mike-gdmbr-2024 - Tumblr blog

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Epilouge. I guess I am old since it took me a while to fully grasp the significance of how "dear old dad" was thrown out there so casually. I guess moving forward in addition to Mike, Dad, and Dear old Dad, we'll be adding "OK Boomer."

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Mike here. On July 22nd, all the signs indicated it was time for me to end my ride and to figure out how to get myself, bike, and gear back home. So I turned to the trusty Google Maps to locate a car rental place and a bike shop to pack and ship my bike home. What luck, the car rental was just a mile from my hotel and the bike shop just 1.3 Mike's past that! Easy ride.

While visiting with a man, Les, in the lobby, Les and his sidekick grandson, Charlie (aka, navigator, technology advisor, mechanic, and farm hand extraordinaire) offered to take me to both places in his truck. Poor Les. Google led us down a dead-end dirt road to a non-existent rental place, then to a bike shop that was closed on Mondays, and then a second bike shop that had moved out of state 1.5 years ago.

But with Charlie navigating, we made it to the Glacier airport, and I rented a car. Back to the hotel we went and with Charlie's muscle we unloaded the bike from the truck. I partially disassembled it and loaded it in the car, and headed out for lunch.

At lunch it was revealed to me that my car contract had me returning the car to Glacier. Cindy investigated and informed me that...to be continued..

..I would be slammed with an outrageous repositioning fee. So back to the Glacier airport I went. The agent then told me that all of their cars had to be returned to Glacier. Taking pity on me, she called her boss who gave permission to transfer me to another car and only charge me $100 for repositioning. So, I then proceeded to load my bike and gear into a third vehicle.

In the midst of all of that, I was still trying to find a bike shop and trying to secure flights home from Helena for the next day and having no luck. Garrett stepped in and recued me by getting flights on Wednesday. Best option was $1200 and I was glad to have it.

It's now Wednesday, the 24th, and I'm at the Helena airport. Garrett will pick me up in Houston, and I'll spend the night at his house. Cindy will meet me in Houston tomorrow to fetch me home. And that is, hopefully, the end of my "self-supported" adventure.

Many thanks to Cindy, Garrett, and Zack. And big congratulations to Zack and Haley for the birth of a beautiful Georgia Mae.

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

The adventure isn't over until you're back at the car

July 22, 2024

... or back home in this case.

I don’t have much time to post, because Haley is in labor (push babe, you can do it!) but I wanted to give everyone a quick update.

After over 300 miles traveled, 16,000 feet climbed, 0 flats or mechanicals (at least that I’m aware of), many trail friends met along the way, and countless memories made, Mike ended his tour this morning. Congratulations on an awesome ride!

But the adventure isn’t over until it’s over, and that proved to be true this morning. I’ll let Dad add any details he wants, but I heard it involved a missing airport (wrong address in Google maps), an out of business bike shop, and the kindness of this gentleman pictured below who shuttled dad and his bike around through all the shenanigans this morning after Dad shared some coffee with him.

But not to worry — Garrett, Cindy, and Mike got it all sorted out and he's got a ticket home, a bike shop to ship his bike back, and a place to stay in the meantime. Until then, he's just gotta avoid the bears 😉.

Thanks Dad for letting us all ride along with you.

Until next time...

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 11: Polebridge -> Columbia Falls, MT

July 21, 2024

It's the dog days of summer I'm afraid.

The heatwave just won't break, with highs continuing well into the 90's and it's still above 70 by midnight where Dad's riding. Combined with a sunset at 9:30pm, it's making it tough to camp out and get any semblance of a good night's rest.

Given the heat, Mike was looking to push to Whitefish to get another room with AC but didn't find good options, so based on some locals' advice he decided to take a detour to Kalispell, MT for better lodging options. However, it ended up being a little too far off route and he ended up right outside of Columbia Falls, MT, but he was able to secure a nice room there for the night.

More to come tomorrow. For now, here's a few photos from the ride today.

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 10: A day of rest and rejuvenation in Polebridge, MT

July 20, 2024

Mike took a rest day in Polebridge today. I'm speculating about the rejuvenation part. Last night it looks like he stayed or camped at the North Folk Hostel, and tonight he's retired to his cabin that he originally booked before leaving Eureka.

And so given the rest day, there might not be much to say, but in other ways I could say quite a lot, because my own time in Polebridge and the people I met there holds a very special place in my memory and it's significant to me that Dad is spending time in the same place, and got to meet one of the those very people that had a small but important and positive impact on my life.

But saying much more runs the risk of projecting and generally making this more about me, and so the only thing I'll add are these two photos: one that Dad sent over of him and Oliver, the owner of the hostel, and the other, my own photo from nine years ago of my friends and I with Oliver on the same porch.

MOVING ON from my own little trip down memory lane, I think Mike is encountering his own trail magic and making special memories in Polebridge himself, which warms my heart. He sent photos from the last couple of days, and while there are some landscapes, most of the photos capture the people Dad has met along the way. He recounted a special encounter he had today with a backpacker that started with "The coolest thing just happened". I'll leave it at that, but here are some of the recent photos (shoutout to Polebridge Mercantile for their wifi on the porch).

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 9: Eureka -> Polebridge, MT

July 19, 2024

I don't know what they put in those pancakes in Eureka but it seems to have done the trick. Mike rode straight through to Polebridge today and arrived a day early for his Saturday night reservation.

He did almost 4k and 60 miles today — a solid push! I was watching his GPS as he tackled the climb and he seemed to be making good time.

I don't have much else to report today, other than that I received a simple "Thanks!" through his satellite messaging, so I don't believe he has cell service. I look forward to reporting more once we get the full report from Dad.

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 8: A rest day in Eureka, MT

July 18, 2024

On the eighth day Mike rested from all his pedaling. - Genesis 2:2, probably

Mike took his first "zero day" after a week straight of touring. And while he woke up and went to bed in the same place, it was a busy day in other ways.

Lots of eating, planning, looking at weather reports, visiting and planning with other riders about current trail and camp conditions, and map staring (always be looking at maps). In doing all that it looks like Dad still managed to ride 8 miles today just around town!

The result was a decision to press on tomorrow towards Polebridge, MT. Dad plans to camp out tomorrow and arrive in Polebridge on Saturday where he's booked a little log cabin for the night.

No route report today obviously, but in its absence I'll shout out the fact that Dad has ridden over 200 miles and climbed over 11,000 feet over the past week!

And now for the best part, more photos :)

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 7: Fernie, BC 🇨🇦 -> Eureka, MT 🇺🇸

July 17, 2024

A tale in three parts:

Act I

Act II

Act III

The longer version

I guess this wasn't all an elaborate ruse to escape to Canada after all.

Mike got an early start this morning out of Fernie, BC with plans to stop for lunch in Elko and then setup camp around Baynes Lake, BC. He stopped for a snack shortly after taking off. With this view, why not?

Dad passed a good time at lunch too having a long conversation with a Canadian couple he met there. It sounded like they had done a lot of fun adventures and even briefly lived in NOLA. They also were big admirers of the ACA maps Dad introduced to them.

The Canadians admiring the most up to date maps.

From there, Mike carried on and he did appear to rummage around Baynes Lake (his planned camp for the night), but for whatever reason he decided not to stay and in the late afternoon pressed on to cross the US border!

Perhaps he wanted to continue his culinary tour for the day, because along with the border selfie photo, Dad noted that he was "About to eat a sandwich then shower and go get more food".

It was Dad's biggest day of the trip thus far at 65 miles. I'm guessing making it over the border provided some extra motivation. That's not a bad way to wrap up week one.

Congrats!!!

A big and memorable day I'm sure!

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Mike here continuing my thoughts from below about thanking others and how the value that Zack, Garrett, and I are getting from this trip is not limited to the short timespan that I am on the trail.

Prior to the trip, while I was gearing up, Garrett was building his bike, so the three of us had countless calls and texts about the pros and cons of various frames, components, and configurations.

While on the trail and when text or phone service has been available, Zack and Garrett have been staying in touch, providing me with much needed advice, encouragement, and support. Knowing that they are tracking me via the satellite device I am carrying gives me great comfort. And, I understand that in doing so, they are spending a lot of time texting back and forth and calling each other. I can only imagine what they are divining from my short and long pauses, riding in circles, going off course, backtracking, and rerouting. But no worries. As they say, men are never truly lost until they run out of gas.

Looking ahead, this trip will serve as a source of stories that the three of will share (ad nauseum for others who may be in the room at the times) and hopefully inspire us to more adventures. Speaking of ad nauseum, do you remember the time when we were camping and hiking in Yosemite and Zack leaped forward without warning Garrett and me of the bear that ran directly behind us!

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

A quick note on reading the blog

There are two URL's to visit the blog, but I would recommend using:

https://mike-gdmbr-2024.tumblr.com/

If you want the whole tumblr experience you can use:

https://www.tumblr.com/mike-gdmbr-2024

They show the same thing, but are styled differently:

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 6: Sparwood -> Fernie, BC

July 16, 2024

Story time!

Today's subject: "why you shouldn't blindly trust maps that are nine years old when giving route advice to your dear old dad".

I'll spare everyone the details and (at the time) very confusing exchanges with Dad that lead up to me discovering my error. But remember in the last post when I talked about the route being rerouted away from Fernie and through the Grizzly Bear Highway, a long, rugged, and remote section of BC?

Well that was true, but out of date!

Apparently at some point it was routed back to Fernie with the Grizzly Bear Highway route being marked as an alternate on Mike's up-to-date maps. Whereas on my, almost a decade old maps, the Fernie route is marked as the alternate to the main route.

Alas, everything is cleared up now. So Dad did the very sensible thing and stayed on the main route straight to Fernie, BC and did so today rather than taking a rest day since it's a (relatively) short ride, there's great food, and it's generally a pleasant place to spend time. Like really nice (someone please move there so I can come visit).

I believe the lesson learned today is that you get what you pay for, and Dad ain't paying for my advice.

Ride Recap

Relatively short both in distance and climbing, but the numbers don't tell the full story. It was a hot one today in the 90's, and the sections of dirt road were challenging by all accounts:

Dad also ran into a small closure and detour which proved irksome combined with a misbehaving GPS.

Thankfully it's not all toil and trouble — two locals set Dad back on the right track and his ride into town was a" [very nice] bike path along the river in Fernie". He was stoked on his meal at Bridge Bistro, saying "Eating an AWESOME salmon sandwich here". And to wind things down for tonight, he's got another comfy hotel room for back to back nights of rest and recovery.

That does look like a very nice bike path — again, someone please move to Fernie

The aforementioned AWESOME salmon sandwich — again, you could eat this sando like every week if you moved to Fernie

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Mike here. I'd like to thank some folks who have provided and continue to provide the support that enables me to be here.

For the 11 months prior to this trip, the majority of my weekday evenings were consumed by research, buying and learning to use gear, and training rides upstairs. One weekend day was used for longer rides outside. That did not leave much time for Cindy. I know there had to be many times in which she needed or wanted my time, attention, and support. However, she never said or indicated in any way that she harbored resentment.

Additionally, the kickoff date of my trip was less than two after her retirement leaving her home alone for an idefinite time while I flew off on a one-way ticket.

Instead of resentment, Cindy gave me her full throated support, love, and encouragement. I am so fortunate to have her and love and adore her deeply.

My time here on the trail is far from being the entirety of this journey, nor is it the part of the journey that is or will give me the most value in life. The time that Zack, Garrett, and I have spent together for the past 11 months talking about bikes, camping gear, and bikepacking in general has drawn us closer and has been a lot of fun.

.....breakfast time. I'll continue with these thoughts later.

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 5: Blue Lake -> Sparwood, BC

July 15, 2024

Look who's moving now. Mike went straight through Elkford (well, it did look like he might have taken a lunch break in a park) and rode all the way to Sparwood, which is the last town he'll see before returning to the ol' US of A.

Not to worry, the Canadian adventures have in some ways only bear-ly begun. The next section of trail was rerouted in 2010 from the original path off the paved road through Fernie, BC into the backcountry of British Columbia's Flathead and Wigwam river valleys, through a remote and rough section of trail and dirt roads known as the "Grizzly Bear Highway". It's also a beautiful section of trail and totally beats riding on pavement all the way to Montana, so I'm glad he's going for it.

But for now, Dad gets to enjoy all the benefits of city life — restaurants, a hot shower, and a hotel bed to rest and recover after making it a little over half way through the Canadian section of the Tour Divide!

I managed to catch him on the phone as he was sitting down at a restaurant after getting into town and he was in good spirits (he ordered a bacon chicken sandwich I believe — no pepper of course).

Garrett talked with him later this evening and reported that he planned to take a rest day tomorrow in town, and also recounted a great conversation he had on the trail with another solo rider he met who was an engineering student on break.

It all sounds positive and I'm glad it appears that his legs made the flight with him.

"Blue Lake [camp] yesterday"

"My view this morning while gathering water at Blue Lake"

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 4: Kananaskis Lake, AB -> Blue Lake, BC!

July 14, 2024

A milestone day! Dad did his first Great Divide crossing at Elk Pass, which is steep and has sections of mandatory hike-a-bike, and in doing so crossed out of Alberta and into British Columbia!

He must have been feeling good because he kept going — about 40 miles and 3k' of climbing in total on the day.

No photos today but he's made camp for the night with some folks from Auburn, California, just down the interstate from myself.

I think he's done well to set himself up nicely for a well deserved day in town tomorrow. He's 13 miles from Elkford, BC, the first town on the route and it's mostly downhill from his campsite.

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 3: Buller -> Lower Kananaskis Lake, AB

July 13, 2024

Enjoying visiting with people and getting great pics. Also getting a lot of wild flower pics for Cindy.

Feeling good today. Just stop at Sawmill ground for a break. The wind and elevation gods are being nicer today.

Great news — it sounds like Dad made it off of Arrakis.

Dad made it to the Peter Lougheed Visitor Center today which has WiFi and a little general outdoor store with basic supplies for hikers / bikers, and he got a nice campsite at Canyon Campsite.

Photos he sent over when he had WiFi at the visitor center:

Looking Ahead

Coming out of camp tomorrow he's got a steep climb up to the first Continental Divide crossing at Elk Pass, where he'll cross out of Alberta for good and into British Columbia.

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 2: Spray Lakes West -> Buller, AB

July 12, 2024

Not much to report today but Dad had this to say about day 2:

I was in full sun wind and dust

I assume it must have been more or less like this:

[mike-gdmbr-2024]

Day 1: Banff -> Spray Lakes, AB 🇨🇦

July 11, 2024

And he’s off!

It’s a nice ride out of town and immediately on to the dirt with great scenery all around. He also rode by an otherwise unremarkable but for its name, Sulphur Mountain.

I think based on his map he stayed at Canyon Dam campground next to Spray Lake in beautiful Alberta. Across from camp he had a great view of The Three Sisters mountains. A fantastic place to spend his first night out.

I don't have access to Dad's ride files, but I'll post a screenshot of an approximate route each day like the one below: