Tour Divide 2014 guest post by Kristi.
I’ve had some people ask me “How is Andy doing physically?” He told me the other day that it seems like something new hurts each day. He’s had some pain in his Achilles and his left knee on and off throughout these first 12 days. He said his pinky and ring fingers are numb on his hands pretty much all the time, I guess due to the position they are in while riding. He’s got some cuts on his right ankle from the bike bumping him while walking it through the snow those first days, and he’s pretty sure his left toenail is going to fall off due to pressure from his shoes. The good news is, it doesn’t hurt when he rides, just when he walks. Another piece of good news? I won’t be sharing the picture of his feet that he sent me. You’re welcome.
He’s in better shape then some of the other riders I’ve heard about. One rider fell into an icy cold river and had to be rescued by fellow riders. (http://www.thefreepress.ca/news/264306461.html) I’ve heard rumors of someone being airlifted off of a mountain. Several cases of hypothermia. One guy just dropped out today due to a broken leg. Rumor is another rider has a broken hip. A guy that Andy met is holed up in a hotel in Pinedale trying to get over some type of cold/flu so he can keep riding. All in all, Andy is holding up pretty darn well.
Fun fact for Day 12 – Andy is now over halfway on his total mileage for this journey. It’s all downhill from here, right? Allons-y!
Tour Divide Day 10: Warm River to Lava Mountain Lodge, Wyoming
121 miles
22 June 2014
See ya Idaho! After spending so much time in Montana, Idaho went by in a flash. Andy crossed another state line and pushed into Wyoming and the beautiful Grand Tetons.
1. “Tour Divide day 10 – into Wyoming and past the Grand Tetons #tourdivide”
2. “Tour Divide day 10 – after Togwotee pass, we had to take a forest service road full of snow and mud. I was cranky but the views made it worth the hassle#tourdivide”
Tour Divide Day 11: Lava Mountain Lodge to Pinedale
96 miles
23 June 2014
Day 11 was a mentally tough day for Andy. He just didn’t feel like riding. His original plan was to go further, but once he hit Pinedale he knew he needed to break for the day. He told me that planning the ride was much different than actually riding the ride. Before he left, he had mapped the ride out and pretty much determined his stops for each day. Now obviously the weather has been a factor in some of these changes, but he said sometimes the route on paper looks much easier than it is when you actually ride it, and some days you just can’t make it as far as you had planned.
1. Andy calls in from Pinedale
http://mtbcast.com/site2/2014/06/23/mtbcast-td14-andy-amick-called-in-from-pinedale/
2. “Tour Divide day 11 – lakes and views atop Union Pass #tourdivide”
3. “Tour Divide day 11 – a perfect blue sky to go with the Union Pass climb #tourdivide”
Tour Divide Day 12: Pinedale to the middle of The Basin
156 miles
24 June 2014
Now I have to tell you all, I’m not sure what part of the Tour Divide Andy worried the most about, but for me, it’s been “The Basin.” The Basin. This is a 140 mile stretch through Wyoming with no services. No place to get food, and more importantly – no place to get water. So when you reach Atlantic City, Wyoming, you better stock up. It’s a long way to Rawlins.
When Andy first talked about the ride, his plan was to start from Atlantic City in the morning and then cross The Basin (this is how I think of it in my head when I say it – italics and all) in it’s entirety in one day. Then he thought, maybe it would be neat to camp out in The Basin. I suppose fate thought that too, as he did not hit Atlantic City until mid-afternoon. So he could either stay the night – losing valuable time – or hit the road and camp under the stars. He told me for the first part of this journey through The Basin, the wind was at his back and the ride was nice until the storms rolled in and he stopped for the night.
1. “Tour Divide day 12 – sunrise over Pinedale #tourdivide”
2. “Tour Divide day 12 – views of the Wind Range on the way to Atlantic City #tourdivide”
3. “Tour Divide day 12 – into the basin!!!! #tourdivide” (See? Andy doesn’t use italics and it just doesn’t feel right. The Basin.)
