Run up to the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride

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Public Images of GDMBR

APRIL 9, 2015

It is 4:45 PM and I have just woken from a deep sleep; one of those heavy sleeps where the body has taken over and the mind is along for the ride. The comforter is light but it is a bit too hot and I’m not able to muster the energy to adjust the covers. My thighs are aching and demanding more rest.

Barbara has just returned from volunteering and pops her head into the bedroom to see if I’m still breathing (she always does that). She asked, “How did the training ride go.” I said, “fine but rather than take roads up the hill home, we did hike-a-bike up the bluff. It kicked my butt.”

Barb asked, “How was it riding with Chip? Did he ride circles around you and make you feel like an old man who shouldn’t be attempting the GDMBR?” I said, “no, but he could have.” Chip recently moved to Spokane and has done GDMBR twice, once as a race where he completed the 2,750 miles in 23 days. He is about 6’ 1” and not carrying an extra ounce of fat. My guess is that Chip is in his mid to late fifties. Even when climbing the steepest grades, he appears to be pedaling effortlessly. He was very pleasant to ride with but it was HE that suggested that we “ride” up the bluff to Spokane’s south hill. I rode about 30%, did hike-a-bike the remainder.

It was a gift. It is April and I am behind schedule for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride.

It has been nearly 18 months since I posted about my decision to make the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride my next big adventure. It might be a good idea to re-read that entry for a refresher on what the GDMBR is about. (LINK)

May 31, 2015

The Three Amigos

When I first decided to ride the GDMBR, I thought that I might have to ride it alone. It didn’t take me long to realize that I really shouldn’t do that. Many do it alone but it isn’t recommended and I don’t have the courage to do it solo.

Fortunately, my good friend – Jamie Sutherlin decided that this was something that he was very interested in doing. Not long after, Paul Brunton joined to make it a threesome. Jamie has written a blog entry about the “Three Amigos” in his blog, which can be found HERE.

Jamie and Paul are the best possible mates. Both are strong cyclists and have a vast amount of experience in remote areas. Jamie’s career was as a fire fighter and he spent his summers fighting fires throughout the western half of the U.S. Paul spent much of his career as a logger in the Northwest and is very comfortable in the wilderness. Paul made a solo bike trek from Alaska to Spokane during the economic downturn in 2008.

Our GDMBR adventure begins in just 18 days. What’s the anticipation like?

The emotional response as we get closer is a lot less like the build up before a long anticipated vacation and a lot more like a prisoner waking up each morning and counting the days before the day of execution; an exaggeration, of course, but, for me, representative of my state of mind.

What’s there to be afraid of?

Pain. Anyone who has done a long ride like STP (Seattle to Portland) in one day, or in two days (back to back centuries), the CHAFE 150 or a marathon (I’m told), knows that somewhere before the end, the body revolts. In cycling, it is called “bonking.” Experienced endurance riders and runners know that it’s inevitable. That knowledge gives me pause as I anticipate 60+ days of being on the bike.

Fear of failure. It’s called the ‘ride of shame” when you, for whatever reason, throw in the towel and find alternate means of transportation for getting back home. There are many examples of the “ride of shame” in blogs written about groups who have set out to do the GDMBR. Sometimes it happens in the first couple of days and often weeks into the tour. It happens. It could happen to me. I do know that the pain associated with “Ride of Shame” lasts a long long time. It is my biggest fear.

The GDMBR is unique in that the route is so very remote and traverses over 2,400 miles of rough road, some of which is so steep and rocky that it is called “Hike a bike.” Michael McCoy who was part of the Adventure Cycling team who developed the route wrote about the challenge in his book CYCLING The GREAT DIVIDE.

“The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is the world’s longest mapped, off-pavement cycling route. It extends for 2,774 from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, at the doorsteps of old Mexico.

We had a primary goal of staying within 50 miles of the Continental Divide – known in Canada, aptly, as the Great Divide – whenever possible, and we were largely successful.”

If it is such a fearful and dreadful undertaking, why do it?

For me, balancing fear and the willingness to take a risk have always been part of my make up. I’ve learned that taking a leap and risking failure reaps great rewards. I’m actually more afraid of what would happen if I didn’t take on these challenges.

As Jamie says, “We’ll do this as long as we can.” In a recent email, Paul Brunton wrote, “There is no way to know what the trail will bring our way, but I have every confidence that whatever it throws at us, we will be ready for.  I have watched your training, and you are going to be just fine.  There will be moments for each of us when we will question our sanity…. but that’s part of the game.

We will all feel a lot better when we are a few days in….. now we have too much time to think!  Its gunna be fun, and I cannot think of two guys I would rather share this grand adventure with.  Thanks to you both for letting me tag along.

Garry, don’t let Jamie know, but I have a little stash of 120 lb. test Dacron fishing line…. it is amazing stuff.  Strong as a rope, and you can’t see the stuff from 3 feet away.  He won’t even notice it tied to his seat post!!  :).”

So glad to be doing this with Jamie and Paul. Stay tuned for more updates about the adventures of the Three Amigos.