Very best of luck to all racers, may the wind be on your backs. Keep safe. Good watching to all the dot watchers!

Just a quick FYI for those ITT riders, as well as any other riders just touring the southwest Montana section of the Great Divide Trail.  On Wednesday afternoon Bannack was severally damaged by a flash flood.  In a 45 minute period 3 to 4 inches of rain fell north and east of the town of Bannack.  This sent a wall of water down "Hangman's Gulch" and through Bannack - Montana State Park damaging 80 percent of the buildings.  It's estimated that Bannack will be closed for at least a month so any riders planning to camp a Bannack be advised it is closed.  The Bannack bench road received about a quarter of an inch of rain and sustained no damage.  We got about a half inch at our lodge, so no flooding here either.  We are open for riders.

Many thanks for this info Russ.  My partner and 3 others are currently riding about three quarters of the route, I've sent him an email with your info.  They are currently in Lincoln (according to SpotWalla) so hopefully they'll be passing by your way soon. 

My ride report is up here http://www.jonesbikes.com/?option=com_wordpress&lang=en&Itemid=58
and more photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/67338272@N05/sets/72157634480077423/

Great write up, fantastic pictures and congratulations on your race. Well done all round!

<tears>  Well written.  Thanks for honoring them.  They so deserve it. 

+1 Great tribute

YEAAA!!!!  The Krafts made it.   

Phew! They've certainly shown great determination over the last week or so.

It's so good to see the Krafts moving southward!   

So, so very good!  50 miles to go.  If it wasn't 20 mins past midnight here I'd watch them to the finish. Hope to check in in the morning to see two blue bouncing dots.

  The Florida Family Kraft are on the move!  Everything crossed that no more troubles come their way.

@ Mrs NH - I love your TD update! It's also really good to hear how other blue-dotters are getting on in other parts of the world.

Apologies if this is not really appropriate for this forum and at risk of edging dangerously close to yet another mum forum (i promise - no more), I attach a picture of James Olsen's niece. Feeling neglected with someone else getting all the attention at the moment, she's got a new t-shirt that she hopes will attract her mum's (and Grandparent's!) attention again..

Simply brilliant!  I hope she gets the attention she deserves now she has her very own blue dot.  
JO seems to be slightly off the track at the moment - hope its a tracker issue rather than a wrong turn.

Unfortunately these days if your in it to win it and know you can't win its easier to drop out.

OUCH!  Seems a bit harsh, scratching didn't seem like an easy option after listening to his call in.  We don't know what he was going through.

Just to let you know that JO is back on track, & mother can relax! I'm exhausted - I feel as though I'm in the TD too!

He keeps doing that 'stopped for x hours thing', doesn't he?  Just to add to the dot watchers excitement probably. ;-)  Good to see him doing so well.  

Jesse and Kerrin are here. Kerrin arrived first, and I expected Jesse about 30 minutes later.

We had a major electrical storm, thunder, lightening, a little bit of moisture, Kerrin just missed it. What we think happened is that half way down Boreas Jesse had a flat, he was running tubeless and put a tube in. Coming into Como it is pretty open, he was found on the town limits dazed and confused cycling with a totally flat tire saying he was looking for a guy called Como. We sat him down, got some water and coke into him, we thought he had major concussion. He had obviously come down on his right side, knee and wrist hurt but no cuts or major abrasions.

Now he is now lucid, but it took him sometime to come around, he was insisting he was third in the race, all he rembers was the thunder and lightening.

We think he was near a lightening hit and was blown off his bike.

Wow - hope he continues to recover and glad he's in safe hands.

I think Mike's next formal challenge is the Transcontinental London - Istanbul unsupported on 2 August http://www.transcontinentalrace.com/  more dot watching, I'll be exhausted!

JamesO had us all worried for a few hours there - nice to see him back.  I hope Craig's long stop is also a spot issue....

As a pure 'spot watcher' (in other words someone who doesn't know what they are talking about) I feel that even if you didn't have the SPOT the Observer Effect would still apply because the people you care about will know what you are trying to achieve.

I think anyone who seriously attempts this race (with or without a SPOT / phone/ web access etc.) is pretty amazing and they should feel proud that they have tried, even if they haven't made it, so no reputation loss possible from my view.

Come on MIKE!!!!  (and JAMES, and CRAIG and everyone!)

  to Angler for these photographs.  Out of the whole field I've only met Mike Hall but these pictures bring the blue dots to life.  Thank you Angler, you're certainly adding to my enjoyment of the race.

Good to hear WL's ok. 

Hey folks in the Silvercity area, my friend Wade Larson (northbound) has been camped out at Black Canyon upper campground area for two days now and I'm a bit worried. Had a text last night from an other friend that started with him that said he had a bit of a heat stroke issue the first day and was thinking of scratching but that's the last info. Maybe his spot id not working and he is making his way up the route, but just want to make sure. Lindsay Sheppard is about to pass him in a few miles, so if there is a way to contact her, he rides an orange Kona Unit with red Revelate bag and camp in a grey Tarptent. Any info would be great.

Did anyone find out what's happened to Wade Larson?  I understand that the trackers do have an emergency help button so if assistance is needed the emergency services can be called.  Mind you I was told this by my partner who did the TD in 2011 so maybe this was his way of reassuring me.....

For all of you concerned about bear encounters - the comment at the end sums it up [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIJGb8mLyOE#]Bear gets right next to a guy on tree]

Bear gets right next to a guy on tree

James Hodges called in to say he finished today! We have our Lanterne Rouge, which is quite an accomplishment. I edited his number out but if you'd like to reach out to James just email me.

You can get the audio here, via RSS,  or on iTunes!

Well done James!!!!  So pleased his last few days went well.

Hello All,  I'm a friend of James' and have been tracking him via the call-ins since he lost his SPOTR.  Just wanted to know from you all who have already finished, is there anyone at the finish line (Race Director or TDMBR "staff")?  Or will anyone be there when James finishes?  (expecting that to be late Tues/early Wednesday).  Thanks!   Patricia Miller

As far as I know it will just be him and the border.....  Certaintly no 'officials' See rule 7 - http://tourdivide.org/the_rules
I do wish him the very best, please keep us informed of his progess.  His comments on his tracker page certainly highlight the effort he is putting in to this epic journey.  As for being 60 - he should be shouting it from the highest mountain!  What an inspiration!

Congratulations Nick!!!  You made it... Whoop!!!!!

Well done Nick!  Great to see such an epic ride from such a young rider. 

Thanks for posting this.  I made a donation too.  Justin made a great contribution to the TD with his no-detour attempt, so I wanted to give a little something back for all the time I spent watching that JS blue dot.  Justin, hope you have a speedy recovery!

Go Nick and James!

http://gdmbr.justinsimoni.com/the-last-big-push.html
Donation from here too.  
And Nick is nearly there!!!!
James must be on his way from Pie Town so go, go, go James.