Tour Divide 2013

[kjrinka]

I was so glad to see one of those after being followed by a black bear for a half mile.  That bear hung out outside all night but there was no way he was getting in.

After reading around the forums and online about the TDR the only thing that concerns me is Bear and Mountain Lion encounters. How do you stay safe, aside from bear spray? What keeps a mountain lion from having you as a snack while your snoring away in your sleeping bag?

[BigPoppa]

After reading around the forums and online about the TDR the only thing that concerns me is Bear and Mountain Lion encounters. How do you stay safe, aside from bear spray? What keeps a mountain lion from having you as a snack while your snoring away in your sleeping bag?

There is a google map somewhere on the interwebs that shows the "bear danger areas". Basically from Banff to about Wise River, sleeping alone in the woods with food in your bivy is a bad idea.

The only problem that Mountain Lions provided for me were obstacles on the descents. Seriously, I almost T boned one. (That was coming down into Lima I think.)

[wickerer]

There is a google map somewhere on the interwebs that shows the "bear danger areas".

You mean this one: http://tinyurl.com/22tfhdh

[BigPoppa]

You mean this one: http://tinyurl.com/22tfhdh

YES. I couldn't find it in my bookmarks because its under GDMBR instead of Tour Divide. OF COURSE....

Although I will say, after having done the divide... The bear danger area ends at Holland Lake and I saw a few quite a ways after that in Montana. Also, the woods near the Brush Mountain Lodge are crawling with them.

[sthig]

has anyone figured out a bazooka handlebar mount with a laser site to take out the bears yet?

[mikepro]

Have you guys seen this? Gets you pumped for divide racing. Any takers, fakers, future world record breakers out there?
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Jay-Petervary-Tour-Divide-Record-Ride-video-2012.html

What a gem!  Thanks for the link!  That is some serious stoke!  And pretty darn good filming and audio track to boot!  Way to go JP - nice way to celebrate being 40 years old.

If only the weather and riding conditions were like that everyday out on the Divide...

[mikepro]

Let's not hijack this thread with way too many "bear fear" posts, shall we?   

For those of you who have seen too many YouTube videos of pissed off momma grizzlies in Yellowstone eating a car tourist who just fed them Cheetos, or have nightmares after seeing some movie where hunters in Alaskan outback get hunted down and mauled by human-blood-crazed Ursa Major, calm down and read what beardog has to say on the subject: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2688.msg29672.html#msg29672

"I love the bears (that is why my nickname is what it is)--do not stress the bears-repeat-do not stress the bears- just be sensible and sleep with your back to a tree bike next to you with bearspray at hand with safety off-while riding I have encountered many grizz and simply blow my whistle (never leaves my neck until I reach AW) and if that is not enough I talk to them and tell them I need to share the trai--they usually doddle off into the bushes and you ride by-occassionally they growl at you but you are moving way too fast. "

[sthig]

Mike it's an ongoing gag for me - I just have a healthy respect for them.

[hikernks]

There are 14 recorded deaths by bears in Yellowstone...ever.  15 people have been killed by Indians.  19 people die each year in vending machine accidents.  Respect?  Absolutely.  Terrifying fear?  Nah.

[B_Bock]

Hey,

I posted this over in the "question and answer" section of the forum, but I figured I'd ask here as well. I've been looking at getting a new sleep system together before tackling the Tour Divide next June and I've narrowed my bivy selection down to a couple of options:

Nemo GoGo Elite (~600g)
MSR Alpine Bivy (450g)

After a few bad experiences with mosquitos hiking and biking in northern Norway, as well as the Rockies, I'm pretty set on a bivy having some kind of bug netting. Plus, it has to be waterproof as I'm not convinced by tarps — at the end of a long day on the bike I want a shelter I can roll into without too much messing around. I should add that I'm based in the UK, so any other suggestions would have to be available here. What I'd really like to know is whether you guys think that the weight penalty associated with the GoGo is worth the extra comfort / weather protection? Thanks in advance,

Ed

The Go Go Elite worked well for me in last years TDR. It kept me dry during heavy rain and has a vestibule for keeping some additional items protected. I did have issues with condensation. There were times when I had a hard time drying out my damp bag during the following day.
Blake

[ron]

If the OP hasn't already pulled the trigger on a particular shelter, let me plug what's (for me) the holy grail setup: MLD Superlight bivy + 4x9' cuben Monk tarp. ~12 oz all in (w/ stakes and guys) for all-weather protection.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

ETA: If shipping and duties to the UK are a concern you'd probably find success posting a "WTB in UK" post here for the same: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/display_forum.html?forum=19

[mikejolly]

Anyone planning on starting south and going north?

[Foster]

Anyone planning on starting south and going north?

I am considering it, depends on a few circumstances.

[Snowbd2u]

What's everyone's plans for the end? I'm trying to figure out what's the easiest thing to do to get back home, VA. Love to hear other people's take on that.

[BigPoppa]

What's everyone's plans for the end? I'm trying to figure out what's the easiest thing to do to get back home, VA. Love to hear other people's take on that.

To get somewhere from the finish you can either take a daily shuttle that leaves from the border headed north, ride your bike back, or use the old dude who does shuttle service to Silver City.

If you need to fly, the closest airport is in Silver City.

[sthig]

yikes - I'd not thought about shoes.  boy, for a no entry fee race, this is getting expensive! (ha)

I have a pair of Pear Izumi Road Fuel for all around town riding (I generally try to not use gas when I don't need to).  I'd only guess they would not work very well over 2700 miles

What I ride when I'm on singletrack are Shimano XC50n.  They make my feet hurt in the short - sheesh, I didn't even think about the long.

I'm assuming my Road Fuels would be Road Fails if I even considered that?

[sthig]

you know, I thought I posted this in the other thread - oops.  okay, well, shoes...big issue as you need your feets comfy

[Foster]

I used to wear Shimano shoes that were in between on stiffness but the toe box and shoe itself was too wide.  I have a very narrow foot.  I recently switched to a specialized shoe and I am very happy with them.  They are much more narrow and fit my feet really well.  The stiffness is also a little more as well but not too much to where they hurt my feet from hike a bike.  The bottom of the shoes also have really good rubber for steep and loose HAB which is a plus.  IMO there isn't that much HAB on the Tour Divide that was that bad at least in the 700 miles that I rode.  Most of it was walking through the snow whereas in other races you are forced off the bike because the terrain was unrideable and super steep like in the CTR or AZTR.  For me the Specialized Expert MTB shoe works really well for riding efficiently and is comfortable to walk in for extended periods.  I also have extremely high arches and I wear orthotics in my shoes which help tremendously.  I also do not have issues with my feet swelling as some others might have to take this into account, maybe you want some wiggle room as your foot swells throughout the day, try on the shoes late in the evening when your feet are the biggest.

These are the orthotics that I was fit with and they are very comfortable and conform to my arch and are very supportive.  They are not really expensive and will fit your feet pretty well.

http://www.esoles.com/products/efit_supportive.aspx

Here are the shoes that I went with, I tried about 8 different pairs to get the perfect fit.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/shoes/mtb-shoes/expert-mtb

So basically if you want a good fit with shoes that are comfy you will need to go and try on as many as possible.  My bike fit included going over shoes and getting them fit just right, they fit specialist then went over my bike fit with the shoes that worked for me.  So make sure you spend time finding the right pair.  Because your shoes can make you or break you.

[Foster]

Anyone planning on starting south and going north?

When are you planning on starting?  I don't finish class until June 2nd for geology field camp.  It goes for 3 weeks after we "graduate" on May 11th and I won't have hardly any time to train because I will be doing field work for those 3 weeks.  I plan to take my bike with me on the trips but probably wont get in much for training.  So because of that I don't know if I will be ready for the GD.  If I am not then I might as well start from the south close to home because I won't be starting with the group anyways.  I think that if I started sometime around June 21st that that would give me a little longer to train. 

There are certainly pros and cons to think about when considering when and what direction to go on the Tour Divide.  I really would like to start with everyone on the GD just because of the camaraderie and the fact that I wouldn't have to buy a plane ticket to get home from AW.  I would just get picked up. 

[Desert Pollo]

I raced from south to north last year in the wake of Cjell.  Having once toured it in the opposite direction, I highly recommend starting at the Mexican border.
The pluses:
  Nearly perfect weather (except the last day of drizzle coming into Banff.
  No snow walking.
  Got to meet everyone else in the race (from Pinedale to Steamboat).
  Easy exit to home via the Calgary airport.
  Got to hang out and finish training in and near Silver City prior to the race (acclimatized to the heat and altitude).
  Tailwind most of the way.
  Gummy Bears not cleaned out by other racers, except for Pinedale.
The minuses:
  Stores cleaned out of A & D ointment by other racers north of Rawlins.
  The miserable headwind across the Great Basin.