All,

I had a productive phone call with a Parks CA official today. TD is very much on their radar this year due to the pandemic, and last year's incident in their park when a TD rider was unfortunately charged with illegal camping (pre-grand depart) as he hit the panic button for a bear eating his camp food (sigh...). More on that here: https://www.rmotoday.com/banff/banff-black-bear-feasts-on-illegal-campers-food-1574358

The Official confirmed Banff NP will be observing a rigid 15-person max group size rule in the park for the remainder of the summer. This means no group TD start (obviously).

Concern was registered for *any* TD rider who may plan to show up in Banff--that all messages re. safety, health, etc. aimed at prospective ITTers be coordinated through them. This means they want to chat with me weekly for the next couple months. They will likely be putting together some bullet points for riders (I'm not sure what that will look like). They expressed interest in knowing about anyone who decides to ITT from Banff through end of June (yikes, oversight). This summer will be an important trial period for any riders along the GDMBR, period; not just because of COVID, but because the whole continent is grumpy. Any bad behavior or virus outbreaks tied to bikepackers will not reflect well on TD, and is likely be blown out of proportion.

The US and CA will be deciding imminently if they're going to pop the lock on the border next week, or extend for another 30 days. The scientists seem to be against reopening next week (https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/12/canada-us-border-reopening-251965), however, if the border does open, there is nothing *legally* stopping a responsible bikepacker from ITTing the TD route in June from Banff.

Please--please, if you are one with such notions (I am withholding my personal judgement on such), please drop a brief heads-up email to tourdivide@gmail.com. There will be a route file of some sort or another made available by early-ish June. We don't have the luxury of many scouts out there pre-riding sections of the GDMBR currently, so I am unaware--as is ACA--of any major route changes required. Last year there was a detour required for logging just after Ferndale MT. I am awaiting word if that detour will still apply. If the logging is finished and the traditional route G2G, there will be a new file.

That's all I know for now 
Matthew

I know a lot of us left on here don't do Facebook, so....

Mack McCoy posted the following in the TD group in FB:  "We at Adventure Cycling Association have received word that the GDMBR into Flathead Valley (between Flathead Pass and Cabin Pass in British Columbia) is accessible again over the Pollock Creek bridge, which has been replaced. See photographic evidence below."  (not sure how to link)

As expected lots of conversation on if Koko will still be in play or if Matt will route back thru the Flathead.  Group seems to be split about 50/50 in the comments.

Tour Divide will continue to use Crossing Creek Trail, aka Koko Claims, in trade for the 50mi of pavement the ACA GDMBR travels through Sparwood, meth capital of BC. Yes, Koko is more challenging, and doesn't support Bob trailers, but other dividends are there. It makes sense to support the town of Fernie, too, and all they do / have done for Divide racers through the years.

That is not the usual 'Unofficial starters list' sign up form. The traditional list is a different link. Disappointed to see an additional one created by David.

Pete, the TD grand depart is always 2nd Friday in June.

The usual 'unofficial' TD start list spreadsheet (set up in recent years for / by Cordillera folks) will be made available by the traditional Winter Solstice kick-off date--the same date riders are invited to submit Letters of Intent to tourdivide@gmail.com.

The above-linked list created by kiwidave is fake news, posted without speaking to TD organizers in an effort to push eyeballs to his Tour Divide FB group--a group he has been respectfully asked a few times to take down. For the record kiwidave does not speak for Tour Divide, and is not affiliated. He has previously attempted TD, and administrates a TD fan FB page, but that is the extent of his involvement. ~Matthew Lee, tourdivide.org

Matt Lee and keeping the race "underground"...

1. This race, like many others, isn't official. The Divide path isn't owned. The race itself isn't owned. That is the entire concept, thus any level of implied control is quite funny.

2. Groups like the ones found on Facebook have a positive impact on bikepacking as a past-time that far outweighs the proposed negative impact on a specific, "non-official" race.

3. The only reason this is a "race" or that there are records, is that the racers accept a person being an official / unofficial race director. Matt Lee has no real control other than that which the racers give him.

4. The high placing racers (along with a lot others) give interviews, share gear lists and do public speaking all based on Tour Divide experiences. Are they going to be asked to quit? B/C those activities are much higher profile than some message board.


The idea, when popular enough, becomes the institution. It isn't controlled, it just happens. With anything bicycle-related, the barrier to entry is pretty low. Entry to a non-race, race is just showing up. The cost is days off and whatever physical toll those people choose to accept.

The official, non-official Tour Divide isn't the only grass-roots style endro that has seen a bump in popularity. Two in my area have doubled in size in 3 years. One has become and official race. The other decided to raise the barrier to official entry with a lottery + high-placing exemptions and allowing official sponsorship. This post is critical of Matt Lee. And most race directors of official / non-official races get slagged over similar things.  He want's a level of control and ownership over this thing (that existed well before him). Seen it before. Either he will accept the wind and make changes to his unofficial event, or that same wind will change the event without him.

People were riding the route prior to the unofficial organization (organizations really... there was another at one point). People will ride it without a race director. The route is simply too long to control at a grass-roots level. Finishing under 20 days is too big of an accomplishment not to gain some sort of interest from endro media and niche fans. All Matt can do is regulate the unofficial start and record books. Both of which do not matter at all to the majority of people that want to ride.

I guess at the end of the day it comes down to the value of the race director and the organization. Since this is all so non-official, I guess the value is extremely debatable. Especially if your unofficial event is causing so much damage that there is a need to squash a freakin' Facebook page.

Nice first post, Bagger. Which route do you suggest TD go? The way of official race (permits, entry fees, insurance and sponsors), or just try to hold on / weather the growth amidst deepening social reach? Sure the value of what the GDR / Tour Divide established / maintained for nearly 15 years now can be debated, but until one is willing to do the work to manage a grand depart end to end, and take on all the risk, how can one quantify?

What I'm trying to do by requesting we limit TD's FB presence to one, basic / official / somewhat boring TD FB page is not an attempt to own TD or Divide racing. Indeed, my intent is just the opposite: to *not* feel the need to protect it by owning it. Until now assertion of a bit of 'social control / influence' has been sufficient for keeping things in check. Deepening social media reach, however, and it's rules of chaos probably represents a threat to this tacit balance. I've done a decent job caring for TD amid field size growth and waves of social change. Part of my objection to too much FB activity (aka 'facebook fever'), particularly en vivo (mid-race), is the way it's pushed indiscriminately to the masses. I don't think it aids discretion, and it definitely promotes inorganic growth. I also hear annually how, increasingly, racers (mid-packers, I'd say) spend time on social media to inform their own experience on course, even as they race. They're pushing content out, but also taking it all in. Being fueled by this lust to check in, IMO, is just silly when the intent is to be having an intense personal odyssey. If it wouldn't make my life much harder in communicating with racers, I'd love to stage a special throwback year of TD in which smart phones and GPS navigators were prohibited. Make people go back to navigating by cues for a year. I think it could make for some really nice / challenging personal growth. It's not easy to navigate by cues, but boy does it teach you to know a route well.

All the documentaries and articles, books, blogs and whatever: Those are content created after the fact. I sincerely believe, though still self-promoted, this content doesn't have the live (almost viral) reach that FB does. It eventually fades into the archives (yes, so too will Ride the Divide eventually fade). But FB is an ongoing machine with evolving / exponential, sometimes even 'fake news'-type reach. Regarding TD growth: I don't want to 'need' to impose limitations on TD group size, or get in trouble with land managers because their bosses above them (at a national level) can no longer look the other way. One thing is for sure, when authorities go looking to put their finger on the pulse of anything--to monitor in-group behaviors--FB is one of the first places they look.

[Yep, the problem with FB is it has nothing to do with, "Enjoying it for what it is"]

"Underground" implies enough criminality to make it interesting.  "Underground" is not tracked by satellite.  Enjoy it for what it is, nothing more and nothing less.

Frank Zappa said it best: "The mainstream comes to you, but you have to go to the underground."  Let's think for a minute about how FB info comes to us(?)  It's a big computers algorithm push that knows all about us and our buying & click habits.  Notifications tuned to our tendencies are delivered to us by email & IM, sometimes several times a day using catchy phrases.  And then it makes billions selling advertising on our comments and likes.  Yep, the problem with FB is it has nothing to do with, "Enjoying it for what it is". It's ever striving to get us more likes and show us how to 'promote our posts'.  Sure FB has its place as a promotional tool, but I am sorry, I'd rather primary TD discussion threads not take place in such an enviro, promoted to tens of thousands. It's far from an alternative environment. Yes, bikepacking has hit the mainstream, but IMO all that means is that an even smaller percentage of those flocking to it are qualified, suited for, and have any biz doing it ultra style. For a rapidly growing majority, there should only be touring (which is great).  If bikepacking websites / FB groups, and manufacturers of bikepacking products want to promote touring, then great; that's where the real enjoyment of the pastime lies. They should probably not be so heavily promoting unsanctioned ultra racing...but, alas, unfortunately in marketing, 'racing', and 'X-games' sell products as well as any other narrative.

'Tracked by satellite', was introduced by TD in 2008 so riders could turn themselves inside out without worrying about checking in with SOs, or those monitoring course compliance.  It had almost nothing to do with checking with social media.  Blue dot fever was an unintended consequence.  The technology is, by itself, not incompatible with notions of 'underground'.  That tracking can also help keep riders safe only furthers the ultra goals of responsibility / sustainability / staying low key. Tracking dangerous high adventure of all kinds was always inevitable. Perhaps most important, it helps protect those who would go looking for us when we turn up missing while behaving dangerously.

Wow, 'Comeback Kato', zipping up the jersey for the finish. He did it on the final dirt stretch, too, which is not something anyone would have predicted. A champion move, worthy of victory. Wow!

Will the official ACA route include the singletrack section in the middle?

You mean this rough stuff? My guess is ACA will stick with Rawlins for now.

I just rec'd a text from Dylan Thomas that one of the front six escapees has fallen to a broken fork. Seb Dunne is likely out of the race, and apparently lucky to be in one piece after shearing his fork clean off while negotiating the Brazos. He will hike out tomorrow.

From what I understand, the entire route this year is ~40 miles shorter than the 2012-2014 route, most of it being the Wamsutter reroute. The route cuts south far sooner and doesn't do those heinous zig-zags in the Basin anymore on the way to Rawlins.

Apparently they're building a giant wind farm on the road south of Rawlins. Last year, the construction people said they weren't going to let people through during construction hours but seemed to look the other way when the race came through. This year, they said they weren't going to let anyone through during the day, period. I guess the overall plan is to pave the road and build the farm...which I guess will lead to many years of the Wamsutter route/having it be the new 'official' route.

I don't think anyone would really mourn Rawlins no longer being a trail town...or the highway approach into it.

Wamsutter is the planned future route. One rider struck by a truck / nearly killed on MineralX Rd is enough. Wamsutter route (itself) is indeed -40mi, but tougher riding and all dirt (-75mi of Rawlins pavement). The approx riding time diffs Sobo (as measured by JayP) from where the two routes split / converge are as follows: Into Rawlins = 8hrs; into Wamsutter 5.5hrs. Out of Rawlins(to Slater)=8hrs; out of Wamsutter=6hrs. Wamsutter is also a faster / more centralized pit stop. Rawlins is a trap. Initial feedback from mid pack on Wamsutter route as reported by Kirsten at BML is, "tough, more exposed, slightly better wind cooperation, HOT" One plus is delicious solar-pumped fresh water occurring 40mi out from Wamsutter just as one begins to unravel.

That works on a small scale. But maybe not so much when there are 70+ competitors? Hard to put the genie back on the bottle once you've posted rules, results, and enforced relegations and disqualifications.

Right. Not trying to put the genie back in the bottle. Maybe there's a way to score TD more like golf. Player vs par for course. Handicaps and all   Mulligans or no mulligans?

Back in the day--i say it sort of tongue-in-cheek, b/c did 'BITD' really happen if it wasn't blogged--it used to be a fellow had to search long and hard to know what was the true time to beat for a given challenge b/c those sort of 'results' weren't broadcast. They were more personal. A result can indeed be a personal thing, validated internally, not necessarily by their position in a list. Maybe there's a way to score TD more like golf. Player vs par for course. Handicaps and all 

Sorry, Matthew, for seeming ungrateful for all of the hard work that you put into the TD.

nah, nah. I was just joshing (mostly).

I never said that anything is "cut / dry."

Yes, I realize... unintended perceptions from your often B&W view of when humanity meets rules. I am not troubled by it, really.

Since official results haven't been posted for years (aside from record-setting runs), does any of this really matter? Without posted standings, everyone is in the same boat--regardless of whether they complied or not with the posted rules. As it stands, everyone can claim whatever level of success they desire, and there's nothing to contradict or support them. Finish in 20th place with a six people in front of you who broke XX rules--then declare your 14th place finish. Cut the course and had dinner delivered on the trail, but still want to claim your 30th place finish--then have at it. Without posted results, anything seems to go.

I'm not endorsing this position, but it does seem to be what's occurring by default. Maybe that's ML's intent?

The short answer is yes, it matters, and no, posting results won't stop cheating, but since its all so cut / dry for Toby, I would like to delegate him to handle all the emotion, all the polemics, histrionics, all the communication with non-English speakers, etc., from 100+ riders / collective 300,000 TD miles ridden annually

In all seriousness, yes, I have passive-aggressively experimented with not publishing results lately due to the internal drama; drama not even the thirsty forums are privy to. For many riders, their result was the most important product of the experience. I am already exhausted by the end of TD because mid-race management is quite intensive. I've only had the luxury of not publishing b/c Trackleaders documentation is pretty thorough. My rationalization has been, "results in some nebulous form do exist... at the very least a rider can examine their track and know their time, regardless of who cheated around them & whether it could be proven". The fire detours, sometimes 3 different variations in the same year are also messy. I realize Trackleaders data alone is not a tenable solution long term. The historical GC *will* be backfilled. No TD effort will go unaccounted for. Ironically TD has been weathering the Ride the Divide popularity and its influx of unindoctrinated eager beavers ready to buy a mountain bike, learn to tour, then race TD all within a semester span...and many expect TD.org to have instructions on how to do it. I have at once felt responsible for this and retreated from it, all the while dealing with my own malaise from ceasing to race it annually...so, it's complicated. I would love for results generation to be an autopilot process, but unfortunately subjectivity must play it's usual tangled role.

IMO DQ would be appropriate for those who knowingly broke the rules.  If they can convince Race Admin that it was an honest misinterpretation, RA could choose to simply relegate them, which would give them an official finish, but no official time or placement.

Almost correct, Bob. Relegation results in an asterisked elapsed time, but no official placement in the annual or historical GC. Here's an example: http://tourdivide.org/2009_TD_results In the new self-submitted times format, these riders can be set apart similarly.

I was looking at the new Dot colours and it is not easy to see how they were allocated. Totty - I looked at TH's track and he seemed on route other than taking an alternative before Cuba.

Tim appears to have missed Brooks Lake Rd in Wyoming. This is a segment nearly always packed with snow with a rich history of being missed initially, then recouped by riding back up to the pass to grab it. Happens every year to several riders, partic. if navigating from GPS, as initially the two closely parallel. I am hearing now that some riders skipped it because the map cues say, "road impassable when wet". I am not sure what to think about racers assuming that cue applied to them. The rules state pretty clearly that only 4 alternates to the GDMBR 'main route' are permitted. What would happen for riders who arrived before / after storms when this road would be dry? Time comparison would be impossible. It never occurred to me that such notes in the cues would be interpreted as TD-legal. As far as I am aware, that note never has been interpreted that way. I guess riding under the duress of days of rain / snow / mud can elicit rationalizations. In future years it will have to be made clear that any cues reference to 'impassable when wet' (there are a number of these notes across the full route) do not mean TD-legal.

I like the orange dots, provided they're based on persuasive evidence. I say, how can you *not* DQ someone who skips key sections of the course, even after 1800mi That's would be unfair to the riders who, in face of temptation, DIDN'T skip those sections.

One minor worry might be, if DQ is imminent, does a rider conduct him / herself differently / with further disregard for rules for balance of ride? I suppose at that point the rider ceases to be TD's concern, but we do want to set the best possible example... right?

Do people get disqualified for NOT doing a fire detour, or another road detour like a construction detour, when the regular route is closed? (Not that I'm thinking that's what's going on near Silver City. I just wondered.)

It would be hard to DQ for blowing a closure unless it was manned. It would be hard to prove the real conditions on the ground unless they could be well-documented by closely proximal / distal riders. I think those who have gone around the Sapillo didn't get the memo, and are just trying to be good citizens.

I think I better weigh in on the orange dots. They are a bit of an experiment for Trackleaders in detecting / documenting off-route non-compliance mid-race, and possibly depicting (unofficially) more accurate 'virtual' race leadership. Tour de France wouldn't allow DQ'd riders to continue, but TD is 1-stage / non-stop, web-administered challenge, and has a safety element of it's participants to consider, plus we want to encourage all riders to finish the route whether within the rules or not. The live tracking map helps families stay rallied behind their rider.

We have rec'd a fair amount of feedback regarding the higher-than-normal frequency of off-route riding this year (i.e. skipping key sections), suggesting it's been difficult for viewership to follow who still has skin in the game when +/- 30% of the field defaulted on the route. The orange dots are one possible solution, and make it easy to scan the field without concern for already defaulted dots in stray areas. Again, this coloring is unofficial, because, relegations still aren't adjudicated until after riders finish, but color-coding is a test of how it might work to do it differently (en vivo).

Preliminarily, I can say we've gotten some positive feedback, and some pretty strong hate mail. The negative responses remind me why we wait till post-race to notify challengers of serious non-compliance. Those haven't been so merit-based and are highly emotionally charged remarks, such as, "How dare you DQ *any riders* after 1800mi of racing?"

Well...hmm... Is it too soul-crushing to notify a rider mid-race they have defaulted on the prescribed route (begs to question, "how do they not know already?"), and, does attachment to an official finish grow stronger the closer to AW, or what? One sentiment I've heard a few times b/f is, "I would never have wasted my time finishing the race if I knew I was not going to be considered an official finisher". Well, I realize it's racing and all, but that's just a bit short-sighted, IMHO.

And my apologies for not getting that picture to you sooner....   I completely forgot about that sign and the fact that I actually had a picture of it !  As I remember, the closure sign in the picture, is up and away from the campground.  Someone earlier had mentioned the Roberts fire, and when I saw Katie and Sam detour, I had just assumed that was the case.      

No worries, Mike. It just illustrates how difficult it is to manage perfectly a 3000-mile unsupported race route. I would LOVE to be out there on course riding a lead moto fixing all these hiccups, sipping Colorado Whiskey by campfire light each night, texting from a sat phone, but alas, I was forced into retirement from the Divide by my kids, Branch & Alma (and their CEO mother), so if I am able to be out on course, it's rare enough I think I'm going to race myself ;-)

If you go back to the trail kiosk and read the closure letter. It shows that the CDT is open from the campground trail head to FR89 where the TDR turns off and closed from FR89 on. I spoke to ML on this section and the TDR has approval to pass. I rode this section and found it to be one the best pieces of single track on the TDR.

Thanks LS, for calling the closure signs to my attention. I was shocked. If only riders had their wits about them to notice the letter. I take responsibility for not knowing it was signed. I tried to keep all my conversations with Gila Fire as brief as possible. They basically said, no, you may not have your permission in writing, and it can be revoked at any time for landslide risks from monsoons

In fact, I am waiting to hear from Paul Barsom about his retreat from the trail after a mile or so into it. It's possible that the monsoons have caused a slide and Gila Fire has detoured him.