CTR Final Pre-Post

All photos courtesy of Aaron Johnson from the 2013 CTR

These photos should answer part of the "Why?" that is, or soon will be, running through your head.

Ok, so I guess this is probably my last post…before I leave for the Colorado Trail Trace (CTR) later this week.  It’s been two years, since the idea of this race got into my brain.  Apologies to those who have had to live with me during the long gestation of madness and obsession.

So the bike arrived in CO and is waiting for me at Elevation Cycles. I fly out Thursday to chill and then head out Sunday morning at 6:00AM.  The last of my gear here is packed and ready to go. Trying to carry as little as possible on course, but everything I’ll need. Finding the balance between those two is part of the game. But all the decisions are pretty much made, so right now, I’m just watching the weather out there and waiting for “monsoon season” to end. 

  

For those who have not been following along at home, here’s the short version of how this thing works.

The Rules:

            1  Race from Denver to Durango, self-supported, under only your own power, along the entire CTR route.

            2  No pre-arranged support, with the exception of maildrops to a post office and only a post office.

            3  Don't break the law.

The Course:

     The Colorado Trail (and selected Wilderness detours); 550 miles and 70,000' of elevation gain winding through the Colorado Rocky Mountains between Denver and Durango much of it along the Continental Divide. Approximately 300+ miles of singletrack at elevations ranging from 5500' to a gasping-for-breath 13,200'.

The Details:

     There is no entry fee, no support, no registration, and no prize money.

It is a self-timed ITT (Individual Time Trial): all that is provided is a route description, a suggested start time, and a list of results.

  

Watch It Unfold

And if you want to follow along from home, you can go to the Trackleaders site. (The racers aren't all up there yet, but they should be by the 10th.) This is an amazing way to follow a race that is otherwise totally un-watchable.  Despite how slow the dots are moving, it is actually pretty engrossing.  Trackleaders is a a free site, so if you enjoy watching the event, consider sending them a little something to show your support and keep them up and running.

  

The Peanut Gallery

And if you want to sit in the peanut gallery, you can check out this site/thread. 

Many folks with local intel are commenting here, so you can get a little more than you can from just watching the Trackleaders site. 

The Voices

Some folks are calling in occasionally and leaving voice messages with status updates on MTBCast. Those links also get posted in the Bikepacking.net forum as well as to this Facebook page.

Thanks To...

Jill, whose love of and dedication to life put the hook in deep into me on this one. After reading her one post, I was a goner.

Jefe and all the others who so freely shared their stories and tip/tricks and provided encouragement and motivation. 

My brother Jimmy for his boundless logistical support.

Stefan for putting this crazy thing together.

Also to Shannon. Although she has nothing to do with this race, her dedication and fearlessness in support of women and cycling and general human rights is an inspiration. Check out her Mountain2Mountain site and her work and give her some support if you can.

Thanks also to the folks at the Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF) who work with cyclists to keep the trail open for mountain biking. 

 And finally to my wife, without whose support and encouragement I would be, well, who knows where…