....ummmm, yeah.  Oracle to Freeman Rd. is insanely slow....the trail is not a trail in some sections...it's not even recognizable as a goat path....cattle take lines more obvious than the AZT route in this area.  For some sections, it's just pure, overland travel....seeking rock carins on off-camber talus slopes.  The miles on paper and topofusion are EXTREMELY deceiving unless you've ridden this section....give the APC a try and you'll experience it for your self.

Based on John's FB post, he and and Chris D are done for the ride.

I'm very envious of those still out there....here is my take:
 http://maadjurguer.blogspot.com/2012/04/failure-on-300.html

I'm out.....I got into the slog in the death mud, took me an hour to go a mile....scrape and clean drivetrain and tires, chainstay and stanchions.....ride for 200yds....then have to stop and do it again.  After that last mile into Helvitia road, I called it over.  By my estimation, I had another 10 miles of that crap....dragging my bike downhill with two non-functioning wheels that won't turn was too much.  I guess that's they way the Limestone and igneous cookie crumbles...into clay and death mud.  

It makes me sick to my stomach to be here sitting down when others are going....I'm pulling for Chris D and Schilling...I'm envious of how they made it through.

The weather this morning out of Kentucky Camp was intense.....40mph gusts blowing me off my line.....ughhh.

which maps are you using?

Yeah, I came across those guys down in the gulley a few weeks ago...and they were real fresh...I fought off nausea as I stepped over them....the entire gulley just smelled of death.

Just a PSA for folks:  There is a growing yellowjacket nest in the water cache on the Boulders segment of the AZT as of this afternoon....they're not angry yet...but if it gets bigger in the next few weeks, that might change.

....and on that note....anyone with experience with the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Elite?  I've been happy with the X-Alp Enduro II's (on my 2nd pair, looking for a 3rd).  Wondering if the new Elite is similar and perhaps better?  Is this a case of the grass is greener....don't go there....what ain't broke, don't fix it?

In all seriousness....anyone have hands on the Elite?  If so, does it articulate under the ball of the foot like the Enduro's?  The Enduro's HAB extremely well and won't change them unless the Elite's are built similar.  From all I can tell from online viewing, they are very similar.

I need to pull the trigger on one or the other here so I can break them in before the 300....any beta is appreciated.

I've just ordered my first serious camera after realizing that I have the bug......I've just scraped together the remaining airline miles I have (had) post layoff and have ordered a Canon T1i because I've run into a wall with my current rig......my question:

How do I protect this beast on rides?  Dust is harsh here in the 4-corners......how should I protect it?  Beyond a simple case, should I do something extra given our fine dust?  I'm all ears.......how do you all pack your glass when riding?

This is too late to help you on your trip, but you might see the following in hindsight:

I don't know how you feel about sleeping out in the stars, but IMO a tent is way to heavy.  You can get away with just a sleeping bag and a bivy sack with no-seeum screen if you're worried about bugs.

As for bungie cords....use straps instead since you can really tighten down on them...bungie's only get so tight and then you're left with a bouncing mass of stuff.

I assume you have a multitool with pliers and knife...so no need for extra knife unless you plan on skinning that yeti you're in search of.

When it comes to clothes, I always took too much when I first started.  My system works for me, so I'll share...but YMMV:  I have 2 chamois which I alternate on days as well as socks.  I wear the same jersey every day.  At the end of each day, I air out all my stuff and get into a night shirt (Patagonia capeline 2) and a pair of loose fitting boxers (getting air around the saddle area is key).  These are the only clothes I bring on warm tours.  On a colder tour, I'll bring a lightweight puffy to also sleep in as well as a knit skullcap.

Ohh...I also bring tiny containers of my favorite chamois cream for the day(Bag Balm) and another small container of diaper rash cream for hotspots at night (Desitin Max Strength - 40%Zinc Oxide)

I agree with bmike-vt....the back plate has the screw thingy, so it has replaceable batteries for sure.  It'll be nice to see how battery life compares in the new iteration.  Even though they may be replaceable, it seems that Garmin's power management in newer versions has been less than optimal in my experience.  Even if this new unit has all the best feature, for me; if the screen can't stay up all the time like a Vista HCx or 705...then it's a not starter for me.

I use an el cheepo shower cap I put over my helmet when it's raining...works well, easily replaced and gives you full movement of your head vs. that of a hood

I think I might be able to help you out here.....I started out with a Garmin 705.....loved the ability to use free maps off of gpsfiledepot.com to have a USGS 1:24k topo map as my background.  This was important to me as I use the same GPS for overland travel in the winter.  HR and cadence.....not so much.  The weakness I found was in doing multi-day rides and the internal battery of the 705.  At the time, I knew I could get one of those USB rechargeable packs to give me more juice....but the grass was greener...so I sold the 705 and jumped at the opportunity to try a Dakota for free through Airline Miles.

I instantly did not like the Dakota....but it grew on me.  In the end, I sold it too.  What I liked about the Dakota and why I bought it..... replaceable batteries.  Why I did not like it:  1) Sucky battery life, even in power save mode, 2) Power save mode means that the screen goes blank.....I took for granted how valuable having a track, map and position up at all times means when you're racing an endurance event, 3) It's full of other, non-bike, MyThis and MyThat crap which is overkill, 4) Touchscreen is cool on paper....and then you have to try to see it in daylight....

I recently bought a Vista Hcx......I really, really....like it.  It, to me, contains the best of the 705 and the Dakota....and none of the negatives I've described.  Screen stays up all the time, it sips power from exchangeable batteries....and does not have all of the extraneous stuff that is useless to a bikepacker.

The only thing I don't like about the Vista Hcx is the 500 point limitation in uploaded track size...but I've since found an easy work around in that I just split whatever track I want to follow into 500pt segments and choose to display them all at the same time.....visually, it's seamless.....so it's no biggie.

[Thanks for the responses folks, I've been hooked up now.]

I desperately need an escape pod saddle pack......I'll pay for yours and promise to ride long, take epic pictures and write a story that "will make an onion cry" (quote stolen from Dexter Rutecki)......medium or large is what I'm after...since small is not epic enough for me.  Thanks for reading and considering.....willing to pay and trade just about anything in my urban palace for one ( I have all sorts of modern contrivances to sweeten the pot...just ask....I used to be a Beltway Bandit...now reformed)......contact me at skithelemmon at hotmail or post up.

I'm serious.....I'm unemployed for a year.....I have nothing else, to be serious about

Thanks for the responses folks, I've been hooked up now.

I missed the AZT300 on purpose, having exhausted any mental capacity to do much beyond drinking beer and wallowing in short, obligatory rides to maintain a base.  Given the conditions which lead to the worst attrition rate this year (congrats to Lynda....you killed it!), I had no chance; yet the lack of experience has been eating at me for since March.  Enter, the Coconino 250: A beautiful ride of best hits over the course of 4 stages, 4 days and 236 glorious miles.  Having grown up in Arizona, the Coconino plateau has always held a special, magical corner of my heart and imagination.  Watching the weather carefully, I spied a window of time I could squeeze the ride into, before committing to the Casner Dirty Centrury Ride this weekend which I volunteered/got volunteered into "leading"....whatever that means.  The weather was cooling down, but there was a catch....there always is.  Forecast for day's 3 and 4 was a 10% chance of thunderstorms with snow down to the 6800 ft level, sustained winds in the 30 mph range, gusts to 40, low temps in the 20's.  10% chance of precipitation in AZ might as well be a weak fart in a stiff wind, so I packed my gear and dogs and took the traveling circus back north.

Repacking my gear at Casa de Padre, I went through the neurosis associated with getting your stuff dialed....the forecast kept changing....10% became 20%......20% became 30%.  I said screw it....I'll make day's 1 and 2 and do a final weather check in Cottonwood...if it's bad, I'll bail there over some BBQ at Hog Wild......



After a fitful night of sleep, full of telling dreams and foreboding insights; I rolled out on the FUTS to start the ride, happy to reach singletrack in the beautiful light of spring and wonder......


I've always loved this spot, having enjoyed it after a long ride in the grace of summer; winters frail grass still dormant prior to the arrival of early summer rains......


Reaching Marshall Lake, I peer back over my shoulder from where I started and admire the fading snows of the Kachina's....


As I pedaled on, the winds picked up as forecast....soon I was riding into a stiff 30mph wind out of the Southwest....gusts occasionally took me by surprise, knocking me over within view of Lake Mary........


........... and giving me an opportunity to look around and inspect the color I'd been seeing all along my wayward path....


After a Green Chile Pork burrito I'd bought earlier in the day from Pay N Take, I transitioned to the North of Mormon Lake where I followed the abandoned sleeper and spike from an old logging railroad used to transport timber from Mormon Mountain back to Flagstaff at the turn of the 20th century.....


Past Munds Park, I found a California Mercury whose driver had too good of a time the previous night, airbags deployed....."Pump your brakes, kid"......


Making the final descent into the stage 1 stop, I let the bike fly as I sang at the top of my lungs, "Bird is the Word".......spying a family in an ATV slowing down for me...I yelled out to them as I flew by....."Have you heard.......BIRD IS THE WORD!!!!!!!"

FAMILY GUY - Bird is the Word!

Stopping short of my final stop, I felt compelled to picture some more color....


Making camp on the basalt cliffs overlooking Sedona, I spread out my gear to dry and began to explore in the warm glow of afternoon light.


Late spring blooms of crimson adorned the cactus growing from fractures within the cliff......


....some, sprout from imperceptible cracks as they grow into the western sun.....


Behind me, the ground was dominated by giant alligator juniper.........


Walking around this king, I found unusual colored lichen adorning a dead branch......


.....and more, growing up from the rocks at the juniper's roots.....glowing hot in the shallow light of late afternoon.....


The smell of fresh sap was in the air; fresh ooze reflecting back images of the green plateau and blue sky behind me.....and the photographer with camera if you look closer.....


Returning to the tangerine scene which would dominate the rest of my walk, the sight of silhouetted spires rising from the canyons below held my gaze.....


One more look behind me showed the peaks, now further away than ever.....


Returning to my bedroom, I propped up my bag against a rock and started to eat a dinner of Strawberry-Vanilla Perpetum and Red Vines as the feature presentation began......


The high winds which I had fought all day on the bike, now began to show a beautiful side:  dust stirred up into the atmosphere lent a mars-like glow to the close of day.....Mingus Mountain far on the horizon marking  my goal for day 2.


The lower the sun moved, the warmer the light became.....


Cliffs I now sat on transitioned from Grey-Black to Red and Orange.....


With every minute, the temperature dropped...fast...I was frozen as I soaked up the fading views and last warmth of day......


Counting down the minutes, I shot one last frame of the Sun, setting fire to the last ridge between me and darkness........


That night, I peered up at moonless sky, dominated by the most beautiful Milky Way scene I've ever witnessed.  So clear was it, that the spiral arms of the galaxy were plainly in view as I listened to Phish's  Billy Breathes album.....a sublime ending to day one of bikepacking on the Coco as I drifted off to sleep as Prince Caspian, floating on the waves

Prince Caspian, floating on the waves

......

The windy chill of morning woke me at 5am along with the growing glow of day.  Packing up, I observed the shadows retreat down into the valley along the cream and crimson cliffs to the west.....


Making a final call on the weather in Sedona, I learned that the forecast was for more of the same for day 2, with convective precipitation a real concern for day's 3 and 4.  Based on the real potential for hypothermia and frostbite with lows in the 20's and thundersnow; I called it and decided to forgo the second half of the Coco by arranging for a pickup at the base of Mingus Mountain in Cottonwood and began to enjoy the flowers of late spring along the Sedona singletrack.


Making my way over Broken Arrow, Llama and Templeton trails to Buddha Beach, I stopped to filter a bit of water at Oak Creek before continuing on to Red Rock State Park......


Transitioning to Lime Kiln Trail, my progress was slowed by extremely high headwinds and deep, talcum powder sand which left me pushing downhill, into the wind at times while being sandblasted......demoralizing to say the least, when you have to HAB on a trail like this.....I was amused, however, by seeing tire tracks from the BPR Crew who made their way through here just a few weeks ago....


.....however, the horizon-to-horizon views were still epically beautiful.  The winds and clouds developing on  the western horizon heralded the impending cold front.


Riding home in a vehicle with doubts as to my, now final, decision to abandon the second half; were firmly validated over the next 2 days when it snowed in Flagstaff with very cold temps for mid-May.....yet I could not help but think of when I could do it all over again, and more.......I shall return......

Thanks for your hard work and stoke pictures on this race.....alas, I am not doing it this year.  I was on track to be ready and then life threw me a monkey wrench with the last 6 weeks seeing me off my bike a lot.....not cool!  To all those who are rockin this....I will live vicariously through you all as you grind your way north.

I'm out to much disapointment....just found out today  my wife has a week long commitment starting that Sunday which I can't get out of......ride strong folks.  I may have to ride this the following week solo if I'm still unemployed.

I did the Turn and Burn ride last weekend and it was around 55 degrees and pouring rain the entire time.  During that time, I was wearing a long sleeve Patagonia capeline2 shirt under a Pearl Izumi rain jacket that does not breath at all, except for a mesh flap panel in the back.  At this temp and humidity...it worked just fine and I did not get steamed inside....but had the temp been a bit more, I would probably have been steamed.

I'd second the get wet comment as long as you know you can dry out, stay out of the wind or are wearing layers that keep you warm when wet.  Outside of that, GoreTex or HyVent (North Face answer to GoreTex) will breath much better than standard riding jackets which are pretty much glorified trash-bags IMO.  I'd love to see more with pit zips at a minimum on all riding jackets which really helps the steam factor......I'm not sure why these are not standard like they are on most ski gear.

When the call came to circumnavigate the Kaibab Plateau for a muli-day bikepacking trip with Chad, I threw my desire for rest aside and jumped in.....I would not be disappointed.

Leaving our car outside of Jacob Lake and descending out of the Ponderosa and Aspen forest, we contoured around to the west and then south......



Many lessons were learned by me on this first bikepacking trip.....the first one being to mentally prepare myself for the planned vs. anticipated water stops....and not assume that "Jug" implies water.....



The humid air above the northwestern Kaibab hinted at possible showers....but they never materialized....



40 miles in, we hit the Rainbow Rim Trail in the fading light of day....



Rarely seen western views from the north Kaibab were enjoyed while rolling along....me consumed by visions of running springs to which there were none.



Spotting evidence of folks camped across the way towards Locust point, we pedaled on to find a decent campsite with a good view for the next morning....



Arriving at Locust, we found two gents from Flagstaff, one of which knew Chad from 2 Spring Flings ago.  They invited us to camp next to them and share in some of their PBR, cheese, pickled chiltipin's, fine tequilia and water........for which I contributed genoa salami, chili covered mango slices, and flattened banana.  The conversation and hospitality was very much appreciated while enjoying timeless views of the fading light in the canyon.



Waking on day two, I walked out to the same point to view the suns rays revisiting the canyon once again.





Soft morning light along the rim from our camp exposed features obscured the night before.....



Thanking our friends in the morning, we continued on the Rainbow Rim, hollering out across the canyon at the camp we just left....taking in the echo's and the views alike.....



Transitioning off of the Rainbow Rim and skirting an active burn in progress, we borrowed some water from an unorthodox source before coming into views of Dragon Creek below which is framed by Confucius Temple, Tower of Ra, Osiris Temple.......and the "Leviathon", ably piloted by Chad.



Views of the Kachina Peaks  from 70 miles away across the canyon were appreciated, however the chasm consumed most of our attention......



Moving on to the southern extent of the tour, dusty double track lead us to a detour towards the North Rim Lodge and some Pizza & Beer.....the former to be my downfall the rest of the day.



Dirty....but content....and fascinated how dirt does not stick to scar tissue......



5 of the 6 things I love in life are represented in this photo.....the sixth was in my thoughts.....



Wolfing down extra pizza which was awarded to us for suffering through an hour and a half wait....I soon realized I ate too much as I tried to pedal away and keep up with Chad.......Lesson two handily learned.

Climbing an old watchtower, more views of the Kachina Peaks on the horizon and from across the canyon....



Warning:  After descending the tower, you may find yourself talking to an imaginary person in finely pressed white socks.....not seen here....because they are not real.....



Feeling spent and week, stomach torn asunder; Chad throws some encouragement my way to make camp at the East Rim.....the singletrack through idyllic meadows buoyed my spirits.....



When singletrack goes on vacation, this is probably where it goes.....



East Rim views in the fading light of day came into view, and lifted me even higher.....



Navajo Mountain, 80 miles to our northwest towered over the canyonlands......



The pastel colors of sandstone and sunset last for but a brief moment each day....but leave an indelible impression......



As we prepared for our second night....I savored the last moments before finally meeting the venerated Don Miguel......next time, I'm going to try "The Bomb".....



Falling asleep to views of the milky way, we slept in a bit before making our way to Dog Lake for our final water stop....hope the chlorine tabs work on dog water....



Making our way north along the AZT, we found the treed entrance to Valhalla........



Flowing out of climbs back into meadows, I savored the descents; hoping for more before the next climb.



Where's Chad?......



.........floating on the grass.......



......topping out......



Continuing north, the bowl shaped meadows gave way to flatter expanses of Lupine and Ponderossa.



144 miles later.....our stomaches were rewarded with Jacob Lake Cafe food.....



Driving away....Chad remarked outloud......"It's a good day to be alive"....I nodded in silence, answering only in my mind....."yes it is....yes it is...."

All things considered, I was pretty happy with myself; having learned a few valuable lessons along the way and I now have a pretty good idea as to what I need to do better next time.  Below is a list of lessons learned on my 1st trip:

1)  Bring Less Food -  I brought entirely too much food to include "Robo-Food".  Chad's Don Miguel approach combined with planned refueling points was not something I planned on....I will pay more attention to the logistics next time.
2)  Bring more water - I carried 4L with me.....this trip I probably should have had 6L.  Also, as indicated above, I should have paid more attention to the logistics of the ride.  I anticipated refueling water at a certain point, only to realize that Chad never intended for a water stop at that point.  My ignorance of all the planned/potential water stops enabled my mind to go a bit batty about water.  Knowing the route in my head before going will eliminate this mental ping-pong.
3)  Use a seat bag vs. Handlebar bag - I suppose that a seat bag balanced with a handlebar bag would be ok... balance being the key word here.  However, I'd much prefer having weight back there instead of up front, YMMV.  I was lucky to have Chad loan me a CDW handlebar bag to try out in which I stuffed all my food (too much) and my sleeping bag.  My Wing-Nut pack contained my water and spare clothes.  I'll be placing an order soon for an escape pod and a frame bag.
4)  Get replaceable battery components - I have a Garmin 705 which I love....but it ran out of juice halfway through the second day.  This clearly is not going to work for me going forward.  I really love having a USGS 7.5 as a background map....so I need to buy a unit that will allow me this capability as well as the ability to swap out batteries.
5) Stand more - I noticed that Chad stood a lot rather than sitting.  I suppose this is now habit for him....and it will be now too, considering my arse was pretty raw after 3 days.  Had I stood more on day 1, day 3 would have been more tolerable.
6)  Slow Down - I started out on a pace that was too fast, but which I thought was sustainable.  I tried taking Chad's lead....but at the time his pace seemed impossibly slow despite the heat of day 1.  It became painfully clear to me by day 2 that his pace was a pace he could keep forever.  I had no idea what a multi-day pace was like....I do now.
7)  Eat less - This refers to when one stops to refuel....ones eyes are truly bigger than ones stomach.  After gorging myself on pizza at the North Rim....my stomach was wrecked pedaling away.  I should have taken some leftovers and put them in my pack....chipping away at the pizza throughout the next day instead of feasting.  My legs and stomach did not recover until the next day.

Hey all....I just caught the bikepacking bug thanks to my first trip engineered by Chad up on the Kaibab.  I'll post up a trip report here soon elsewhere.