TD'11 Race Discussion

[DoctorRad]

Looks like some heavy weather coming across for the SoBo riders to contend with... Anyone comment on whether it's rain or snow and how much?

[caseygreene]

Can someone with a good understanding of where the fires are describe there location and likely impact on the NoBo riders please?

here's a good map:
http://www.esri.com/services/disaster-response/wildlandfire/latest-news-map.html

Some collgues were trying to whip up a map with i think the same data plus our routes...
http://www.adventurecycling.org/testing/maptest_fire2.cfm
...but, im not sure. wasnt in the office friday. It's definately got some bugs

[Spangledrongo]

I see Jake Kirkpatrick is riding a gates belt drive on his ss: any thoughts on how it will hold up? Awesome for the mud.

[mtbcast]

Dylan Taylor called in from Sparwood this morning. Justin Simoni called in from Sparwood where there was a parade! He plans to try the Flathead route! Russ McBride called in from the Beaverhead. He’s had a rough ride. Apparently his Spot fell off and Franck Gimard picked it up so he’s debating waiting on Franck. Vance McMurry called in from the border. He’s headed to Eureka for some dinner! And Dave Goldberg called in from Eureka. He tossed his snowshoes because he hasn’t needed them.

Also, Paul Attalla called in from near the Beaverhead. He and Franck caught up with Russ McBride and delivered his Spot!

Get them all here!

[FernieTeam]

go dad your my hero!!   

[SlowDave]

I'll try to answer some of the fire issues.  I have a place north of Magdalena and west of Pie Town.  I have spent a lot of time elk, deer and quail hunting all over the Gila, as far south as Hatcheta and the Sky Mtns and up along the AZ line to Reserve and then up to Gallup and Grants.  I used to live in Los Alamos.  As of a couple of days ago the smoke was heading north east toward Abq and SF.  Someone here posted that the winds had shifted and the smoke was moving in a more easterly direction.  I spoke to some friends near my place a couple of days ago and at that time they were not getting smoke.  Yesterday they closed hwy 60 west bound because of smoke.  

It looks like the North bound group is just coming down to the plains of San Augustine so they will have a long flat ride ahead of them to Horse Springs.  For a chunk of that they will be in the lee of the mountains and then exposed to the full wind up past hwy 60.  At my place the prevailing winds are west to south west so they are probably in for some smoke.

There was another fire in the Jemez Mtns a day or two ago and I don't know the current status of that one.  It looked like it was west of Valles Caldera.

The south bound group may be the ones who have the hardest time with this if the fire isn't controlled soon as reports are that it is crossing into NM and the smoke could be much worse.

[SlowDave]

That is east of Pie Town

[mtbcast]

Dave Bruno called in from Seely Lake! Norb DeKerchove called in from the border! And JP Evans called in from Eureka to reports he’s having a great ride!

Get them all here!

[SlowDave]

Tonight's weather for the NB group in the Plains of St Augustine:

Clear...breezy. Areas of smoke. Lows in the lower 40s to mid 50s. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 35 mph.

[SlowDave]

Here is a report from friends by Alamo which is between Magdalena and Grants:

60 is open, not bad here. in the evening it gets hazy.  winds from the southwest. so Luna and Reserve glenwood not so good.  yesterday winds were from the east.  Helped a bit, winds tomorrow are predicted to be south east .

[Marshal]

ahhhh, Jake Kirkpatrick and Dejay Birtch now have working spots but both seem to be having major gps/route issues--seems to be going around in circles

[redtabby]

Looks like some heavy weather coming across for the SoBo riders to contend with... Anyone comment on whether it's rain or snow and how much?

Wundermap is your friend.  For many areas along the divide you can discover precipitation location, intensity and
whether it is frozen or not.
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/

[vancouvergnome]

Justin Sim,
You are most likely slogging your way through some tough  terrain. Beautiful moon on the West Coast tonight. Hope you can see it as you haul your gear and are enjoying it. “Who Dares Wins.”

[Slowerthensnot]

ahhhh, Jake Kirkpatrick and Dejay Birtch now have working spots but both seem to be having major gps/route issues--seems to be going around in circles

Maybe Dj is looking for a bar?

[Mathewsen]

Justin Sim,
You are most likely slogging your way through some tough  terrain. Beautiful moon on the West Coast tonight. Hope you can see it as you haul your gear and are enjoying it. “Who Dares Wins.”

It's midnight on course, and Justin is pulling into Butts Cabin right about now. I bet he'll stoke the woodstove good tonight. Butt's is an open FS cabin with years of names and quips carved into the walls and ceiling. It's just shy of his next epic slog, Cabin Pass, so, he's 1 slog down, 2 to go until he exits the Canadian Flathead. Then there's two more similar (possibly longer) slogs on the US side of the Flathead...then there's just Richmond Peak and Huck Pass after that...and S. Fork of Poorman after that...

We're really glad to see Justin made it safely to Butts. This is serious Griz country and I bet there's not much food around yet. Last year I pulled into Butts at 1am on opening day. It was a lonely and scary night ride along the valley bottom. I arrived to find the cabin occupied by partying Fernie teenagers. Something tells me Justin is sleeping alone (and soundly) tonight.

[aplummer]

Is there anywhere we can see what bikes these guys are riding. just interested to see setups.

Also is there any rules on bikes you are allowed to ride. Has anybody every used a cylocross bike? just trying to think of the positives and negatives to using one.

[Mrs.BigPoppa]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out what my husband is up to on the course.  He's just to the north of a body of water called Brush Bay.  I'm wondering why they (he and two others) stopped only 7.5 miles out of Whitefish instead of pushing through to town.  It looked like they were traveling pretty well prior to stopping.  Is the terrain poor again heading into Whitefish or were they just exhausted from trudging through snow all day.  Any ideas? Anyone know if they're at a campground or just off the side of the road somewhere?   Somehow I didn't imagine myself worrying until the race started, now I can hardly quit looking at updates!

[Mrs.BigPoppa]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out what my husband is up to on the course.  He's just to the north of a body of water called Brush Bay.  I'm wondering why they (he and two others) stopped only 7.5 miles out of Whitefish instead of pushing through to town.  It looked like they were traveling pretty well prior to stopping.  Is the terrain poor again heading into Whitefish or were they just exhausted from trudging through snow all day.  Any ideas? Anyone know if they're at a campground or just off the side of the road somewhere?   Somehow I didn't imagine myself worrying until the race started, now I can hardly quit looking at updates!

Actually that body of water would be Whitefish lake, I was zoomed in pretty far.  Doh!

[aplummer]

just noticed that a couple riders slightly diverted off course between rooseville and eureka. What happens when riders miss the correct path?

[Pollyhound]

Somehow I didn't imagine myself worrying until the race started, now I can hardly quit looking at updates!

I know what you mean! After checking first thing this morning (I'm in UK), seeing he'd crossed the border and had stopped for the night I vowed not not look again until this evening - but here I am.
I'm also following Justin Simoni's progress closely.  He appears to have been travelling very slowly on the Flathead route (?) for 18 hours.  I hope he's ok.