Tour Divide Day 5

Day 5:

Sofi arrived at High Country Mountain Lodge before 23:00 and was off to Mexico before 04:00. This is his arrival pic from Russ Kipp ... no surprise that there is not a 04:00 departure pic!

With Wifi connection he put this on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/By3HD_coHtu/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Today's ride will see him out of Montana and through Idaho into Wyoming. He'll be riding through the High Montana country, Big Sky Country, with the smell of sage bushes all around him. It's a 661m climb up to Sheep Creek Divide, and then a fast smooth descent down to the paved section into Lima. From Lima to Red Rock Pass is a fast section if dry, and then shortly after is Island Park with it's Subway and Convenience Store. After comes the Rail Trail which as about 30 miles of soft volcanic sand laid down on an old railroad track - it is soft and hard going. Warm River marks the end of the trail and a the start of 500m of climbing to Flagg Ranch. There is Squirrel Ranch near the start of this section which does a quick burger if you catch them with the kitchen open ... otherwise coke and icecream.

Josh Kato was through and gone by 08:30: "A quick breakfast, WIFI, lunch to go and he was headed off to Lima. "

Of the pack which stopped early in Butte, Josh Ibbett was out at 02:00 and Nate Ginzton 30 mins back.

The reason for the early stop in Butte was clarified here with a massive storm the reason:

https://www.instagram.com/p/By1h9HblqC3/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Trailside sleeper Tony Lesueur headed off towards Butte at 04:30 whilst Kai Edel and Chris Seistrup were moving by 06:00 and Evan Deutsch by 06:45. Further ahead on the approach to Fleecer Ridge Steve Halligan left Beavercreek Campground by 04:30 and Lael Wilcox was off at the same time a few miles back.

On Fleecer ridge, Josh Ibbett posted: Fleecer ridge... steeper than it looks! Bailed half way down.

https://www.instagram.com/p/By2rTC3ldyc/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Lael's team posted the Day 4 pics: https://www.instagram.com/p/By3ApJ6gmz2/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Kim Raeymakers' Tour de Mechanicals is continuing with a front derailleur problem and might be manual shifting through to Steamboat: https://www.instagram.com/p/By3F6MJo6ue/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Steve popped into HCML and on his exit Nate passed him pretty quickly having already passed Lael on the Scenic Byway, but seems that Nate stopped to filter water from a pretty nasty stream which runs through cattle paddocks. The road up to HCML looks steep - but it is worth it for the water alone given that this is cattle territory through to Lima. Lael stopped briefly and Josh Ibbett seems to have pushed on. Pics from Russ Kipp at HCML:

Steve Halligan:

Kai Edel:

Chris Seistrup:

Evan Deutsch:

Dylan Gonda is in Helena: Waiting for the shop to open in Helena. My fork has gone completely ridgid and it's destroying my already damaged hands! Hopefully it's not all bad news.

Dylan Morton and Nico Deportago-Cabrera are riding strong in the top 20: https://www.instagram.com/p/By2cOQ0gLTT/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/p/By02E3GF0Oy/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Nico is a Red Bull sponsored rider ... see some slick Red Bull video of him here: (no dub-step ... well, maybe a little)

https://www.redbull.com/int-en/tv/video/AP-1MRD4M9A51W11/bike-messenger

The single speed catagory this year is pretty competitive with about five riders who could take it out, Alexandera Houchin currently leading Nico by a slender margin and Randall Riecker chasing them both pretty hard. Alexandera had to return to Butte to get a replacement pedal after one broke - for the second time in short succession as she also broke one in Dirty Kanza XL.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BydlpsklkGm/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

At the tiny town of Lima (a gas station, restuarant and motel) we get a time check for most of the lead pack on the same sleep cycle, with about 10hrs between the top 9 racers:

Sofi Sehili: 4:05:06

Josh Kato: 4:07:38

Nate Ginzton: 4:10:52

Steve Halligan: 4:10:55

Josh Ibbett: 4:11:52

Lael Wilcox: 4:12:03

Kai Edel: 4:13:34

Chris Seistrup: 4:14:45

Evan Deutsch: 4:15:20 (estimate)

Josh Kato stopped at Island Park around 22:30 for an early night's sleep - a shower and a bed most likely. Lael and Nate also stopped around the same time, trailside between Lima and Red Rock Pass. Josh Ibbett, who arrived in Lima at 20:00, has stopped there and may be planning another very early morning start. Kai and Edel also stopped in Lima - a meal and a bed being a wise move. By midnight all the front runners have stopped.

Tomorrow will bring the first snow and we'll see what impact it is going to have on the leaders. Togwotee Pass descent on Brooks Lake Road is looking like this currently:

(Pic Matt Livingston)

Shortly after that they climb the alternative route up to Union Pass and there is likely to be a field of snow to greet them on the top as in 2017. Hopefully they'll at least have clear weather to be able to enjoy the stunning views to the Tetons to the west and the Wind River Range to the south.

In the mid-pack there were more scratches today as the field slowley whittle down. Jeff Oakey is out with an Achilles issue, and early front pack rider Aaron Denberg (10th place at Koko Claims) is out with this comment: I'm out too. Too big a gear (34x42) and a deeply wrongheaded assumption that I would be faster if I stood as much as possible, meant I went too hard and couldn't get down solid food unless I mixed it with water in my mouth and mechanically chewed-a long, tedious process. My calories for the first 3 days came almost entirely from juice and chocolate milk. Today it took 13 hours to go seventy miles and I was happily walking even the most moderate hills. Still had a great and beautiful time. Finished the route in 2015, so cant see spending the time and money crawling to the finish. Bikepackers are such cool people to meet, talk to and ride with, talk about escaping the ordinary! Great weather this year and some really fast folks still out there getting it!

Latest crop of pictures from Kathy Schroedoerfer in Ovando, in no particular order:

David de Sotomayor

Alex Modell

Bandi Blade

Austin Turner

James Morrell

David Nickle

Greg Litus

Hannah Dohnau

Kent Murphy

Jeff Sapp

Jimmy Biese

Ken Waring

Tim Roberts

Curtis Fincher

Ross Burrage

Steve Brigham

Troy Cowin

Our NOBO leader Graham Suffield had a shorter day today so likely was encountering some of the dreaded NM caliche, or better known as peanut butter mud. It does this to your wheels:

https://www.instagram.com/p/By3BakKgAzE/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Tomorrow he will be facing Brazos Ridge, which currently has snow banks like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/By3d_NKg5pV/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet