And the report on the final section is up now, too:
http://rolandsturm.blogspot.com/

First part of my report and pictures for SC 400 up here:
http://rolandsturm.blogspot.com/2013/05/april-2013-stagecoach-400-bikepacking.html

I like this one and use it for all tours with one of my two Fenix lights (and with the original Diablo for local evening/night rides).
http://www.exposurelights.com/product/000040/helmet-bracket/
The diameter is fixed, so it only fits a few lights aside from the original, but all the ones I need. Pivots easily with one hand, but stays firm whereever you point it.

For me, the key is to get out of the desert quickly. It was already getting hot when I left the RV park (I had hoped to be out of the desert by then). Another hour or two later and I would have had to do a layover in Julian or the campground past Noble myself.

The last words I heard from Norb DeKerchove were "really toasty here" as we started Oriflamme. Norb is a strong rider, seemed to handle to first day much better than me, but maybe he just had been hanging out too long with the quitting crowd at the RV park (who had startedbreaking out the booze already), so another 3 hours (2 of them climbing with full sun) before reasonable temperatures and nice riding were discouraging. All of a sudden, he was gone.

The conditions this year were much harder than last year: Fish Creek was almost completely rideable last year (except, of course, the climb-a-bike section) and that seems to be more typical. Unfortunately, this year was mostly unrideable - deep sand.  Last year was warm, 80s, this year was hot, upper 90s in Ocotillo Wells. SC 400 is a brilliant route, but suffering caused by the conditions on day 1 may have been a bit too much this year.

So while some course changes (Indian Creek instead of Noble Canyon; 7 miles of pavement instead of Kane Springs Rd; no reservation hike-a-bike) by themselves might  have cut times by something like 2 hours, the deep sand in Fish Creek wash and heat made easily up for this. I spent less time resting/sleeping, and yet was several hours slower. I think the same is true for Tracey Petervary who both years finished just in front of me. So the top 3 riders did simply an incredible job as all 3 shaved hours off Jay's time last year.

Want to race like Eddie O'Dea? Maybe try his unplanned training approach: He forgot his money at the last bikepacking race,  the Huracan 300 last month, and had to run the whole event just on powder he had in his bag. Still rode it to a new record in under 24 hours together with 2 other guys. 300 miles without food must be quite the suffer fest. But unusual training or not, hitting such a time on a complicated course that he didn't know is even more astonishing - especially with the top notch competition in JayP and Guy Sutton.

Now on to spectating after finishing my ride. My chain broke just as I was getting to Cowbell Alley, so almost perfect timing. So I just rolled down chainless to town and pushed the last few meters on the highway rather than trying to fix it.

But even though I was only the 11th rider back in Idyllwild, seems like there aren't that many survivors on the road, just two....

And Gerry Lattimer just made a wrong turn as I am watching, in fact, same place I missed yesterday myself. I figured out that I was wrong quickly, but Gerry and Ted keep going longer. Very easy to make the mistake as the actual trail is much less visible than continuing downhill on the wrong one. I drew an arrow in the sand for the actual turn and also made a stick arrow yesterday, but I guess they didn't see it and went down.

Does that mean you're missing the Julian Death March?

Injuries on the trail may not be terribly common, but after an annoyingly injury-plagued year I wonder what the most likely issues are, how you got yourself of the trail, and the follow-up sequel. Acute injuries, rather than aches and pains and mental burnout.

At this point, I would guess that clavicle fractures are the most common problem (maybe because I have broken them on both sides and Sean Allen just posted a picture that looks to me like new plate and screws). But maybe not? So what did you encounter? How did you get out of it? How long before you were back on the trail?

My 2012 trail injuries include broken ribs and a punctured lung (on the Colorado Trail) and a broken collarbone plus shoulder separation (on my home loop). Details here:
http://rolandsturm.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-year-with-too-many-injuries.html

So far, I've always gotten myself off the trail (I believe if you get yourself into trouble, your responsibility to get yourself out of it if at all possible). Maybe I was just lucky to not have anything worse happening (broken femur anybody?). What did you do? Getting myself out of the pickle never was fun and sometimes took a while. In Colorado, it took me most of a day to get off the Colorado trail. Both of my collarbones blew up near the top and had a long descent off the mountain.

Regarding clavicle fractures, how did you deal with those? The last one was surgery 3 months ago, then second surgery for hardware removal 2 weeks ago. While I've been riding a bit most of the time (4 hours yesterday), I am extremely hesitant at this moment. I've been a solo rider, but at the moment feel ambivalent about it.

Nice modern kitchen, I think our house needs some updating...

Was there anything else? Oh, yes, much nicer sling than you get at the UCLA hospital - cheapo $2 one that doesn't stay in place and twists. Useless to keep the arm in place, but now I have 2 already after getting screws and plate out last week. Maybe we should start a topic on another thread.

Tracker is moving, after a multiple hour break in Warner Springs. I didn't think there was anything in WS to stop for (except maybe bad water at the closed gas station, although even that may no longer work). Or did something open up again?

Mmh, no update for a couple of hours with the last point at Warner Springs. Did they bail so close to the end?

Looks like Mark answered his original question himself with a yes, even with temps below average. According to the tracker, they are getting to Warner Springs soon where average December high temp is probably around 60 - and it is in the mid-40s now. So a chilly ride - although I'd much rather be out in this weather than the more typical desert temps for most of the year! As a desert dweller, Mark probably disagrees, especially when the last few miles into Idyllwild will get close to freezing.    

If I find one of these for a good price, I may get a triple up front, and a second in back, and make my single speed MTB into a 3 speed. single speed MTB's are not fun to ride 10 miles on pavement to the trail.

So now you'd be willing to essentially have a derailleur in the back, except still no gears? Seems like a lot of work and effort to go through for not having easily usable gears.

Turning the limit screws on an old derailleur all the way in may actually achieve the same purpose (i.e. can't shift) as the piece of gear you are looking at - and cheaper. However, something I only do when the shift cable snaps and I don't have gears.

Brendan's tracker is here, last night they stayed in San Diego. They are using more roads than the spring route (e.g. skipped Fishcreek on the first day).  

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0c0TtsnqymspbMGZQltvE1eqeP7FqFXW1

With my broken collarbone (and surgery a few weeks ago), I'm not riding anywhere interesting these days (although I bike to work again), so I just watch trackers.... But gives me time to write up trips earlier in the year. Stagecoach summary is here: http://rolandsturm.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Not as many pics and a shorter write-up on my experience here:
http://rolandsturm.blogspot.com/2012/10/coconino-bikepacking.html

Took a while, but I finally posted my ride summary and pictures of this year's Stagecoach 400:

http://rolandsturm.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

I'm new to the 29er world. In fact I have a new Rocky Mountain Altitude 970 arriving Friday.
What is the reason to use a 26" tube in a 29" wheel? Weight savings?

For me: it fits in a small saddle bag and a 29er tube doesn't. Really just carried for emergencies on short rides, not for overnight or multi-day trips with more luggage.

one was a stick/branch; the next was on a drop, but I'm not heavy nor a particularly technical rider, so it may just have been a wheel getting tired rather than anything particularly hard. The last was a bit mysterious, damaged 3 spokes on the Coconino last week while riding on an unremarkable double track talking to Mark Allen, 2 broke off completely. Fairly new wheel (<1000 miles), too. I suspected derailleur, but Mark didn't think so, maybe kicked up a rock and it wedged between frame and wheel. Lots of rocks on that trail getting kicked up, at one point one landed in my lap!

These were on 3 different wheels as well, but it means that about half my mountain flats in the last 3 years were due to spokes breaking (and the rest were slashed side walls on Nanos). Dozens and maybe even hundreds of thorns, glass shards, even a couple of cuts that may have been rocks, all of them sealed quickly. With tubes (and maybe with a more solid rim strip than yellow tape on tubeless), breaking a spoke may not automatically result in a flat, so here is something left to explore. Although I'd prefer just not breaking any more spokes (although rather spokes than bones, unfortunately yesterday's ride left the bike fine, but my collarbone in 3 big pieces and 2 splinters).

I've had problems with Kenda Small Block 8, first in getting it to seal (I don't have a compressor), second - and more worryingly - that it blew off the wheel (Arch 29er) at about 35 pounds. 

Tires that worked well have been Nano (but sidewall slashes), Saguaro (although a bit harder to inflate), Hutchinson Toro tubeless ready, Conti X-King. Only Nano have caused me flats on the trail due to sidewall cuts so far.

Tubeless, regardless of sealant choice, seems to work reliable - unless something else goes wrong. In my case, broken spokes. If you have a thick rim strip, it may be ok. However, the Stan's yellow tape splits immediately if you break a spoke and then the tubeless setup is over for the ride (unless you find a way to make the rim airtight again on the trail, duct or electrical tape doesn't hold with all the goo). So I put in a tube.

29er Arch tubeless with Stans. Almost flat free in well over 10,000 off pavement miles (in CA, OR, WA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, CO, WY, MT), except when spokes break (3 times). Then immediate flat as the yellow tape splits. I have a 26 tube (for 29 tires) on short multi-hour rides as an emergency. For multi-day rides, 2 29er tubes at least. 26er stretch too thin, so are only good for short emergencies, just to finish a brief ride.

On the Coconino, i.e. AZ singletrack, after breaking spokes and losing my tubeless setup on day 3, even 2 29er tubes only got me through the end of the 3rd day despite dethorning the tire. So it depends on where you ride, single-track in Arizona and maybe other desert areas (there are some prickly ones in CA as well) seem to call for multiple sealant filled tubes as a backup. In areas without endemic goatheads/puncture vines, 2 standard 29er tubes would seem a safe backup. But standard tubeless setup with probably any sealant (as long as it is freshly refilled) can deal with prickly areas and will seal dozens of thorns.