Just get on the trans Canada trail.  It is very much like the great divide.  Much better where they overlap on the old route near Fernie,  The quads have churned up some of the Kettle Valley, but all in all it is a decent route.

I donated a little money to Justin when he headed into the snow.  I sent some more to help with his medical bills.:

http://gdmbr.justinsimoni.com/the-last-big-push.html

. My finish time will be measured in months, not days. I'm bringing my "B " game and my type B personality for that ride. And my camera. I'm thinking the Great Tourist Divide ride.  

What about 29'er tires?  I seem to see alot of Nano's in there.

I ride it in a similar manner, with my wife, in stages.  Two day stop at home in Fernie to eat and drink some decent wine, play with the dog etc.  We try to spent some time on the route every year.

The Geax Saguaro has been the best tire.  The rear wears a bit to give a sort of continuous central ridge which rolls real fast on the pavement when pumped hard.  It makes a good tough off-road tire at lower pressures and holds up to the rocks of New Mexico well.  A bit too heavy to race on, but a nice reliable cruiser for me.

So, the racers are becoming rock stars, and are uneasy with their loss of anonymity.  Well, at least they don't have to ride through a wall of Italian Tifosi like the grand tours.  Welcome to the world of racing.

Perhaps the website needs a warning:  These riders are loners by nature, fatigued, not always able to see straight, and carry bear spray.  Cheer for them at your own risk.

Why would anyone take drugs for this event?  If you wanted to cheat, it would be easier just to find a friend who's idea of a good time is driving all night at 10 mph.  Of course, it would be worth it---think of the prize money, the endorsements, the podium girls....

I feel Ethan's setup in general is not as well thought out as Kurt's and Jefe's. Which could be a big disadvantage. No Areobars, heavier tires, backpack, etc. In contrast, there were few things i would change to Kurt's setup, and those are minor. He's even got a cuban fiber seatbag! Very well thought out.

What?  An ACA guy who doesn't feel a BOB is essential?

The gear development is one of the real contributions this race has brought to our sport.  It'd be nice to see a recap of what the top ten or so finish with, to get an idea of what really works.

Ethan just had breakfast, he spent the night in the old PO.

We went out looking for him at daybreak, cold and snowing, ice in the dog bowl.

I hope everyone takes note of the special care some of the local businesses give the riders.  We rode through Como last year and splurged on a room and prime rib dinner.  One of the best stops of the entire Great Divide.  The dog is particularly interested in hearing your stories.

Any idea, which kind of problem the leading group is dealing with at the moment?

Edit: Seems as if the Little Rock Creek is impassable...

Looks like they all went up to the creek, and turned back to the 134 detour.  Strange, because Paul callled that in on his NOBO route, and they saw him yesterday.

As if we haven't already seen how tough Paul Attalla is, check out this bit of background:
http://www.solotheatlantic.com/about_paul_attalla.php

He rowed across the Atlantic, solo, 5500 km in 76 days, to finish second in that race.

save the Canadian Flathead, but that improvement HAD to be made in the name of long term route quality.

Good job with the Flathead reroute.  When I lived it Fernie I was embarassed that the part of the course by my house wasn't up to the standards of the rest of the route.

Good to see the Fernie boy leading NOBO by a full Indiana Pass!  He's now into the best piece of real mountain biking on the Colorado leg.

This race is still in its early days. It is much like the Tour De France was in the early 1900s.

And the Tour de France still does not have any sort of recognized "record time".  Some people note the average speed, but it is all irrelevant from year to year.  Time gaps are all that are recorded.

Thanks for that link! I donated too because I wanted to buy him a drink or snack, too! Looking forward to following his journey - so admirable. 

Same here, bought the guy a dinner.  He deserves something for the show he's giving us.

Is CW on a road bike or something?  He seems to stick to the pavement.

... he has to ride (or walk) 45-50 more miles and 2 passes (Cabin and Galton >6000ft) to reach Rooseville. Will be hard for him. Good luck, Justin!!

A shame the old border crossing on the Flathead isn't open. Seems some people still use it. I used to live in Fernie, right on the course, and was embarassed how bad the Sparwood-Fernie ride was.  The new route is better, but a bit contrived and rugged, just to get to the official border crossing.  It would be nice if you could go to Roosville and register for a permit or something.
Anyway, go Justin!

I'm not sure I'd call the TD a "small" event. It may have a relatively small field, but it's no minor undertaking. The fact that most people require a month of work and are flying in to the start, it's far more problematic to reschedule than a one-day event like the Birkie, where the majority of the participants live within driving distance....

Actually, for that Birke I got a call just before I got on the plane from Colorado.  Skiers come from all over the world for that, and they rescheduled it.

There's tough, and there's  inflexibility.  Just sayin'.

Anyway, I'm not racing, I'll just be watching it, so have a good hike, ITT or whatever you get into.

OK, have at it guys!  When you're ass deep in snow, hauling a bike, don't bother to ask "wouldn't this be more fun in July?"

Of course, as someone pointed out, I was turned back two Julys in a row for forest fires.  Good luck out there.

Dang, isn't there some way to just postpone this thing 2-4 weeks.  I'm sure it would wreck many people's schedule, but then, if they came expecting a bike race and find it is actually a massive snow hike, it is half wrecked already.

The first Birkebeiner I skied was rained out.  It was before internet, and they still informed 6000 people on a two day notice.  They ran it two weeks later and 4,000 of us still made it.  A small, agile event like this ought to be able to do as well.

Speaking of XC skiing, I skated yesterday here in Oregon on a seven foot base, with 3 inches of fresh, in a blizzard.  Sure glad I wasn't trying to bike in June.

My Garmin Dakota  with the handlebar mount is the only thing I use now.  Day rides in France, long trips, it is worth finding or making a tracklog, then you can just ride without messing with maps or trail markers.

The topofusion track I loaded for last summer's Colorado -New Mexico ride was spot on, and much more detailed than the Adventure cycling track.

Jefe:  To paraphrase Driving Miss Daisy "I've taught some of the stupidest people to use tracklogs"  Actually they were all pretty smart, and I'm sure you are too.  They all learned the basics of Mapsource and Google earth quickly, and it is time well spent.

FREE topo maps for the entire route can be found at:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

Along with some good tutorials.

Get the Canyonlands map and check out the roads starting at Newspaper Rock.  I've done a three day loop to the south, starting on the trail towards the confluence, as well as a trip to Moab from there.

Looks like the best time to do it.  I've done that trail on a multiday trip without 4wd support, as well as a one day ride.  Great to see the tour groups sidelined.