Hi Everyone,

Just got off the phone with the Banff Airporter, which provides shuttle transport from Calgary to Banff.  They are again willing to offer a 15% discount to all Tour Divide riders.  Use code TOURDIVIDE (all one word, caps not needed) to save 15%.  I used them in 2012 and they were superb.  Airport to door service almost anywhere in Banff or Canmore.  And yes, they will happily take your bicycle at NO extra charge.

Best wishes to all the 2015 riders!

Katherine W

Go Michelle!!!!   Good for you!  Keep on trucking south and stay healthy!
Kiwi

Good! Hoped that might have been the case.  Smart cookie. 

Oh Nooooooo........

Carolines turned around?!!??!  Anyone know if she's OK?

Hugs and thoughts Caroline.

OH. WOW. FREAKIN. WOW........

[Fresh Like Uhh]

Fresh Like Uhh.......use a cardboard box and find a dumpster.  I took a hard case, arranged a professional bike shipping company to return ship it and it was a nightmare.  Didn't work out and had a crap of a time getting my money back.
Tanman, yes, USAirways Express in Yuma uses CRJ's and the cargo bin doors are very small on that plane.  As an idea....in order to have the bike travel with you...see if you personally can deliver the bike to Phoenix (Sky Harbor) and check the bike in there.  I'm assuming you're connecting in PHX, and the plane they use to Calgary will be able to handle your bike.  Two issues though, USAir is very unaccommodating with thinking outside of the box, and two, I think they still charge about $200 per bike one way, which is a total scam.  Westjet is only about $25 and I've taken bikes to Canada twice with them.
Also look at Fedex and other bike specific shipping companies (Adventure Cycling magazine has a lot advertising in there), but the big issue there is Canadian Customs, many cyclists over the years have had great difficulty getting their bikes back from customs, especially if time is a concern.  Do everything you can to travel with your bike, so that it is personal luggage, and not some taxable asset being freighted into the country.
Also look at flying WestJet from PHX and having a friend drive you up here.  May end up being cost effective.
Sorry I don't know anyone driving from this end.
Good luck!

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I played around with the gpx file in topofusion. Simplified it into 10,000 points and split it into 20 tracks which should work with most garmins. If you put it in topo fusion you can look at each track, see the mileage elevation profile, elevation gain and loss of each segment.

Let me know if this works or not.

Attached is the file

Nice work Rich!! (coach)

You're in charge of loading my GPS!! 

DeePee I live in Phoenix too.  Just do a couple of rides along the Mogollon Rim come spring time, you'll be fine. Maybe a run or two to Flagstaff and back.  That's what I did. As others has said, nothing too substantial elevation wise until you're quite some distance into the race.

I am working on a cue-sheet using the ACA maps but I only have the first section (of the 12) done.  Any interest in this?  I can share it via Google docs and the riders who are interested can add comments or make corrections.

Yes....Keep at it!!  In fact I'll help some if needed.

Yay Shelia!!!!   Congratulations!!!
Way to persevere through some amazing challenges!   Bask in the glory, you DID IT!!!  So proud!
Katherine

Oh GAWD......I just checked Shelias tracker and had to come right here to see what was going on!!!

Good for her, that's one smart cookie to realize that she was in a predicament and make the right decision to return to Flagstaff.
And that's one TOUGH cookie to have the gumption to say that she'll refuel and push on!

Yay!   Go Shelia, lots of good thoughts, tailwinds and smooth trails going your way!   I know you can do it!!  Hang in there and soldier on!  We are all pulling for you!!!

GO SHELIA!!!!!!!

She's almost at Flagstaff!!

Well, I hate to say this but I am scratching from the AZT 750

Rich, you are my absolute hero!!  I am so amazed at what you have accomplished so far!  No one can say that you didn't give 110% and more to this race!  Completing the 300 was a phenomenal effort, and if the 750 is just not meant to be, then it is not meant to be.    As much as I would have loved to see you continue, it has to be fun and your heart has to be in it, so I applaud that you have dug deep and made this difficult decision.

To everyone else out there, Rich Rocks!  (if you didn't know that already),

And now, we all get to cheer on Shelia!!  Yay, Go Girl!!!

And Scott, best of wishes for tomorrow's part deux....glad there will be more excitement to watch!!

Katherine

Anyone know what is happening with Mark C.? I'm getting worried... He has been off trail for over 9 hours. Don't know if he is just waiting the heat out, but just curious if anyone has heard from him?

He's just appeared approaching AJ.  Hopefully no more than a battery issue.

(Katherine Wallace: I believe the two riders taking a nap in Bloodsucker Wash are Sharon & Michael, as we leapfrogged a few times over the route)

John, those were phenomenal photos!!  Thanks for the tour of the course!  Wow, how did you find the time to take so many!??!

Also, thanks for the note re Mike and Sharon, and Scott, thanks for your report on them.  They did awesome at 4+5.

I got a voice mail from Rich W this afternoon and see that he and Shelia just bike past Mark Caminiti's last SPOT, and he didn't mention anything about bodies on the trail, so hopefully Mark just forgot to turn it on, battery issues or the like.

Fingers crosses that Rich and Shelia will make into Picket Post this evening (morning) and get a well deserved rest and meal.  Rich does have a bit more trouble than most riding at night, so that cuts him short some days.

I was over the Mogollon Rim/Payson area a few times today, and was looking down for Max, Aaron, Blake and the rest of the guys but couldn't make them out!!
Looked like great weather and we've had a high overcast build this afternoon to hopefully keep it slightly cooler for them.

Jeff, kudos to Nancy for such a great achievement!  (and you too of course!)
And congrats to all the other finishers and starters, you're all heros!

Go Go racers....keep it up!!!!!
Katherine

saw them late Saturday night at Rincon Market.  They were heading up Reddington Pass to camp.  I rode up after them and never saw them, and didn't see them pass me while I was camping either.  But they could have pushed on late into the night and gotten much farther ahead of me.  I stopped at about 12:30 am Sunday morning after turning off Reddington Rd. Probably outdated info, but that's what I know.  Do either of them have SPOT?

Thanks for the update!  I hope they are doing well.  No, neither has a SPOT, hence no idea where they were.

Just got off the phone with Rich Wolf.  He is doing great!  He had just found the Freeman Rd water stash, and was busy re-hydrating.  He had bumped into Shelia there, and it was the first time they had seen each other in 2-ish days.  Which is amazing, as their SPOTS were reporting so close together that I thought they surely must have been riding together.  He said Shelia looked great and was hoping to push through to Gila river tonight, as was Rich.
He said the weather was great and the wind although strong was nice and cool.
He had a message for Aaron Boatman..."Thanks for the help with the new tire in Sierra Vista, it is holding up like a champ!"

Go Go Racers, you're all amazing!!!!
Katherine

Anyone have any updates on Team Alaska?  Michael & Sharon. Thanks!