So I was returning for my third Tour Divide, and once again, I was super excited, I felt I was in the best shape ever going into an Ultra race. Months of consistent training went well and now I was back in Canada to propel myself and my bike through the USA to the Mexican border.

 

After a long and sleepless 30-hour journey from Christchurch, New Zealand to Calgary, bike and body checked into a downtown hotel for a much-needed sleep. The next day I was on a bus to Jasper, with my bike still in the box. We were on the Icefields Parkway, a stunning route through Majestic mountains, massive glaciers and gorgeous river valleys. I planned to cycle back to Canmore on this road. I checked into a Hostel in Jasper for 2 nights, put my bike together and got out to explore a bit. For some reason I was struggling to sleep in the hostel dormitory, it was not particularly noisy, and I could ‘n’t settle into a deep sleep on both nights.

 

 

I departed Jasper at about 5.30 am, the roads were super quiet and the scenery was becoming more spectacular with every kilometre. I was riding through a postcard, it was stunning. I spotted a Black Bear alongside the road as well as countless other wild animals.

After 300kms of amazing road riding I was in Canmore, my base for the next 5 nights before the Grand Depart. Upon checking in, I noticed a slight irritation in my Tonsils. Not thinking too much on this, I was ready for bed. The next morning, I felt like absolute shit, both my tonsils were very swollen and sore, I had a headache, my body ached and my whole head felt stuffed and blocked. What the Fuck?

Monday and Tuesday were a write-off,, I had zero energy, and I was in bed most of the time. I did have to walk 800 meters to the shop to get water, that was even a struggle. Here I was laid up in bed just days before the start of the Tour Divide, I had to direct my thoughts from going down the tube. With time, I simply had to surrender and accept what was happening, this was a tremendously humbling experience. I had to drop expectations that I had formed, consciously or subconsciously, and completely let go and just be. I faced the simple truth that I may not be able to start the race, but I was not closing the door on the possibility of starting either. Support and empowering conversations with my wife, Mary Jo back in New Zealand helped with perspective.

I knew resisting  what is and feeling sorry for myself would not be helpful at all and would make healing slower.

For two days I could not eat at all, I drank warm lemon ginger drinks and focused on healing myself. On Wednesday I was slowly starting to feel better, but it was Thursday before I had the energy to go out into Canmore town. I had to make a decision today, and the decision was to start. As the Grand depart was the next day, I now had a list of things to do that afternoon.

I had considered taking a few extra days of recovery and then starting an individual Time trail, this however did not resonate with me, I wanted to start with everyone else and I was grateful that I felt ready to after a very challenging and humbling week.

Finally, onto the race…..

GRAND DEPART  9TH JUNE 2023  – BANFF  TO  FERNIE

At 5 am outside my accommodation, I met Steve O Shaughnessy, host of  My Back40 podcast and we rode together the 20-odd kms to Banff, we grabbed a coffee, and Steve proceeded to pull out his microphone for some impromptu chats with riders for an upcoming podcast. I caught up with a few familiar faces, Crazy Larry had done his unique unofficial race briefing and I was off, unleashed into the wild.  I was feeling far from 100% but I was happy to be there, right now riding my bike amongst breathtaking scenery and fresh mountain air. Natures medicine.

I chatted with a few riders on Day one, including Kiwi Joe Nation and Ezra Ward Packard, Joe’s first attempt and Ezra back for a second attempt. Dark clouds had been forming with intermittent rain and the heavens eventually spilled open as I went up and over the tough Hike a bike on Koko Claims. Riding through a stream on the other side, my front wheel hit a rock and I fell fully into the cold water, far from ideal, I pushed on. The rain was persistent and heavy to Fernie, a decision to get a motel was easy and an opportunity to dry out and get warm with 250kms in my muddy and tired legs. Some riders pushed on and a lot more stayed in Fernie on the first night.             

FERNIE TO WHITEFISH

Well, this turned out to be a massive day. I caught and passed riders in the early hours under overcast skies, I went over Cabin and Galton passes without incident and soon I was through the border and into Montana, USA. A substantial resupply in Eureka propelled me onwards and ready for the climbing that lay ahead on the route to Whitefish. A couple of hours out of Eureka I came upon a few riders stopped before me, I soon realised there was a Grizzly bear just ahead. The Bear was more interested in digging for food than us, a couple of times the big Bear walked towards us, and we backed off, eventually after 15 minutes or more the bear wandered down the steep side of the road and we could all pass safely. It was an opportunity to meet and get to know a few more riders and we rode on and off together for the next few hours.

After the long climb up to Red Meadow Lake, a couple of riders decided to stop and camp, it was after 11 pm and I continued on the long drag to Whitefish Lake, I started looking for suitable places to camp, without success and soon I was in the outskirts of town, it was after 1 am as I pulled into an area of small shops and rolled out my mat under a roof outside a shopfront for a few hours sleep.

 WHITEFISH TO SEELEY LAKE

Another early start, it was a nice fresh morning, mostly easy riding for the first few hours on quiet roads. I passed through Columbia Falls and onto the cafe at Echo Falls for a very welcome breakfast. Lots of ups and downs for the next hours and I was not feeling super good, I was coughing up phlegm and feeling the fatigue from yesterday’s huge effort.

As I slowly proceeded I realised that I would have to reign in my efforts and manage this sensibly or else there was potential to blow up spectacularly. And that is what I did for the upcoming days, I eased up so as not to blow up.

As I was nearly out of food, I went off route 2km to the Hungry Bear restaurant, close to Holland Lake for great food and sandwiches to go. I had stopped here also in 2017 but not in 2019.  Onwards to Richmond Peak the rain started, gradually getting heavier as I went over the top. Full rain gear was on well before I reached the summit. There was little snow up there this year, instead, I was pedalling on the singletrack at speed in now torrential rain splashing through puddles on a mission to get off the mountain. I was feeling cold after the long descent, Ovando had been a target, but instead, I decided to go off route to Seeley Lake with the hope of getting a warm feed and a room.

The rain continued to pound down, and the roads were muddy and sluggish as I arrived at Seeley Lake township, a place I’d never been before and knew nothing about, one motel I spotted was closed, so I continued into town, it was completely dead, did anyone live here. I did not see any other accommodation options, nor restaurants, it was after 9pm and there was nobody about. It felt eerie, as the darkness fell, and the rain got heavier. I felt more alone and isolated in this urban emptiness than I do when I’m traversing high mountains or following remote river valleys.

I rode through town and found a service station open, I shivered and dripped as I tried to gather my thoughts and buy food. On asking the attendant about possible accommodation in town, I got a blank response, he had no clue, and the walls of the store seemed to be his limits. I started riding back and spotted a post office, I went inside, it was warm, I changed out of my wet gear, ate food and prepared to sleep. During the night two people had come and gone at different times, presumably to collect mail, in the wee hours.  One of them was talking and singing to themselves and the other saw me and simply said ” Tour Divide” in a knowing manner. I opened my eyes but could barely see against the blinding lights, I simply responded, ‘ Yeah, Tour Divide” and went back to sleep.  Again I arose early and gingerly and spotted a group of riders sleeping in a shelter as I quietly rode out of town.

 

  SEELEY LAKE TO  PICNIC AREA 20ish KMS before Butte

After getting into my rhythm and finding good climbing sensations I enjoyed the early morning through the deep forest as the mist was lifting. I pedalled through Ovando about 15 minutes before the shop would open, moving towards Huckleberry Pass and onto Lincoln for a good resupply. The wet and at times cold weather was not helping me recover but I was reasonably satisfied with how I was going and just managing my body in tune with my circumstances. The next stretch to Helena is long with plenty of climbing, I connected with a few other riders through here. Massive dark clouds had gathered as I approached Helena, and unfortunately, I did not make it on time as the skies unleashed the heaviest downpour I’d ever witnessed. This continued for kilometres as I entered town, the roads were now fast-moving rivers of water. Eventually, the rain eased and I found a bike shop just in time before closing time. I had noticed some movement in my crank, and it turned out that my Bottom Bracket had come loose. I was grateful to have this sorted. The guys in the shop talked of weather warnings for flash floods, it was about 6.30 pm under gloomy skies and I had to decide what to do. Push on towards Lava Mountain or get a motel. I decided to continue as it was so early, the rain was holding as I climbed Grizzly Gulch road. Halfway up the long climb, I caught Justin Smith, we rode together onwards and upwards as darkness fell.

Just as we were entering the rough trails on the upper slopes of Lava Mountain, the rain came again, it persisted making this section super challenging on the slippery rutted and flooded trail. All my energy and focus were required to navigate safely before eventually topping out for the cold and wet descent to Basin. Myself and Justin rode through Basin at about 1 am accessing our options, he decided to stop and sleep at the post Office. I was feeling more awake now and decided to push on, the rain had stopped and I could take off the waterproofs.

Ambitions of getting to Butte diminished without warning, as sleep monsters took over. An attempted lie down along the road was aborted after 30 minutes as I could not get warm. Later I pulled into a picnic area with a gf large shelter and wooden benches. I set up my sleep system on top of a bench before having a restless sleep.

  PICNIC AREA TO ELKHORN HOT SPRINGS

I had coffee and breakfast early in Butte and pedalled out of town. The coffee had activated my metabolism and nature called, I pulled into a rest area to find a toilet, and I opened the door to find a young couple having sex inside. They looked completely drugged up and vaguely startled to see me and also did not look like they were going to let me use the toilet. I moved on quickly before gratefully finding another empty facility further on.

I was struggling to find the energy on the climbs to Fleecer Ridge, so I took a 20-minute nap in the shade of a tree. It worked and I was able to get over Fleecer Ridge in a decent time. I had considered an early stop at Wise River, but there was no rooms to be had, so  after a greasy feed at the pub, I moved on. The long and gradual rising sealed road brought me to Elkhorn Hot Springs where I’d hoped there was a bed for me. I was too late for food, and too exhausted to utilise the Hot Pools, but I had a great sleep in a warm comfy bed.

  ELKHORN HOT SPRINGS TO ISLAND PARK

The famed Bannock road was slow at times, and it was clear that the riders before me would have had more challenging conditions with the mud. Dark clouds hung low in the sky and strong winds stunted my momentum. An eventual tailwind brought me to Lima for a quick resupply. Later I would be reacquainted with a fierce headwind before Red Rock Pass. With my energy drained I  pushed with everything I had to try and get to Subway before it closed at 9 pm in Island Park. I made it right on time to grab a Sub, then purchased a massive amount of food at the shop. One motel was full, the next had a room, I accepted for my most expensive accommodation of the trip. I noticed my legs were a bit swollen, something I’d never had before.

One of the first things I did when I got to my room was Viparita Karani or Legs up the wall yoga pose. This is a powerful pose that I use regularly and especially during ultra races as it has many benefits for tired, achy swollen legs. I would normally stay 15 mins in the pose and have used trees, fences and a whole host of props to facilitate this pose. I made the most of the nice room, I also had a bath, ate food then slept soundly for a few hours, happy with my day and feeling pretty good.

 

  ISLAND PARK  TO UNION PASS

Some sections of the rail trail out of Island Park were completely submerged in water, wet feet so early in the day were disappointing but unavoidable. I pushed on, catching up with Justin once more, riding on undulating gravel roads before getting to Flagg Ranch for a re-supply after 1 pm. Today was the first day that I started to feel stronger, I could feel that I was able to push the pedals harder for longer without feeling the effects like I had been in the first week.

I got to Lava Mountain Lodge before dark and had a quick resupply heading off to tackle Union Pass. The couple of Hike a Bike sections near the top were no problem and there was a lot less snow up there than previous years. It was dark and cold by the time I reached the high point. The descent off Union Pass is very gradual, with some uphills and it feels like it just goes on and on. It’s also technical, rutted and muddy in many sections, full focus is required. I noticed a Mountain Shelter, that I stopped at and decided to stop and sleep there, It was spacious and warmer than sleeping outside. A mouse made holes in my Apidura food pouch during the night attempting to get to my snacks as I was oblivious in my slumber state.

   UNION PASS TO WAMSUTTER

It was cold and damp as I set off again just after 3 am from the sanctuary of the mountain shelter, I was sleepy and weak, I just wanted to shut my eyes and rest.  I knew the sun would revive me but that was hours away, I pushed on through the mist and darkness just following my light leading the way, it was too wet to just lay on the ground. It was a long lonely morning. After a long sealed road section I was in Pinedale, feeling better after a service station resupply. From here the scenery changes from mountainous to high desert plains, its drier with less vegetation and expansive views across to distant mountain ranges. Riding with purpose towards Atlantic City, I could see massive storms in the distance, I hoped that I could avoid them. I re-filled my water at the Atlantic City Fire station, not needing to go downtown of this tiny settlement as I had enough food.

Next up was the Wyoming Great Basin, it was beautiful as the sun was slowly dropping into the horizon, and wild horses and Antelopes galloped across the scrubby plains. As darkness fell I noticed the roads becoming muddier, this continued and deteriorated into a peanut butter mud nightmare. Long periods of pushing my bike ensued, trying to clear the mud from my wheels and drivetrain, it was a slog, at least it was not raining. I caught and passed Lael Wilcox as she was about to set up her Bivvy for the night. I was determined to get to Wamsutter, but it was painfully slow. I jumped on my bike to ride a less muddy section, I was gaining speed when suddenly I completely wiped out and hit the ground hard,  I lay in the dirt stunned, I landed heavily on the right side, I took a few deep breaths, I picked myself up of the road continuing to scan my body for any injuries. My ribs were sore and most of my right side took the brunt of the fall. I picked up my sunnies and head torch and noticed my bike was facing the opposite way to which I was going and the handlebars and aero bars needed straightening.

I eventually got to Wamsutter after 4 am, cold, muddy and sore. I got food in the 24 hr service station and rode around to the motel. Ringing the doorbell numerous times, a lady eventually came to say that they were full. I pleaded that I would even take an uncleaned room, and she must have taken pity on me and said there was one uncleaned room I could take, I asked how much and she said no charge. Wow!

I did not care, I just wanted a warm shower, food and sleep. Before that, I washed down my filthy bike with a hose just outside the building. Just another crazy Tour Divide night after a massive day.

 

 

WAMSUTTER TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

My crash the previous night was a setback just as I was starting to feel better and gain momentum. The effects of the crash lingered with me all day as I passed into Colorado, the scenery changing again and soon I was at the welcoming Brush Mountain Lodge. My time was short here as I wanted to get over the next pass, I bought snacks got some photos and the mandatory hug with Kirsten. I caught up with Lael and we climbed and chatted for a while, the sun was setting and spraying the mountainside in this incredible pink-orange colour. I put on extra layers and gloves at the top, some snow slowed progress before eventually, I started losing some elevation. About 20 km before Steamboat Springs, I became very sleepy and was having to work hard to stay awake on my bike.

 

It was a long drag into town, it was late and quiet. I spotted a bar and walked in, it was after midnight but asked for food anyway, all I could get was Coke and crisps. I sat there for 20 minutes and digested my day and thought about my next move. The super friendly bar worker didn’t even charge me, he said I deserved it after riding all that way. More Trail Magic. Just off route on the way out of town, I found a bus shelter that would be my resting place for tonight. A shorter day in terms of distance, but it was a late start from Wamsutter and I was recovering from the previous huge effort.

  STEAMBOAT SPRINGS TO SILVERTHORNE

Lynx Pass awaited me as I climbed simultaneously with the rising sun. I was grateful for drier conditions after a fairly wet first week. I was making good time until I started to fade a bit as a headwind kicked in before Ute Pass. After descending and the long slog to Silverthorne I  decided I would get a room after what was a relatively uneventful day.  A massive pizza with vegan cheese and a comfortable bed did wonders for morale.

 

 

 

The first week of this race was all about managing my mind, body and spirit. This has to be done anyway, but I had to pay closer attention to it after being sick before the race. I knew I could not push as hard as I would normally, I required more stops and longer sleeps. I stayed at motels more. My body would let me know when I was ready to push harder. This strategy worked as I had some strong days through Colorado. I was catching some riders, which was very motivating and I was now back in race mode looking for the best possible finish. It was a surprise when I realised I was on track to beat my previous best time of 16 days and 3 hours.

   SILVERTHORNE  TO SARGENTS

Bike lanes brought me to Breckenridge before anything was opened, I pushed on over Boreas Pass and thoroughly enjoyed the Gold Dust Trail single track. The high plains are fascinating and I’ve always enjoyed this section to Hartsel, where I stopped at the service station for food and cold drinks. Ezra pulled up and explained some of the bike issues he was having. Some good hills came and went before a super fast descent into Salida, I kept moving to Poncha Springs to resupply. My mission now was to get over Marshall Pass and down to Sargents before the store closed at 9 pm.

I was feeling super good on the friendly gradient on this super long climb. Once at Sargents, I decided to get a cabin, happy enough with my day and knowing some big days lay ahead.

   SARGENTS  TO  PLATORO

I didn’t particularly want to get out of my comfy cabin bed, but I did and got organised to set off just after 3 am. It was a pleasant night and soon I was feeling good and spinning away happily as the first light ignited the sky around me in a wonderful display of colour. Some decent climbs through the Rio Grande National Forest, as the temperatures rose and a fantastic and beautiful downhill spat me out onto the plains and into a horrible hot headwind.

It was a long slog into Del Norte, The Subway I had used in previous years was now closed, so I rode uptown to find a fantastic whole food store/Cafe. I sat down to eat and stocked up well, here I found vegan burritos, a first on Tour Divide for me, I bought five to go.            Re-supply points were now becoming scarce and timing was crucial. I called ahead to the Skyline Lodge in Platoro to reserve a bed as I knew it would be after hours when I arrived.

Between me and my bed for the night was Indiana Pass, the highest point on the Tour Divide at 3,645 meters elevation. A very long and steep at times climb, If you are feeling shit on this climb, it will be a nightmare, this one takes some time and there is plenty of up and down to get to Platoro. New Mexico was imminent and I slept soundly.

   PLATORO  TO  POLVADERA MESA

The long valley after Platoro went by quickly and soon I was on the  La Manga Pass climb, it was still dark and chilly as I entered New Mexico, back on gravel roads again. These roads would get rougher as the morning went on and some big snow drifts blocked the road in places. This part of New Mexico is stunning, It is very green with beautiful forests and heaps of wildlife and meadows of wildflowers. Taking in the views and concentrating on the rough roads takes all my focus and attention.

My goal was to get to Abiquiu before the one store shut. It was a long and hot day and I was feeling good. Chris Burkard was also at the Abiquiu store preparing for the next tough section through to Cuba. Leaving Abiquiu I was feeling amazing and was having a great time on the very long climb up the Polvadera Mesa. The sun was setting and I had thoughts of pushing on to Cuba some 70 km away.  After going over the high point,  the climbs did not stop, and soon thoughts of Cuba evaporated as fatigue set in and I was soon sleeping in my tent. Another monster day in the bag.

   POLVADERA MESA  TO GRANTS

This morning was tough, the hills were relentless and frequent, the sun was getting higher and the temperatures were too. My problem was that I was thinking ahead to Cuba and resupplying and not being present to where I was right now. This made for a very long morning indeed. I was cooked when I reached Cuba and devoured ice-cold drinks at the service station. The next section is 190km on sealed roads in exposed terrain and previously I had hit horrible headwinds in the afternoon. Sadly this time was no different, the winds were strong and hot, sucking the moisture from me, It was only later after dark when the winds subsided that it felt I was making good progress on the road towards Grants. I bought a heap of food at the 24 hr service station in Milan and then rode on 8 or 9 kms to Grants and pulled into a Motel. I ran a bath to soak my weary legs eating my Subway sandwich at the same time. The little things are huge at times like this.

 

Another self-care technique I use all the time is grounding or Earthing, which is connecting to the earth. You need to have bare skin on the earth or submerging in water also works. In Ultra Races and in life it can be very disconnected from wearing shoes, driving cars  and walking on concrete etc. I will make time to take off cycling shoes and socks and put my feet on the earth or in water, this can be a great relief to your feet after hours and hours of pedalling. I was drawing on all my resources to get me through some of the challenges i faced in this race.

 

   GRANTS TO BEAVERHEAD WORKSTATION

As was normal now, I was on the road before 4 am, I appreciated the warm air and enjoyed the sky changing colour as I rode through some spectacular scenery in the Malpais National Reserve. It always seems to take a while to get to Pie Town, through the rolling hills and corrugated sandy roads, headwinds don’t help either. It is of course completely worth it, if you hit town when the pie shops are open. I arrived just as one was opening and proceeded to have an amazing breakfast.

From here the route goes through the remote Gila Wilderness Area. It wasn’t long before the headwind found me again. Today was one of the toughest days on the course for me, the heat and wind made it very tough. The Pie and coffee of Pie Town were a distant memory as I had to lie down in the shade a few times trying to escape the wind and sun, to reset and replenish before moving once more into the elements. The terrain out here has areas of trees and small scrub bushes, it’s hot and dusty and all the creeks are dry. I had to filter water from a filthy cattle trough as I was getting very low. Eventually, after a very long day from Pie Town, I reached the Beaverhead Work Station. I was cooked, I laid out my mat on a concrete verandah, set an alarm and was fast asleep very quickly.

  BEAVERHEAD WORKSTATION  TO ANTELOPE WELLS 

I awakened in the darkness yet again and prepared to depart knowing this would be my last day on the Tour Divide, although I still had 300-plus kilometres to Antelope Wells. Wildlife continued in abundance with big herds of Elk sprinting off once they saw me. I was grateful to be riding in the cooler temperature as the sun was rising but I knew that would change. I eventually popped out on a highway for the short smooth ride down to Sapillo campground. The next section is on the Continental Divide Trail, with its rugged single track with some Hike a bike. I enjoyed the sections I could ride with the element of danger from some serious drop-offs to the side. It was late morning and already super hot, I was happy to get past the Hike a Bike section, knowing this was the last really tough part of the race.

After getting out to the road and heading towards Pinos Alta, a few more climbs I was suddenly feeling flat and jaded. There was nothing open in Pinos Alta to buy a cold sugary pick-me-up drink, so I rode on to Silver City.  McDonald’s is not a place I go often, but I pulled in and the cool air con was welcoming, the food not so much. A couple of Dot watchers were there to meet me and have a chat. Limited to non-existent vegan options here meant I was resupplying at a store on the way out of town.

After a few more hot pavement climbs before turning off onto the last gravel section, the wind was finally favourable and I made good time to Separ. The trading post store was closed, but it didn’t matter as I had enough food to get me to the end.  Hachita was next and Jeff Sharpe and his friend Thomas were out to say hello, I filled up with water and rode into the warm desert night, the final stretch. I had to keep pushing as I knew Peter Kraft was only a couple of hours behind me, with no time for sleeping or messing about.

Emotion bubbled as I looked back at my journey, the ups and the downs, the rollercoaster that is the Tour Divide. I was grateful and proud to once again complete this Ultra epic race, especially with the challenges before the start and negotiating the first week by tuning in to what my body could muster up daily.

I finished at 1.58 am on the 25th of June. Overall time of 15 Days and 18 hours.

George and Jalene Harris, Owner/creators of  https://binarybicycles.com were there to meet me. I was riding the Binary Havok and it was a dream ride with no issues. George and Jalene had their super nice camp trailer, I had food and drinks and even a warm outdoor shower all within an hour of finishing. This was amazing.

 

 

The next day we left the border early, Temperatures were already high, so we dropped into the bike ranch in Hachita. Jeff and Thomas were there and Ulrich, this year’s Tour Divide winner. It was nice to have a catch-up before hitting the road again towards Siera Vista, Arizona.I spent 3 nights with George, Jalene and their lovely wee doggies at their beautiful home. It was super nice to get to know more of the Binary Bicycles story first-hand and to rest and recover at the same time. Much love and gratitude

Will there be a TOUR DIVIDE #4 ???

Well, I simply could not rule it out