Friday, August 20, 2021

2021 Alberta Rockies 700

This year’s version of the Alberta Rockies 700 was a mixed bag. It had everything! Highs, lows, easy gravel, hard gravel, green single track, black single track, hike-a-bike, technical descents, clear skies, smoky skies, heat, and freezing cold…all within about 3 days.

I decided to do this ride just after I finished the Parkway Yoyo Challenge. The link for that ride is below.

https://www.strava.com/activities/5546686881

Here are the links for the AR700 and Ride for the 751.

https://www.strava.com/activities/5800598384

https://www.strava.com/activities/5805821883

https://www.strava.com/activities/5808263265

It’s been a weird year with COVID and events, so I’ve been doing mostly personal challenges. But the race fit well into my schedule, so I decided to go for it. I had some fitness built up from the Yoyo and had five weeks until the race. One more training block, then race time!

This year I was going to make my old Kona Unit into a gravel bike, so I had bought a pair of 700x50 Maxxis Ramblers. When I decided to do the AR700, I thought I would put them on my Rollingdale to give them a try. With the lower rolling resistance of the tire compared to 2.35 Maxxis Ikons I thought maybe I could put on a higher single speed gear ratio. I did a few test rides with the Ramblers and a 32x15 ratio on the prairie gravel roads and they were working great! This lulled me into a state of delusion thinking these tires would allow me to run 32x16 during the race. That would have been a BIG mistake! After looking at the amount of climbing, I decided to use 32x18 and that was still too high! Looking back, I should have chosen 32x20 with the amount of steep climbs on the course. I walked a LOT! Anyway, my final set up was my titanium Rollingdale with 700x50 Maxxis Ramblers and a 32x18 single speed ratio.

We (meaning Kristin) booked a hotel in Canmore and the race was set! We arrived Friday afternoon and did a quick shakedown ride to the brewery where the other riders were having a meet-up. After chatting a bit, we went back to the hotel and got some sleep.

In the morning, we got to the start and saw the biggest group ever for this race. I have done it a few times in the past, although not this loop route, and had never seen this amount of people.

Big group at the start. Photo by Kristin

Including 4 Rollingdales. Photo by Kristin

Ready to go! Photo by Kristin

The AR700 is a loop that starts in Canmore, goes south to Coleman, goes a bit further south through the Flathead, then snakes its way back to Canmore. It’s a dastardly route with a lot of variety.

AR700 route

The race was on! Photo by Kristin

The race was on and we started with a climb up the dusty gravel road out of Canmore. I chatted a bit with Neil from Canmore and after that was basically on my own.

Spray Lakes in the morning

We wound our way through the High Rockies Trail and back on the dusty, washboardy Smith Dorrien Trail. I felt good and tried to remember to eat and drink. Routine is important on these rides! I cruised along and passed a few riders. Eventually I saw Tim with his “Ride” water bottle that mimicked the Tide logo and color scheme. We chatted a bit and kept on pedalling trying to find a smooth place to ride on the severely washboarded road. I caught up with Steve and we talked a bit too until we got to the High Rockies Trail turn-off… which we almost missed. I was thankful to be off the washboarded gravel and I knew the walking would begin.

It seemed on the High Rockies single track that I would be slower on the climbs where I would walk up, but I would gain time on the descents with my trusty Rolingdale MTB and suspension fork. I had the ability to lock the fork out and with it unlocked on the single track I could bomb down the descents with ease. It was a blast! I would leapfrog with other riders and eventually got to the suspension bridge. It was pretty congested with people, and I wasn’t sure what to do. 

They will have to get out of the way

Then Dion rode up behind me. I was surprised to see him because he is such a strong rider. I expected him to be 20km ahead by now, but it turns out he rode the entire High Rockies Trail! We both then got on our bikes to navigate our way through the people on the bridge. After the bridge, I kept up with Dion for a short while and then he dropped me. Fast guy!

The High Rockies Trail spit me out onto the nice smooth paths of Peter Lougheed Park. Time to eat! I snacked away and Steve rode up beside me. We talked a bit and I think he turned off to go to the Boulton Creek Store. I’ve passed that store on a number of rides like this and never stopped there. It always seems too close to the start. The paved paths turned into some double track with some steep pitches. Back to walking. I talked to some hikers trudging up the same hill and they expressed disbelief that we were going so far in the same day. Riding 250-300km of rough trail is not normal? I guess not.

Then we got to the Highwood Pass Road. I was wondering how my ratio was going to work on this. I rode this stretch of road in the dark a few years ago on my ITT of the old AR700 route as a practice run for the Tour Divide and ended up walking a bunch of it. I was able to successfully grind my way up. I saw a few things as I slowly pushed the pedals. First it was Dion. He probably stopped at Boulton. He blasted past me, and I didn’t expect to see him again for a second time. Then it was the sheep! Lots of them licking something off the road. Yummy! I was happy to get a selfie with one of them.

Delicious road glaze

Sheep selfie! Look at my concentration in taking the picture!

I saw a few groups of sheep and kept my standing rhythm. Then Steve rolled up. He said he was creeping up on me for about 45min. It was nice to chat again and top the crest of the summit with him.

Steve! Looking strong!

Obligatory summit photo.

After the summit Steve pulled away and I started eating again. It was a nice, long descent where I could rest in the aero bars and snack away.

When going 40-50kph, you periodically get smacked by bugs. On this descent I had a big bug smack me in the chest and get caught in the front of my jersey. I went to brush it away and then it stung me! It must have been a wasp or bee! I felt the pain spread through my chest and was wondering if I would swell up. I have been stung by bees before when I was a kid and did not have bad reactions, so I wasn’t too worried. But I did wonder if the bug was still in my jersey somewhere. The pain lasted for a little while, then dissipated. It must have been a wasp.

After the long descent, I came to the Highwood Store. I planned on getting some water and a snack. I went in the store to use the bathroom first and saw a sign to get the key and it’s for customers only. Someone came out and gave me the key and I looked at the clerk. I mentioned I would be buying something and went in. While I was using the bathroom, I could hear the clerk complaining about how she doesn’t like non-customers using the bathroom and I felt bad about going in before buying something. After I was done, I gave the key back and she sternly took it from me. After I got some water and snacks, she warmed up to me a bit. She was very protective of her bathroom!

There were some other riders there and we talked a bit. It was nice seeing some familiar faces like Justin, Dion (again), Steve (again), and some new ones like Alister. I fed, then was on my way along another dusty road. Even though I have ridden this before a couple of times, I could not remember what it was like. Just more gravel I guess… and I was right.

Dusty roads! Unenthusiastic yay!

I settled into a rhythm and waited for the other riders at the store to catch me. Sure enough they did one by one. Steve and Tim caught me later in the evening and we rode together for a while.

It was great chatting with these two!

Eventually we came to the right turn where the 500km riders part ways with the 700km riders. There is a campsite there and Tim and Steve decided to stop for some reason. I kept riding. The racer instinct in me was happy to hopefully gain some ground.

My plan for this race was to try riding through the night and sleeping the second night a little bit. The hope was that I would not feel too tired the first 30-40 hours of no sleep, then with a 2-3 hour rest, I could finish the race feeling somewhat alert. Didn’t work.

Anyway, I kept on pedalling to Coleman. By the time I got there, it was dark and I had to find the 7-11. Alister and I stopped a couple of times to use Google Maps and eventually found the store. I got a couple of dry taquitos (gross) and refilled water. Everyone else was talking about stopping and I wanted to keep on riding. I saw that the lead riders had stopped and I had a chance to catch them. I left the store and stopped a ways down the road to call Kristin. We talked a bit, then I was off hoping to drop the other riders who were stopping for the night in Coleman. That didn’t work either.

So off I pedalled into the night full of liquids and taquito paste. Then the sleep monster started to rear its ugly head. I was nodding off so decided to stop to take a quick nap. I had just laid down and started to go into lala land, then heard voices. I jolted out of my stupor, jumped to my feet, and started walking again (it was a steep pitch for 32x18). Kyle and Theo were chatting and steadily climbed past me. They looked so clean!

I kept plodding and pedalling through the night. When dawn broke, a stretch of pavement appeared. So nice! I cruised and ate as I approached Kootenay Pass. I knew it was a hike-a-bike, but didn’t know it was a HIKE-A-BIKE! Loose rock, bad footing, and steep grade for about 2-3km. It took a long time!

Pictures never do it justice.

It keeps going...

And going...

After what seemed like an eternity, I got to the top. What a view!  Even with the smoke!

Finally!

Now, the descent begins. I wondered if it would be hard, or easy. Well, it was not the second one. This was one section that reminded me of the Arizona Trail. The hike-a-bike was very similar except it was only 2-3km long instead of 200 miles (that’s my very unscientific guess of the amount of steep, nasty hike-a-bike on the Arizona Trail). And the descent was very similar to Arizona. Loose, big sharp rocks, and steep. I was glad it was only a short section. But it was still fun with the Rollingdale and suspension fork. I wondered how the people with drop bars and rigid forks would fare. I bombed my way down through the steep overgrown trail.

It was a bit overgrown in parts (those who rode it know this is an understatement).

The trail evolved into double track as it meandered through the Flathead. Lots of bears in the Flathead, they say. I have been in this area during the Tour Divide and including this time, saw lots of scat but no bears… thankfully. This time, I may have had a close encounter. I had stopped for some reason, heard a grunt noise, and saw some branches move just off the trail… about 10 feet away! Close! I thought I saw a dark shape move away but I had been awake for close to 28 hours and typically start seeing things at this point, so I didn’t know if it was real. I started loudly asking the grunt in the woods if it was big or small. Taking no chances, I started blowing my whistle and took out my bear spray. I moved away with no incident. I’ll never know if that was a bear or some small woodland creature, but small woodland creatures don’t typically make deep grunting noises.

With the potential close encounter over, I started getting back to riding. I was looking forward to seeing Butts Cabin again after seeing it on the Tour Divide! I rounded a bend, and there it was!

Majestic cabin of the Butts

I had cleaned up in a stream a little earlier so took this as a break to take off my warm layer and add some sunscreen. It was starting to get hot! The next climb was Cabin Pass. This is part of the Tour Divide route, so I knew it was a “nice” climb. Nothing too steep. I felt a bit tired at one point so took a 5-10min nap. On and on I rode having fond memories about the Tour Divide. It was raining on the Tour Divide when I rode this last time, so I was happy to have nice weather this time.

I got to the top of the pass and knew I needed some water. The last few blue lines on my eTrex that are usually streams were just a bunch of rocks, so I was running low. After the big descent, I got to a big river and filled up my bladder and bottle. I was pretty thirsty and was not looking forward to waiting the 30min for my Aquatabs to work.

As I was packing up, Steve rolled up! I am always happy to see Steve, but this time it was a bit disheartening because I thought I would put a gap between the other riders by going through the night. We chatted a bit and I started up the climb out of the river valley. Once 30min passed and I was able to drink, I drank… too much. I gulped it down as if I hadn’t drank water for a week. There was a short hike up a steep pitch and at the top, I felt a wave of almost-nausea hit me. I felt weak and not so good in the belly. I probably drank too much with not enough food in my stomach. I stood for a minute and Steve passed me. Then another rider rolled by. I slowly crept along with my gut rot. A while later I stopped and checked my phone. I had a signal, so I called Kristin to vent my woes. I took a few minutes and then started slowly rolling again. I forced some food down and only sipped water even though I felt like chugging it. I knew it would work itself out eventually. And, eventually it did after some time and a good drenching sick-sweat. The trail through the Wigwam Forest was gentle and quite beautiful. I wish I took a few pictures, but I was distracted by my sick feeling.

It was starting to get late, and it was getting a bit ridiculous about how long I was awake. I had only taken a couple of 10min naps in about 40 hours. I thought I would bivy somewhere when it got dark, but the idea of a hotel in Fernie sounded pretty good. I decided to keep going until I got there. It wasn’t too far. How hard could it be? Famous last words.

The last 16km of the route leading into Fernie ended up being single track. It was nice single track, but too pitchy for me and my 32x18 ratio. I found some flow in some sections, but many of the sections, I had to get off and walk, ride a short bit, then get off to walk again. Also, much of the single track was traversing a steep hill. In the dark, I had no idea how far down it went, but it seemed like I was riding along this ribbon on the edge of the abyss. I was in no state to push my MTB skills, so I crept my way along walking and timidly rolling along what felt like a cliff edge. That 16km took forever.

I finally rolled into Fernie about 12am. The route took me past a sports field and I almost got hit in the head by an automatic sprinkler spray. That would have been unpleasant. I wasn’t cold, but I didn’t want to get soaked either. Over the last few hours, the single track, need for sleep, and the time it took to go such a short distance put me in a negative mood. I know these moods come and go so I knew it would pass. And I knew a bit of sleep would help tremendously.

I wanted to get a hotel so looked in the area. No vacancy everywhere. I found a hostel-like establishment and talked to a friendly drunk guy outside. He said there was rooms and to talk to the guy at the desk. I did and after a loooong wait found out all they had were “pods”. I wasn’t sure exactly what a pod was but it didn’t have a shower, so I turned him down. I decided I would keep riding and bivy in the dirt somewhere out of town. My bitter mood continued.

I got to the 7-11 muttering in my mind how much of a waste of time the hotel searching was. I met Jocelyn here and we had the same plan of riding for a while, then sleeping somewhere. I went in for some food and guess what they had? Taquitos!!! Blech. I choked a couple down then noticed they actually did have some fresh sandwiches. Tuna and egg salad did not sound appetizing for breakfast, but the chicken wrap did. I picked it up and started down the road.

I rode into the night examining every bush and tree for it’s bivy-worthiness. About 2am just before Hosmer, I found a patch of trees and grass I could hide behind and sleep for a bit. I rolled out the bivy and crashed hard.

I woke up about 2.5 hours later and heard a bike roll by. I guess that’s my cue to get up. I packed up and ate my chicken wrap. Tasty! Much better than dry taquito mash! Tim rolled up and said he took an alternate and was out of the race. Too bad! We rode down the highway for a bit. It was busy! It must have been people on their way to work. I was glad I had two rear lights.

The route got off the highway, thankfully, and went on some double track. This trail was nice! It was called the Coal Discovery Trail and was mostly smooth, flowy single track all the way to Sparwood. Bitter mood defeated! I didn’t even feel bad when Jeff and Sarah, the racing couple, passed me on a climb.

My nettle friend along the Coal Discovery Trail

The smoke was thicker in this part of BC. I noticed it, but it wasn’t bothering me much. I got into Sparwood and got some breakfast at A&W. Tim, Jeff, and Sarah were there too. I called Kristin while I ate, and then was on my way.

Obligatory big truck photo. I tried a different angle.

The route snaked through Sparwood and its local trails. It was cool to see Sparwood beyond what you see from the highway. Then it was back on the gravel. I thought most of the route between Sparwood and Elkford is the Tour Divide Route so I was curious if I would recognise any of it. It looked a bit familiar but, in this case, gravel roads looked like gravel roads.

As I was crunching along the gravel, I came upon another rider who didn’t look familiar. “Who’s that guy?” I said in my head. It was Shaun from South Africa (originally, now from Calgary)! I met him last year on the AR500 Covid Edition. It was nice to chat again. He was having chain issues and on one of the climbs, it snapped again, and we parted ways.

Then I found myself on some single track again. I didn’t remember this from the Tour Divide. Yep, it was different. It was a nice short stretch that ended at Elkford. I stopped at the store and Jocelyn was there. He mentioned there was fresh fruit! No taquitos for me!! I got a $7 cup of strawberries and some other drinks. Those were the best strawberries I ever had!

After Elkford, there was some more single track. I ran into another rider who I met on the High Rockies Trail on day 1 but didn’t get his name. We rode together for a very short while. Then he dropped me. After the short bit of single track was now familiar gravel roads. I have ridden these a couple of times. Kristin and I toured this a few years ago and I rode it for the Tour Divide.

The roads undulated along the Elk River gradually gaining elevation. The sleep monster started to hit again so I took a couple of cat naps along the way.

Nap spot at a tree

I was trying to find a good place I could get a good half an hour of sleep but didn’t find anything. After my 2.5 hour sleep at night I didn’t feel drowsy most of the day, but now it was starting to become more frequent. The drowsiness was hitting about every 1-2 hours and I wanted to sleep a bit longer so it would stop. I came to the point where the road crossed Elk River and saw a nice tree to sleep under. I settled in hoping to sleep for a while. Just when I got comfortable, an ant crawled in my ear. Nothing ruins a good nap than having an insect in your ear canal. So, after clearing the intruder, I got back on the bike.

When I talked to Kristin last, she mentioned it was getting rainy in Canmore. I had not felt it yet up to this point, but it now started to sprinkle. I knew I had to get to the top of Elk Pass, so didn’t want to put on extra layers yet and overheat while climbing. It started to rain gradually more and more, but still was not bad enough to put on more layers.

It’s funny sometimes what can motivate you on these rides. I knew I eventually would come upon the Tobermory Cabin. I thought maybe I would have a good sleep there and that would carry me through to the end. But something else proved to be my motivation. As I was riding, my Garmin Edge beeped saying it was no longer being charged! I had a power bank that I thought would power my Edge until the end. My eTrex takes AAs so that device was not a concern, but the Edge was what I was using to record my ride. And for those who use Strava, you know if it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen. Lol! I could always use my eTrex to record the ride, but it’s so much easier on my Edge. So, my motivation now was to finish the ride before the battery ran out on my Edge! The race was on!!

This lit a huge fire under me! I now move with renewed purpose. I had to walk much of Elk Pass, but it was a quick walk. I no longer hesitated when jumping back on the bike to pedal when I could. It was great! I got to the cabin where I thought I might nap, but there was no time to nap! The battery is dying!

No nap for me!

As I crested Elk Pass, the rain really started to fall. I put on my rain gear and refilled my feedbags with enough food until the end.


The last summit!

I released my lockout and bombed down the descent in the rain. Peter Lougheed Park came quickly and I could see the end in sight. There was a wildfire near Skogan Pass so there was a reroute to go back along Smith Dorrien Road. I was a bit disappointed that I would not see Skogan Pass, but I was more happy that I only had to ride this gravel reroute in the pouring rain.

I cruised along the paved paths of Peter Lougheed like a couple of days earlier and ate as much as I could… just like a couple of days earlier. At one point I stopped for a little while to make sure I was taking the right way in the paths. These paths all look the same to me even though I have ridden them a few times. I saw the reroute earlier in the day but there is no cell service, so I had to go from memory. I was glad it was simple to navigate.

I made my way to Smith Dorrien Road and started the home stretch about dusk. It was pouring rain and getting colder, but I felt great! It was strange! I had no body pain and loads of energy. I was hammering!

Night fell and it got even colder. My Edge showed about +4 °C. It was amazing that just a couple of days ago I was sweating on this same road at +30 °C. I was starting to fade and was losing hope that I would beat the race with the dying Edge. It was at about 35% and steadily dropping, but I soldiered on.

I started to get colder and decided I would put on some more layers at the next sign of shelter, but shelter did not come soon enough. I stopped out in the open and started rummaging in my bag for my warm clothes. I fished out my beanie, buff, shell gloves, and arm warmers. It was raining too hard for me to take off my raincoat, so I rolled up my sleeves and put the arm warmers on. I had some chemical hand warmers too so I opened a pack and put them in the arm warmers at my wrists under my raincoat so they would stay dry. After what seemed like forever, I got back on the bike.

I was back to feeling warmer again. I kept pedalling hard to keep the furnace going. It was neat feeling the warmth spreading from my chest into my head and extremities. Maybe I would beat the dying Edge!

Then my final big obstacle of the race jammed a figurative stick in my spokes. I suspect few will relate to this, but I have what is called prism in my vision. One of my eyes shifts up compared to the other one which results in double vision. It’s not usually an issue. My eyes naturally correct themselves when I focus on something and there is no double image. But on this night in the dark, in the rain, on the bumpy, white gravel of the Smith Dorrien, the double vision hit me hard all of the sudden.

With about 20km to go, the double vision gradually got worse and worse. That coupled with the hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation made for a surreal ride back. The white, wet road illuminated by my lights would split into a high and low image, so it felt like I was driving through a tunnel. Then I would start to feel sleepy and drift into a dream world to the point where I would have to stop and regain my bearings. I managed to find a couple of outhouses on the way where I could take a quick nap. The nap would slightly correct the double vision for a little while, but it would always come back.

I just kept moving forward. That’s the only way to finish. My race with the dying Edge became a low priority. I finally approached the steep descent into town, and it was at 1%. I still might beat the Edge! I crept down the steep switchbacks with one eye closed. I had discovered with one eye closed, the swirling double vision of white gravel and puddles could be kept to a minimum. At one switchback the pouring rain had eroded narrow canals in the road. My tire got caught and I hit the ground hard. My palms ground into the gravel and with my hands being so cold, they lost feeling.

I picked myself and my bike up, closed my left eye, and resumed my descent. Eventually I reached the pavement, then the lights of Canmore. The double vision still was bad so I had a hard time finding my way through town. I could not make the words out on the signs and could not recognise the buildings. I snaked my way through downtown and surprisingly found the finish line.

I heard some cheers and was elated that I actually made it down that mountain. My loving wife Kristin and son Evan were there to greet me at the finish. Steve also stuck around to greet me at the end. He rode so strong! Thanks for being there!!

I checked my Edge and it was at 1%! By some miracle, I beat the dying battery!! I went to stop the ride and my fingers didn’t’ work. I called Evan over and he pushed the buttons that my fingers could not push.

Another AR700 in the books! Thanks for the route and challenge, Jonathan!

2021 Alberta Rockies 700: 2 days 19 hours 35 minutes

7th place over all; 1st place single speed (of 1, lol)

All done! Photo by Steve O'Shaugnessy

But wait, there’s more. On June 2nd of this year, 751 unmarked graves of mostly Indigenous children were discovered at the cemetery of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. I wanted to ride the Alberta Rockies 700 in memory of those children. My goal was to ride a kilometer for each child and would continue riding beyond the finish line until the goal is complete.

I knew I had to warm up and sort out my vision before I could safely ride again, so I showered and took a 45 min nap. Then about 6am, Kristin and I rode the Legacy Trail into Banff and back to Canmore for an additional 54km to finish this goal. As a nation, we have unfortunately done some horrible things in our history that we should never forget. They should never be forgotten so we never repeat the same mistakes in the future.

In memory of the 751

2 comments:

  1. Great job ans write up Dean ( and thanks for the coffee at the finish ! Andre

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    Replies
    1. Our pleasure Andre! It was great to meet you at the finish!

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