2011 CTR Planning

[dream4est]

Mark--I see in your pic that you used your drop-seatpost.  Man, that is my biggest debate--I LOVE mine, but I didn't know if I could justify the weight.  To do over, would you use it again or ditch it for the weight?

Looks like things are shaping up to be an epic mosquito year, folks!  Lots of moisture going to be around, even in August, I predict...

I would do it. But make trade offs in gear weight. I will use it again and expect to be faster this year with it. Recovery is nice on long descents. This year I am running a Novara seat bag with modded extra storage to the rear and get almost 4" of drop on my KS i950 post.
Dropper posts are not for everyone though. Problems can occur at any time but I have had good luck.

[anth]

Question about rain gear to everyone here:

So I've looked around on various CTR threads and people's blogs but can't seem to find much info on this particular idea. Has anyone or is anyone planning on racing without rain pants? Obviously I'm going to bring a jacket but I am toying with the idea of not bringing rain pants. If the race ends up like last year, that could be a dumb decision (or maybe it's a bad decision anyway but that's why I wanted some feedback!) but my thinking was less weight/bulk (obviously) and also the fact that even with rain gear on your legs, you're going to get damp/wet, especially your feet. Not too sure what the trade-off would be for a wet underside (haven't spent much extended time in rain pants while riding) but I'm bringing 2 pairs of shorts as it is. I'm planning on bringing leg warmers anyway and figured if the rain isn't too bad, I'll be riding and keeping warm. If it's so bad I'm freezing (even with a jacket and riding), I might be in my bivy anyhow to wait it out.

Still playing around with this idea and might go out for a long ride up high in the rain to test it out but any thoughts from folks who have raced in the rain or have experience with this? Thanks for help!

Cheers
anthony

[Done]

Rain pants sure are nice when it's 38 degrees with sideways-blowing sleet!

[sherpaxc]

Rain pants here.  I'd rather have just one pair of riding shorts and rain pants than 2 pairs of shorts and no pants. 

[dream4est]

Sherpa that is where I am at as well- 1 of each is better.

[Mountaindavis]

I have ridden in some pretty cold wet weather and showers on the trail are almost a given.  I am bringing my pants for sure.  I have some older marmot Precip pants, about 7oz, so not very much weight.  Wet legs+motion=extremely cold.

[Mountaindavis]

I have downloaded the waypoints for the trail on my Vista HCX, but I don't really have a good "base map"--I was wondering if there is a good colorado map that I could also download that would show more details, even trails--I am new to GPS, but a fast learner, so if anyone could give me some guidance, I would appreciate it.

thanks!

[anth]

Thanks for the advice! I agree, I think 1 pair of light pants and 1 shorts might be the way to go, especially as the pants probably compress smaller than a spare set of shorts.

[trailrider11]

Hey! I am in no way experienced at riding in high alpine in the wet weather but would consider myself a semi experienced rider in the cold, i did it all March and April. The temps varied from 15 degrees to 35. I have ridden in rain probably a dozen times because of our extremely wet spring and would defenitily encourage rain pants. 60 degrees and being soaked from the waist down can be demoralizing.

On a side note, Is there anyone not using a GPS on the CTR this year? Could this be demoralizing for a first timer?

[anth]

Haha, sounds like I'll def. be using pants from what everyone has said! Seems like it's asking for trouble to go without.

On the GPS note, I'm in the same situation. I like the idea of going without but as another newbie (and based on reading what others have said), I think I'm probably going to go with the GPS. I think it will really cut down on possible mistakes at night or when you're really tired.

[anth]

Another question for everyone (I know I'm late to the party: been tentatively planning to join all winter but until job stuff worked out a while ago, I wasn't sure I could swing it. Crazy excited now though, all I can think about!):

As far as bivy gear goes, does anyone go sans sleeping pad? I've got a good, light/warm bag (30deg) and a bivy sack I'm comfortable using and was thinking I might leave the pad at home. I tend to sleep fairly warm and have been an avid climber for quite a while so I'm used to bivying in cold, uncomfortable weather with little/no pad while sleeping in all my clothes. I plan on riding into a good portion of the night & get moving early so I'm not worried about comfort or sleeping for a full night all the time.

I know some use car sun shades but I question how much warmth that really provides.

[trailrider11]

Rain pants are very light weight as well.
Im glad to hear your new as well, I am too!
I am leaning on using a GPS on my Iphone called Acuterra. It has the CT way points on there, but i will have to get off on Wilderness detours as well and navigate. Plus i dont know how reliable the map is on accuterra. i will also have the pocket version of the CT guidebook with me. the only issues i forsee are the CATARACT SEGMENTS, where i heard there is no trail.

[anth]

That was my thinking as well. From portions of the trail I've been on & from others advice, the Cataract segments are the main navigation issues. However, I think I'll like having a GPS for the detours as well. Bad enough to get turned around and lose time on a trail but to get lost on roads or in towns......ugh.

[trailrider11]

Yeah, no kidding. If my rookie bikepacking doesnt slow me down, navigation surely will. I would rather spend time studying the Ct waypoints than spend time and energy backtracking!

[Marshal]

Another question for everyone (I know I'm late to the party: been tentatively planning to join all winter but until job stuff worked out a while ago, I wasn't sure I could swing it. Crazy excited now though, all I can think about!):

As far as bivy gear goes, does anyone go sans sleeping pad? I've got a good, light/warm bag (30deg) and a bivy sack I'm comfortable using and was thinking I might leave the pad at home. I tend to sleep fairly warm and have been an avid climber for quite a while so I'm used to bivying in cold, uncomfortable weather with little/no pad while sleeping in all my clothes. I plan on riding into a good portion of the night & get moving early so I'm not worried about comfort or sleeping for a full night all the time.

I know some use car sun shades but I question how much warmth that really provides.

sounds like you should not really need a pad per your strategy--but the sun shades--For warmth quite a bit actually, not so much for comfort, cheap and disposable although I still am using pieces of my 1st one 4 yrs down the road

[6thElement]

I have downloaded the waypoints for the trail on my Vista HCX, but I don't really have a good "base map"--I was wondering if there is a good colorado map that I could also download that would show more details, even trails--I am new to GPS, but a fast learner, so if anyone could give me some guidance, I would appreciate it.

thanks!

Choice of a couple here:
http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/co

[Done]

Yeah, no kidding. If my rookie bikepacking doesnt slow me down, navigation surely will. I would rather spend time studying the Ct waypoints than spend time and energy backtracking!

Good idea, whether you take a GPS or not. When Andy Farish lost his GPS last year, he was still able to finish the race because he had the Colorado Trail Databook--and solid navigational skills. He probably lost a little time re-checking his route and trying to figure out some poorly-marked junctions, but he still finished well. A GPS, while nice, should certainly not be your sole means of navigation.

The Cataract and Coney sections have big cairns to follow in the daylight, but they are too far apart to work well at night, especially in the rain/snow/fog. If attempting those sections at night, I'd recommend a GPS (and not an iPhone, which doesn't have crap for battery life). Of course, you could always just bivy until morning if you can't see where you're going--which is better than getting lost!

On the topic of sleeping pads, I don't carry one for comfort so much as for warmth. The ground is pretty cold, especially up high, and flopping a tired body on a cold surface is a pretty good recipe for a chilly night. I also figure that a little extra warm stuff is good insurance against possibly dying of shock and/or exposure if I crash hard and need to wait for a rescue. It is possible to die of exposure in the Colorado wilderness, even in the summer, when it's 30+ degrees and blowing/raining/snowing/hailing/sleeting--especially if you're injured. If you haven't spent much time in high-mountain conditions, pack more warm stuff than you think you'll need.

[trailrider11]

Yes Toby, the Iphone life does suck! But I have a backup battery that will do the trick and should last at least 6 days if not more. I will have the pocket  CT version guidebook with me and some maps, so i wont be ill equipped.
Heres the link if anyone is curious: http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-iCruiser-IMP1000-Blackberry/dp/B003ZBZ64Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I32OQYVOU4QZ9X&colid=1PY4HWDNA2A72\
Also, could somebody tell me how warm an average day gets in high alpine? Im assuming 55-70 degrees average during the day and am trying to sort out my gear preparations.

[riverfever]

Yes Toby, the Iphone life does suck! But I have a backup battery that will do the trick and should last at least 6 days if not more. I will have the pocket  CT version guidebook with me and some maps, so i wont be ill equipped.
Heres the link if anyone is curious: http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-iCruiser-IMP1000-Blackberry/dp/B003ZBZ64Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I32OQYVOU4QZ9X&colid=1PY4HWDNA2A72\
Also, could somebody tell me how warm an average day gets in high alpine? Im assuming 55-70 degrees average during the day and am trying to sort out my gear preparations.

You're temps are off trider. You can expect to see temps range anywhere from 30-80 degrees (and quite possibly more). You may be surprised at how warm that high altitude sun actually feels despite the low humidity in comparison to the midwest.

[trailrider11]

I knew it was going to get cold but wasnt sure how warm it got. I am from Indiana and moving to Utah this summer, so going from 90 degrees with humidity here to dry heat at 80-90 degrees is going to be a RELIEF!