Day 18: Through Summit County, over Boreas Pass and into South Park.

Tour Divide: 27 Days, 27 Photos

Felix Wong's avatar
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Here are photos from the Tour Divide, the 2,700-mile self-supported Canada-Mexico mountain bike race hailed as “the most difficult cycling event in the world.” As it took me 27.5 days, here are 27 30 photos representing what I remember most from each of the days.

Day 0: At the YWCA in Banff, Alberta, Canada (211 miles north of the U.S. border) before the start of the 2,700-mile race.
Day 0: At the YWCA in Banff, Alberta, Canada (211 miles north of the U.S. border) before the start of the 2,700-mile race.
Day 1: Riding mostly uphill by the Canadian Rockies with fellow racer Kevin Hall (shown).
Day 1: Riding mostly uphill by the Canadian Rockies with fellow racer Kevin Hall (shown).
Day 2: A pleasant day through British Columbia.
Day 2: A pleasant day through British Columbia.
Day 3: Into Montana... and snow! Hiking and pushing required.
Day 3: Into Montana... and snow! Hiking and pushing required.
Day 4: Through the land of fallen trees. Between Days 4 & 5, I had to dismount about 100 times for them.
Day 4: Through the land of fallen trees. Between Days 4 & 5, I had to dismount about 100 times for them.
Day 5: Death trap -- traversing a crazy, highly exposed section of snow piled up at a 45 degree angle without an ice axe for at least half a mile.
Day 5: Death trap -- traversing a crazy, highly exposed section of snow piled up at a 45 degree angle without an ice axe for at least half a mile.
Day 6: Montana mellowed out -- but only for a day.
Day 6: Montana mellowed out -- but only for a day.
Day 7: Lava Mountain: one of the most challenging and techical sections on the entire Continental Divide Mountain Bike Route. I also got lost in the forest.
Day 7: Lava Mountain: one of the most challenging and techical sections on the entire Continental Divide Mountain Bike Route. I also got lost in the forest.
Day 8: Phew... pavement (never mind it was a major interstate highway). And into Butte, Montana, the largest town encountered in the entire race (population: 33,500).
Day 8: Phew... pavement (never mind it was a major interstate highway). And into Butte, Montana, the largest town encountered in the entire race (population: 33,500).
Day 9: Into no man's land -- the Medicine Lodge area and big sky country of Montana.
Day 9: Into no man's land -- the Medicine Lodge area and big sky country of Montana.
Day 10: Finally made it to Idaho. Gorgeous!
Day 10: Finally made it to Idaho. Gorgeous!
Day 11: Entering Wyoming and the Tetons with lots of snow, mud, and the most vicious mosquitoes I've ever encountered.
Day 11: Entering Wyoming and the Tetons with lots of snow, mud, and the most vicious mosquitoes I've ever encountered.
Day 12: No better luck with the mud and snow; took 2 hours 40 minutes to go 4.5 miles around Brooks Lake.
Day 12: No better luck with the mud and snow; took 2 hours 40 minutes to go 4.5 miles around Brooks Lake.
Day 13: Some pavement again and a 125-mile day through Pinedale and Boulder to Atlantic City, WY.
Day 13: Some pavement again and a 125-mile day through Pinedale and Boulder to Atlantic City, WY.
Day 14: 134 miles through the treeless Great Divide Basin, WY and suffering badly from hyponatremia. Happy birthday to me.
Day 14: 134 miles through the treeless Great Divide Basin, WY and suffering badly from hyponatremia. Happy birthday to me.
Day 15: This is more like it. Aspen Alley, WY, less than 20 miles north of Colorado.
Day 15: This is more like it. Aspen Alley, WY, less than 20 miles north of Colorado.
Day 16: Back into my home state of colorful Colorado around Steamboat Springs.
Day 16: Back into my home state of colorful Colorado around Steamboat Springs.
Day 17: More pretty mountains between Steamboat Springs and Silverthorne.
Day 17: More pretty mountains between Steamboat Springs and Silverthorne.
Day 18: Through Summit County, over Boreas Pass and into South Park.
Day 18: Through Summit County, over Boreas Pass and into South Park.
Day 19: Up the long-but-gradual Marshall Pass in southern Colorado and into the beautiful San Juan Mountains.
Day 19: Up the long-but-gradual Marshall Pass in southern Colorado and into the beautiful San Juan Mountains.
Day 20: Super long and steep Indiana Pass, with freezing rain at the summit. Came down with hypothermia and had to bail for the night at 6:00 p.m.
Day 20: Super long and steep Indiana Pass, with freezing rain at the summit. Came down with hypothermia and had to bail for the night at 6:00 p.m.
Day 21: Through southern Colorado and almost to the New Mexico border -- but then my cyclometer broke!
Day 21: Through southern Colorado and almost to the New Mexico border -- but then my cyclometer broke!
Day 22: Extremely rocky and rutted trails through northern New Mexico on the 4th of July after resolving the cyclometer crisis.
Day 22: Extremely rocky and rutted trails through northern New Mexico on the 4th of July after resolving the cyclometer crisis.
Day 23: A 5.5-hour climb over lava rocks and through cougar country, but felt phenomenal and still managed 100 miles that day.
Day 23: A 5.5-hour climb over lava rocks and through cougar country, but felt phenomenal and still managed 100 miles that day.
Day 24: Screaming descent into Cuba, NM, with more highway down to Grants. A 170-mile day!
Day 24: Screaming descent into Cuba, NM, with more highway down to Grants. A 170-mile day!
Day 25: No pie in Pie Town. Major food crisis on the way and had to resort to begging for food later that night.
Day 25: No pie in Pie Town. Major food crisis on the way and had to resort to begging for food later that night.
yellow Cannondale F700 covered in mud and loaded with bikepacking gear in New Mexico during the 2008 Tour Divide mountain bike race
Day 26: It didn't get any better: monsoons, mud, steep climbs, horrible chainsuck, and multiple flat tires through the Gila Wilderness. But I'd only stop after it got dark and I literally crashed.
Day 27: After bonking all morning, I finally reached civilization -- the progressive town of Silver City, NM (population: 10,000). Unfortunately, the monsoons wouldn't stop and rivers were soon flowing down the streets.
Day 27: After bonking all morning, I finally reached civilization -- the progressive town of Silver City, NM (population: 10,000). Unfortunately, the monsoons wouldn't stop and rivers were soon flowing down the streets.
Day 27.5: More sand, monsoons, and demoralization due to thinking I was lost (I wasn't). But then 70 miles of pavement to the Mexico border came...
Day 27.5: More sand, monsoons, and demoralization due to thinking I was lost (I wasn't). But then 70 miles of pavement to the Mexico border came...
27 days, 10 hours, and 37 minutes after I started: Made it! Antelope Wells in 6th place. A lonely finish, but thanks to all for the moral support!
27 days, 10 hours, and 37 minutes after I started: Made it! Antelope Wells in 6th place. A lonely finish, but thanks to all for the moral support!