Craig - you're awesome.  Eat a burrito and microbrew in Steamboat.  I'd feel awesome in life being half the rider you are!  And sadly, once your batteries are recharged, I don't think there's going to be any shortage of interior projects for you to take on if you choose.

Lastly on that technology thread.  Interesting discussion, each has their preferred way, and in reality most of them can co-exist.

Here's one borrowed from talking to a few guys about Le Mans future.  If bikes carried batteries, and charged of Schmidt or other dynamo systems, started empty, then had that power to deploy as the rider saw fit later... is that too much?  The energy wasn't there when the rider started, so it is rider created.  I suggest it may sound esoteric to debate, but I'm guessing that in our careers as sporting cyclists that debate will occur more fully over the next decades.

Or on the comedic side, maybe this is the fuel Mike is carrying in his "hollow bones" as a prior commentor suggested - impressive ride, he's flying!

So another fun debate question - what would one recommend next for Mike given his now more fully revealed endurance talents? (after of course a shower, sleep, and southwest sized burritos).

Hi Sue,
If no other route is open from the U.S. border to Banff, Cjell can bike the highways.  Go to Mapquest and type in directions from Eureka, Montana to Banff, Alberta.  You will see a route that includes Highway 95 to Radium Hot Springs, Highway 93 to Castle Mountain, and then east on Highway 1 to Banff.  This detour is 237 miles.  If you are flying into the Calgary airport there may be an emergency bus shuttle from Canmore and Banff to the Calgary airport (http://globalnews.ca/news/658584/flooding-washes-out-trans-canada-highway-banff-canmore-declare-states-of-emergencies/).  This is all a bit unclear at the moment about whether the bus will also take passengers west to Banff from the airport. 

You can drive from Calgary to Banff by going north on Highway 2 to Red Deer, west on Highway 11, South on Highway 93, and then east on Highway 1.  This is an all day trip (337 miles) but rather scenic.

Best of luck on making this work.  I know he would love seeing you at the finish.  I was so surprised and pleased when he hung around Banff last year just to see me in.

Chip

Suze - those trails are some of the last ones coming into Banff, ie. what the south bounders started on.  As above, usually you can drive in, but please read prior posts on page 34 or 33 about current status.  You can't currently drive to Banff from Calgary - transcanada highway wrecked by Canmore.  Too much to repeat here, but for the sake of your planned rendevous, you need to read up on what the current highway and other closures are using the relevant government pages.

It is hard to imagine conditions at Prince's Island park, and the River Cafe.  Our thoughts are in Alberta for the many displaced people and animals.

River Cafe shown on TV just now under water with most of the island - I've got a wedding there this fall!  Island just had trees showing, none of the ground visible.  My blog link below has a bunch of local photos I got where others wouldn't go - I waded through some water this morning with my bike before leaving the area.

Craig lives as high on a hill as possible, reasonably near my retired parents who've said they're totally fine, highly unlikely he'll have any flooding. 

yes that's right.
my bad, i misinterpreted that yellow spot.  they're something different on the legend.

atlantic city golden spike?  dots overlapping i think - but seems like 3 of them there?

Calgary, Canmore are in partial states of emergency, haven't heard on Banff.  At the very least, they've got another week for it to dry out up here, but it hasn't been good weather.  Very fortunate the Grand Depart wasn't a week later.

Craig Stappler's last call in to mtbcast was quite timely. He said the best thing about the Jackson Lake Lodge is the internet, where he was able to check other riders' positions. He might be logging on to trackleaders when he can, but I'm pretty sure he's still getting his wilderness experience! :-)

Re this and Tortoise's question, when I had spoken with him, he just said it wasn't worth the weight/space/distraction, and wasn't necessary due to services being available, knowing the route, having a map, having a GPS, and having studied them extensively.  I don't think he rendered particularly strong opinion on others using them, but in his view, going without wasn't undue hardship, and was within his interpretation of the spirit of event.

That's paraphrase, so hopefully not too far off.  It helps to have some external connection, like they get at the stops.  One year there were forest fires raging, and riders checked with locals and also internet for routing issues, advice, etc.  Who knows, there might be useful things like reports of aliens landing in new mexico again.  I think that although people do "check out" for the duration of the race, there's probably utility in checking in such that you know if your house has burnt down, your company filed for bankruptcy and you're fired so you might as well keep riding, that sort of thing ; )

How is this different than a family member texting the info to a rider?

This issue of smart phones and rider/outside world contact comes up seemingly every race.   Everything I have seen about all of these races are that they are self policed with regards to accepting assistance.  Until (likely never) there can be an ironclad definition regarding whether contact equates to assistance, it seems that it's up to each rider to make their own decisions, and this doesn't appear to violate any specific rule or guidance of the Tour Divide.  The extreme argument could be made that having a friendly conversation with another rider would constitute moral support - and I doubt even the "purists" ride silent the whole time.

I'm not advocating it, justifying it, just repeating what was reported.  If you look back a day or two, that's what the guys in Polaris said, both were doing little wifi sessions.  It's not different, other than it's not while they're out there. 

I'm not familiar in detail with the divide rules overall, but I recall that it's essentially not ok to get special treatment - ie. your buddies can't leave you waterbottles, etc.  You can however use resources along the way that every rider would have available to them.  The Polaris lodge is available to everyone.  There's guys on this forum who've done this thing before, they perhaps are best to offer up a voice in that regard.

spots = if they aren't on emergency, isn't that the "we're ok and don't worry" signal?

Question from a new "blue dot watcher" - would Mike Hall know Craig Stappler is close up ahead (and would Craig Stappler know Mike Hall is so close behind) or are they out there just doing their own thing, keeping one eye on the horizon for another rider?

Craig doesn't carry a phone or means to see a dot.  Not sure if mike does.  If you read some of this forum a few pages back, the lodge hosts let people know what the guys are up to when they drop in, and it usually includes a little internet session to check this forum, the trackleaders, and probably family emails and such.  

On the achilles front, I'm going to +1 for tightness as a contributing factor.

I ride some long distances, but not like Tour Divide folks.  If I've been flying or working too much, both awful sitting, but especially the flying where I end up sleeping in that position, my body goes rigor mortis tight.  After that, I can get signs of the achilles tendonitis in just a few hundred km, as for me, it keeps the back, glutes, hamstrings, calves, all tight and it feels like it just constantly yanks on the achilles, and doesn't let it move as easily in its sheath.

If I stretch, and keep doing so, long distances aren't an issue.  Craig and I got it simultaneously at TransPortugal a few years back and really had to work through the recovery of easing off, rebuilding strength, but also being very diligent on stretching.

Like this:

...yes, his bag is made or real cuban's:)

I suppose one way to avoid the post event depression you refer to, is to keep doing yet another one. Craig divulged to me before the TD that he was "hoping for a quick turnaround" in order to...wait for it...take part in the Colorado Trail Race in July!

Awesome, I hadn't heard that tidbit!  We've got him lured out with a bunch of other friends too to hit the "Yak Attack" next spring, which broadly falls into "bike race" category, but is also just a good excuse for a bunch of friends to go see a cool part of the world.

Check out this article by Mike -  published in a recent addition of privateer magazine.

Bears and Demons:
http://www.privateer.cc/2013/06/bears-and-demons-letter-of-intent.html

I haven't done such large scale events as either of Mike's current ride or his prior biggest one, but I relate to the empty feeling of returning to life/work/the normality after large tasks (which in my little leagues, week long mountain bike stage races scattered whereever I get myself organized to travel to are what qualify).  The decompression from having a sole purpose for a week, a month, or a round the world trip is so invigorating compared to the humdrum.  Plus the size these guys pull off, the body must take quite a while to recuperate, which I'm sure exacerbates the feeling.

If anyone one wants to know a little more about Mike Hall and why he's giving Craig a hard time, this is what he was doing with his time: http://worldcyclerace.com/300/

Man, with both that and Tour Divide, my yearly holiday allowance from work is starting to look really thin!

Re: Thigpen's blog.  Viewing the world through his eyes is definitely generating some laughs!
Re: I suppose like a lot of us he is happiest when turning the pedals. - AMEN!

Ovando Update:  At 1235 the following have left Ovando, MT after a refuel stop, a couple of photo ops, and, for one, a two hour nap:  Thomas Lane from Austin, TX, Markley Anderson of VA, Brian Pal of WA, Leo Pershall of WA and Forest Baker of CA.  Nice guys, all of 'em.  And yes, Brian Pal's GPS seems to not be tracking as well as he had passed and arrived into Ovando prior to Forest Baker by several minutes.  The Top Ten are thru!  Photos Attached! [Craig Stappler on Jun 16,  Mike Hall on Jun 16, Alex Harris and Marco Nicoletti Jun 17, Thomas Lane leaving town Jun 17, Forest Baker, LeoPershall, Markley Anderson and Brian Pal refueling Jun 17.]

Does anyone know Mike and what the trinket around his neck is for some backstory?  I met him only briefly at the pub night in Calgary, he seemed nice, but a bit quiet.  I suspect that's entirely due to the fact he was off a plane from UK 90 minutes prior, as he looked more tired and less smiley then than he has in every cycling picture.

Not sounding great for Mike at the moment, hopefully he'll get through it:

"Another rough day & night in real trouble with breathing. Nearly scratched last night. Suspect allergy of some kind. Experimenting with meds."

I hope nothing but the best for him, asthma and allergies are tough on anyone, let alone guys trying to ride across a continent.  I came upon a local racer acquaintance in the thick woods on some back corner of an XC race like 3 weeks ago having an attack - tough to watch, tougher to experience.  He's doing excellent in lieu, I hope he can continue on in some vein that's not detrimental to his health just for the joy of riding the rest of the western US.

Something does seem a bit off there - CS may be building lead but don't think it jumped up that much so quickly!

Stunning pace by CS though!  Know he has the real goods, but even his most ardent supporters must be worrying a bit about the huge daily mileage.  But then again, this is Craig we're watching.  Amazing engine, and super giving helpful guy in all respects.  Deserves a good ride this year!

As a friend of his, I share the same concerns on pace sustainability.  But... he knows what he's getting into, and he's not a "technology carrier" - not even a phone (he's done what is now considered old school - remembered phone numbers that are important on this trip), so he's now doing a pace that is set solely by his free will.  He obviously does mental math on distances, times, and knows the route intricately, but he's not motivated by other blue dots.  Usually when one self paces, they do so truly at a pace their body feels comfortable with.  Or so I hope anyway!