Tour Divide Blog 2008

Ardie Olson heading into the Storm

Submitted by sherry on June 29, 2008 - 1:54pm
Racer update about:
Hey this is Ardie Olson. It is Sunday, June 29th 1:33p.m. I’m in Platoro, CO. Had a good ride this morning. Made it over Indiana Pass with no real problem, just a real good climb. Looks like now here in Platoro it is going to start raining and south of here it is going to start raining, its storming. So we’ll see what I’m in for. Hopefully it will clear up. I was hoping to make it into New Mexico tonight. But if its all stormy and the roads turn muddy it might hold me up. I’m not sure. But we’ll find out. Again, this is Ardie Olson. I hope everybody else is doing well. (recorded time: 2008-06-29 14:35:25 EST)

Leighton White dealing with Fork Issues

Submitted by sherry on June 29, 2008 - 1:48pm
Racer update about:
Hey everybody Leighton White calling in from Salida, CO. Pretty good day yesterday. Got to Como and had to sit out a little rain storm there. Then put on my rain gear headed to Harstel and it just opened up. Thunder overhead. Fortunately the lighting stayed a little ways away. Looked like a drowned rat when I pulled into the Bar there in Harstel and the locals got a good laugh but I got some free food, some cake and couple pints of Budweiser and went out for a few miles after that when the rain stopped. In Salida, got a little more bike love. Although it appears that my fork is what it is until the end. Nobody has the parts I need to fix it. So I’ll just ride it to the end. Hope everybody is doing well and talk to you soon. (recorded time: 2008-06-29 14:29:31 EST)

Matthew Lee checkin' in from El Rito

Submitted by sherry on June 29, 2008 - 9:51am
Racer update about:
Hey TD Racer Matthew Lee here. 9:45, Sunday the 29th. I’m in El Rito. I knocked out the Brazos yesterday. But not without a lot of hiking. I got caught up in a storm. Seems to have been a pretty wide spread storm reached all the way down here it looks like. At least it is cool today for the time being. The trail is soft and but its not so hot. Trade-offs, I suppose. Anyway, I’m moving on to Cuba today and see how far I can get on the ByPass to Grants in the evening hours. Cheers, bye. (recorder time: 2008-06-29 08:28:59 EST)

Alan Goldsmith headed to the World Capital of UFO Sightings

Submitted by sherry on June 29, 2008 - 7:48am
Racer update about:
Morning this is Alan. Its about 7:30 on Sunday. I'm in Salida with Dominik. Just had breakfast at the cafe next to Absolute Bikes. Bike shop not open for another hour and half so they are going to miss out on our custom not that we really need anything. Yesterday we got a bit of late start because Dominik had to visit the dentist for a bit of emergency work, I guess I shouldn't have hit him so hard. Anyway we came across via Hartsel. That is a funny sort of town. 30 miles either side of Hartsel, what is all that about? Washboard and headwinds, that was hell. First 20 miles of the day over Boreas and the last 20 miles of the day down from the hills for a 1000 meters into Salida were superb. Luckily it was cool and a bit of rain. Anyone who comes into Harstel in the heat, good luck. Anyway we are off over some more hills to Sargents now. The waitress is telling us that it is the world capital of UFO sightings. So if don’t make it, you know where we are. Talk to you later. Bye. (recorder time; 2008-06-29 08:28:59 EST)

Dominik Scherer goes to the Dentist

Submitted by sherry on June 29, 2008 - 7:41am
Racer update about:
Hello, this is Dominik Scherer calling in. Its Sunday the 29th of June, 7:22 am. Yesterday evening we made it just right into Salida from Breckenridge. We had a late start from Breckenridge cause I had to see a dentist. Nothing serious I just wanted to be sure that my tooth wouldn't bother me on the trip. We started off at Breckenridge around 10 o'clock and yesterday evening around 9 o'clock. Today is going to be Marshall Pass first then stock up on supplies in Sargents. We'll see how far we get. Going to sleep out somewhere in the wild tomorrow. Camp out. So no call in from there. Tomorrow we hopefully reach some kind of town with a telephone. Just want to let my people that I'm still going pretty good. I'm feeling ok. See you then. Thank you. Bye. (recorder time: 2008-06-29 08:23:14 EST)

Ardie Olson fights a Headwind into Del Norte, CO

Submitted by sherry on June 28, 2008 - 10:15pm
Racer update about:
Hey this is Ardie Olson and it is Saturday, June 28 9:36pm. I am in Del Norte, CO. Had good day except for the last 20 miles I got a headwind coming on so it put me into Del Norte kinda late. I'm here, got something to eat, everything is good. Looks like I'll head out early in the morning and try to take on the big Indiana Pass and see how that goes. Hope everybody else is doing well. Again this is Ardie Olson (recorder time: 2008-06-28 22:38:33 EST)

Adrian Stingaciu enjoys a little Trail Magic through CO

Submitted by sherry on June 28, 2008 - 8:52pm
Racer update about:
Hi this is Adrian Stingaciu. I'm calling in from Silverthorne, CO. Its 8:34pm on Saturday, June 28. I just got into town. It has been a fun ride today. I wanted to say thanks to the nice folks at the Williams Forks Reservoir campground. Stopped there for water, but unfortunately it seems like all of the developed campgrounds in CO don’t have water. The nice folks camping there fixed me up. I stopped for 2 litters of water and they have me 5 litters and a bunch of food. So I’m good to go. Also, thanks to the folks at campground near the CO River, same thing, I stopped for water and they had me over for lunch. Also thanks to Matthew Lee for leaving the two bagels with pb in Atlantic City. He must have known I was running low on food. Also to Matthew Lee, Bear from NC says hi. I ran into him a while back. Also the 3 guys from the lst day at the cabin says hi as well. Pretty tired today. See how much further I can go on, if not maybe I’ll stay in town here. Got to get more food in me. Gotta go. (recorder time: 2008-06-28 21:36:03 EST)

Mary Collier Covering Some Ground

Submitted by sherry on June 28, 2008 - 8:06pm
Racer update about:
Hey its Mary Collier. I'm Rawlins, WY. Crazy day. Excellant Day. Today, Yesterday and the Day Before. Haven't really been in touch to much but covering some ground. I stayed in a Hostel right before Union Pass. They call it Aspen Meadows Bike Hostel or something like that. Super awesome time. Great day, that day I also remembered that I am racing so I'm trying to cover some ground and cruisin' along. Yesterday was also great. Anyhow, I'm in kinda in a hurry. Just loaded up on a bunch groceries herein in Rawlins. Stocked up my bike and get out of town. So tomorrow I will be able to make it Steamboat. Have it a good night. (recorder time: 2008-06-28 20:42:52 EST)

Felix Wong thanks everyone for their Support

Submitted by sherry on June 28, 2008 - 4:17pm
Racer update about:
Hi this is Felix Wong just calling with a continuation of my last message. I just wanted to thank everyone for the messages that they have been leaving on the website. I really appreciate all the support. And I wanted to give special hello to Kevin Hall and his family. A couple days ago the second half of the race started for me and I reflected on the first half, and the first few days of the first half and riding with you Kevin. Every time I go up one of these Passes I almost expect you to hop out of nowhere and pass me on the climb. Anyhow, be assured that you and your family have been in my thoughts. Thanks to your daughter leaving her message. I camped out in the Route National Forest last night and I did resort to the bear proof camping strategy. Luckily I was well hydrated for that and I wasn’t bothered by any animals. Hope you are doing well in Kentucky and you take care. Bye. (recorder time: 2008-06-28 16:44:53 EST)

Felix Wong getting his Bike repaired at the Orange Peel

Submitted by sherry on June 28, 2008 - 4:10pm
Racer update about:
Hi this is Felix Wong, calling at 3:38 on Saturday, June 28th from Steamboat Springs in CO. The last two days have been pretty good. My legs have not been there but at least I’ve been riding through some spectacular scenery. Both Southern WY and then into CO which I got into yesterday. It has been nice to be back in my home state. Yesterday, I started really late. I was out of Rawlins by about 9:15. And again, my legs haven’t been strong at all. But I pushed on until about midnight. Got in about 97-98 miles. So I’m pretty happy about that. At 9PM in the Route National Forest, I heard someone yell out “I’ve been waiting for you”. It turned out that it to be a woman named Kirsten at a lodge in the Route National Forest who had been following the race on-line, had met some of the other racers already. It was great to see here. I was able to get some water from her. I camped out in the forest. This morning I woke up late again. I got started about 8:25. The Pass up the Watershed Divide had snow and mud on there. Very slow going, but I would probably had to walk anyhow just because it was really steep and my legs had not been strong at all. The road to Steamboat was absolutely gorgeous. I just wish I was feeling stronger. I’m now at the Orange Peel bike shop. They have been doing a lot of work on my bike while I have been resting and I really appreciate everything they have been doing for me. They are replacing the brake pads, both of the tires, putting on new rid tape, trying to make the shifting as smooth as possible. I have been having shifting the rear. A lot of effort has been needed to shift that. My right thumb is getting very sore. So I hope to be out of Steamboat in the next half-hour, hour. Its going to be a short mileage day today. I’m pressing on. (recorder time: 2008-06-28 16:42:31 EST)
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