Windy.com says the leaders should get a nice West wind push to Yellowstone today.  They might increase that lead over the record.  I haven't looked into Wyoming, but in Montana, the weather is looking up from today forward.  Warming and no rain (or less rain).  If that is also true for the Basin, they should really fly along.

All three leaders stayed at Elkhorn Hot Springs last night. I might be wrong, but I believe that Montana High Country Lodge was sold several years ago and does not greet riders like they did years ago.  Might even be private.

I was thinking that they'd hit mud a Bannack, but the first few gps pings from Justinas shows approx normal speed.  The last of the rain should move through there today.

If you haven't seen the photo from Eddie Clark, he posted one yesterday of Justinas on Fleecer ridge.  Meadow completely covered with snow, but it looked like the road wasn't really holding snow.

I believe that Canmore (next to Banff) has some good riding.  World Cup XC was there last weekend.

Fernie is good.

Whitefish has some good stuff as well - chairlift DH trails just above town at the Ski Area - I think the free city bus can get you up there.  Whitefish can be expensive for lodging, but I'd bet the lifties would have ideas.  You can ride XC from the Whitefish Bike Retreat, good trails, but certainly not Freeride down low.

Helena has a good XC network surrounding the town.

Then I think you have to wait until Colorado - Steamboat, Breck, Salida are the known trail towns.  Enjoy the riding!

Didn't she change ratio mid-race? I thought I saw that someplace.

Edit: bikepacking.com is reporting that she didn't change mid-race. Congrats to her on pushing through with the big gear. I love her outlook on life.

If my counting was correct. 71 riders under the pace mid afternoon Tuesday (day 5). There is a long way to go, but that is a solid group during lots of rain.

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I seem to remember the Nobo guys organizing amongst themselves and changing the start time to midnight due to heat (heat for that time, a few years back?).

Doesn't make sense to me, sobo doesn't get that option.

It will be interesting to see how Parks Canada responds if they really have 280 to start. It sounded like they pushed back fairly hard last year.

I haven't looked at this year's track yet, but it will be interesting to see how many people miss the initial singletrack sections. The short section right after you cross the reservoir and the section before Spray Lakes (High Rockies Trail?). When I raced last year, I know people missed those sections, and during discussions at Spray Lake store, they didn't seem to care.

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Alex Minge should have a good story to tell. Appears to go off route near Butts Cabin eventually ending up in Glacier Park and getting a heli rescue to Whitefish. His ping that he's ok is from the vicinity of the hospital.

I believe that is 3 heli rescues for this year's event. 

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Tom Anderson here in Eureka. I'm scratching from the race.

The conditions have been unbelievable. My tracker stopped working coming down Koko Claims. I went too deep on day 1 and paid for it later. Seeing my tracker blink red added stress knowing that family and friends would be worried, so I was pushing harder on the morning of day 2 to get to Fernie. I called my wife and gave her some nearby race names that would be in the vicinity so she could have an idea of my location.  More stress as those riders would pass me on the climbs. I slept 8 hrs near Butts Cabin and day 3 started promising. Short snow hikes on Cabin Pass and several miles on Galton were difficult.  I got to the hotel in Eureka at 8pm with a small group.

I hadn't check the weather forecast until 10pm and see the turn for the worst. It will be brutal out there today.

Yes I slept and didn't make the decision until this morning. Good luck to those north of Whitefish.

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Perfect!  I've only heard bad about that section, so more gravel is appreciated through there.

Scott/Mike - I see the new route skips the first half of the rail trail out of Sawtelle, staying on roads and passing through Island Park.  I'm not complaining, but noticed as I study for changes.  Was this on purpose? Or, a mapping error?

Thanks
Tom

No worries Scott. Warming up this week in Central Montana, I plan on riding Seeley to Lincoln and beyond (middle of this week). I'm hoping to see snow melting in our high country of that section.

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Thanks for the Koko info. Thinking small snow shoes of some sort might be good

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Scott, anyone scouting Koko for you this year? I'm expecting a ton of snow or water on that section.

I drove up Richmond ridge (?), the one just north of Seeley. Drivable with some snow to the end of the singletrack (which was surprising to me).

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Big (late) snow year for us in Montana. Grave Creek snotel is starting to show melting and temps will get warmer. I wonder how Red Meadow or Koko Claims are doing.  I an on riding the Seeley Lake area in the coming weeks and will report back.

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The last I heard, a US to Canada entry requires the $150 test to get in, but would not have any testing upon return (by car, foot, bike). This is for US citizens only. I had been searching for info to make a ski trip across the border.

Other Canadian rules also apply, they have a registration process (app) that must be completed prior. And some get randomly chosen for swap testing which has another set of rules for registration.

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If I had a dynamo, I'd make sure my power bank had pass thru charging and keep it connected to even out the power spikes coming from the dynamo. Then plug in whatever needed charged at the time (lights or gps).

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With the caveat that I've never used a half frame bag, I don't have any reason to explore going smaller.

Reasons that I like my full bag:
- bike repair gear at the bottom, all the heavy weight by the bottom bracket
- first aid just above that - again, hopefully never needed
- small pot/stove, basic cooking gear
- camelback with quick disconnect to longer hose
- water filter

If rain in the forecast, I might stash my compact jacket in the frame bag. Otherwise this works well for me. A combination of seldom used items and items with weight centrally packed.  If I pick up a bottle of tea or something else to drink along the way, that can be in my jersey pocket or in a feedbag.

I only knew as I rode it the year prior to closure. From memory, it was due to bear habitat. The road on the west side of Spray Lakes Reservoir, south of the campground at the north end of the lake, to the southern end.  Bummer as it was a beautiful section.  I had to double check myself to see if it was just temporary.

I found this pdf - https://www.albertaparks.ca/media/6493727/2016_bow_corridor_kan_valley.pdf

Unless I am reading it wrong, "Spray Road West" is hiking only for the majority of the west side.  Oddly enough, the map only points out no bikes at the southern point.  But, the purple line is hiking only.

EDIT: spelling

Spray Lakes road is closed to bikes - that wasn't a good choice

No problem accessing and completing from my end. Good luck to you

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