2011 Tour Divide

[Roland Sturm]

Bears don't make my top list of things to worry about. Actually, I'm looking forward to that area and don't mind camping in red areas. True, you might get more worried at nights when there is nothing else to do, but running into them while biking would be much more likely (and could get dangerous when everybody is scared). My closest bear encounter was going fast downhill, too fast and too quiet for a bear to hear me and get out of the way, so we scared each other. So I'll try to avoid similar close encounters; more noise, maybe less speed in low vis areas should do.

What I worry about are:
1) Cars
2) Dogs
3) Lightning

Bear attacks are about in the same league as shark attacks, at most a handful each year. People try to avoid hiking around in thunderstorms, but about 30-50 times as many get killed by lightning than by bears or sharks. So trying to stay out of exposed areas during storms is high on my list. Dogs next, there are far more viscious dogs than there are dangerous bears, and in a pack they can be just as deadly. Plus, they don't run away. Ok, fair enough, an injury dog attack is still not that likely - in fact, no dog ever bit me. But dogs have managed to bring me down a couple of times by stupidly jumping into the bike (one of my worst bike injuries was dog caused, a surprise chaser coming out of nowhere that ran right into the front wheel). And number 1, unambiguously, always: cars. GDMBR is not wilderness hiking, we have to deal with thousands of them, every one potentially as dangerous as a any bear (and some drivers decidedly more so). I'd take camping in red territory over many of the traffic stretches anytime.

 

[patrickTsai]

Vallecitos seemed to be over run by dogs. Ride fast through that place. I had 4 dogs following me.

also, this cue totally messed me up:
Map GDMBR 5A  111.1(178. –  At Vallecitos Post Office, turn right toward Canjillon.

there is no longer a post office at the corner. You pass a new Post Office on the left some time before the turn, I think about a mile before.

[mcmurv]

Here is some good info on bears:  http://safety.eas.ualberta.ca/node/13

[mcmurv]

Well, I am in.  LOI is submitted. 

May Murphy take 3 weeks off; may the wind be at our back.  See you at the Wells! 

[Marshal]

Like I posted earlier, there is a lot of personal perception and tolerance when talking about bears.  And as this topic is one of endless endless comment, this will be my last post on the subject. (hey, quite now)

Lets begin with some common/posted TDR risks

1 Cars
2 Dogs
3 Lightning Strike
4 Bear encounter while riding
5 Bear encounter while camping

Before we go any farther lets pause and mentally think about the two words commonly associated with risk (totally different meanings right?): Mitigation and Avoidance

To some degree Risk Mitigation applies to all 5 common TDR risks (and we all ready know each and every one by heart right?  Reflective clothing and strips, lights and blinkies, situational awareness, whistles, food distance etc etc etc )

But in a practical sense Risk Avoidance only applies to 2 of the 5, Lightning Strikes
and “Bear encounters while camping”

And skipping Lightning --- unlike a backpacker who is hiking deep in bear country a TDR racer on a working bike, with pre-planning and modest effort, can almost always Avoid the need to Mitigate the risk of camping with bears.


And why ”Avoid rather than Mitigate” or “It’s a race and optimal recovery counts”:
ML’s earlier comment highlighted why he avoids sleeping in the red.  Basically it saves time and effort on “Mitigation”.  Jill posted a good comment about getting a good sleep (this is more personal but it does apply slightly to me).  Both ML and Jills posts have to do with optimizing recovery.  (On a side note, both explain my chosen Avoidance vs Mitigation strategy.  Ie: I was in a race and doing all I could, within my personal limitations, to get to AW a quickly as possible.)

So in my mind the real question for all you 2011 TDR racers is not about bear risk per say.  But rather why you would give up optimal recovery when with a bit of route study and planning you could recover better and hence arrive in AW sooner??

(The above question assumes if one does camp in the red they would still spend the necessary time and effort to mitigate the risk—hey, which under race conditions don’t always happen as thoroughly as it should—which might explain why some bears seem to be bad at math, especially statistics)

[Mathewsen]

Thanks Marshal, that post would make your mother proud.

I 'avoid' b/c  i'm sloppy with food when Divide racing. Without a backpack to contain, hang it all, I have grease and crumbs in nearly every jersey, vest, jacket pocket, and pouch on my bike. I darn near live off grease. For me that's the nature of constantly eating fatty/messy food while riding. At the end of an 18 hour day i am just too tired to follow true bear country protocol. Nor do i want to sleep too far away from my bike. I think i would probably have to hang my bike to be in compliance.

I sincerely hope TD never experiences a bear attack. But if it ever does, one thing's for sure, the armchair army will be there to cite some stat about how poorly the victim mitigated. For my part in rerouting the GDMBR into the upper Flathead (known for its highest density of large animal carnivores in the world), i must say at the very least, please be ultra-cautious in there. No joke.  

[Norb]

That's intereseting to hear, I'm sure I'd read on here that all of the US maps were due to be updated this year in April?

Yep, heard the same thing but when I checked they indicated no new maps coming anytime soon.  Not sure I could wait until April if they were.....I've spent a week just planning logistics for the first two days!! 

[BigPoppa]

Yep, heard the same thing but when I checked they indicated no new maps coming anytime soon.  Not sure I could wait until April if they were.....I've spent a week just planning logistics for the first two days!! 

When did you talk to ACA last? I got some intel from Carla (map/route program director at ACA) last August saying that the route would be updated in March '11.

I bought the maps anyways and have been working on my route knowledge bank, knowing that I could update the few changes that came out later.

[BigPoppa]

So, I know that gear and kits have been discussed on previous threads and such but they seem a bit inactive now. I don't want to beat a dead horse but I feel like I need a sounding board for my maniacal planning. The good lord knows that my wife and riding buddies are a bit tired of hearing about The Divide.

Here is my gear list, I'm positive it can be improved. Anybody care to comment?

BIKE

Bike
Aero Bars
Handlebar Bag
Super Twink
Frame bag
GPS
Cycle Comp (back up but I might go with a second GPS instead)
Condensed cues (backup to be used if I don't take the second gps)
Light(s)
Nano Raptor tires

Shelter

Bivy
Bag
Pad
Pillow


Body kit

Ultralight sport Toothbrush/paste
Bodyglide/anbesol/baby wipes
Toilet paper
First Aid Kit
Sunscreen

Logistics

Cell
Credit Card/Cash
Batteries
SPOT

Bike kit

Chain Tool
Lube
Cleaning brush
Tube (x2??)
Tire Patch Kit
Allen wrenches
Super glue
Medical scissors
Zip ties/Duct Tape
Lighter
Golden link
Brake pads
Spoke tool
Magic Candle
zip ties
patch kit
tire plug kit
spare bolts
chain links



Clothing

Rain Jacket
Rain Pants (knickers!!)
Gloves/rain gloves
Down Jacket
Race Kit (jersey/shorts)
Arm/leg warmers
Light wool hat
Light shortsleeve wool baselayer
Integral VBL booties


Hydration

Water filter
Water bottle
Water bladder


Resupply Package

Shorts
Jersey
Chain
Body Glide
Sunscreen
Tire
Tube

[KootenayB]

Living in the Elk Valley and working/playing there and in the Flathead you get to know about the reality of the bear issue.  My thoughts are:

there are lots of bears (densest grizzly population in North America, outside of coastal areas);
there are lots of cats (cougars, lynx, bobcat);
there are lots of wolves.

I see tracks of at least of these everytime I'm out, but other than when moving quickly and silently (like on a bike!) I don't worry too much.  Just take proper precautions (minimize buttering yourself down with bacon grease or the like), make noise (even if you feel like a dork doing it), and just keep your eyes and ears open.

Personally, I have more issues with moose, and in June cow moose can be very aggressive when they have newborn calves around (which you may not see - so presume they are there).  Moose are harder to read than bears in my experience.  Cougars are a bit scarier than bears (they are sneakier and you don't see them coming, but odds are very low of an encounter), and wolves shouldn't worry you at all (unless you are injured roadkill perhaps) - otherwise they won't come near a human.

[KootenayB]

just to add

I had a look at the Gmap, which is excellent by the way (for the Canadian section at least, which is all that I know well), and just for the sake of due diligence should let people know that while Elkford area may be safer for camping than adjoining areas, there were several different grizzlies in town this summer, including a sow with two cubs that were becoming habituated to humans (there were trapped and removed, and I believe they had returned by fall).  So, just saying that one should proceed properly and not let their guard down just because they are in a town.

[Done]

Here is my gear list, I'm positive it can be improved. Anybody care to comment?
Body Glide

I used Body Glide on the CTR last year, and I got some serious butt chafe anyway. I'm testing alternatives. Have you used it successfully for long rides in the past?

[robinb]

Before we go any farther lets pause and mentally think about the two words commonly associated with risk (totally different meanings right?): Mitigation and Avoidance

There is one other aspect to consider when managing risk - impact. in short, how damaging is the impact if the risk happens.  I think we could all agree the impact of a bear attack would be catastrophic.  As someone who has been on the wrong side of the bear attack stats (as a witness to a mtb'er mauling) I just want to re-iterate to all future divide racers to mitigate as best as you can.

My advise is simple - buddy up if you can - it may mean riding a bit slower or faster than you would like too, but it can give you a solid piece of mind out there. 

[bmike-vt]

Consider Lantiseptic instead of Body Glide, medical grade skin protectant for bed sores, etc. Been using it for 24 hour + road events.

[caseygreene]

That's intereseting to hear, I'm sure I'd read on here that all of the US maps were due to be updated this year in April?

Yup, the maps will be updated this year in March and will be back from the printer and in stock sometime in April.

Also FYI, the 09 version of Map Section 1 (Roosville to Polaris) is sold out.

[annoying crack]

Yup, the maps will be updated this year and they will be available sometime in April.

Also FYI, the 09 version of Map Section 1 (Roosville to Polaris) is sold out.

Also my experience

I ordered the maps last sunday and they have shipped out... EXEPT the Roosville-Polaris section, which is on backorder to be shipped in April. So I assume that the other US maps will get reprinted then too.
I got them now because I wanted to start planning. Will possibly upgrade later when the new maps are available.

[caseygreene]

So I assume that the other US maps will get reprinted then too.

Sorry should have clarified, all the US sections will be updated and available in April. The Canadian section was updated this past year and will not be updated again until 2012.

[6thElement]

Thanks Casey, good to get the right answer from the right person, looking at your signature line!

edit: I presume there will be new narratives to accompany the new maps?
Is the route changing or just the information about services along the way?

 

[Marshal]

So, I know that gear and kits have been discussed on previous threads and such but they seem a bit inactive now. I don't want to beat a dead horse but I feel like I need a sounding board for my maniacal planning. The good lord knows that my wife and riding buddies are a bit tired of hearing about The Divide.

Here is my gear list, I'm positive it can be improved. Anybody care to comment?

Gear improvement (tinkering) is never ending and your current selection seems fine.

How does it all pack out?  Are you happy with the final weight?  Ha, If so you are done to soon.

Some Nit-picky thoughts:

Pillow-replace with a stuffed bag ?

First Aid Kit
If you have a off the shelf kit I would consider tossing it and replace with something like:
Your choice of naproxen
A few small Band-Aids (for fingers etc)
Roll of elastic adhesive bandage, for a major wound or broken bone (see http://desertmountainride.blogspot.com/2008/08/alone-hurt-at-11500-ft.html for why I think this is the most important First Aid item you might carry)
Some Kinsio tape for knees and achillies
You already have Super glue, Medical scissors, zips and duck tape which are also part of a First Aid kit

Bike Kit:
Individual tools or a “lighter” multi tool??
Tubes, tube patch, tire plug kit—are you running stans? If so—light weight tubes, 2 self stick patch’s and your duck tape might do
Magic Candle not needed as you have a lighter for an emergency fire
Chain links?  1 golden link and your chain breaker should do to get you going
Running SS or geared?  Extra hanger if geared?

Re-supply--might add some luxury/favorite food to snack on while you repack

Anyway you can go on and on with 'personal likes and dislikes' but you really do seem to have a very good list!!

[Mathewsen]

I presume there will be new narratives to accompany the new maps?
Is the route changing or just the information about services along the way?

In the past, the narratives were not an official product, just a bro-deal extended to Divide racers by Carla. Now that is has a skew#, the way they're managed may change. They will certainly gain priority if we buy and buy often! (ie. commodotize them). Care to comment Casey?

If you are prospective rider waiting on a map, my advice is to buy the narratives now (which do not come with services info), so you can be working on your custom sheets (to actually race by). If you're a narratives paying customer, it's likely you can get an updated version of the narratives once changes are made. As the product evolves, perhaps ACA will extend some sort of 'track changes' addenda-style system for the files similar to what employ for maps.