Tour Divide recap - Start and Map 1 The Canadian Section.

  Well, I've procrastinated long enough. It has been almost a year since this epic adventure and I must say it's not an easy thing to forget ( that's a good thing). I am hoping to provide some kind of account of what it was like for me and my experiences having the time of my life.  The Start was not how I had it planned.  My wife Michelle and I had a nice relaxing two day drive up to Banff, spending a night in Revelstoke on the way. We arrived in Banff on June 13th the day before the Start.  It was a short drive from Revelstoke so we arrived early enough to have some lunch and get a quick ride in, during which I turned on my gps and made sure I had the track loaded properly. We rode around a couple of trails and made our way to a trail head which was the start of the ride. The track was right on and working well, everything looked set. Now just have a relaxing night with my wife and good sleep ( if that was possible ) and let the fun begin.

  So the relaxing night was good and I did manage to sleep and couple of hours so I was ready to go in the morning.  I was surprisingly not that nervous as we made our way to Starbucks that morning for a coffee and some quick breakfast. I had the bike all set up and Michelle was going to get a short run in before meeting me at the trail head to start.  So off Michelle ran and I was left there to get the last minute things ready, like my mind and oh ya start up the gps.  I pushed the button on the unit and it seemed to start up but then froze I stood there waiting and waiting but nothing was happening the screen was frozen part way into the start up. I had to make a desicion  to turn it off and restart. Well, second time was the charm or was it as everything looked good the map was there it was showing my location, but where was the track.  I went through the set up and it kept saying the track was loaded but it wasn't there. I had a back up memory card but if I used it already then I was leaving without one.  I had my computer back at the hotel but soon remembered I didn't have the cable to connect to it.  I quickly rode up to the Ymca were all the riders were gathering and found a loaner cable. The race was starting in 15 mins. !!!!!!!!  All I could think was I can't believe this is happening. I had prepared myself to overcome set backs that might happen on the route but before it even officially started wasn't what I had in mind.  I raced back to the hotel, of which I no longer had a key and Michelle was out for a run so I convinced the front desk to issue me a another key and had to reload the tracks on the gps.  I sent a text to Michelle telling her about my mishap and finished up the reload.  Test, everything looked great, Time 8:10, start time 8:00

   I had spent a year and a half preparing for the biggest ride of my life and I missed the start, wow that sucks. All I could think on the way back up to the trail head was don't panic, it's a race of days and weeks not minutes.  I also tried to keep the negative thoughts out of my head as far as, if this is going to be how it is it could be quite an adventure. I rode past the Ymca on the way to the trail, YUP NO RIDERS, definitely missed the start.  I arrived at the start to see Michelle and a couple of Forest Rangers talking, I made a quick stop and they wished me well. Michelle's last words "just relax you will catch up and I will see you in a month".  Crazy we had never been away from each other for more then a couple of days up to this point.  As I rode into the trail my legs were already fired up from racing back to the hotel and back to the trail head ( now almost 8:30), not  how you want to start a 4800 km race. Ha ha.

   I wasn't one or two kms in when I relaxed into a comfortable pace and just started to  let the ride come to me. In hind sight it was kind of cool not starting with the masses as I had this intimate time with the trail to settle in ( don't get me wrong I am still a little pissed I missed the start but what can you do). I was only maybe four or five kms  in when I started reeling in the back of the pack.  I would greet the riders as I came upon them, this became more frequent and then all of a sudden I was in the thick of it with a large pack of cyclists, kind of fun riding along with all these like minded people and maybe chatting for a couple of minutes before moving on. It was a single and double track section and I worked my way through most of the riders in the large pack and was out on to the open gravel road (Smith-Dorrien Spray Rd.)  

  Twenty something kms in and already back to riding mostly on my own. I remember thinking I can't believe I'm actually doing this,  how cool is this. I was trying to take in some of the scenery and stay present ( this was my approach for most of the ride, never looking farther then today). I rode along with a couple of riders here and there but alway kept my own pace.  We had been informed by email from Matthew Lee before the start that there was a reroute at kms 89.9 as there had been bears on the Kananaskis Lakes trail the last couple of days so we continued on the road to our first opportunity for food. ( One of three I would have that first day). This stop is at the Boulton Creek trading post which is your typical camp group or park store. There were about 10 to 15 riders in and out of the store buying various things to eat and drink.  My plan was to always eat something when it was available as I didn't want to to carry anymore then I needed too. I bought a couple of burritos and water and gatorade ( I chose to always go with gatorade as I knew every store or gas station would have it and I wanted to stay consistent).  I quickly ate what I bought, refilled my bottles and was off, it is a race remember so you try and not waste to much time milling around ( this seem to get harder and harder to do as the days went on).  The next section is when I knew this wasn't going to be just your average bike ride I rode or should I say walked a couple of steep hills and if anyone knows me this isn't my style I like to climb and not riding was tough at first. I quickly got over that on this race as it about self preservation and walking steep sections is just part of getting to the finish. 

   I met up with Evan and another rider ( sorry his name escapes me right now) and rode a few miles with them chatting and before long was in Elkford. It was my plan to stay there for the night but as it was just around 5-6 pm I made my way to the store ( just as it closed I might add but the store owner let a couple of us in as he closed the door this is the type of hospitality I found throughout the race ) and restocked on fuel. Being early and feeling good I pushed on to Sparwood where I knew there was a campground and food, that's if I could make the 48 more kms before the stores or restaurants closed. I rode into Sparwood with Evan and another rider who decided they would get a hotel as we had ridden through rain and cool temp. that afternoon/evening. Me I just wanted to find food, campground, hopefully with a shower to warm up after a successful first day and 225 kms under my wheels. Loving it!!!!!!

   

    Day two and I was up earlyish and packed up and rode up hill ( like I needed more hills) to Sparwood and the route for breakfast. Finally on the road around 8, after a not so speedy breakfast, I was feeling good and riding alone. I wasn't 10 kms out of town riding on a paved mine entrance road when I looked off the the left and saw my first Grizzly standing on his hinds sniffing the air. I kept an eye on him as I rode past but he didn't seem interested other then a good sniff,  that was my first and last bear sighting on the entire route.

  Day two was an interesting day as there was some great riding and hike a bike. It was sunny for the most part and after the rain the first day was great to see. I am from the wet coast so am used to riding wet, I guess that is why when I came to one of the first creek crossings I decided to take a swim. This was not planned but as I approach the crossing I thought I got this no need to dismount. Well, if this is your thought don't hesitate part way through. I hit the water which was running faster then first thought and down I went loaded bike on top of me. I quickly got myself up but the damage was done me and my gear were wet. Oh well just part of the adventure, I decide to just ride wet and I quickly discovered that the crossing turned into the trail and I had to ride down the creek for a while anyway.  

  On this day there wasn't much for services ( like none until the border 200 kms )  so I would stop every so often and take in a snack. I had made the first of two main climbs of the day up Cabin pass when I stopped to take a couple of picture at butte's cabin a small hikers cabin that some of the riders stay at. There were a couple of riders there but weren't in the race they were out bike packing. I started talking to them and realized one was Serge a Canadian rider that had done the ride the year before.  He said something that stuck in my mind the rest of the ride, " look around and enjoy the view it goes by fast and you want to remember it".    Well, I guess I was enjoying the view a little to much as just a couple of K down the road I missed a turn and was cruising down the hill when I realized I was riding away from my Gps track. U turn back up the hill, I always needed more climbing, RIGHT and back on track.

  I was just cresting the pass when I saw a cyclist approaching going north bound. I knew there was a rider that had started from the south and was riding north to join the race going south, Billy Rice, the first person to try the yo yo, race one way and then back.  It was him and we stopped to say hi and wish each other luck so I said good luck but I hope you don't caught me on the way back.  I did end up making it to Mexico before him but not that long before he did. 

  About 150 kms into the day I arrived at some very tight single track along the valley floor which leads to a section that some call the wall. If your gps didn't let you know this was the route you would think you were lost. It was at the entrance to the single track that I caught up to a few riders who were scratching there heads wondering if that tiny trail leading through low dense underbrush was the trail. Myself and another rider decided to see what the track on our gps would tell us and off we went and yup this was the way. At the base of the Wall a few of us all bunched up, with a couple of chuckles up we went. You can barely push your loaded bikes up this section and this year is wasn't that wet. As it was I still slipped backwards a couple of times, all the while thinking if I bale I'm going to take out 5 other riders that are behind me and wouldn't I be liked. I made it and with one more pass to get over before the border it looked as if I was going to be in the US by the end of day two.

   I had a great climb in the sun up Galton pass and then on the decent, a fairly extreme grade and twisty I was feeling free.  I was really having fun now, the hard work for the day was done as I had a plan to reach Eureka for the night a few kms after the 

border.  I hit the paved highway to the border and was really excited to have the first of many mile stones I had set for myself in the books.  I rolled up to the border guard and he knew what I was up to, quick scan of the passport and I'm in.  There is a store on the US side of the border but as Eureka was only 16 kms down the road I just headed straight there.  MAP ONE COMPLETE ONLY 6 MORE TO GO!!!!!!