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Rocky Mountain 1200
2008.07.27
this is what a pasta sandwich looks like.
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loading up the evening beforehand, at the Coquihalla toll booth.
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getting the bike ready morning of...that's Bob, from upstate NY.
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ready to roll, with Dug at the start control.
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nothing left to do but nap in nervous anticipation.
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start time was 10 pm Wednesday night. Patti Marsh (ride organizer) surveys from the centre of a sea of reflective straps and vests.
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yo Texas, y'all ready for this? (Mark and Shellene at left).
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dawn on Thursday morning, somewhere south of Blue River.
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at the front of this group is Sophie Matter, who set a women's course record of 64h 44m. when she left quickly after breakfast, i sure didn't see her again.
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Husky breakfast (of champions). thank god i was in early (i.e. i wasn't pacing myself properly), because later arrivals waited over an hour for food.
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digesting breakfast or catching z's?
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z's all around. (south of Valemount)
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mid-day on Thursday, entering Mt. Robson Provincial Park, with Tracy, Keith, Barry (not shown) and Julie (next photo).
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a well-deserved ice cream break.
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Mt. Robson, over Tracy's shoulder.
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entering Jasper National Park , late Thursday afternoon.
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team BC: Tracy, Keith, Julie and Barry (L-R), continue on from Jasper on Thursday eve.
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top of the first climb on the way to Beauty Creek hostel.
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spectacular evening sun lit us up the whole way...my condolences if you rode this stretch in the dark, you missed a doozy of an evening.
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nearly 4 am Friday, near Beauty Creek hostel, preparing to start the first big climb of the day.
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i tried to convince Tracy to drag me up the pass, but no dice.
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top of Sunwapta Pass (2,035 m).
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top of Bow Summit (2,065 m). everything spanning these two climbs was pure pain interspersed with hallucinatory ecstasy at the panoramas surrounding me.
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Saturday morning, about 4 am, partway up Rogers Pass between Golden and Revelstoke.
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Saturday dawn.
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------------------------------------------
the RM1200 is a 1200 km, 90-hr time limit bicycle ride in the Canadian Rockies, designed primarily for masochistic loners known as randonneurs. this was my first year randonneuring, and i was thrilled to be able even to complete this ride, with a final time of 76h 28m.
after i reached the Bow Summit, roughly midway through the ride, my hands started to go numb from road vibration, and the situation deteriorated badly until i reached Revelstoke on Sat. morning. Gary Baker, the control commander there, assisted me with gel packs and old inner tubes on my handlebars, which allowed me to finish the ride (thanks a million!). however, my hands couldn't really conceive much of holding a camera any longer. nor can i type well even now, though things are slowly improving.
see the RM1200 home page for details, and the results page for other photos and stories.
the RM1200 is a 1200 km, 90-hr time limit bicycle ride in the Canadian Rockies, designed primarily for masochistic loners known as randonneurs. this was my first year randonneuring, and i was thrilled to be able even to complete this ride, with a final time of 76h 28m.
after i reached the Bow Summit, roughly midway through the ride, my hands started to go numb from road vibration, and the situation deteriorated badly until i reached Revelstoke on Sat. morning. Gary Baker, the control commander there, assisted me with gel packs and old inner tubes on my handlebars, which allowed me to finish the ride (thanks a million!). however, my hands couldn't really conceive much of holding a camera any longer. nor can i type well even now, though things are slowly improving.
see the RM1200 home page for details, and the results page for other photos and stories.
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