NaKeD On ThE DiVidE part 4: SolRaK AlmOsT DiEs On HiS WaY to LiNcoLn

Good sleep is to be relished.

That night I had a heavenly rest.  I was uncomfortable.  Itchy legs from the hundreds of mosquito's that attacked me while I set up my tent.  Horrible pain in my personal area.  Horrible limp leg.  BUT even with all that I still slept great.

In Fact I may have even had a good chance to sleep in, but my Camp Mates, changed that.  I wish I could remember his name.  I want to say it was Dave.  And he wore a Kit that said Schneider Electric??? Hard to remember now, next time I will make notes.....  It was him, for the sake of the story we will call him Dave, and Selle (don't remember his real name), the younger guy, both from Colorado.  I chose to call him Selle cause he was one of the other people I noticed used a Selle Anatomica Saddle like me.


It was funny the night before while finishing up my meal at the LODGE, I asked Selle if he wanted to split a room.  He pretty much told me he was broke, and I completely understood.  I kinda hated how necessary a room feels when your soaking wet and the temps start dropping, like almost every night I had been spending on the Divide.  I was determined to figure out how to avoid the cycle, but it had not happened yet.

Well we all camped together.  I had my fancy tent.  Dave had a bivy, and Selle... Well Selle had a blue tarp thing.....


I would of probably slept late... But somewhere around 4 in the morning, Dave was packing up.  And all I could hear was Zippers.  I wondered how many zippers did his stuff actually have.  Both Selle and I got up together.  2 hours later.   Selle headed to the lodge and I got on route.  Next up was Richmond peak.  Supposedly from what I had read from the trail book.  Near the top it turned narrow and became some real buff hell raising singletrack.  So I was happy to be alive and I was working my butt up that mountain.

While I finished packing, I had seen Dave leave two hours before and then the two pairs of travelers rolled by, the Australians and the older guys, both who I had mentioned before, where not very friendly.

They had about an hour gap and I honestly didn't expect to see them again.  But low and behold after the unexpected gnar section in the middle of the mountain, I caught and passed the Australians and the other guys.

I came up behind one of them and rang the bell, and he, with much grump in his voice, Said, "what does that mean"... To which I, responded with a smile and a wave, "It means good morning".

None of them responded as I pedaled away, except for the Vegan Australian.  He could climb.  And he was keeping time, and me, not liking being shadowed, I intentionally dropped back and let him take the front, eventually passing him again before the top.  Once at the top, I started layering for the downhill and eating some more food and enjoying the GLORIOUS view.


While I was doing that, they all caught back up, all together again, one big peloton of weird vibes.  They kept going, and eventually at the very peak, I passed them all including DAVE from Colorado.

Richmond peak was gnar gnar extreme with water bars every 300 feet.  I spent the next 30 minutes doing HUGE FULLY LOADED airs and Surfing the GRAVEL on the high speed corners and switch backs.  It was ECSTASY.

I had noticed while riding the Divide that I could understand how someone could do the route so fast.  Once you get over certain big features the ground descends every so slightly and rolls ever so perfectly for miles and miles so that you can literally surf the land by pushing your big ring and small cogs in the back.... It was BLISSFULL Heaven on a bike.

After a Long Lonely ride, I stopped for a chilly, breezy road side lunch.  I was noticing I had missed the turn to seely lake.  Which was fine, my pack strategy had evolved.  If a restock was not on route, then I would not restock there and I would plan accordingly.  Seely Lake was off route.  BUT, I did miss the turn, I kinda wanted to be aware of it...  I also realized that Ovando was close and there were only five minor peaks to roll over to get there.  My spidey sense was telling me a storm was coming, I could feel it.  So I got moving and not before long I was rolling into the NOTHING really there town of Ovando.  On the way I had got in the self spoken joke of calling in HOVANDO.  When your all alone out there, you talk to yourself.  Out loud even, but no one can hear you.

Ovando

When I got into town, there were two stores.  One on one side of the street.  One on the other.... Didnt know which one to go into....

Then it happened...... Something that's only happened to me twice in my race career.....  a Random stranger speaks my name....... Duh Karlos, Spot Trackers...

I get invited in, I get a hammer nutrition race swag bag like you would at any XC race in America and drink espresso and stock up.  It was a nice warm respite from the cold breeze outside.  I'm there ten minutes, and look who shows up, DAVE.  He actually gets dressed and pedals right into the storm that had started while we were inside.

 map 1 section A and here are the numbers. 250 miles. 26 hours ride time. 8.6 total avg. 9.6 moving avg. 

I was getting ready to leave.  Putting on everything I had, preparing to battle the storm.  When a hummingbird, flew right in front of my face and hovered there.  I took it as a good sign.  The lady inside had told me that all the other Florida riders had come through.  I had five in front of me and I had made up my mind that I was gonna be at least the fastest Florida finisher.  The closest was The Krafts, so the chase was on.  I rode out into the storm too.  Passing Dave early.  Then I passed some giant tall man on a bike.  Then I started climbing Huckleberry pass.

I was not playing with these passes folks.  I was teasing the Colorado guy at the store.  Telling him she would be ashamed that a guy from Florida caught him when he had a 2 HOUR HEAD START.  I also asked him how many zippers does his gear have for goodness sakes....  Anyhow, I was not playing and had not climbed a pass yet in the small ring.  In Fact, it wasn't till divide crossing number 1 that I broke down and used the granny, that 36 x 36 proved to suit me well  for beasting up the mountain.

Eventually the rain got worst.  I crested the pass and I could see the Krafts tracks.  I was close.  But I had bigger problems at the moment. My feet were completely numb.  My hands screaming in pain, and it was cold and windy and raining.  I decided that the situation had gotten dire.  That I was in real potential danger in these conditions of Hypothermia.  So I made the call that the only way to survive this situation, was to go fast.  The only solution to get me out of this weather and to warmth that was available in Lincoln was SPEED>>>>>>>

And I went fast.  I remember hitting a cattle guard and momentarily gliding left for a bit before straightening out.  Max speed 42 mph.  I was tucked in Aero on the dowhnills, I was committed, the whole nine.  Nothing but stand up and work, till I got to Lincoln.  I rolled into the first place and got a cabin for 50$.

I actually got to Lincoln 5 minutes after the Krafts.  It took a hot shower and 40 minutes under the blankets before I stopped shivering.  Thinking about it now makes me shiver.

The room was once again in the aftermath of my rolling gear bomb.  But I fished out some dry clothes, got dinner and went to bed.  There were lots of problems I had to resolve.  My sleeping bag had gotten wet in that torrential downpour and my brakes were not working well, I was losing appropriate lever feel.  It just seemed like there was no lack of adversity for me on the divide.....

I slept warm that night.  The Krafts.  They left Lincoln and pushed on.  Wow, we are racing.

NK
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