So, it turns out they do have Internet in the wilderness out here at TransRockies. We're somewhere in Alberta, just over the Continental Divide, deep in the Rockies. Today's stage was tough but almost endlessly fun - about 65 kilometers with 2,000 meters of climbing. And that really sounds easy until you try it. When the going gets a bit rough, I make myself feel better by telling myself that time and effort-wise, this still only amounts to half a Tour Divide day. Then we go to camp where we can load up plates with all-you-can-eat spaghetti and sleep in tents that have been set up for us. Then everyone goes to bed at 8 p.m. Since I'm incapable of falling asleep before 11 p.m., I stay up and feed my Internet addiction. I'm stoked about my pictures from today, so I'm tossing in a quick blog post.
We had a mass start in Elkford. The 500-strong peloton paraded through town and then sprinted for the gravel road start, which resulted in some epic crashes right on the pavement.
Today's stage was much more of a wilderness stage than the earlier ones, with at least eight stream crossings and muddy, baby-head-strewn singletrack.
Keith and I have been riding close to the same group every day, which means we have our pacing pretty much set. It's been a great pace for me; pretty mellow, which allows for lots of picture-taking, chatting fun. If you are going to do a massive group ride, you might as well meet new people.
Then it was time for the alder 'shwack. About three kilometers straight uphill, drowning in leaves. This is fun, people! I promise.
And this is why it is fun: Because it brings you to this place ....
... on this trail.
The mainly hike-a-bike from checkpoint two took us the better part of three hours, for something like 12 kilometers.
Cresting the 2,300-meter pass.
Beginning of the descent - mostly fun, some scary, even when walking and carrying the bike.
That's me, actually riding my bike. I do pick my feet up off the ground occasionally.
Keith and I finished in 6 hours and 55 minutes, moving up to 12th place in the Open Mixed division (we started 14th, so we're slowly picking our way to the top. Emphasis on slowly.)
Jenn and Sierra just a few seconds after they finished. Their faces say more than I ever could.
Computer battery almost dead. No time for words. But here are a few pictures from Stage 4 of TransRockies, middle of nowhere Alberta to middle of nowhere Alberta, traveling 65 kilometers in a rocking 7 hours and 34 minutes. This is epic stuff out here, more adventure racing than mountain biking, which is, you know, my kind of race. Photos ahead. You tell the story.
So, it turns out they do have Internet in the wilderness out here at TransRockies. We're somewhere in Alberta, just over the Continental Divide, deep in the Rockies. Today's stage was tough but almost endlessly fun - about 65 kilometers with 2,000 meters of climbing. And that really sounds easy until you try it. When the going gets a bit rough, I make myself feel better by telling myself that time and effort-wise, this still only amounts to half a Tour Divide day. Then we go to camp where we can load up plates with all-you-can-eat spaghetti and sleep in tents that have been set up for us. Then everyone goes to bed at 8 p.m. Since I'm incapable of falling asleep before 11 p.m., I stay up and feed my Internet addiction. I'm stoked about my pictures from today, so I'm tossing in a quick blog post.
We had a mass start in Elkford. The 500-strong peloton paraded through town and then sprinted for the gravel road start, which resulted in some epic crashes right on the pavement.
Today's stage was much more of a wilderness stage than the earlier ones, with at least eight stream crossings and muddy, baby-head-strewn singletrack.
Keith and I have been riding close to the same group every day, which means we have our pacing pretty much set. It's been a great pace for me; pretty mellow, which allows for lots of picture-taking, chatting fun. If you are going to do a massive group ride, you might as well meet new people.
Then it was time for the alder 'shwack. About three kilometers straight uphill, drowning in leaves. This is fun, people! I promise.
And this is why it is fun: Because it brings you to this place ....
... on this trail.
The mainly hike-a-bike from checkpoint two took us the better part of three hours, for something like 12 kilometers.
Cresting the 2,300-meter pass.
Beginning of the descent - mostly fun, some scary, even when walking and carrying the bike.
That's me, actually riding my bike. I do pick my feet up off the ground occasionally.
Keith and I finished in 6 hours and 55 minutes, moving up to 12th place in the Open Mixed division (we started 14th, so we're slowly picking our way to the top. Emphasis on slowly.)
Jenn and Sierra just a few seconds after they finished. Their faces say more than I ever could.
Dear Mom,
Then they let us climb fire roads! I love climbing fire roads! Fire road climbs make me smile because I can look at all of the beautiful mountains and pedal hard until my legs feel big and strong. The other kids sometimes complain and think fire roads are super lame, so I try to pretend I hate them, too.
Then we got to ride singletrack trails! But they weren't bad singletrack trails like the ones yesterday. They were fun! The mud was nearly dry and I stopped to smell lots of flowers and look for Saskatoon berries, because Keith says those are delicious to eat.
The the trail came to the top and we were so high! I think I could even see our house, we were so far up above the world! I looked all around at the mountains and smiled big, because we had a long way to go down.
And then we went down, down, down. You would be so proud of me, because I almost rode all of it! I missed some switchbacks where the other kids kicked up too much dust, but mostly I had the most fun I have ever had on a downhill in a long time. Even Keith said, "My smile muscles hurt."
Then we rode to Sparwood, and it was fun to go to Sparwood because I rode through there last year during Tour Divide Bike Camp. This time, there were lots more kids and I didn't have to eat at the A&W because there were free oranges and cookies. The bus came and they took us to Elkford, which is another place I recognize, but I forgot how pretty it is here. For dinner we had turkey and watched a movie about ourselves, which was funny. I laughed because they showed a picture of me lowering my bike down a headwall.
