Montana to Mexico 2009

Team Finishes in 29 Days...

2009-10-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

At sunset on October 12, Jake and Duncan reached the Mexico border after pedaling 94 miles on their final day. Their arrival at the border brought Biking for a Better World's Montana to Mexico project to a successful completion. Thanks for your interest and support. Below we have posted almost 30 photos covering the second half of the adventure from Steamboat Springs, Colorado to the Mexico border.

Here are some interesting stats and information from the journey...

Days on the Road: 29
-26 Riding Days
-1 Injury Day/1 Storm Day/1 Rest Day

States Travelled: 5
-Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico

Miles Pedaled: 2,292

Average Miles/Day: 88.2

Average Speed: 10.8 mph

Total Hours Pedaled: 213

Average Hours Pedaled/Day: 8.25

Days 120 Miles+: 1
Days 110 Miles+: 3
Days 100 Miles+: 7
Days 90 Miles+: 13

Flat Tires: 6

Tires Used: 8

Night Rides: 14

Crashes: 1

Continental Divide Crossings: 20+

Highest Pass: Indiana Pass, 11,950 ft.

Ailments/Injuries: Numb Fingers and Toes, Knee Pain, Saddles Sores, Neck Pain

Cures: Traumeel (Arnica), Ibuprofen, Vitamins

Favorite Snacks: Snickers, Nuun electrolyte tablets

Favorite Treat: Duncan-Chocolate Milkshake
Jake-Bacon Cheeseburger

Common Foods and Drinks Consumed: Apples and Oranges, Sandwiches, Bars, Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Pop Tarts, Mountain House, Pasta, Cheeseburgers, French Fries, Tuna Fish, Salami, Whole Wheat Bread, Soda, Gatorade, Fruit Juices, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Milkshakes, Beef Jerky, Raisins, Oatmeal

Favorite Part of Route: Duncan-River valley descent into Basin, Montana
Jake-Stretch of singletrack along ridge, Day 2 Montana wilderness

Hardest Moment: Duncan-CD Crossing #2, walking bikes on rough, root-filled singletrack
Jake-Day 3 Climb with saddle sores

Best Day: Duncan-Riding into Rawlins, Wyoming to finish 1st half of trip
Jake-3 Pass, 111 mile day to Del Norte, Colorado

Hardest Day: Duncan-Getting to Silverthorne, Colorado climbing Ute Pass
Jake-2nd to last day to Mimbres, NM in Gila Nat. Forest

Favorite State: Jake-Montana
Duncan-Montana

Least favorite State: Jake-Colorado
Duncan-Colorado

Coldest Night: Idaho, near Mack's Inn, approx. 15 degrees

Hottest Day: Montana, near Ovando, approx. 90+ degrees

Favorite Moment: Jake-Riding along with galloping wild horses, Great Basin, Wyoming
Duncan-Reaching the Mexico border

Favorite campspot: Little Snake River, near Columbine, Colorado

Hardest Climb: Lynx Pass, south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Favorite Town: South Pass City, Wyoming

Wildlife Spotted: Deer, Elk, Black Bear, Badger, Hawk, Antelope, Prairie Dog, Coyote, Fox, Wild Horse

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Mail Drop #3, Del Norte, CO

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The border at last!!!! 29 Days!

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Almost to Mexico..Getting worked in the Gila

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Rounding up the cattle at sunrise in the fog, near Gila Nat. Forest, NM

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Nita at the Toaster House Hostel, Pie Town, NM

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Rolling New Mexico Desert...

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New Mexico Mud/Clay shutting us down for a little while...

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Colorado autumn sunset in the valley, near Platoro, CO

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Fresh snow, morning after storm...Indiana Pass, 11,950 ft.

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Waiting out a storm on Indiana Pass...The Off Cabin, near Del Norte, CO

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New Friend Kurt on his 6 Year World Tour and Custom Rig...

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Wide open country near Doyleville, CO

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Looking at the 14ers of the Sawatch Range, near Salida, CO

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Colorado moonrise...

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Duncan and Host/Guest Rider Johannes Schreiber, Boreas Pass, CO (near Breckenridge)

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Duncan and Host/Guest Rider Tim Nylen, near Steamboat Springs, CO

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Along the spine...

2009-09-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

So we find ourselves in Steamboat Springs, Colorado...1300 miles in 15 days. We are more than halfway across the Great Divide Route and fighting a constant battle to keep the miles up. As I forego some sleep to write this, I cannot keep my thoughts off the 4000 foot climb that will begin our day tomorrow. But I know we will go up it and move on to the next one, moving down the road one mile at a time, one day at a time.

All the climbs scare us. Every day and every mile is a challenge. We fear them and then we ride them. Many things try to stop us, slow us down, break us down...cold nights, hot sun, desolation, washboard roads, fatigue, saddle sores, knee pain. Sometimes it sucks but sometimes it's beautiful. When we wait out the hard times, the good ones always follow. It is a certain kind of patience we have to find. And we take from the experience what we will.

There is always a Point A and a Point B. Right now, for us, it is the Canada border and the Mexico border. I can look at them on the map, but when it all becomes real, and the route comes to life as we traverse it, there is something magical that happens. The adventure unfolds. All of a sudden I'm asking some hunters for directions on a national forest road in northern Montana. Or sleeping under a crystal-clear span of stars. I'm waking up thinking the grizzly is in camp, or riding through the night seeing animals peeking at us out of the forest as our lights reflect their inquisitive eyes. I'm descending the flank of a majestic mountain or hiding from the sun in a drainpipe to eat spoonfulls of peanut butter. I'm waking up staring at the Tetons and knocking frost from the walls of my tent. I'm telling some cowboy about why we ended up in their little mining town in the middle of Wyoming, or believe it or not, riding alongside a group of wild horses as they run with me in the high, treeless desert.

Goodnight for now all...Jake

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Wild Horses...Wyoming desert

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Antelope in the Wyoming desert...

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Aspen Alley...Nearing the Colorado border...

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no trees, no shade, just high Wyoming desert...

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Preparing for a night session...

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Tetons from afar...

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Montana singletrack...

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First Day, Montana wilderness

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A quick stop in pinedale, WY

2009-09-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

To those who have been trying to follow us, we apologize for our lack of updates. We wake up eat, ride, sleep and do it again. We are busy and we try to manage our time well in order to get the miles we want. Right now I am losing time on my bike. I will ride later into the night this evening. This trip has been going well. We are one day behind on our ambitious schedule. The reason for this is a package. We had to wait for a package in Lima, MT. We were scheduled to get there on a Sunday and of course we could not get the pakage until monday. We took a rest/injury day in Wise River, MT knowing that we had this extra time in our hands due to the package. My knee was and still is bothering me a bit because my seat was too low. Who cares, I can rest it later, we have to get down the road right? Thats what we're doing.

The temps are slowly falling as we get deeper into fall. The mornings are the coldest so we have changed our plan a bit by riding later into the night and rising a bit later, waiting for the sun to rise. The land that we have covered has been gorgeous. The turning of the leaves is in progress and we have had epic views from the passes we have climbed. We'll give you all some more info later.

Thanks to Roy and Casey for getting us up to our starting point in Rooseville,MT. Dave and Rosana thanks for helping with the drops, and everyone in Tahoe thanks, you've been helping us since who knows when. Looking forward to Colorado. gotta go south. Duncan

Welcome!

2009-09-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Look here for news from Jake and Duncan as they make their way south. Stay tuned...