XVtMtBkRte - race discussion!

[Groundshine]

If the TD and the Navad 1000 aren't giving you enough blue dot action - check out Tour Divide veteran Jeff Mullen as he races against the course record just set by George Lapierre at 2 days 6 hours.

 http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0nhcJ5sOpmtgkfujGVvVS5ByeIPqvNWPa

The XVtMtBkRte is a newly mapped 300 mile route that crosses the state of Vermont from the Massachusetts border to Quebec, Canada.   (Where it connects to the Route Verte and the Trans Canada Trail.)

[rickgibbs]

Still can't comprehend how George did that route in 2 days / 6 hours.  I would have thought this time of year it was very wet and overgrown.   Did you guys end up modifying the route?

[bmike-vt]

Impressive ride by George. I always figured the initial records would be sub 60 hours. But he beat those expectations!

[Groundshine]

The Flat Iron Trail has seven water xings  I'm sure it felt as wet as riding through Echo Lake!

George set the single speed record... Gear d record is wide open!

Still refining the route - will get a map out there but don't want this to turn into Oregon Outback Shitshow.  Open to suggestions on that detail.

[JeffM-VT]

Rick Gibbs was correct.  The course was very wet, swampy, overgrown, etc. etc.  Even when dry there will be a lot of tough hike-a-bike sections and there is a challenging bushwhack section.  I bailed at close to the halfway point for several reasons - the closing weather window, bike seat issues (broke a seat rail and the replacement seat was causing saddles sores), fueling issues (made some dumb food mistakes that I was paying for) but mostly because the course is very tough and I didn't have the energy to continue much farther.  I hope to be back with a better plan now that I know the (tougher) southern end of the course. George Lapierre's (CTR veteran) record is going to be tough to break though (even with gears)!  Definitely a worthy route for the toughest bikepackers out there to challenge!

As Groundshine mentioned - that Flatiron section (along Buffalo Brook past Camp Plymouth state park as seen in Spot pic above) is brutal.  Until then my Gore-Tex socks were keeping my feet fairly dry but lots of 1-2 feet crossings of the brook there and rough sections along the shore to navigate.

A route that requires good planning as long stretches without food stops (in the southern sections).  Plenty of water along the trail and a way to treat water is a must.  Unless you're willing to carry a lot.

[Laps]

Hey Guys!

George here.  I have to say (now that I have had a while to think about it) that I like the route.  It is much more than I expected from VT.  I think Dave put a great, world class route together.  The amount of forest service roads, then VAST trail, then singletrack, then back to roads, are a great sampling of what VT has to offer.  At first, I thought more singletrack would be better.  While riding, I hated the singletrack, but it felt awesome after Cady's Falls to be done.....with only 70 something miles of road/atv trail left.  I up my ride, and attached it.  It was tough...very CTR-esque, but it is awesome to have a true Bk Pk route in the home state.

Happy Riding!

[moosevt]

There it is! Several things come out of this discussion. It is hard, it is awesome, it is (now) an ultra race. In light of the bikepacker's chapter of VMBA, we will continue to develop new and more routes that can be enjoyed by all and all abilities to get out in the state and explore and enjoy. This route, according to Dave, has yet to have a name established. Personally, I am quite fine with xVT. I find that the x means extreme and it also denotes "x" which could be filled in on a personal level to be whatever it means to you.

George, hats off to you. I have been on this route 4 times. This last one is the most I have done at any one time. I have experienced the whole route through different attempts but none have put me from one end to the other in one go. So, from my point of view, what you did is nothing short of amazing. You are a monster. Would have been just as amazing if you were on a geared bike. In the spirit of racing and competition, you have set the bar high. I'd like to say "watch out, I am coming for you" but that is unlikely. Maybe someone will set a geared record this year. We still need records SoBo.

AND, for what it's worth, I hold the record of being the only person with a total rolling weight of over 300lbs! I challenge anyone to top that!

[Lentamentalisk]

Is there any further info on where I could get a hold on a gpx or similar trail description? I'd love to do this some day (though likely in a many day trip rather than 2 day...)

Also what sorts of bikes were you doing this with? I saw mention of single gear, which makes me doubt people are doing it on full suspension mountain bikes. Would I hate myself for trying the trip on a Fargo?

[moosevt]

Is there any further info on where I could get a hold on a gpx or similar trail description? I'd love to do this some day (though likely in a many day trip rather than 2 day...)

Also what sorts of bikes were you doing this with? I saw mention of single gear, which makes me doubt people are doing it on full suspension mountain bikes. Would I hate myself for trying the trip on a Fargo?

You would do fine on a Fargo. I have been on the route 4 times and all were on a full rigid rig. Twice a 29er and twice and 29+.

You would be fine on a full squish as well.

To get access to the .gpx file for this route, we are making it available to those who join the bike packers chapter of VMBA. You can do that at VMBA.ORG

Chime back in if you have an more questions.

Thanks, Wil

[tws21975]

Wil,

I just(last night) joined the bike packing chapter of VMBA. What are the next steps I need to take to gain access to the course map? I'd love to do the route the week before D2R2.

Thanks,
Tom S.
St. Johnsbury

[moosevt]

Tom,

Nice to hear and thank you for joining the chapter. Email me and I will send you some info.

bikecycology@gmail.com

Thanks, Wil

[Lentamentalisk]

Sweet! I'll sign up shortly. I heard rumor of a group ride this summer. I've got a pretty packed schedule ahead of me, but in the off chance it lines up perfectly, is that going to happen? Hacking away through new territory alone is fun, but I'd rather do it with others any day.

[Couloirman]

We clearly need some pics from the route! Ill be joining VMBA soon, hope to do this ride in August

[tws21975]

I'm leaving right now for the northern terminus of the route, will begin tomorrow morning fairly early. Goal is sub 3 days, I'll let you guys know how it turns out when I get back from d2r2.

Thank you to Wil, Dave and all of the others who put the time in to make the route.

Best,
Tom

[bmike-vt]

here is a pic i took of Wil along the route...

IMG_4591 by Mike, on Flickr

And Wil and a friend riding together for a bit:

Wil and Justin, Goshen Ripton Rd. by Mike, on Flickr


Here's a section of Chandler Ridge (above Silver Lake):
Silver Lake from Chandler Ridge by Mike, on Flickr

In Cotton Brook near Little River State Park:
IMG_3909 by Mike, on Flickr

Waterbury Reservoir:

Waterbury Reservoir by Mike, on Flickr

Trail near top of Brooks Road:

IMG_7800 by Mike, on Flickr

Along the Natural Turnpike:
lovely meadow by Mike, on Flickr

[Lentamentalisk]

Wow, that is absolutely amazing! I can't wait to try that out.

What is the elevation profile like? I just got totally caught off guard by a ride in the Berkshires, with 2500' of elevation gain in 20 miles, and had to turn around because we weren't going to make it to camp by dark.

[bmike-vt]

~30-36k depending on how its calculated... and which service you use to do it.

Basically 100' to 120' per mile... although the dirt road and paved sections (there are a few) are tamer than the single track.
The route goes over Lincoln Gap... which is paved / gravel - maxes out at 24% with sustained grades of 20%...

[bmike-vt]

And the unofficial geared record is 38 hours. Unreal. I'm sure Wil will have some details when he posts again.

[Lentamentalisk]

Sounds brutal and amazing. If you don't mind me asking, do you know your average moving speed? I find it so hard to predict that in advance without having ridden the trails. Given the terrain I've averaged anything from 7 to 20mph, which has a huge impact on how far I can go in a day.

Also what did you end up doing for sleep? I'm assuming stealth camp?

[bmike-vt]

I haven't ridden the route - only parts of the middle of it. A couple of over nights and then some day trips. But yes, generally put down wherever you need to wherever you are.

I've done several all night / overnight rides - I've slept (naps, really) on the porch of a bike shop, in a bandstand in the center of town, on the lawn of a convenience store. Some of the guys I've ridden with have slept at construction sites in those big drain pipes (out of the weather), in the ATM lobby of a bank, etc.