2018 AZTR300/750 Race Discussion Thread

[rhino]

Trail outside of the park is some of the best stuff in season. The stuff in the park is a lot of utility cut fall line.

Not sure what to make of it. I had thought we might see AD get shut down. Once he was through I assumed all was well. Obviously many made it with out issues.

Trail outside of the park is some of the best stuff in season. The stuff in the park is a lot of utility cut fall line.

Not sure what to make of it. I had thought we might see AD get shut down. Once he was through I assumed all was well. Obviously many made it with out issues.

Going to have to start thinking outside the box. Next year a skateboard gets strapped to the pack...skate the 9 miles of park road to the border carrying bike (untested theory). Skateboards...not a motor vehicle, and they put a smile on your face.

[hanyo66]

Trail outside of the park is some of the best stuff in season. The stuff in the park is a lot of utility cut fall line.

Not sure what to make of it. I had thought we might see AD get shut down. Once he was through I assumed all was well. Obviously many made it with out issues.

we were passed by a park ranger right after we hopped the gate into the park, and by a few while we were on the road inside the park and they just waved, nobody slowed down or batted an eye at us.

[windowace]

It will just be part of the legend Marko,  "on my 6th run of the 750, after topping out on the north rim, I was chased off the pavement by some wild national park pigs and had to resort to the north rim singletrack..."

[ScottM]

Indeed the stuff of legends.  There are always bad apples, unfortunately even in law enforcement.  Hopefully this ranger has the rest of the week off.

Looks like Keith, behind Mark, is taking the full on trail, even after the park boundary.  No way to say whether the ranger had anything to do with it or not. 

[schillingsworth]

Keith T. is still on the AZT, now outside the park boundary almost to the East Rim Overlook. It'll be interesting to hear his experience up there.

It really sounds like a small minority of park employees seem to have an agenda. There's zero logic in their reasoning. Let's see, a handful or two of 'seasoned' bike riders pedal, hike, drag their bikes 650 miles to reach the South Rim, but that's not enough for them. They strap their steeds to their backs and trek across the Canyon to the North side. All of a sudden it's too 'dangerous' to ride on 12 miles of closed pavement? At least I think that's their argument. Lame doesn't begin to describe it. /rant. We may need to send in Grandma Helga.

[CSMITH]

I haven't talked to Keith recently but there's a chance hes doing the full route just to prove he can do it, haha.  Orrrr.. its because we didn't load the snow bypass on his gps before he left and he honestly may not have looked at his phone to check.  I'll find out when I talk to his girlfriend later.
Also, any of you other 750'ers run into the hiker duo where the smaller of the two actually got snagged by a mountain lion?  Keith ran into them but I didn't get specifics of where or when.

[Truckon09]

Keith T. is still on the AZT, now outside the park boundary almost to the East Rim Overlook. It'll be interesting to hear his experience up there.

It really sounds like a small minority of park employees seem to have an agenda. There's zero logic in their reasoning. Let's see, a handful or two of 'seasoned' bike riders pedal, hike, drag their bikes 650 miles to reach the South Rim, but that's not enough for them. They strap their steeds to their backs and trek across the Canyon to the North side. All of a sudden it's too 'dangerous' to ride on 12 miles of closed pavement? At least I think that's their argument. Lame doesn't begin to describe it. /rant. We may need to send in Grandma Helga.

But what's funny, here in Wyoming right now the roads are closed in Teton and Yellowstone National Parks but open to bikes.

https://www.facebook.com/JHCycling/

[bmattingly]

Not much happening on the North Rim this time of year.  Maybe boredom leads to attracting attention.  I feel for you Mark.  Out in all that beautiful country enjoying life and then someone treats  your poorly.  Sucks.  Enjoy your victory ride on down to the finish tomorrow.  I know riders always leave no garbage and respect the wilderness.  Hopefully this will be recognized and appreciated. 

[dream4est]

Keith Tomei is amazing. Respect.

[schillingsworth]

Also, for all you 750 finishers who haven't yet done so....get your hard earned AZT belt buckle!!

Go here: AZT Finishers Award

[evdog]

Does anyone else see the irony here?  You have a NPS ranger berating a mountain biker for not riding the singletrack in a National Park.  And all the mountain biker wants to do is ride the pavement. 


Good to see Keith blazing through.  I ran into him last year at Kelvin just as he had to throw in the towel to make it to work. 

Get after it Mark, almost done! 

[flyboy]

Does anyone else see the irony here?  You have a NPS ranger berating a mountain biker for not riding the singletrack in a National Park.  And all the mountain biker wants to do is ride the pavement. 


Good to see Keith blazing through.  I ran into him last year at Kelvin just as he had to throw in the towel to make it to work. 

That is pretty funny actually Ev. I was sorta glad I didn't have to do thee AZT north of the rim. I would have been seriously short of calories.
I had a story ready for the pavement though.  My front hub half collapsed between Flag and Tusyan so I was going to be walking the bike and show any ranger it's screeching, grating operation. Luckily, I saw no one for about 2 hours out of the rim.

[dream4est]

Dave I had the kind of day you worry could happen
500 calories left
Thru away the bivies to hit road hard
Ranger sends me to trail
Trail eats me alive
I put on all clothes and rain gear to ride 35 miles into a straight headwind
With no legs in complete shut down mode couldn't do my three crank and spin trick all that much
At north country store owner is there just like in 2010 and 2013 np food just starting the opening process
Goldberg quit on the wind right there that guy drove him out in 2016
Had to ride right by that dying inside knowing the whole race i was thinking about
David and how much he meant to me and here I was gonna quit right at
The same spot The wind had me dead to rights
At mile 8 dh into town was still headwind
Stomach then went down hard
I had to dig deep today
Woke up expecting a parade
That's how hard this race can be huh ?

[jjmundt]

My wife and I drove from Phoenix to the Canyon last Thursday morning, and all the way up I was feeling for you all.  I can attest to the brutality of the winds, and we were in a car!  It's hard to imagine how you endured.  Congratulations to all of you, finishers and otherwise, for attempting a race this difficult in conditions this difficult, starting with the heat down low, then the wind and cold up top.

flyboy, I was hoping against hope we might run into you up at the Canyon, but we got there a little too early.  Your Tour Divide write-up is one of my favorites, and I still read it from time to time.  I'm anxious to read your AZTR account.

[joeydurango]

Also, any of you other 750'ers run into the hiker duo where the smaller of the two actually got snagged by a mountain lion?

!!?!!??

I am very curious to know more about this.

--

Kinda dropped off of here after the 300 wrapped up.  Congrats to all finishers, especially my friends Adam Alphabet and Aaron D!  Way to knock it out!

[karmax]

hello

I can confirm the cat incursion
I had started riding in the morning just metres away from the 2 Hikers bivy site west of the bridge below the Kearney ADOT yard
One hiker had set a good pace and was ahead of the other by approximately 2 km. I passed the 2nd hiker less than 1km before the gates.

There are 2 iron gates on the trail spaced short distance apart. The hillside is on the right and treed/brush on the left thus a bit of a boxed in situation.
I had just closed the first gate and was pedaling when the bobcat passed in 10m front of me. It growled and moved to the left.
I kept moving. I already have a selfie with a bobcat do not need another for instagram.

I closed the second gate and began pedaling.
I stopped in another 15 minutes at a gravel wash for food when the 2nd hiker approached at a fast pace. His eyes wide and visibly shaken.
He had a fresh slice on his upper right thigh and left forearm. these were not result of cactus or brush.

We chatted about the bobcat, i checked his scrapes if they may need stitches (i am a MD), nothing needed but some polysporin and bandaids.

Story is now internet immortalized.

[CSMITH]

Ahh ok so it was a bobcat not a big cat.  That's a little more comforting haha.  Keith doesn't do much on the internet so when he gets back to work Monday I'll report back to you guys. 
Evan, he was super bummed about not finishing the 300 last year.  We had a manager that was.... not easy to coordinate things with shall we say.  We've got a new guy now and he's actually into this and been watching the tracker so it's been pretty fun and he's quite accommodating with schedules/time off.

[Jeff Z]

Keith T. is still on the AZT, now outside the park boundary almost to the East Rim Overlook. It'll be interesting to hear his experience up there.

It really sounds like a small minority of park employees seem to have an agenda. There's zero logic in their reasoning. Let's see, a handful or two of 'seasoned' bike riders pedal, hike, drag their bikes 650 miles to reach the South Rim, but that's not enough for them. They strap their steeds to their backs and trek across the Canyon to the North side. All of a sudden it's too 'dangerous' to ride on 12 miles of closed pavement? At least I think that's their argument. Lame doesn't begin to describe it. /rant. We may need to send in Grandma Helga.

And you't think the park service would be interested in making friends of people who share their general philosophy of exploring the great outdoors. It is really confounding.

Anyhow, the AZTR delivers as usual. Drama, stories, pain.

And look, there is Mark Caminiti finishing up. Huzzzah! And Keith Tomei, on that last 30 mile leg.

[dream4est]

I did it! Finished at 1:13pm. Don't care what time i got at all.

This one is for David Goldberg. I never got a chance to say goodbye to him and I tried so hard
To not quit just to be able to be here at the finish where Dave left me a note in 2013 congratulating me on a 3rd run.

To all the folks out there who are a part of this race i thank you
Its the best feeling on earth to be at state line for a 6th time.

[dream4est]

Special thx to aaron Denberg
He Drove my car to finish from sierra vista
Left me beer and chicken wings
Oh yeah !!!!