Tour Divide race discussion

[JosiahM]

Mathew, thanks for taking the initiative to make the phone call. Had he not had cell reception, that call could have been very important to ensure his safety.
I don't know the guy, but I sure am interested to hear his story and hoping for a positive outcome for him.

[Mathewsen]

It might be that his movement off trail was about getting up higher to get a text out. The funny thing is, he is subscribed to SPOT roadside assistance, which is for auto-towing only, and that's who contacted YNP. Apparently he got a text out to his wife, and she alerted roadside assistance. When I phoned GEOS, the life or death SPOT SOS svc., they knew nothing about the situation, so I can confirm he did not use SOS.

I really wonder if he is with his bike / kit or not, since all that trail would be nothing more than HAB. If not with kit, that will indeed be a cold night!

[bpeschka]

No problem with Bill Peschka's SPOT SOS transmission from deep in the Basin to summon help for Andreas, the injured rider.  I (wife Ann) received a call at home in Chandler from Texas monitoring company within 10 minutes of the button being pushed.  The contact person said there had been an activation and that Sweetwater Emergency was on its way.  I got a call back about 40 minutes later giving me the specifics.  That service is worth every penny.  Bill did say that he needs to read the manual again because it was not as straightforward as just pushing the button.  I am so, so relieved that the missing rider has been found.
Ann

[Mathewsen]

OK, I've posted way too many times in the last 48hrs, but here's my final mention for the night...

Red flag warning (meaning fire danger / wind) tomorrow for NM. There's an upper level trough moving across, and they're concerned about lightning. BUT...if the route can escape the weekend, outlook for next week hints to rising dew points and you know what...

NWS Pie Town forecast discussion re. the impending trough:
"THIS MOISTURE WILL INTERACT WITH THE HIGH TERRAIN BEGINNING TUESDAY AND GREASE THE ENGINE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AT LEAST THE FIRST IMPULSES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN MONSOON."

D'oh!
I've always warned, if you don't giturdun by independence day, you're asking for NM mud. I hope it's slow developing, not so robust, yet generous with cloud cover.

[Joaz]

In 2012 I stopped at the trailhead that Bill wandered off on, that small creek isn't that small and the next river seems sketchy at best to ford. Thanks for taking the initiative Mathew! I'm glad he is doing ok.

[FoldsInHalf]

Well it's sounding like BL may have pressed the "Help/Spot Assist" button (indicating a non-life threatening situation but I need some help) and not the "SOS" button (indicating a life-threatening emergency, send everybody ASAP).

Those presses probably don't show up on the public log that we see, but both of those would send emails and/or text messages behind-the-scenes to the registered contacts (i.e. family) AND also either:

  - for "Spot Assist" button = the registered commercial partner (in this case, the Roadside Service company);
  - for "SOS" button = GEOS who then coordinates a rescue with whichever SAR organization is closest

In any case, this is an interesting situation to follow, for sure.  Best wishes to BL for the night and it will definitely be interesting to hear what actually happened to lead him up there...

[jryter]

Hope it all turns out well for Bill! Spot track definitely looked like he was lost/confused. I know for myself, that I would do most anything so I wouldn't have to be rescued with the ensuing report on the internet, papers, TV. Oh the shame!

[JF-mtnbiker]

Good detective work Matthew! It will be interesting to hear his story and why he decided to go way up there. It's no doubt that it will be a nasty, cold night without his sleeping kit. Hope that isn't the case but there are some water crossings and dead fall that might deter him from dragging his bike up there. hmm.  

[Mathewsen]

Edit: I misspoke below, and thx for questioning, FoldsInHalf. It's crazy, but if you sign up for SPOT's roadside assistance (glorified AAA), it indeed disables the Help signal from use for texting & emailing family. My assumption is that it may also disable it from the XML feed we pull. That's pretty lame. I will complain about that, but I guess they're doing the same thing Trackleaders does when we censor out Helps from public view. In their mind it means one thing, "flat tire". It will be interesting to hear what Bill thinks after the fact regarding forfeiting his only stepped-down version of SOS for use in road side assistance only. In this case, in combination with texting, I guess it got the job done.

SPOT Assist is initiated by using the Help signal, which does indeed come across in the shared page / in the feed. We would have rec'd it for sure. I can confirm there was no such signal. I believe his wife called them. Trackleaders doesn't publish Helps on live event maps so as not to cause panic, but we definitely get them. I am rethinking the non-publishing setting for bikepacking ultras, though. This forum crowd had been watching that sidetrip develop for a while. If a true help signal had come across, been posted to the map, the question of whether / how to act might have been answered faster.

[Susannah]

So, regarding Andreas Fassbender who broke his hip and is in the hospital up in Casper. I spoke with Patient Liaison Heather Thomas. She has graciously offered to take email greetings for Andreas. This might be preferred over calling him. I explained she might get a lot and she said that was fine. The only caveat is she is not there on the weekend so today and tomorrow she can print out some emails for him. Just put "Andreas Fassbender" in the subject line. Her email address is: hthoma @ wyomingmedicalcenter.org.

I had sent out a few e-mails on this.  A friend from Laramie wrote: "Called a bike shop in Casper and they are going to post the information on their website and Facebook page.  Hope this helps."  
So I'd guess some folks from the Casper bicycling community may step forward.

[elobeck]

Question for the branch dividians:

Trying to comprehend how the rule structure deals with on again off again , haphazard, or dumb luck food service that is commercial in nature (somewhat in response to the "dubious tortilla salesman" scenario played(ing) itself out near Atlantic city).

Divide racer arrives in a town and is looking for food. Options are "usual franchise" or tasty goodness food truck that is on a cross country tour and happens to be serving in that town on that day. If the divide racer elects to eat the fare at the food truck, is this the apogee of moral turpitude and grounds for relegation since it is not available for all divide racers?

Or scenario 2, divide racer stumbles upon a business that is open only during the month of June. Not available for itt'ers obviously.  The "pure" divide racer will ....Pedal on, right?





 

[Auke]

It appears like JB is taking a nap (not too far from the bend of Indian Service Rte 9 nearby Chaco Culture National Historical Park).
JP took about a 6hours sleep in the Gila forest, way past Pietown. Currently JP's ghost is about 90miles ahead of JB (near ventana arch)..... This means probably no new record with 440miles and 45,5 hours left (that is impossible right???). But what a ride of JB so far: hats off and a deep bow for him having to endure the bad wheather and getting so close.

[flyboy]

Great ride by Jefe! Each year there are only one or two riders that are a level above(or have everything go right for them). How much harder has it been for him to ride alone for so long? Also, I see that JP's flag is between 2 JB dots!

I hope BL is ok overnight and has some warm kit.

On the "rules" discussion, perhaps there could have been more pre race discussion of them? The pre race thread is full of gear, gps and tyre questions but I can only see one question regarding the rules. I guess in an undertaking this big, the practical distractions of logistics are much more easy to sink you teeth into in the planning stage than wrangling with rules and how to interpret them. Maybe a lot of riders are subconsciously really only touring?
I guess this race will be ever evolving and my hope is that the positive interactions (TM) continue to occur and mishaps don't put the TD on any authorities radar.

[Auke]

Jefe Branham is riding again, 100 miles behind JP's record while JP's ghost still has 6 hours of sleep to go.

Will JB ride all the way to Antelope Wells? (431miles in 42 hours??)

[BobM]

Jefe Branham is riding again, 100 miles behind JP's record while JP's ghost still has 6 hours of sleep to go.

Will JB ride all the way to Antelope Wells? (431miles in 42 hours??)

I would imagine he'll try - he knows what the record is and he can do the math.  Should be an epic finish at any rate.

[dream4est]

Good luck jefe

I am leaving pinedale looking to have a triple crown golden spike moment with Jill
We haven't seen each other since the ugly first day of the Azt 750

I know it's not jefe and Dave but I am excited - need the boost I am a little low this morning on the energy

Life is good gunning for a triple

[JayP]

My ghost is giving me bad memories of that time...

This is the stretch of road that took far to long due to flat tires for me. Riding in the dark with cloud cover and a heavy dew mist that was almost rain. A slow leak that I was stopping to pump every so often turned into a repair I needed to make. I insert a tube, air up, roll away and discover another flat tire. The tube had a split seam, not easy to patch. I insert 2nd spare, roll away, it had a leak. I sit on this damp road, exhausted and frustrated. Time to start patching a tube. The pleasures of patching a tube in the rain, with sealant covering the tubes and the tire. IT was a mess, the patches were not sticking. I had at least 2 episodes of tubes that I thought were patched then failed while riding.
To say the least it was a long night trying to get to Pie Town. The only sleep I got that night was the sleep I was getting while passing out with the wheel, tubes and my kit spread out in my lap.
When I made it to Pie TOwn ealry morning I rolled into the Toaster House for a shower and peak in the cabinets. I was disappointed thinking I was going to be there many hours early with a good nights sleep to make the push to the finish. It didn't happen that way and the pie shops were closed. I had a shitty night, put it behind me and charged forward that day. If I remember correctly I was so trying to make up lost time I had a pretty good run till I hit the Gila Hills where I had another stop and go night of sleeping while riding, pushing and tripping over myself.

Epic times by myself on a mission to beat a time. These are the times I will never forget. For some reason I cant remember the perfect sunny days...

I would suspect you will see the JB dot close the gap here.

[Auke]

My ghost is giving me bad memories of that time...

This is the stretch of road that took far to long due to flat tires for me. Riding in the dark with cloud cover and a heavy dew mist that was almost rain. A slow leak that I was stopping to pump every so often turned into a repair I needed to make. I insert a tube, air up, roll away and discover another flat tire. The tube had a split seam, not easy to patch. I insert 2nd spare, roll away, it had a leak. I sit on this damp road, exhausted and frustrated. Time to start patching a tube. The pleasures of patching a tube in the rain, with sealant covering the tubes and the tire. IT was a mess, the patches were not sticking. I had at least 2 episodes of tubes that I thought were patched then failed while riding.
To say the least it was a long night trying to get to Pie Town. The only sleep I got that night was the sleep I was getting while passing out with the wheel, tubes and my kit spread out in my lap.
When I made it to Pie TOwn ealry morning I rolled into the Toaster House for a shower and peak in the cabinets. I was disappointed thinking I was going to be there many hours early with a good nights sleep to make the push to the finish. It didn't happen that way and the pie shops were closed. I had a shitty night, put it behind me and charged forward that day. If I remember correctly I was so trying to make up lost time I had a pretty good run till I hit the Gila Hills where I had another stop and go night of sleeping while riding, pushing and tripping over myself.

Epic times by myself on a mission to beat a time. These are the times I will never forget. For some reason I cant remember the perfect sunny days...

I would suspect you will see the JB dot close the gap here.

Either way you TDR guys are epic, true cycling heroes. Making professional cyclists like Hinault, Armstrong, Contador and Froome look like spoiled brats .

[Adam Alphabet]

Question for the branch dividians:

hahahah, the cult that it truly seems to be.

[Bounce]

Bill Littmann's SPOT is back on now and he's on the move.