We're sorry! That's right, we apologize. Not for anything we did wrong, mind you. In fact, our apology is for being so honest with you last year. By bringing you “live” daily reports of TransRockies 2002, during some of the harshest conditions Mother Nature could throw at us, we may have put some of you off a bit.
By no means was that our intention and by no means were we the worst offenders! In fact, some of the media reports were not only honest, they were dramatically honest! They made it sound like the only way to survive the TransRockies was by gnawing your own limbs off-or those of your teammate-in an effort to save weight and offset starvation and by sacrificing billions of dollars worth of bike equipment to the harsh terrain.
If reports like this dissuaded you from signing up for 2003, we are truly sorry because you missed out on one of the most amazing mountain bike events on the planet and some damn tasty limb-gnawing to boot!
One of the most amazing things about this year's TR was that the event even took place. With only three days before the start gun was to go off in downtown Fernie, B.C., upsolutMV [correct?], the TR organizers, were ready to pull the plug. Fierce forest fires were sweeping through B.C. and Alberta and much of the TR's first three stages were in its path. A last-minute decision had to be made in an effort to save the race. If not for the courage of a fearless crew, and some well-thought-out re-routing, we would have been heading back home without even touching Rocky Mountain dirt.
All in all, the re-routing looked pretty good, although there was some concern over the fact that we both started and ended our first stage in Fernie, B.C. The math buffs among us quickly realized that after stage one we were only going to be about a metre closer to the finish line in downtown Canmore. The positive was that we would get to spend another night in the cozy comforts of the Fernie Mountain Lodge-not a bad trade-off!
As per usual, Fernie put on a great show. The opening ceremony, with live entertainment, food, beer, dessert, etc., was fantastic. We were also entertained by a local phenomenon known as the Ghost Rider of Fernie: a shadow cast on a local peak that appears as a horse and rider followed by two hikers. As the sunset and the ghost rider faded so did we, and we were off to dream about the adventures ahead.
We awoke to skies so deep blue you could sail a ship on them. Everyone gathered at town centre for the big send-off. Of course, we were only going to end up about a kilometre down the road by the end of the day but it was a big send-off anyway. Fernie Mayor McNair [QUERY: first name?] was there along with music, fan-lined streets, and a field made up of riders from all over the world. Hardcore pros, serious amateurs, young riders, old riders, older riders, you name it.
There were well-known riders Keith Bontrager, Rocky Mountain Bicycle's Andreas Hestler, and partner Matt Decore, Spot cycles Christina Begy and Louise Kobin, and there were inspirational riders such as amputee rider Brett Wolf and husband-and-wife team Richard and Laurie Woodbury, 58 and 48 years old respectively. Every one of them with their own story, their own reasons for taking on the TransRockies 2003 Challenge!
As we made our way out of downtown Fernie and into the trails, we-and the thermometer-began to climb. Neither the grade nor the temperature let up for the rest of the day, which pretty much set the theme for this year's event: sweltering and steep. What a change! Last year, we were battling rain, sleet, snow, and hypothermia. This year, sun, dust, dehydration, and hypoxia!
The pace was fast as there were a lot of TR newbies putting on a show right off the start line. TR 2002 veterans knew better and held back a little on Day One. As the newbie speed demons would learn, this race is all about time, energy, and health management. Use any one up too fast and you may find it biting you in the rear a few days later. The heat made it even more important to pace on opening day, but a couple of teams tempted fate by going balls out. One rider, at the summit of Day One's climb, measured 42Å¡C on her temp/altimeter gauge! Cramps and dehydration were becoming a major factor as many were already making big withdrawals from their endurance banks. The humble pie servings had begun.
As per TR tradition, everyone sat down that night for a pasta feast, the popular awards, and video presentation, and yammered on about the day's adventures while stuffing themselves silly. Each night, course designer Ward Cameron would prep us with descriptions of the next day's stage, descriptions so rich that we could almost feel the burn in our legs as he talked us through the route. This ritual is one of the things that makes the TransRockies such a unique event. It is where bonds are formed, team alliances made, and life-long friendships developed. It is where stories are told, stretched and dramaticized, and inspiration is born, and it is as much a part of the TransRockies as the riding itself.
Another big part of the TR is digging deep, much deeper than most have ever dug before and discovering the rewards of pushing your limits. Day Two was very much about pushing limits. A 130-kilometre stage, with 2,800 metres of climbing, from Fernie to Elkford, 80 kilometres of which was on what was described as a boring, logging road. Well, it certainly was boring if that's what you call riding a road through the Rockies that's scented with the aroma of wild strawberries; lined by crystal-blue lakes; emerald green, glacially fed rivers; and towering, craggy peaks.
Day Two was hot and long and many paid the price for their expenditures in stage one. Heat exhaustion and fatigue were claiming many teams and Team Pedal was no exception. Along with the beauty of this day's ride came disappointment. Almost two-thirds of the teams never made it past the final aid station due to mandatory time cutoffs but, in true TR style, what seemed to be a disastrous day was turned into an opportunity. As is the case in many disasters, it was the source for some great bonding between teams and some great stories. Of course, at midnight, when many of these teams actually made it into Elkford via ground transportation, no one was awake to enjoy them.
By Day Three, everyone was well-acquainted with the aches and pains that go along with spending more than seven hours on a bike saddle but, as with every morning of the TR, the new day brought new enthusiasm and levels of energy that, by all logic, shouldn't have been there. Day Three was the longest stage, measuring out at 140 kilometres and climbing more than 2,100 metres for the day. The day provided some amazing riding experiences on the journey to Etherington, including the Kananaskis Lake area, which features high-speed single-track trails, Highwood Pass (Canada's highest drive-able summit), grizzly bears and mountain goats, and an alpine meadow swarming with multicoloured butterflies. It felt as if you were in a Disney movie-minus the highly commercialized, oversized cartoon characters, of course.
Riders also discovered many things during stage three. First, that 140 kilometres on a mountain bike is bloody long. Second, that a 40-kilometre descent off the highest pass in Canada means nothing when it's into a hurricane-force headwind. And third, when you start talking to yourself more than to your teammate, you know the mental aspect of conquering the TransRockies has reared its ugly head.
Day Four was the first stage of the race that was identical to a stage from last year's event, and I use the word identical loosely. There were 65 kilometres and 1,590 metres of climbing but that was where the similarities ended. While last year we were lucky if we could see a metre in front of us as we battled through snow, sleet, rain, and some of the thickest concrete cow crap this side of the Rockies, this year was clear sailing. In fact, conditions were so nice that our team improved on last year's time by almost two hours! I would love to chalk that up to improved physical conditioning with age but the reality is, bikes go faster when the wheels actually turn and there isn't 100 pounds of mud caked on them. Sandy MacNabb, our camp for the night, was also an amazing contrast to last year. Falling sleet had been replaced by ash from a fire that burned several hundred kilometres west, a reminder that there was still a world out there even though we were so lost in our own.
On Day Five, we awoke to smoke-filled skies from that same fire. The sun shone with the brightness of an elevator button but it's warmth still managed to get through. We rode 105 kilometeres and 2,248 metre vertical into Bragg Creek, one of the most supportive little towns on the TransRockies tour. It's so little it doesn't even rate as a town but rather a hamlet. During the Bragg Creek stage, we were treated to three great climbs, the infamous Elbow River (that last year required a submarine), and an incredible gorge at Threepoint Creek. It was a great ride and a special one for Team Pedal as we screamed into town for a stage win and a coveted gold medal. Now, winning a medal isn't everything in an event like the TransRockies, just finishing each stage is… oh, who am I kidding! Winning a gold medal in the TransRockies kicks butt!
Bragg Creek as usual treated us to an amazing night of pasta and live entertainment and another great awards and video presentation before sending us on our way to the sixth stage. Stage 6 was also an amazing contrast to last year. This year's 71-kilometre journey took us 1,810 metres up to the summit of Cox Hill, one of the most-sought-after trails in Alberta, which was missed last year due to snow. The only snow on this year's course was Tom Snow, the amazing roller-coaster single-track trail that guided us to an alpine paradise. As we crested Cox Hill, it was if we had ascended to the top of the world. A raw alpine trail, lined with razor-sharp shale, wove across the mountain ridge and provided us with the most breathtaking views in this year's ride. The only thing missing were sherpas, although some team members may have felt they held rights to that title of protest. What was arguably one of the most impressive ridge rides of the TR suddenly turned into the best descent of the week. A blistering single-track downhill that seemed to go on forever provided just that, blisters from breaking for so long and facial cramps from grinning like an idiot. The day's ride was a great way to deliver us to our last stage stop at Pine Grove Group Campground.
From Pine Grove, we launched our final attack on the TransRockies. Everyone was aching, bruised, and swollen in areas that, until now, they didn't even know were part of human anatomy, but nothing was going to stop us from crossing the final finish line in Canmore. Stage seven offered 80 kilometres and a relatively mild 1,435 metres of climbing through the incredibly scenic Kananaskis backcountry, but it almost didn't happen! The forest fire situation had become so serious in the area that all backcountry travel had been banned but, thanks to the efforts of the TransRockies organization, Travel Alberta, and Alberta Parks, the TR was once again pulled from the brink. TR teams were the only humans given permission to be in the backcountry that day and every one of us owes a huge thanks to the people that made that possible. There are only a few things that could have been worse than having the final stage of a week-long race canceled.
Appreciation came in the form of an incredible show of athleticism and sportsmanship as everyone gave everything they had left to make their dream of completing a TranRockies a reality. Some teams dragged themselves across the finish line in Canmore, one with a member who rode the last 20 kilometres with a fractured jaw!
Anyone who has ever experienced the euphoric rush that accompanies completing such an epic adventure as the TR will understand how these riders pushed past their limits. We won't kid you, this is a tough event but it's also an event for anyone who loves being on a bike. Brett Wolf, who completed the entire 600 kilometres with one leg, and 58-year-old Richard Woodbury and his wife, Laurie, 48, (who finished every stage dead last but still finished) are a testament to that fact. T
he TransRockies received a bit of a bum rap last year. The weather was truly extreme, which shouldn't be a surprise in the Rockies but, let's be fair, even Disneyland sucks in the rain. Who knows what we'll get in 2004? Hail, lightning, alien abductions. Guess you'll have to be there to find out. Team Pedal will be!
For detailed daily diary of Team Pedal, check out the www.pedalmag.com 2003
www. TransRockies.com