Fatty Fat Phat....Race Report #2

This past weekend was the Hardwood Fatty Frost Cross Fatbike race and whoooeeee what a day it was! The guys at the Bikezone were kind enough to arrange a rental for me of a Salsa Mukluk, so at 10AM Saturday morning, I headed north to give it a spin. Got to Hwood, set up the bike and hopped on just in time for the start. There were 28 of us, 3 women, attempting what we were told was Canada's first Fatbike race? really? - gotta be at least Ontario's...
The course was to be a 3Km loop; as many laps as you could get in in 2 hours time...no sweat right?? Ha...ha ha...Hahhahahahahaha!!! The day had turned to a beauty spring day of 8 degrees and the snow quickly turned very soft. I had to rethink what I would wear cuz it really was hot out - jersey, arms and summer gloves won out. Plus, I switched shoes to the Pearl Izumi XAlps cuz I knew there would be a lot of wet running, and we all know how cranky I get when my feet freeze ;)
The course went out the start around the back cross field, then up into the BMX track, before heading back out to the back double track loop, returning to the S/F again. Some people rode relay style, some solo - I opted for solo - and i can honestly say, I left my guts out there. It was really tough going - very slippy, slushy fun. Crazy fun! I lost count of how many headers I took into snowbanks, and they all made me laugh hysterically...all but one...I bit it going pretty fast on a slippy descent and fell so hard I heard my neck crack, and my innards flip into a knot. I got back on and shook myself off, carried on and didn't think much more about it, but I had busted my rear shifter. Ah well, only a couple laps to go, and all the shifing really just gets in the way ;) Finished out the 2 hr. 15 min. mark with 8 laps - redlined the entire time and was exhausted! Holy work batman....but it was awesome. Thanks to Hardwood for spearheading this event - good times and great chips and salsa offered up by tasty Neal Bros. - great ending...
Now, three days later, I am still having trouble eating (Sunday was a write off...) as I think I really did pull all the muscles around my guts, and as soon as my tummy gets churning to digest, the pain sets in - sux really, but it was worth it :) (PS - Woolwich Dairy now makes the most unbelievable goat milk ice cream, and it doesn't hurt so bad on my wounded tummy :) just sayin'...:)

Thanks to Bike Zone Barrie, Muskoka Outfitters, Hardwood Hills, and Neil Bros. for a really fun day in the sun!!

Here's a little link to the news broadcast from Sat. night - you'll see the race at approx. 7mins 34secs mark (thanks Meredith!)

http://www.ctvbarrie.ca/2013/03/saturday-march-09-2013-ctv-news-at-6-webcast/

The 6 Hours of the 12 Hours of Santos...

Whew, what a weekend....packed in waaayyyyy too much into a short amount of time and it was totally worth it!
On Wednesday after work, I quickly packed up some gear, a couple bikes, and some snacks, and prepared to launch...destination, Ocala, Florida for the 12 Hours of Santos. I packed the Hei Hei and the SS both - knowing I intended to race the SS, but hoping to do some rides on the hei hei just for kix - plus, having just set up the SS on tuesday PM, and never having tested it out due to snowfall etc...I figured a little familiarity might be a nice crutch....ha! but more on that later...

Thursday AM, bright and early, hit the road and made a run for the border. The customs officer, in the usual customs officer way, gave great pause as she inquired about my status...

Officer: Citizenship?
Me: Canadian
Officer: Occupation?
Me: Cheesemaker..*smirk*
Officer: You make, what??
Me: Cheese...
Officer: Hmm...Purpose of trip?
Me: Bike Race
Officer: You are driving all the way to Florida for one day???
Me: Yes....

**Blank Stare**
Officer: Have a good trip....

And so off we went....

After a few hours in the car, hunger set in, and as counting the deer sleeping on the side of the road was proving less the fun any more, lunch was called for. A quick stop at the "Eat n' Park" reinforced the notion that healthy eating is alive and well in America, as I ordered a simple salad with grilled chicken on it, and what did I get, but a bowl of lettuce, topped with french fries, cheeses, and then the grilled chicken. There may have been a tomato, but at that point...meh, whatever.....she didn't even have to ask "Do you want fries with that?"  The thinking was done for me .... sweet...

Pressing on - got as far as South Carolina, booked into a room to get some zzzzzz and watch the latest episode of Buck Wild, filmed not too far away in West Virginia, and get set for the next day's arrival in Florida, and a pre ride of the course. So nice not to see snow all around for a bit :)

Friday we high tailed it to Ocala, and got there with lots of time for a ride. Geared up, and hit the trail...in shorts...wicked :) (any of you short ladies ever notice that the urinals in the port potties are about at eye level....ewwww..and down there, they are full of Banana Spiders too - never changed so fast in my life..)

 The course was a 10 mile loop of half flat fast twisty, rooty singletrack, and half wicked technical rock gardens and quick, very punchy climbs. I was geared 32x19, and I knew this would not be enough to get good speed on the flats, but it made the climbs do-able, so I was happy. The technical stuff so early in the season was an eye opener after spending the better part of this winter either off the bike, indoors, or on snow, and I got my clock cleaned a couple times with wipeouts in the rough stuff - quite a bit 'o blood left behind....A couple times through though, I managed to figure out most of the issues, and was feeling pretty good about the way the race might go - well, technically anyways. Says nothing about my lack of fitness...

Which brings me to race day. I knew I had zero base for this kinda race, and after spending so much time off the bike lately, I had no bidness doing a 12 hr...but my ego took over and I entered the 12 hr. knowing full well there was a 6 hr. catagory I could do with at least a modicum of competitiveness. Bah...ego. Race morning came, and I knew in  my heart I would be doing the 6 Hr...still, I kept myself in the 12 just in case I got hungry. Ha!! Haaaaahaaaaahaaaaaa!! I was so full after just 3 hours that there was no WAY I was gonna do 12...I crashed a couple times, and not small ones either - big, scraping, bleeding ones...and I had mech. issues, and I cramped, and I whined, and I didn't feed properly, and I decided I really wanted to ride the next day on more of the cool trails around...so, at the 6Hr. mark...I called it. Shudda entered the 6...as it was, all cramping, whining, and fatigue had kinda passed by the 5 hour mark, and I was feeling pretty good again - so maybe not a bad idea to call it - and to absorb what that means for my training in the next couple months leading up to our season opening up here in Ontario.
The race itself was awesome - great vibe, and cool people - and definitely no slouches - great bunch of hardcore fasties down there in Florida. And, they offer breakfast AND dinner to all racers, plus prize $$ and HUGE trophies - all for $50 - too cool....highly recommended. Do it if you rare in the neighbourhood next year...and then apparently, head to Lakeland just south, for more great riding :) Next year...for sure...

So, now home again, and back to making da cheese. I know what needs to be done, and it pretty much just involves actually riding my bike, not staring at it in the corner while I eat popcorn and feel angry about my failing body and the snow....April is just a couple months away!!!!!

Need more hours!!

Yikes! Tomorrow AM I leave for FLA and the first race of my 2013 season....and I have absolutely zero time to pack and get ready!! Double shift, dogs to arrange, spin to get spun, and then pack....oh my...
BUT....it will all be totally worth it as I am stoked to see how things are gonna fare down in the warmer weather - at least the bikes are ready to go! :)
Bring it on !

How to remember...

After this weekend, I am starting to wonder if my a$$ can remember what it feels like to sit in the saddle for 12 hrs. straight...only 2 weeks to go until my first race of 2013, and it's gonna hurt - I am certain. That bit in my previous post about how great the running is feeling is fine and all, but it does just about jack for how my seat is gonna feel on a bike for repeated hours. Won't be long until I am hitting hour number 8, yelling "Santos!!" at the top of my lungs as I realize I still have 4 hours to go - but, I digress...the things we do for fun :)
This weekend was perfect for some good training. Got in a couple great trainer sessions, and as I could no longer bear the thought of spinning inside any further, I decided on Sunday to get out for a few good hours in the forest. Palgrave is in perfect shape right now - and spending the early AM watching "Reveal the Path" , and fixing up my bike, I was primed for some trail time...beautiful, sticky, flowy trail time...sigh...:)

Further on in the inspiration framework...Saturday night I went to a really great party at work...yes, at work. How often do you get to say you went to a really great party at your place of employment? Woolwich has been working really hard on a new section of their plant in Orangeville - it has been up and running for a couple months now, and finally it was time to show it off. We had a red carpet, a really great band, awesome food (plus goat cheese of course...:) and boozy drinks!! Hurrah!! It was great to see everyone and show off the new digs - totally top notch. Seeing the tasty offerings at the party put me in the mood for cooking, so Sunday, after the ride and pre-Superbowl, I had a little kitchen time...as it's Heart Health month out and about, Salmon seemed a good choice with all its heart healthy Omega 3's - they say farmed salmon has more Omega 3 than wild...bullocks I say, and I'm NOT gonna fall for that....So, I went for WILD - always, always, always - go for wild. The world will thank you....this is what I put together, and it really worked well...

Almond and Coconut Crusted WILD Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper and Chevre Coulis 

For the crust - blend together in a grinder or processor...1 cup lightly toasted natural almonds, 1/4  cup toasted coconut meat, 2 Tb oatmeal, or millet, 2 tsp. flax seeds, pinch of sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika...set aside 

On the salmon filets - brush each filet with 1/2 tsp- 1 tsp dijon mustard.

Press the flesh (ha!) into the crust mix and press to fully coat. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for 10 mins. - or to desired doneness.

For the coulis - Roast 1-2 large red peppers. Puree in a blender with 2 Tb. red wine vinegar, 2 Tb ex. virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper, 1 tsp honey, 1 clove garlic, and 1-2 oz. soft goats cheese (depending on your creaminess desires...sooooooooooo good....could eat this on anything....:)

Drizzle over, or use as a bed, for the roasted salmon filet - saweet!

Bon Appetit, ya'll...

Finally, I can bathe....

Huzzah!! The water line that has been frozen for 4 days in my place has finally given way! I can bathe again!...well...at home any way. The minus 25 night froze the barn up solidly, but four days of cranking the woodstove, and a day of mere minus 5, has brought life back. Just heard the toilet fill and the ice move - yahoooo! Now, I hope there is no split in the pipes...guess if the wall gives way in a sopping mess, I'll know...

S'pose I'll go ride my bike while I wait and see...:)

2012...in repose...

I don't quite know why I have waited so long to post something...so much has happened in the last few months, but Holy jeebus; what happened to 2012? One crazy, crazy, bizarre and wonderfully horrible year.I decided, during a snowy morning run with Skye, that it was time to do a little reflecting, and a summary; write down my memories so they could be forever in cyberspace for future reference, as my memory is continually drifting away.

A few things I remember....

February riding in the AZ desert - 24 Hrs.in the Old Pueblo

March Hibernation and recovery...

April and Easter at the Coffee House...

May sunshine at the cottage with the Fam...

June out to Banff for the Tour Divide

Many miles along lonely trails...just how I like it :)

July...more recovery at the cottage...awesomeness....

Reality check...

Giant Spiders at Hardwood Hills during the Singletrack Challenge in Oct...

Fall with Skye at the cottage...

and finally, a December shot of a hot dog sleeping on fresh snow...love the tail ;)

There was so much going on in between all of these (poor) photos ( I have made a mental note to get a better camera and use it...) There were many races, and many miles on the bike. I had a major disappointment in the Tour Divide and I know it will eat away at me until I get out there and finish the thing, but unfortunately, (or fortunately?) I have a new job as a Cheesemaker at the Woolwich Dairy (goat cheese), and I am not so sure I can take the time off this year :(

Those who are close to me know that I have also been battling a wicked neurological problem with my arms and hands, and have lost feeling in 7 fingers and my palms - I have spent much time off the bike trying to figure out whats up. I think I'm onto it, but further testing remains; in the meantime, I have opted to try a gluten free, anti-inflammatory approach to my diet - it has been 1.5 months, and the results are awesome - continual improvement - I can ride some; not without pain, but at least I'm on the bike...slowly. On the plus side, my running is doing really well, and I am putting thought into some ultras for this upcoming season.

I haven't put together a plan for the summer yet - O Cups, Solos, Stage Races...oh my?? I do know, I am heading west to do the TR4 in July - my little buddy Rocky is now living in Red Deer, and I think a stage race makes a great backdrop to a wee visit!! I am also gonna do a little trip down to FLA in a couple weeks for the 12 Hours of Santos in Ocala - hope I am up for it! Slow, but steady as it goes...

So, in short, it looks like it's gonna be one more great crazy mess of a season!! I am so looking forward to it, whatever it brings. 

In closing, and in honor of this amazing cold snap (-16 right now...sheesh...) i am posting a cool recipe that I have poached from the Clean Eatz blog - I am heading into the kitchen to make this now, as I am freezing, and feeling sorry for myself - need a pick me up - health be damned...for the moment anyway...;)

Paleo Chocolate Peppermint Almond Butter Fudge

Ingredients

1/3 cup Coconut Oil

2/3 cup Almond Butter

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup sifted Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 3 hours cooling

Directions

In a bowl add Almond Butter, Coconut Oil and Honey. Stir together until creamy

Add sifted Cocoa Powder and stir in until mixed well

Add peppermint extract and stir in

Spread fudge mixture into pan or Silicone Mold

Place pan/mold into freezer and freeze for 3 hours

Cut into squares and enjoy

This needs to stay frozen or refrigerated, if kept frozen the squares will stay separated, if refrigerated it would be best to separate with parchment paper

Hot Cereal for a Cold Morning...

Woke up this morning and it was three below....brrrrrrrrrrrr - I am not yet ready for this. I knew it was coming - now it's here - so...meh...deal with it right...
Knowing it was coming, and knowing that I have a full weekend of fun and games planned, I set about preparing a 3 Seed Porridge for breakfast - I know...you're bored already, but seriously, you gotta know this stuff! Soak and fermented seeds are awesome - excellent fuel pre-busy crazy days....and, as a huge bonus, totally digestible for me! (and you maybe...?) All three are pseudo grains - we treat them like grains, but they are actually seeds - quinoa is even considered a fruit - crazy....as long as they are soaked, fermented or sprouted, and rinsed to remove any anti-nutrients, they are good to go!
So, I called upon The Nourished Kitchen for help with this recipe - she had blogged about it awhile back, and I was anxious to make it. You should too. Gluten Free of course...:-p

three-seed porridge with ginger and blueberries 

1/2 cup buckwheat groats

1/3 cup quinoa

1/2 cup amaranth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons ghee

1 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

1 cinnamon stick

2.5 cups water (or whole milk/cream if you are on that bent)

1 cup mixed berries

soaked almonds as desired

maple syrup or raw honey, to serve

The night before you plan to serve the porridge, coarsely grind buckwheat and quinoa in a hand-crank grain grind or a spice grinder. Transfer the freshly ground buckwheat and quinoa to a mixing bowl and stir in amaranth. Cover with three to four cups hot water and stir in one tablespoon lemon juice. Allow the pseudo-cereals to soak for at least twelve hours. Drain and rinse.

Melt ghee in a medium-sized heavy-bottom saucepan over moderate heat, stir in ginger and fry until fragrant – about three minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in soaked buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth as well as unrefined sea salt and water. Add a cinnamon stick to the pot and simmer, stirring continuously for eight to ten minutes or until the porridge is cooked through and thickened to your liking. Remove cinnamon stick from porridge, fold in blueberries. Sweeten to taste with maple syrup or honey, and serve with  whole milk or heavy cream as it suits you. (Jenny cooks this with whole milk, which I skipped out of preference...do as you will...)


I have some friends down running the Oil Creek 100 in PA today, and I wish them all the best!! (bet they wish they had some porridge!)

And as they are making me feel slouchy, guess I'll go get on with it - have a great weekend folks - keep warm...

Gobble...

So there it is...this year our Thanksgiving feast involved a full program of poultry....

Thanks to my cousin and his wife, the feast was amazing, and I don't think anyone ( of the 17 of us!) went home empty, or sober really, but that's another story...

Here I am preparing the deep fried goodness for the evening. The 16 lb. happily raised, and appropriately thanked for his role in our meal, birdie was brined for 24 hrs. in salt, a bit o' brown sugar, some spices and other yums....then injected with a mix of butter, Worcestershire,  herbs and spices. He sat for an hour or so, then I dried him off, and slowly dropped him into the oil. In 45 minutes, he was golden and delicious....wicked good.

After a chat with their local butcher in Kensington, my cousins decided a Turducken would fit into the mix nicely as well...another 16 lb. poultry fiesta was added to the menu! They had the butcher bone out a turkey, duck, and chicken. Then Erin made 3 stuffings - cornbread, sausage, and wild rice - un-freking-believable! The birds were carefully layered with stuffings, then reformed, and sewn together to create the following....

What you are seeing is the aftermath - it was roasted, and carved like a giant meatloaf, but wings and legs remained intact...wow.so.good.                                  

Needless to say, the next day was a full on poultry coma, but we diligently hopped into the boat and headed down the freezing lake to join more family for lunch - the islands are amazing right now! I couldn't face closing up the cabin, so I have left it open until this coming weekend, just so I can have one more visit. It is really cold out there though, so I guess I'll bite the bullet and git 'er done....
With all the feasting, I had to counter balance the excess with some great fall rides after in Palgrave, Albion, Copeland, and bit n' pieces in between - back on the wagon!! This weekend also brings the Bike Show, and  the Hardwood Singletrack Challenge, and I am feeling it may happen...or may not...it's not looking to peachy in the skies, and I am a big baby in the wet and cold for 50K, so, time will tell!

Soooo not holistic....

It's that time of year again - the closing of the cottage and, this year, the frying of the bird, accompanied by the turducken...there will be feasting! And maybe some wine...and scotch...and of course pumpkin stuff...
As I sit in my cabin, looking out at the cold and wet, I can't help but feel a little sad, as this time of year always means a closing of one season and an opening of another. I am very lucky to be a cyclist, as I am sure we can all attest, this is the best time of year to be riding!! I look forward to fall, but am sad to see the warmth of the summer slip away. Today we have already built 2 fires and have spent a good deal of time moving between the two just to keep warm....but I love it, and it is a good excuse to do things that bring on the cozy....

Yesterday on the way up North, I stopped at Coulson's Hill - never been, always wanted to , now have, ridden...Sweet fast singletrack and amazing leaf color made for a good pre-feast blast for Skye and I - bonus that we were the only ones in there - I think I'll put this on the list of trails to boot around on when in need of a quick fix on the way up 400 :) I love rest season riding and all the laziness it brings - so smooth and ez...and slooowwww...but it feels perfect....

Now if I can just get me arse motivated to hop in the boat and head over to the mainland for a cold n rainy run....well, I guess I'm not made of salt...here goes

Happy Thanksgiving everyone - hope you send off summer in style :)

And then....

Well, I guess the rest of the summer is kinda history. To say things didn't turn out as planned is to say the least. However, there have been some amazing moments!! When I got back from the Tour Divide, I set my sights, goals, and training toward the 24 Solo Worlds - to take place back in Canmore in Sept. I went to work on getting ready, and set aside a lot of other racing in favor of good long training days, and recovery from the hooplah out West. Sadly though, with about 3 weeks to go, and travel plans all set, the World Champs. was cancelled. Yup....cancelled. Rug...out....
Soooooo, I decided too regroup AGAIN, and try for at least 24 hours of racing, even if it was broken up into chunks. Did the Mountainview 9 HR. - can't say enough good stuff about this race! Do it do it do it - next year for sure. Then I hopped over to Pauls Dirty 100 and my first 100 on the singlespeed - always a fun course even if it was 104Km this year :) The rain in the days leading up to it helped - oh gawd, it helped...whew...Then I zipped up to the Epic 8Hr at Hardwood Hills and another awesome day on the trails.
So in the end, the summer ended with a bang, and a lot of fun was had! I am totally looking forward to the fall and the best time of year to be on a bike. I look forward to many rides with friends - including some rides with an old friend who is gearing up for the Arrowhead 135 fat bike race in January - talk about hard core...if I had a fat bike....hmmmmm ;)
Anyhoo - cheers to you my friends - see ya in the woods!

Foto dump-ish and a few words...

So, I have done a pretty piss-poor job of reporting on my Tour Divide experience. It will all come out eventually - at least by the time next year's start arrives and I can try again...

It seems I rarely got a chance to pull out a camera and snapped shots along the route, but there are a couple I can dump here with a brief description of what may have been happening at the time. 

 I got to Canmore a couple days before the start and had a good visit with my family there -- and some great hikes with Thunder - helping me calm some pre-tour jitters. Although this picture is all sunshine and roses, the next day the skies opened up and didn't stop until Banff was deep under water - just in time for the start of the Tour. They were sandbagging the river the day before, and mudslides had closed down several highway sections up to Golden, and down Spray Lakes Road. Luckily by the morning, some mud had cleared, and the start of the Tour was smooth, albeit wet, sailing. We all gathered at the Banff Y at 8 AM, and set off together to the trailhead behind the Banff Springs hotel. It was a mix of emotions as the day had finally arrived, I was on the bike after sooooooooooooo much stress, anxiety and preparation over the past months, I wasn't sure if I was terrified, excited, or elated - maybe all of the above...

These next shots pretty much sum up the first few days on the trail. Very wet and very cold. There was a great amount of snow pack still in the mountains, and with each pass came sections of hike a bike through deep post holey snow - often several miles long. Each climb up the pass would begin with wide trail fading into narrower sections, into muddy sections, then into snow. The scenery was so amazing, and I am sad to not have taken photos, but there are pictures that I keep in my head and call upon often when I need a break away from day to day troubles...

I managed to score extra space in a hotel room one night - a blessing to have a break from the cold and wet, but other nights I was pitched out in my bivy snoring away to the sound of rain fall. I am glad in the end that I went with a 15 deg. F rated sleeping bag! Thought it was overkill, but for several nights, it was definitely needed.

I tried to pull out my snow riding skillz on these trails, but a steep descent and very slushy trail made it pretty impossible. As we got closer to the bottom of each pass, the run-off rivers got bigger and bigger - many, many water crossings - some I fell in, some I made it through - word to those who attempt this next year - come prepared to be wet!! Luckily though, the temps. during the day were pretty tolerable, so I stayed pretty toasty as long as I was moving - and the fear of bear encounters kept me warm too ;) I did almost broadside a large black bear as we were both zipping along intersecting trails unaware of each other until the last second - whew! I don't know who was more freaked out, he or I....gorgeous though...

 Views like this definitely made the climbing worth while!! Just wish the camera were a little better...or the photographer.

 Someone snapped this shot of me in Lincoln, MT after coming down off Huckleberry Pass in a major rain/hail storm - looking pretty fly I'll say....

These last few shots were heading towards Lima, MT on what would prove my last day on the Tour. It was awesome to be riding across the ranch lands with the sage, the mountains, the vast expanse, and the unending trail. So amazing - lots of bald eagles here - lots of time to reflect. I got in close to 150 miles this day before calling it off to go remedy the glitch that would inevitably be my demise. For anyone who has not heard my plight by now, the call ins can be heard on MTB Cast.com - I won't rehash the issue here.

When I finally got back to Ontario, I did a lot of this....

And this...

And this...

Plus a lot of moping, like this....

Until I was finally ready to get back in the saddle...

A vague post of an epic Tour - but truly  even though my journey was only 11 days instead of 23, they were 11 incredibly life changing days, and I will be back to get it done next year...absolutely next year - I am ready now...

aaaannnndddd...go

Day 1 : Banff, Alta. - Elkford, BC (110 mi. / 176 km)
Day 2 : Elkford, BC - Butts Patrol Station Cabin (84.6 mi. / 136 km)
Day 3 : Butts Patrol, BC - Eureka, MT (70 mi. / 112 km)
Day 4 : Eureka, MT - Big Fork, MT (134 mi./ 214.4 km)
Day 5 : Big Fork, MT - Seeley Lake, MT (105 mi./ 168 km)
Day 6 : Seeley Lake, MT - Lincoln, MT ( 65 mi./ 104 km)
Day 7 : Lincoln, MT - Basin, MT ( 102 mi./ 164 km)
Day 8 : Basin, MT - Wise River, MT ( 82 mi./ 132 km)
Day 9 : Wise River, MT - Lima, MT ( 138 mi./ 220 km)
Day 9 Con't : Lima, MT - Dell, MT - Dillon, MT ( 50 mi. under duress...)
Day 10 : off; in Dillon searching for computer)
Day 11 : Dillon, MT - Butte, MT (80 mi.)
Day 12 : Butte, MT - Buffalo, NY - Caledon, ONT

Home Again...or am I ?

And now the real story begins! As I look back on previous posts, I could almost predict this...but the enthusiasm was surely there!!!

I am physically home. Sadly it happened too early, and mentally, my thoughts keep wandering back to the patch of dirt where I turned North instead of South; thoughts of catching a plane and hopping back on course continually cloud my mind...

Funny how I can visualize every rock, bump, sage brush, and blade of grass at that exact spot. Not hard really, as it was pretty sparse where the trail turned - either head over the interstate into Lima, or go left along the access road into Dell, a 'town' I had hoped could offer me a solution to my dilemma. It was 6:00PM or so as I recall...would anyone be around?

The answer came a few miles later, as I found a gas station, a restaurant, and a shut down motel. Period. No big deal, someone could point me in the direction of the nearest bike shop for sure...and they did - it was 50 miles North in a town called Dillon...sigh...

Let me back-track a little here - I am writing you a recap of my days on the Tour Divide 2012 - the most amazing length of trail, and a life changing experience to be sure, as I attempted to ride my way down the great divide towards the Mexican border...but you already know that background, so I'll jump into whatever thoughts and accounts I can give you that will let you in on my experience, and my demise, and what has lead to my vow to get back there next year and finish EFI of this trail.

TBC (I promise!)

TBC...

back at the planning full time - all consumed by TD thoughts and getting really, really excited/nervous!!
Talked with Eric from Revelate Designs today - awesome - and he is doing bags now for the 907 fatbikes that will fit the Misfit frame!! Yahoo to a full frame bag and the ability to carry some extra H2O and stash!! Things are looking up. I have been pouring over the maps lately and doing a lot of research on routes, and barring any unforeseen incidents (which always DO happen...) I might be able to be through in 21 days...
This weekend I will put in some overnight time with the gear, and just ride ride ride. I figure on the Tour, I am going to want to average about 140 miles per day...or something like that, so I am working at getting my mind around a constant spin. I am going to try out some Pearl Izumi X-Alp WRX shoes to keep my toesies warm and dry, and feet happy for hike-a-bike sections through the snow and mud - I think they may be key.
Friday I will make the transition to 1x9 - goodbye SS for a little while - time to get geared up! Wow...it is really gonna happen...

TD Pre-amble number one...

This has been a long time coming, and for a long time, it seemed it wouldn't happen at all...I made a decision, a couple months ago, to put aside dreams of the Tour Divide until next year. It just wasn't looking like I could swing it - gear collecting was proving too pricey, the bike I was planning on riding fell through and was never produced, my body is having many issues that need attention, time off work was seeming a BAD idea, and I would really miss my dog, family, and friends...plus, a mounting fear of grizzlies, mountain lions, scorpions, rattlesnakes,  and drug runners had been snowballing to a near constant distraction. (I have been watching too much Breaking Bad...) Notes on the map to avoid riding at night through the desert due to said drug runners and to, at all costs, camp way away from the highways if needed to avoid a possible run in got me a little spooked. I decided maybe shooting for next year would be a better idea. (ya, cuz maybe the drug war would be over...ha...)
Then, a week after this big and somewhat crushing decision, I took it back. I had been working pretty steady on gathering, planning, preparing for this year, so I set about to do all I could to get closer to the start line.I have now decided that this year it will be. I am going ahead as planned, with a couple modifications.
I had originally hoped to do this ride in 20 days. I have adjusted this to no more than 26...I hope...but anything can happen. Where I was going to shoot for as light and fast as possible, I am now making peace with being a little heavier - light gear is not in the budget for a coffee house worker - the bike modifications, also, will be heavier. I have decided to ride my Misfit AL, with a Reba RL fork, and gearing it 1x9 - singlespeed was an option, but I would like a little more variety for those long mountain climbs, and descents - not feeling totally strong...I may try to put a second ring up front, with manual shift option, so that I have a bigger ring to push across the desert.
Original plans had me riding a carbon, geared  hardtail 29er - but no...and as that frame design would give me ample room for frame bags and storage space, the new ride requires a little thinking outside the box. I am going to go with a half frame bag, and carry a pack - plus seat bag, fuel tank, and bar bag - should be plenty 'o room. I am bringing a lightweight sleeping bag, bivy, and thermarest for camping out under the stars - all should fit in the handlebar bag - plus down jacket, booties, fleece pants and a toque; I should be all set! I have decide on a slightly heavier bivy that totally encloses with netting to keep out snakes looking for a warm place to sleep, and to ward off the mosquitos...
TBC>>>