TD Race Updates

(Call-in time: 8:59 a.m. Saturday, June 13)

Hey, Eric Bruntjen here calling from the Tour Divide. Going to do a little update right now because there’s been a route change and they’re sending us up into the Serengheti of North American outside of Sparwood, B.C. So I might be unavailable for two days. There’s three passes up there, and it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to get back into civilization in one day.

Anyway, last night was pretty amazing. We pulled into Elkford, and they actually put us into a hotel room right above the honky-tonk, and there was a band playing last night. Didn’t get to sleep until like 3 a.m. I’m running on empty right now.

But it’s been all fun, and I’ve met some good riders. It’s an international group. We’ve kind of leapfrogging each other still; I rode with some Italians yesterday. They were nice. I think they were nice; one of them doesn’t speak any English at all, but he was talking to me the whole time.

We got some rain. We’ll be camping tonight; it’s definitely grizzly country, so I’m a little nervous about that. Let’s see, anything else to report? I don’t think so … uh, seems like there’s something else to report, but I’ll catch you later. Thanks. Bye.

Hi. It's Blaine Nester checking in - eh - Ferndale.  Made it down here last night - just having a quick breakfast at the gas station.  Got caught in a major rain between Upper and Lower Whitefish Lake - other than that - real good.  I understand my tracker was not working yesterday so hopefully today its transmitting. Everything is going fine. Heading south and hope to make Seely Lake or maybe Orvando tonight.

Hi it’s Erik calling in from Big Fork just south of Whitefish by about 40 mi.  Things are going well. My legs are hopefully starting to recover from the brutal section in Canada.  I’m having difficulty in finding good and decent food, tiring of eating Pizza since that seems to be the standard available fair in most places that’s quick. So finding the right foods to put in my body has become the more difficult task for a skinny guy like myself.  Finally found a grocery store where I could buy some fruits and so on and so forth and tried to stock up for the next 100+ mile section of nothingness thru wilderness so hopefully that will work out ok.  Anyway signing out. Bye.

Hi this is John, checking in from Bigfork, Montana.

No call in yesterday, we had a pretty long day riding from Elkford through to Eureka (crossing the border). Took a little bit of time with customs there.

Today has been a fairly easy day. Around 135 miles from Eureka to Bigfork. Not too much snow over the Red Meadow Lake, just about a mile of walking and climbing over a few trees. It was pretty hot around midday at White Fish, but we had a good lunch there in the Red Caboose.

Still riding with Alan, and all is going well. We still haven't had any bear encounters, although we did bump into the Petervary's up at Red Meadow, and they told us they had a scare yesterday.

Anyway, bye for now, John.

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