 Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #140 on: February 16, 2018, 11:46:05 AM
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BobM
Location: The Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Posts: 936
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« Reply #140 on: February 16, 2018, 11:46:05 AM » |
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I believe it was Dallis Waters who was charged by a bear near Holland Lake during the 2015 TD. She waited until she saw the whites of its eyes and let go with bear spray. Somebody recounted it in the 2015 TD thread...made the hair on my neck stand up when I read it.
Not that I would ever attempt the TD without bear spray...
I've often wondered about a bit of clorox bleach on a rag. Since a bear's sense of smell is more powerful than a human by orders of magnitude, I thought that maybe carrying 4-5 ounces of Clorox bleach in a small bottle and then periodically putting a teaspoon or two on a rag might irritate a bear's nose enough to send it off. Not sure if that's really practical or anything...just something I've thought about...
I don't think I would be brave enough to hold a rag over a bear's nose!  |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #141 on: February 20, 2018, 11:04:50 AM
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hanyo66
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 88
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« Reply #141 on: February 20, 2018, 11:04:50 AM » |
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I don't think I would be brave enough to hold a rag over a bear's nose! I think he meant just using the clorox as a scent to ward bears away hahaha not chloroforming a bear |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #142 on: February 20, 2018, 01:43:36 PM
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Woodland
Location: Bailey, CO
Posts: 476
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« Reply #142 on: February 20, 2018, 01:43:36 PM » |
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not chloroforming a bear
There's been many 'firsts' on the Divide... |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #143 on: February 22, 2018, 09:30:34 AM
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Woodland
Location: Bailey, CO
Posts: 476
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« Reply #143 on: February 22, 2018, 09:30:34 AM » |
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Hi, is now a good time to talk about the snowpack?
In big snow years like this in Canada and MT, what areas along the route typically hold the most snow latest in the season? |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #144 on: February 22, 2018, 10:17:50 AM
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Salubrious
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 78
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« Reply #144 on: February 22, 2018, 10:17:50 AM » |
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Galton Pass (less so), Whitefish Divide, Red Meadow Pass, Richmond Peak. Its not unusual to see something on the Elkford Pass too.
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #145 on: February 23, 2018, 06:46:56 AM
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bakerjw
Posts: 464
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« Reply #145 on: February 23, 2018, 06:46:56 AM » |
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I just caught up on the thread. Myself, my son and a friend are heading South in early July. I've always enjoyed the Spray Lake route but it sounds like it'll be closed. IIRC there was talk of that last year as well, but it was still left in the route.
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #146 on: February 23, 2018, 08:19:00 AM
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bon
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 207
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« Reply #146 on: February 23, 2018, 08:19:00 AM » |
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I saw 5 bears last year. 2 black between cabin pass and the border. 3 grizzly's - 2 between eureka and Tukchuck campground and 1 on the descent off of Richmond. All, but 1 took off as soon as they saw me, but the 1 that didn't really got in my head. It was on the climb up Whitefish divide. He was going up the road at dusk and so were we. We just walked a distance behind him with bear spray in hand, and he finally got off the road. Biggest bear I've ever seen. I was paranoid for the rest of the night, but I was fine by 4am when I wandered out of the Montana Hilton. I actually use a bluetooth speaker on my bars and play music when riding by myself in bear country, although given my experience last year maybe it doesn't work all that well.
Last June I saw 4 bears, one of which was a massive brown bear. He was about 25 yards away. He stood up and sniffed the air then turned his head towards me just as I passed by. I had a strong tailwind and was going about 12mph but dropped the hammer as hard as I could. He just stood there watching me go. |
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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. ― Charles Dickens
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #147 on: February 23, 2018, 08:32:01 AM
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Salubrious
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 78
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« Reply #147 on: February 23, 2018, 08:32:01 AM » |
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Just remember that if the bear decided to give chase, you can't outrun it even on a downhill- they can go 35mph.
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #148 on: February 23, 2018, 08:57:50 AM
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bon
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 207
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« Reply #148 on: February 23, 2018, 08:57:50 AM » |
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Just remember that if the bear decided to give chase, you can't outrun it even on a downhill- they can go 35mph.
No doubt! |
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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. ― Charles Dickens
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #149 on: February 23, 2018, 09:29:57 AM
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bakerjw
Posts: 464
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« Reply #149 on: February 23, 2018, 09:29:57 AM » |
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Yep. Can't outrun a bear. Bear spray FTW too.
I have 2 cans that made it home with me from the last couple of years. It is nice to be able test it to see how it shoots. In reading and watching videos on using it, most say that all you need to do is get a cloud of it between you and the bear. Once they get into it at all, they usually lose their desire to continue doing bad bear things like scaring cyclists. YMMV.
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #150 on: February 23, 2018, 09:35:10 AM
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bon
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 207
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« Reply #150 on: February 23, 2018, 09:35:10 AM » |
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Anyone as excited as I am for June? I am jumping out of my skin to start! Hoping for healing for my back so I can start riding again.
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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. ― Charles Dickens
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #151 on: February 23, 2018, 07:26:15 PM
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Woodland
Location: Bailey, CO
Posts: 476
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« Reply #151 on: February 23, 2018, 07:26:15 PM » |
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Anyone as excited as I am for June?
Yes, yes and yes |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #152 on: February 23, 2018, 07:29:25 PM
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bon
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 207
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« Reply #152 on: February 23, 2018, 07:29:25 PM » |
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Yes, yes and yes
Awesome! Are you ready, Woodland? |
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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. ― Charles Dickens
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #153 on: February 23, 2018, 07:31:30 PM
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Woodland
Location: Bailey, CO
Posts: 476
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« Reply #153 on: February 23, 2018, 07:31:30 PM » |
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Awesome! Are you ready, Woodland?
Negative |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #154 on: February 23, 2018, 07:33:12 PM
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bon
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 207
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« Reply #154 on: February 23, 2018, 07:33:12 PM » |
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Negative Lol Well....Get on it! What do you have left to do? |
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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. ― Charles Dickens
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #155 on: February 23, 2018, 07:58:21 PM
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Woodland
Location: Bailey, CO
Posts: 476
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« Reply #155 on: February 23, 2018, 07:58:21 PM » |
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I wasn't able to make the call to ride this thing until November...kinda last minute for a race of this caliber. I'm guessing I won't truly be ready to ride the Divide until around, oh...Helena? |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #156 on: February 23, 2018, 08:10:41 PM
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bon
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 207
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« Reply #156 on: February 23, 2018, 08:10:41 PM » |
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I wasn't able to make the call to ride this thing until November...kinda last minute for a race of this caliber. I'm guessing I won't truly be ready to ride the Divide until around, oh...Helena? Lol I understand, trust me. Either way, give it your best and it will pay back in dividends. |
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No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. ― Charles Dickens
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #157 on: February 26, 2018, 11:26:58 AM
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MI_pdlr
Posts: 5
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« Reply #157 on: February 26, 2018, 11:26:58 AM » |
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New person question. I bought a etrex 30 for the divide because my old serial gps wouldn't cut it. What base maps does everyone use? Do I just buy the topo maps from garmin? I just got this thing 2 days ago and I haven't messed with it much yet. I see garmin offers the different maps and the one it comes with isn't very detailed.
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #158 on: February 26, 2018, 11:31:09 AM
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Salubrious
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 78
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« Reply #158 on: February 26, 2018, 11:31:09 AM » |
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You can find the GPX file on http://topofusion.com/divide/gps.phpIf you are racing, wait until about 3 weeks before the Grand Depart as it looks like there is a route change. |
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Topic Name: Tour Divide 2018 Race Preparation
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Reply #159 on: February 26, 2018, 11:40:30 AM
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BobM
Location: The Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Posts: 936
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« Reply #159 on: February 26, 2018, 11:40:30 AM » |
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New person question. I bought a etrex 30 for the divide because my old serial gps wouldn't cut it. What base maps does everyone use? Do I just buy the topo maps from garmin? I just got this thing 2 days ago and I haven't messed with it much yet. I see garmin offers the different maps and the one it comes with isn't very detailed.
As I recall, the toposcout tracks include map data along the route. |
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