On track leaders - 30 people racing across florida through the night:
http://trackleaders.com/cfitt
even includes a ferry crossing:
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/fort-gates-ferry-still-crossing-the-st-johns-river/1029732

Stay tuned right here for more info!

There is also a bikepacking group in NH that is working on a bikepacking route in NH.    Maybe we can link up!

Thanks Mike!   Do you know any bikepackers that aren't on here? 
There are also a few Vermonters on here that I haven't met yet - do you know willapajames?
I have made contact with:
moosevt
jayvt29
laps
Fat hairy

and I thought there was someone in Stowe?

Smaller than the Vermont randonneuring crowd... with surprisingly little crossover.
-yet!

Calling all bikepackers in Vermont.  Time to make yourself known.   The Vermont Mountain Bike Association has a new chapter:  Vermont Bikepackers.   And we have a new long distance bikepacking trail:  420 miles from the Massachusetts border to Quebec border.  ( insert trail name suggestion with your reply.)  We are hoping to map and get access to 1,000 miles of dirt bikepacking trail and roads that links all the best single track in the state.   In the meantime the border to border section has been mapped and biked and it is epic! * It still needs polishing and is still open to suggestions... but for now it is a little bit of everything Vermont has got.   VMBA plays a critical role in communicating and negotiating with all the trail managers - private, local, state, federal, and clubs/ VMBA chapters along the way.  I am hoping all you bikepacking.net readers who live around here can support the cause.  And for now that support just means making your presence known.  PM if you are shy or are a lurker.   Give a heads up to anyone you might know might be interested.

Thanks,

David Tremblay
Moretown, Vermont






*(my apologies to specialized)

Down East Sunrise Trail info:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=115470853280679784165.000495d8d9b7efa60e71f&ll=44.6413,-67.815857&spn=0.977123,1.650696&z=9&source=embed

http://www.sunrisetrail.org/


Let's hear a bikepacking review from someone who has been there!

Wow!  I just checked out the Down East Sunrise Trail - it covers some beautiful ground.  It may work into my ever on-going quest to reach Newfoundland from Vermont.  Should be able to link the DEST to the Fundy Trail when that gets built. 

On the other hand I hate riding in Maine because when you have to go on a road ( and you always do) there is zero shoulder.   I find the drivers to be more tolerant and polite to cyclists - they won't kill youin order to pass you on a blind curve... but I don't want to become another Stephen King statistic.

Oh - and if anyone is wondering.... all those semi-private roads in that HUGE chunk of northern Maine - are off limits to cyclists.  However - you can have a similar experience just about anywhere in New Brunswick.  A huge provence with tons of logging roads and ATV trails and mosquitos. 

Papa Tac -  I'd love to see some .gpx of Newfoundland ... or some suggested routes out of Port aux Basques.    It sounds like it is worth the ferry trip!  I've only heard from friends who have done motorcycle trips ... tales of great beauty and services few and far between!

Also if anyone on here has the .gpx of the Cape Breton Across the Highland Challenge route... I've been itching to explore that ... but my vacation never seems to align with the event.

No Canadians representing Atlantic Canada?

I'm planning another big New Brunswick ride....

Anyone?

Quelqu'un?

This route has yet to be biked in one shot so the first rides will be shakedown rides.  I invite all of you to give it a go.  THere are some issues that go with mountain biking in Vermont: ie, there are many trails that are ok to ride, but not ok to talk about.  I am hestitant to throw out a gpx of trails that local maintainers purposely do not make public (ie Stowe and MRV and even Perry Hill has no public map) Nor have I received permission to run this through the Kingdom Trail system. (but have a green light on using the Circumburke trail) There are also a couple of holes in this route that I am confident will be patched when VMBA adopts this idea.  I am not sure who has taken Patrick Kell's place but it seems people either "get" this sport or they don't.  So far I haven't found anyone at VMBA to glam onto the idea.  The other option is to come up with $200 and start a VMBA bikepacking chapter.  Ultimately that'll be the best move... might help us get through the pay-to-ride areas as well.  We need VMBA to patch a critical hole in the GMNF that follows a VAST trail (read- someone drives a bulldozer down it once a year for trail maintenance) but is closed to mt bikes unless posted otherwise.  The other section we need VMBAs help with is Cottton Brook - which I know has a design in place for a bike trail to Little River. Right now it is 100% rideable but also 100% illegal. Fortunately the road detour will work.  I have no idea what is taking the Lamoille Valley rail trail so long to open up - but I believe it will happen.  Some of that is now rideable - I am leaving it in for now - just have to pop out on rt 15 in a few places.  There are two sections in the NE Kingdom which fall under ok to ride but not ok to talk about.  Both are private land but used by the public.  One is absolutely EPIC - makes Richmond Peak on tour divide look like a walk in the park... NEk is so remote.  (this is the section that makes the whole route run south to north)  Tough to route around Conte Nat. Wildlife reserve and timber lands off limits to bikes but there really should be enough room for everyone up there.  Also not sure of what people think of going through Canada - requires one to lug their passport the entire ride!

I have the entire gpx route but I think I need to edit out the above mentioned sections.. probably no more than 5%.  I will post it up here and see what you think. The single track and private gpx I will have to come up with a plan until permission is in place. (but hard to get permission when the Route is just an idea.)  PM me and tell me who you are and I can probably send it to you.

There are a few sections I have not biked.  I have not done Harriman or the 30 miles of southern GMNF road.  There are a few options in this section anyone who knows them should chime in.  I have not done the LV rail trail - not sure if I want to.. and there is one road in Walden and another in Wheelock I have not ground truthed - but still confident.  I have done only a small portion of the NEK section north of Kingdom Trails - it is just too epic! 

I am looking at last week of August to do some one and two day rides then September 6 - 10 (depending on weather) to ride the who thing.  I am not sure if this is an 80 mile/day route or a 120/ mile a day route.  Maybe even 60/ day!  I rode from Mad River Valley to Morrisville and it took 8 hours!  May have a few more dates open in September ... but you know how trails get in Vermont when leaves are on the ground.

THe design of this route is based on getting across the state on dirt - staying away from cars as much as possible and connecting as much single track as possible.  This is the intial phase, hoping that one day we can connect all the VMBA club single track by dirt roads and trails.  I used the TNGA as a model as well as a bit of the Great Divide Route.  Anyone who has done either will see the signature of Dave Muse or Mike McCoy I hope.

This route starts on the Mass border on Lone Pine Rd - rides up around Hariman Reservoir then next 30 miles is all GMNF roads.  Once at Bromley there are new legal trails to the northern end of the southern section of the GMNF.  I rode on half of them and it is a beautiful place.  The route then crosses to the northern section of the GMNF via class 4 dirt roads and legal trails through Hortonville, Plymouth 5 Corners, Notown and ends up above the green Mt Trail system in Pittsfield.  THis brings you to Aimee Farm where you cross VT100 and climb the historic first legal Fed Mtn Bike trail in Vermont - the Contest Trail.  in Rochester, climb Brandon Gap to Forestdale.  Your choice of Leicester Hollow or the new Mososalmoo trail ..but I am thinking go with the later.  More new trails in the Moosalamoo / Romance Mt / Widows Clearing come out on Middlebury Gap.  Pick up Natural Turnpike all the way to Lincoln Gap.  THis brings you to Mad River single track 180 miles - halfway point at Stark Mt Bike shop. - Cobb Hill - Perry hill single track (Cotton brook trail waiting to be built) Stowe single track  Mud City Cady's Falls.  rail trail to Hardwick.  Class 4 roads to Lyndonville - E Burke - Kingdom trails (need a trail pass) then some serious Northeast Kingdom logging rds - very remote.  cross into Quebec in Norton Vermont and then loop back to Newport on the Tomiphobia Trail.

Suggestions? Comments?  Who wants to go for a ride?

Deer season starts October 22 ( a Monday?) 

I am thinking of an October ITT...  or maybe a winter one.

I see that Tony Cervati has started an ITT. For those who don't know, Tony attempted the TD last year but had to abandon on the first day when he encountered a bear and fell into the Spray River and nearly drowned.

http://type1rider.blogspot.fr/2011/06/statement-from-tony-cervati-statement.html

Tony is also a Type 1 diabetic, so along with Jarral Ryter that makes him the second rider this year with this condition.

Go Tony!   

Tony made it to the US border in two days!   And now he is in Boston with a broken ankle?  What happened?  He was flying!

 

Even Vermont has ticks now... and of course we have black bears in case you haven't heard: http://www.wcax.com/story/17409406/gov-shumlin-chased-by-bears-in-backyard 

I did see three rattlesnakes on the trail!  And the day before the race someone had been bit by a copperhead!

But the poison ivy... it kinda blends in with the Kudzu.  One of the racers who had done a pre-ride of the TNGa was sporting some nice P.I. racing stripes on her arms!

In the end it was the heat that got me.  I am just not acclimated to that kind of heat and humidity. I would really like to do this race another time of year- if I can find a hunting season friendly window.  I'd love to hear local knowledge on other times to ride the TNGA...

Eric - what raft is that with the fat bike on it?

No!  It wasn't me... who else is there?  Wil?  George La.?

Time for a Vermont roll call!  Vermont Bikepackers speak up!

I got the 500 mile Massachusetts  to Quebec - Vermont Bikepacking route all mapped...

Looking at September 7-10 as the inchoate first ride.

Looking for riders, racers, constructive criticism, suggestions, ideas - all welcome.

[MTBCAST: TD12 - Serge Chiasson called in with a final call:]

Calls: Serge Chiasson called in to recap his finish!

Joe Polk... I don't know how you were able to transcribe all MTBCast calls back in the day!  I thought I'd give it a try with Serge Chiasson's final call.  He did a great job illustrating what makes the Tour Divide so special and I appreciated his appreciation of the 2010 TD'ers.



MTBCAST: TD12 - Serge Chiasson called in with a final call:

Hello everyone, this is Serge phoning, this will be my final call.  I’m just calling for thank-you’s and acknowledgements and final thoughts about the route. 

It seems like such a long time ago I was sitting on the start line in Banff with tears in my eyes happy to finally begin the adventure of a life time. It was an incredibly tough ride, I have much respect for riders who take longer to do it, it is probably a lot harder to go slower than fast, spending more days and nights out there.
Everyone who had to scratch, be proud of yourselves for taking on the challenge.  The true life changing event of the Tour happens when we decide to commit to this huge adventure where failure is a greater possibility than success.  Not many people in the world would take on a risk like that.

Thank you Matthew Lee and TrackLeaders and everyone involved for making this happen. This might be the greatest sporting event in the world and it certainly is the most beautiful bike race in the world.  Participating in this was a dream come true. Henry Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France would  love this race; except he would have crowned Dave Nice champion because he is the only one using a fixed gear.  Big thank you to my family and friends and the community of Ferne. Ferne is mountain bike heaven where everyone understood the need to take on such an adventure.  I received a lot of kind and overwhelming gestures of encouragement before I left and it really was a big push in the back. I realize in those last few miles to the border that most of you believe in me more than I did myself.  And this really means a lot to me. I would not be the cyclist or the person that I am if I were not surrounded by all of you.

Special thanks to Paul Attalla I would never have made it to Banff with out you.    Straight Line Bicycle and Ski, my bike worked perfectly the whole time.

And I am sure it has been mentioned a lot by other riders, but the one key ingredient required to complete this ride is definitely the kindness that is found everywhere on this route.  It’s absolutely overwhelming. It’s everywhere and this ride would not be possible without it.    This is a ride through the heart of America and it is beautiful and its people are beautiful.

Finally, my heart goes out to all the riders in the 2010 Tour Divide.  I thought of Dave (Blumenthal) a lot out there.  I can only imagine how hard it must have been to keep riding; it was very courageous, and I am sure that is what Dave would have wanted. 

This is Serge … signing out for the final time from the 2012 Tour Divide. …what a ride… thanks everyone. Bye.

Stephen Huddle should be starting any moment now!  This will be his 4th TD.  Go Stephen! 

What a great race this year with a 100% open course plus the new sections.  Exciting with so many racers to watch... keep the photos, info, and analysis coming!   

I am thinking I'm going to have to do it again... maybe in the >50 category - seems like a fast age to race!  Dave Goldberg (TD class of '10) is ripping it up this year.  Go Dave!

http://tctrail.ca/explore-the-trail/

Canadians are planning on finishing the Trans Canada Trail in time for their 150th Confederation Anniversary.

~10,000 km / 6,000 miles?

Anyone interested in a gentleman's agreement on who can ride from Victoria to St. John's the fastest?

July 1, 2017,  8:00am sharp at Clover Point Park, Victoria, British Columbia.

The TNGA is a great route and the race is a really fun time.  (although I only did half because of Tropical Depression Lee)  Dave and the Mulberry Gap folks are wonderful.  It is for sure a mountain bike route.  A perfect mix of roads, trails, and single track.  Southern Appalachians are very similar to where I ride in Vermont - yet I was surprised by a few things: 
1.The mountains are higher!  Many of the passes are > 3,000 ft.
2. In the first 11o miles the trail crosses the Appalachian Trail 5 times!  There are several other gap climbs as well and each time you are dropping > 1,000 ft back down to the valley floor... a lot of climbing!   
3. Poison Ivy - it grows really well here and is hard to avoid riding and camping.
4. heat - this was a major suffer factor for me.  I'd like to complete this route someday - preferably not in the summer but apparently Georgia's long deer/ hunting  season is a limiting factor... which I didn't really believe until I saw
5. the number of people out enjoying nature.  When people say all Americans do is sit around and watch tv - they weren't talking about Georgians!  I have never seen so many people fishing along one section of a brook. - 2011 TNGA was run on Labor Day weekend so that added traffic - especially up the paved Hog Pen Gap (3400 ft) from Helen (1400FT). 

I rode my rigid Tour Divide bike with a 2x9 gars instead of the 8spd Alfine.  Next time I would probably add a front suspension.

I am also looking forward to a family trip to Mulberry Gap just to kick back and ride and eat.  If you are considering racing TNGA one day I highly recommend a visit to Mulberry Gap as a shake down ride.

Eszter is approaching the Canon Plaza snack shack... should make for good call-in material.  It's possible she could clean the whole place out.