Cheers to Rob Pownall for setting the record.
Also, thank you for taking the trail and not the road (bikepacking is supposed to be on trails and not roads anyway)

WTF that's mean and unneeded commentary.
The amount of snow changes rapidly in April. Choosing the road was the right call. Dogmatic attitudes result in messed up trails for everyone who follows. Obviously anyone riding this route prefers trail to road.
Also, thank you to everyone who is not taprider

I haven't ridden yet the Patagonia/Sonoita bypass. But since you're doing the 800, also take a look at the new Sunnyside addition before PCL. For planning, I think of it as a southern 'extension' of the Canelos. Its not fast. Have an awesome ride!
Thanks for the heads up, more single track is great....time well spent!

So I'm  throwing my hat  in ring for a spring ITT of the 800. The new route bypassing Patagonia and Sonita. It may mean no evening beer for the TubeSSnapper
It sounds like Sonita is now 3 miles off course.....possibly a negligible difference for non racer racer-type?
My planning question is really about the time difference to Kentucky Camp. With the Patagonia by pass AND the Hog canyon reroute. Will it change the time needed (hours of riding) to reach KC? I last rode this in 2018 and arrived in KC after dark,well after dark I should say.

AND
I plan to start Sunday 3/28. I am soliciting ideas on how to get to the border.
On my last AZT journey I rode there from Sierra Vista the afternoon before and camped near the border. It was not ideal.
Could I catch an early morning Uber to Montezuma pass? Local knowledge would be appreciated.

And of course....thank you to the curators of this event...the GPS files...the 411 and beta information.....  both are  inspirational and practical.

Made it to the Grand Canyon and I’m out of time.
This is a great race and punishing route
My only regret is that I couldn’t go faster
Of course it was hard but it was also a lot and I mean a lot of great trail riding.
These were my first AZT miles but certainly not my last.
So that’s it. Tubessnapper (Jeremy noble) is out.
BTW the trail is kinda rocky

A word from the trail
The route is fracking amazing
Thanks Scott for making the gps track
Going through the land trust after queen valley was really cool but impossible without the gpx track
Gpx track just autocorrected to god track which feels appropriate when your out there
Folks along the way know the AZTr is coming ,I think they like the extra customers
One last thing , Oracle ridge is great if you like to shred chunk and have a droppper post, actually I’ve been loving my dropper the whole way
Cheers and have a great race

Thanks Scott for the 10 k version, it loaded onto my GPS like butter.
I am entirely new to the route, is there any snow detour info for me to add to my cue sheets?
Besides the final push after the north rim, that is.

I meant to post this here...oops

GPS questions:
Will there be a 2018 edition of the track or is the course the same as 2017?

Also I purchased the AZT app which has 'a' bike version of the AZT.
 Has anybody compared the two routes?
 I plan on using my Garmin eTrex  as my primary navigation tool and my phone as a backup.

FYI the app is nice for those of us who have never before rolled tires on the AZT

Hey Folks
I've committed to an ITT northbound starting on 3/28 at 7am.
sadly the group start doesn't line up with my vacation time.
I'm looking for information about the starting area and a good way to manage the logistics. Currently I'm debating between a few options all of which include me arriving in SV in a rented car around noon the day before.
Option 1. leave SV in the afternoon and ride to the starting area with extra food and water. Camp. questions...how long would that take? is solo camping on the border totally crazy?
option 2 . stay in SV and Uber an early morning  ride to montezuma pass. questions...is this possible?

Jeremy here,
I bailed after getting back to forest hill rd. On the climb up to Deadwood I had seriously debilitating cramps in my legs and a wicked head ache. Both legs, upper and lower, it was quite agonizing.  I had to walk way way too much. After I reached the hand pump they hit again and worse. I suppose it was the heat which got to me, I felt over heated all day and was sweating a crazy amount the whole time. I drank a lot and consumed many electrolytes, to no avail.
 After a long rest I continued up to the road and that is where the cramps returned. With an aching head and sore muscles I pulled the plug. I was all set to camp out, except that I knew it was mostly downhill hill back to Auburn along the road. So 35 or so road miles later I was back at my car.
Today I felt absolutely wrecked, vindicating my decision to bail. Se la vi.
 

Any suggestions for where to leave a vehicle for the race? Besides at the base of Mt. Rose

Sean, Thanks for the 10,000 points version. It works perfectly and is already loaded onto my GPS.
I too was on the same piece of rim trail at that same time, gorgeous and fun.

Anyone know how to make the GPX file fit. My garmin e-trex can only handle 20 tracks of 500 points each. I loaded the CTR last year no problem and that was more miles of trail. The GPS aspect of this a PIA, but I know I need it.

Fitness will effect your finishing time, but bike 'fit' will determine if you finish at all. You really need a practice run to determine if you'll have nerve issues, back issues and of course butt issues. Most importantly you'll find out if you like riding from dawn to dusk (actually way more if racing). Everyone feels crappy at some point in a race like that, the question will be, can you still have fun when feeling crappy, all the same, the feeling passes. But numb hands won't heal for a long time and a painful pack can feel like a torture device. Iron out those 'fit' issues before lining up for the start. And as for the CSTR, don't try to keep up with Sean

Excellent post.

Hey Hey,
I am wondering how the lower trails
 from auburn to Loon lake are during this dry winter. Specifically this Hunter's trail thang. I'm hoping to do a march recon ride. Maybe start in forest hill and go up from there?
Share the 411 if you got it.
Any fellow racers want to join me?

Almost sunset....
These guys have crushed some serious miles. I'm excited to see what happens tonight. Don't be fooled by the low altitude, those early miles are on some tough terrain. The rubicon at night seems to be a fearfull thing. Even in road daylight it is a trials style ride, I know from my own experience on it, fricken tough.
I'm ringing my cow bell boys...go,fricken go!

This is my story from the 2013 CTR.
My second time participating, which means that twice I've gotten to participate in one of the coolest things on earth. Thanks Stephan for putting it out there, you inspire in many ways.
No pics...lots of words though
Day 1- 4am roll-out. Over seventy racers lined up in DT Durango for the start. Friends and family milled around while riders cinched their straps and bantered about. Our organizer/leader Stephan made a brief speech and then said “go”.
Off we went. I stayed up front with the big boys hoping to match their pace.  I’ve learned that on a ride like this I’ll be fried by the afternoon no matter what. Being fried was a given...the question was, “How well do you ride while fried?”
The route starts with sweet ridable single-track, mostly climbing, but good stuff. Then comes the climb up Kennebeck Pass. I left Junction Creek at 8,500 and climbed stupid steep trail up to the high point on Indian Ridge at 12,300. This was brutal, but it brings you to an amazing knife edge ridge with endless views of the Rockies in all directions (not a rare event along the CT). Catching my breath was disguised as looking at the view. The trail stays high from there and rolls along in a tough, barely ridable manner. The bike felt heavy and the clock seemed to be on meth. Before I knew it, the sun was setting and Silverton (my goal before a bivvy) was a long ways off. Sunset was amazing...of course. I was having light issues  and riding with others...mooching their light when possible and enjoying their company. As real darkness fell, I knew getting dinner in Silverton wasn’t going to happen, so I pulled off trail to get my headlight working and have a rest. I was tired and decided a cat-nap was in order. So I crept into my bivvy sack sans sleeping bag and slept for about an hour until the chill of the evening got to me. Then as the full moon rose, I cruised the final miles to Molas Pass and the road to Silverton. I arrived in S-town at a bit before midnight expecting a totally dead town. Instead I met a local who let me get water. Then as I rode on I heard music and saw a bar type place was still open. I stepped in to find a whiskey fueled group of folks. I asked the bar man if he had any food to sell and he said he had just shut the register down and was done for the night. He then proceeded to give me a half-eaten bag of chips, all his left-over cookies, a pile of sliced cheddar and two oranges...gratis. He wouldn’t let me buy the stuff. Man I was stoked. I rode out of town and used moonlight only to guide me to the base of Stony Pass, where I slept for 3 hours.
Day 2-
I awoke to the same moon that put me to sleep and immediately started going the wrong way. Oh I felt so good and the hill was so easy. Too bad it was the wrong hill. When I got back on track it was a hill from hell. Too steep to ride, rocky and unwaveringly tough. After close to 3,500 feet of climbing I was wiped and crawled back into my bivvy until the sun came up. Already the sleep monster was rearing its head.
The next sections of trail are absolutely amazing. Amazingly hard...and amazingly beautiful.
Riding and hiking in the tundra is unlike anything in CA. Often the trail doesn’t exist. Instead rock cairns guide you across rocky high meadows. Not easy to ride but very easy to love. I’d been there before so I never succumbed to the false hope of “this must be the last hill’. Instead I always assumed there would be another and was thus never emotionally crushed at the sight of yet another steep unridable climb.
This led to the second road detour which I rode until close to midnight. I was going stupid slow on easy gravel roads....so I bivied beside the road. I slept for 3.5 hours and then got rolling again.
Day 3-
I climbed Los Pinos Pass (small) and caught up to Brad from N. Carolina. I was going by moonlight alone so he had no idea I was approaching.I watched him swerving all over the place and realized he was falling asleep in the saddle. I spoke and he didn’t respond so I turned on my light and whoa! surprise!
We rode together for a bit. Eventually the cold started creeping in and I had to pick up my pace to stay warm. Riding by moonlight was fantastic. But the cold got to me after a few hours and back into my bivy I went, wearing every layer of warmth I had. I arose at sunrise and made my way to the end of the road detour, where I found the “trail-angel” Apple’s camp. He was not there but had left full jugs of water, coolers of soda and boxes of snacks. I stopped just long enough to grab a coke and eat a package of nutter-butter cookies and fill up on water. The snacks were nice but the water was crucial. The next section was hard and dry.
After some great trail I missed a turn and went  way way off course. Arghh.
Back on course I made it to what all agree is the suckiest part of the CT...Sargents Mesa. Brutal, rocky, steep, unridable, hot, dry. I soon was out of water and eased up on my effort to compensate. After an eternity I got through and rested a few minutes at a lovely creek crossing. Brad showed up and we rested for a few.
Back on the bike I had my first afternoon of “super-legs”. I just felt great. I got to the base of Marshall Pass at sunset and went over the pass and down to HWY 50 by moonlight and bike light, joined by a few racers. Bivied at HWY 50
Day 4-
Started with a small group of racers and slowly fell behind. Legs were not “super” at all. I crept along to Princeton Hot Springs where I stopped at the store for an ice cream sandwich and a frappuccino. A great way to get 700 calories into the system.
The hill out of there is paved but stupid steep. Then as I got closer to the top a t-storm closed in on me. Water-proofs went on and I kept on truckin’. I was well below the tree line so the lightning did’t scare me too badly. Slow and steady, I made my way to BV for a resupply and some hot food. On my way out of town I stopped to replace my rear brake pads and of course struggled a bit. A burr on a bolt was keeping it from backing out. Luckily a local had stopped to check on me and this happened while we were chatting. He went to his truck and got a tool to help me....lucky me. Soon I was moving again and made my way up past Twin Lakes for that night’s bivy. I had decided to sleep 5 hours with hopes of feeling OK in the morning. I set up under a clear moonlit night.
Day 5-
Three hours later it started raining on me. So much for 5 hours of sleep. Oddly the sky was mostly clear, mine was the only cloud. I was feeling really zonked. When I saw a gnome tied to a tree I figured I should rest some more (there was no gnome). I sat against a tree in the woods, shut down my lights and sat in the dark resting. I may have napped, or not. The “R” stirred me and I slogged my way to Leadville. My throat was sore and swallowing anything hurt. My energy was really low and a hot breakfast in L-ville didn’t help. I actually fell asleep while riding to the next trailhead. Once at the TH I set up a yard-sale with my gear so it could dry out. I ate my second apple fritter of the day and napped while my gear dried. (At that point in the morning I’d eaten french toast, bacon, and two apple fritters...yet I was still low on energy.)
After that I was recharged enough to ride again. Amazing passes, trail and scenery ensued. Eventually I landed at Copper Mtn. Resort which only offered a fancy dancy bar & grill. I passed and instead ate some bread and cheese at the bottom of my next big climb, the “ten-mile”range. Just as I started up the trail a t-storm rolled in. The flashes and bangs were practically simultaneous, the thing was right on me. So I crawled into some dryness under tree protection and put on my layers for the wait.
This being Colorado I was barely settled with my warm layers on when the storm passed and sunshine ensued.
And so I zipped up the ten-mile at sunset on my evening “super-legs”. 2,700 feet of climbing in four miles....all smiles. This was a joyous CTR moment. Without the push of the “R” in CTR I’d have probably waited for the morning to climb the ten-mile. Riding at sunset, at 12,000 plus would please many cyclists, but the Ten-mile has an ugly side too. This was the descent to Breckenridge. If I were riding a DH bike I’d still call it rocky and sketchy. If it was light out I’d have still said it was a gnarly descent. As it was, I was on a hardtail XC bike in the dark (before moonrise) with lame lighting. The rocks in the trail were mostly  white quartz. They looked like giant marsh-mellows    stuck into the ground under the pale illumination of my light. So I followed the marsh-mellow brick road to the outskirts of Breck , where I bivied.
Day 6-
I slept a mere 10 feet from the trail on a rare dry spot under a tree. While sleeping I heard the buzz and zip and saw the receding glow of riders passing me in the night. This was a cool thing, being passed didn’t bother me. I was just stoked to see and hear these wanderers of the night. Had I a cow-bell I’d have rung it hard and loud for them.
I rose as soon as it was light and got on a section of trail that was new to me. In 2011 it had been closed for logging and I had obediently skipped it. It was a ‘ripping’ trail. After the marsh-mellow trail of tears it was joyous to ride a good trail. In 2011, I skipped probably three hours of trail riding when I detoured around this segment. Eventually I got to the last big climb, Georgia Pass at 11,800 feet. The high country in Colorado is really special so it was with mixed feeling that I accelerated to mach-3 down the other side to Kenosha Pass. 10 inches of packed dirt swooping and carving through a vast meadow of wildflowers.
Kenosha Pass was where another unknown section began for me. In 2011 the route used the highway to skip wilderness. It would have been 12 miles of downhill and 8 or so rolling gravel miles to get back on trail. Instead the new route stays on trail for 5 more miles and then does 70 + miles of dirt, pave & gravel until you are back on trail. This section was missing from my GPS route since it was a recent change. So I used my Trail Data Book to guide me. The book was written for people going southbound. I was going the opposite direction, and so I had to reverse all the directions. I did poorly at this. I knew I needed left turns but miscounted intersections and made a left where I needed to go right. It was up hill, and long, and steep, and THE WRONG WAY. I grunted and grinded and struggled up a mountain towards Lost Park. I estimate I was off course for 15 miles and 2,000 feet of climbing before I got back on course. On the plus side it was a very fast return to the route...bonus shredding!. The actual route was super easy in comparison, but my spirit was badly bruised. At this point my food supplies fit into my hip pocket. I had a cliff bar and cookie. Dark thoughts entered my mind.  “I wasn’t going to be able to finish!” I had totally screwed up on my food logistics.
Then I saw neon...huh...beer signs?.....an open sign?....HELL YEAH I’m stopping!
I stepped into the bar and asked if Tarryal (20 miles down the route) was a “real” town. The bar folk indignantly said “ of course” and then added that it had no services or stores. However the bar had a little store next door and they opened it up for me. It was nearly barren, stocked with random necessities. The food was mostly junk. For me though, it was nirvana...I was going to finish! I turned to a local guy next to me and said, “This is the greatest store I’ve ever been in!”  Four giant packaged muffins, four Payday candy bars, four Mrs. Fields cookies a bottle of gatorade and two small bags of fritos (all they had....so alas only two). Then I went back to the bar and had a sandwich, chips, beer and whiskey. After my wrong turn I wasn’t feeling much of the “R” , hence the beer and whiskey. I knew I was going to miss a sub 6 day finish so I might as well enjoy myself a bit. The bar-man had been expecting me. Earlier racers had clued him in to the trackleader website. He said to me, “We saw you going off route earlier”. The Spot lets the whole world watch your stupidity was my response...ain’t’ that great. He was a cool guy though and the bar folk all were curious about the race. It was nice to chat over a cold beer while sitting in a padded chair. This was the type of place where the owner’s Pit-bulls had free reign  over the bar. When my food arrived, one of the dogs became my best friend.
I slipped out and buzzed down the road to Tarryal at sunset. When I saw the volunteer fire station I knew I was at my bivvy...I like fire stations. I crept around back and slept in the gravel. No it was not ‘comfy’ but at that point horizontal is more important than soft.
Day 7-
I awoke soaking wet from the dew and then rolled right past the turn I needed. Close to ten miles later I hit a highway and knew I was  $^#%ed. Back up the road I went. It was consoling that when I found the right road it was not an obvious thing. The sign was small and set way too far back to be seen. (I later learned that other racers had missed the turn as well). The next miles were steep and gravel, sometimes freshly graded to boot. It sucked. As the sun got higher it became hot, dry and suckier. The nice views and cool rocks couldn’t quite compensate for this.
I eventually made it back to trail and it was there that I rediscovered “joy.”
Not only was it all ‘trail’ to the end, but it was a net loss of altitude. That is not to say it didn’t roll a bit. And force me to my feet often. It was fun. As I fed and watered at the start of the last segment, two racers came past. Guys I hadn’t seen in many days. It was cool to see them. The fact I was losing two places in the ‘R’ didn’t bother me. I lost to these guys when I got way off track those three times. Besides, unless you’re at the front, this event is really a race against yourself.
The final miles of trail were great. Rocky technical descents, shady swooping turns and more down than up!
And then it was over...Waterton Canyon. Six miles of gentle downhill would have been perfect, except for the headwind which forced me to pedal my way down the road. For me it was poetic, we don’t do this because it’s easy.
Then I won. Timing is everything and Angels are just that. I pulled in to the lot and found not only the riders who were ahead, but also their “crews” and Brian and his Angelic Wife.
They gave me good pizza. More importantly I got a ride to the camper van, many miles away at the Denver Airport. All this while a huge storm dumped, boomed and banged overhead. My journey to the van would have been hellish without their help.
So I finished. I felt OK. I felt OK? Weird.
I had just finished with food and water and mild temps. Of those three  I had had one...water, when arriving in Durango in 2011. That time I was shelled....a withered zombie. This time I felt OK.
Of course my body hurt and another day would have been a day too many. The butt pain was a given, but additionally I had a hot spot of sorts on the ball of my right foot which was excruciating.
So I won in my own way. I crashed zero times. I had zero flats. I had zero mechanical problems. I replaced both sets of brake pads without much trouble.
I rode hard.


Final Thoughts

Was it worth it ?
I put a lot into this thing. It was fun. Tons of riding and three overnight trips to get tuned up. But the race wasn’t  ‘fun’. It was a challenge to be overcome which has some fun parts sprinkled in. I don’t regret doing it and I’ve smoothed out a burr in my brain by completing it again. So in the end, yes it was worth it.
Was it harder going Northbound?
Definitely yes. The first day alone makes the difference. Despite being fresh, the hills are crazy hard going up and rather gentle going down, especially towards Silverton. Going southbound takes advantage of this.
However the finish is an order of magnitude easier when you go northbound. Ending in Denver means an easy and fun finish. Logistically it made no difference.
Was I better prepared?
Definitely yes. Spending three weeks at altitude in advance made the high country much more fun. I probably rode a bit too much right before the race but I got a chance to ride Crested Butte, which was priceless.
My route preparedness was lacking. I definitely could have done better navigation and logistical  preparation. ‘nough said about that.
Did my sleep plan work?
Definitely not.
I need to sleep. I now see clearly that I can make up for lost time by riding faster when I’ve slept. My plan of 4 hours per night never quite worked out and I felt sick with tiredness a bit too often.
Will my marriage survive another trail race?
Hell yeah!

In 2011 every inch of the CTR was new to me, so knowing (hearing) Apple was out there on some pass was neither here nor there regarding planning and resupply. I expected nothing and counted on nothing....as it should be. I say keep Apple's location on the down-low....his presence is super cool, but  angels aren't predictable are they?
Apple- thanks for the best Coke I've ever had(not hyperbole).
 A cold soda at the end of sargent's was an unreal dreamlike pleasure, but it would have less so if I had known it was coming.

No syringe is needed, the 2oz. refill bottle will fit right into the valve core. One less thing to carry. I refill the 2 oz bottle after use and tape the cap on tightly to prevent a messy accident.

When one considers the purse at stake here...the rules are are paramount...ha..ha. This is grassroots DIY racing. Surely if 'many people' want are different race they will create one. The TDR logistics are tough but equal. If you plan right and are fast you can always sleep in a bed and eat hot meals as John Nobile did when he finished in 17 days and change. And if you wan't to use commercial services for support I'm sure FedEx or UPS will deliver whatever you want where-ever you want.
While I've never been on the AT, I suspect it does not have quite the remoteness of the GDMTBR and so our "footprint" is quite apparent. The hospitality of locals is famous...and not to be taken for granted.
A suggestion:
I recall the folks in Atlantic City (anyone who has been there can attest to irony of the name....city) purchased extra food for their little market in anticipation of the TDR riders. I was overjoyed to find real food there in addition to a hot meal. Perhaps you wan't to suggest to them that they stock a few gluten free products for ANYONE to buy. That will be incentive to stay at the head of the pack as well.