexsolo-tent, which strikes the balance for me between weight and shelter from storms. It's basically a tarp in tent-shape.

I'm also wondering how people stay safe in the wet (being a CA gal - there ain't no rain here all summer). I plan to keep a set of warm clothes in a dry bag so that I can always get dry and warm in the tent. Definitely hypothermia is in play if we're soaked through. And then there's lightning. What the heck did I sign up for?? haha.

Crawling into a tonton might be a good idea.

What do people do for sleeping arrangements to avoid predators? I?m trying to wrap my brain around hopping off my bike in the middle of the desert and unrolling a sleeping bag. Thanks.

No tent is going to be enough against a chupacabra attack. Luckily such things are unlikely. What I don't like is creepy crawlies. This bivy zips up and encloses you with mesh over your your face so it's still breathable. 6.2 oz... -> https://borahgear.com/sidebivy.html

Although I haven't been through this myself, this topic reminded me of a helpful podcast with Sonya Looney and Molly Hurford:

https://www.sonyalooney.com/how-to-get-sponsored-with-molly-hurford/

GL!

I believe that's what i was referring to as far as cyclists' behavior. If you are coming from a place that 8 weeks from now does still have an infection rate that is high then either isolate for an appropriate length of time or get tested. I get that things are bad in some/many places now but there are many others where they are not. And how could one begin to guess about 8 weeks from now. The route will be open - in many places it already is. When I bike pack, particularly in this region the woods are my campground, kitchen and toilet. I don't spend much if any time near other people.

Yeah, we don't have widespread testing, so we are isolating.

I don't see a problem with a local solo backcountry tour if you have that in your backyard. I confusingly mentioned bikepacking in general, but I was thinking about the tour divide. If all of the stars aligned, maybe it could be done with precautions as an ITT later this year. But you can't plan an international gathering with close to 100 attendees for something that may or may not be the case 8 weeks from now. It's reasonable to cancel the grand depart this time around.

If the places with low infection rates see an influx of visitors (aka asymptomatic carriers until we have widespread testing) from places with high infection rates then, well, guess what?

Perhaps bikepacking can be ok if we all take precautions. We can don face masks and use hand sanitizer before visiting a store, keep our public contact to getting the bare minimum essentials, camp in the forest, etc. Gotta figure out bathrooms and showers. I guess hotels/motels are still open. We need clear guidelines (and widespread testing) in place before we can return to normal. If not all of the Tour divide communities are on board, then respect them. Better to be too paranoid than not paranoid enough when lives are at stake, IMHO.

I had a bit of a joking tone in my last post, but of course this is a serious matter. I think evdog does have a good point. Santa Clara county has the highest number of transmissions in the state, and Santa Cruz county has a similar rate of transmission per capita. Although I am feeling perfectly healthy, (a beast, in fact, haha), it's not worth it to bring myself into another area, using the lodging (pre and post ride) and other services there given that we can carry it without symptoms. Not to mention - non-essential travel and gatherings of more than 10 - is technically a misdemeanor.

I know the bike calendar is getting quite thick in the fall now, with all of the rescheduling, but perhaps that might be a good window for a grand depart? I know some Stagecoach ITT'ers go in the fall, but seems like water could be an issue.

I think you locals are lucky - you should just make a go of it!

We could all pull a Lael and ride to the start from home. 🤪
I have all this fitness and nowhere to spend it. I guess one could have worse problems.

Hope you all are holding up well in the current situation. Santa Cruz County just issued a shelter in place order until April 7th, so I guess technically I shouldn't be driving down to do a big ride, even though up until a few hours ago I had no idea this would be the case. Things could change rapidly over the next two weeks. I guess we'll see what happens! Take care all.

OK, I will plan for the 27th then. If for some reason that gets rained out as well, then it's mid-Apr. There is even a very slight chance I'll get to join you guys after all.

I think I just have 2 more things, and then I can stop spamming the forum here, haha...

I have been doing a fundraiser for my TdLP ITT for a local organization (Corralitos) called Mountains 2 Sea - (https://www.mightycause.com/story/Mtns2sea). They work with underserved youth doing outdoor programs and environmental rehab projects. It felt like a good thing to extend the privilege that we have to others who might not get the chance otherwise. My friends/coworkers have been beyond generous and it's raised $1375 so far. These routes/adventures can often times feel a bit disconnected from the greater picture, so thanks for that suggestion Erin!

My other question is - I have to do this as an ITT a little early (originally planning 3/20, but may switch to 3/27), since my Mom and 2 aunts from Arizona and Maryland are visiting me the weekend of the grand depart, and it will be good to be in recovery mode then. Will it be possible to sign up for Trackleaders early? I can definitely be a route guinea pig and report on conditions to you guys.

Looking forward to this wild and crazy route! And maybe some peak bagging, but we'll see.

Hey Braden,

In my experience, (did a Stagecoach 400 ride and discovered I had a mangled gpx file on the garmin about 80 miles in)... it's a good idea to have the route on both devices so that you have a backup. I would use a computer first and if it freezes up, then switch to your phone. Browse the Wahoo forums to see why it freezes up, and if there is anything you can do to revive it or prevent it from freezing. Keeping a route open on a phone and checking it  sucks a lot more battery power than the cycling computer. So you will also need a big battery bank, or two. (Unless you have a dynamo hub or something like it). This can weigh a pound or more. Also with a phone, unless you have a mount for it on your bars it is hard to look at while riding. You'll have to stop every so often to check where you are, or risk going off course... like I did several times haha...

So, TLDR - a head unit (Garmin, Wahoo, whatever) is ideal - phone is a good backup! Bring a spare battery bank or two.

For sure, having done Stagecoach, it's hard for me to believe all of those water icons on the course map Some are specified as iffy. Thanks Gregg! Yes, it's also quite nice to see so many services along the way compared to last year's route!

Thank you Gregg and Erin for scoping things and doing trail work! Do either of you or anyone else have an idea yet of the max distance between possible water sources on the route? I guess more specifically, is there water right now at Painted Rock? Just planning out water carrying options. I hope we will get some more rain, but none to be seen yet in the forecast.

Wow, I'm really excited. And scared, haha. That first set of climbs will be a doozy no matter which way it runs. Thanks for designing the route, ec!

Hello all, I am planning to make the 2020 edition, however won't be able to make the grand depart date. So I am considering an ITT March 21 or 28th if the weather is ok. I have done Stagecoach 400 and Bones to Blue in 2018 and and 8 day tour on part of the Oregon Timber Trail this past Sept. I'm just starting to obsess over the route, and it looks challenging and beautiful! Carrizo plain, Chumash paintings, Romero Canyon trail... drool. The two drops from the mountains at the beginning look rad as well.

I hope you all have a great winter. Cheers,
Julie