Saturday, September 7, 2024

Maunakea | Journey Complete!

Start of this Crazy Dream
In November of 2016, we were enjoying our favorite resort on the North Shore of O'ahu when we got the idea to take a day trip to the Island of Hawai'i to see the eruption of Kīlauea. As our plane approached the Hilo airport, we both marveled at the massive mountains out the window. And I first shared that I'd read about folks biking to the summit of Maunakea, the biggest climb you can do with a bike on the planet. Our trip that year was an epic journey in one day, exploring the Big Island, finding places that we've come back to visit again and again, this is an exceptionally special place! The trip included renting some cheap bikes to ride out and see the Kīlauea lava hose ... 'cause I'm gonna find a bike everywhere I go LOL! I really should make a blog on that day, seriously it was that memorable! 
Lava hose from the 2016 Kīlauea eruption ... BREATHTAKING

First Attempt | I Was Not Ready for That! 
In February 2023, I made my first attempt to bike to the summit of Maunakea, link to my blog post on this ride ... Spoiler Alert: I stopped at the Visitor Information Center at 9,200 ft.
Feeling the magnitude of this challenge

Second Attempt | Never Got Off the Ground
August 2023, we had a trip booked to return to Hawai'i, a vacation with the goal to make a second attempt. Lisa had a business trip right before our flight to Kona, she'd only be home for 24 hours before our flight. We were all packed to leave, but Lisa got home to find she had COVID, and it was seriously kicking her butt. I caught COVID too, but somehow, I was asymptomatic, I only knew I had COVID because I was self-testing since I was sharing the house with Lisa. Obviously, we had to cancel the trip, and less than 24 hours before our flight ... it was really hard on both of us. But we had travel credits from the cancelled trip, so we decided to book a return the following August.

Third Attempt | Third Time's the Charm! 
We flew into Kona on Thursday, August 22 and left late on the following Thursday, August 29. Leading up to this trip, we were watching the weather and there was a major tropical storm forming in the Pacific with Hawai'i looking to be impacted, this became Hurricane Hone. Our ideal plan was travel on Thursday; settle in and assemble my bike on Friday; and ride on Saturday. But the forecast showed that the storms would start impacting the island on Saturday. So, we agreed to make a push to get the bike assembled on our travel day and attempt my ride on Friday. 
It was after sunset and the bathroom in our room had the best lighting LOL
This plan worked out well, my bike was reassembled, all the needed food and support equipment was packed in our Jeep right after we checked into the hotel. Less than 12 hours after we landed and with less than 6 hours sleep, thanks to jet leg we were both wide awake before 4:00 AM, we had some coffee and light breakfast before making the short drive to Waikōloa Beach. I was on my bike and riding before 6:00 AM, it was nearly perfect! I felt great, the bike was perfect, and the weather was amazing! 
The Waikōloa Beach public beach access ramp
There was that black cat that crossed my path leaving the beach. I'm not into this kinda thing, but the storms winds got started earlier than forecasted. About 25 miles into my ride, I was getting hit with 25-30 mph crosswinds and having a hard time controlling my bike in gusting conditions with heavy highway traffic right next to me. I was very happy to see Lisa stopped just a couple miles later. I didn't want to say it, but I knew that was the end of the ride for the day. And to be clear, I don't shy away from windy conditions, I'll happily ride in the wind when I have space to recover from a gust ... but with the busy highway and winds pushing be towards the traffic, it wasn't safe to continue the ride. We agreed to head back to the resort, get some food, drinks, rest, and look for a day when the weather would be safer.
We were staying at The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort and were very fortunate that Hurricane Hone wasn't a serious impact in this area. We had a rainy day on Sunday, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the beach and resort pool. It was a good chill day for both of us. 

Because I'd used some of my nutrition and hydration mix, we were looking for a place on the island to find my preferred products. We found Bikeworks Beach & Sports in Waikōloa Beach, they had the products I was looking for, and they were the best bike folks. We had so much fun talking with the staff! They introduced us to their favorite products from locals on the island, HIDrate Electolytes, and we shared our favorite local nutrition, Embark Maple ... one of the shop staff decided to order some Embark while we were in the shop. 

Our next target date for my ride was Tuesday, the weather looked amazing as Hone moved away from the island and that was the day we planned to move to Volcano Rainforest Retreat, so it was kinda perfect to have our Jeep packed and we needed to drive to the Hilo side of the island. However, the Manua Kea Access Rd above the Visitor Information Center (VIC) was washed out from the storm and was closed for repairs. Midday on Monday, we decided we'd move the ride back to our last day on Hawai'i. Funny enough, the Access Road was reported back open late on Monday, but we made the decision and stuck with it. 

Hone damage to the Access Road https://hilo.hawaii.edu/maunakea/
We truly loved our time at the Volcano Rainforest Retreat, so peaceful and restful! The staff was very interested and excited to learn more about my ride. 
May Peace Prevail On Earth
Starting from Volcano meant riding up the mountain from the Hilo side because Hilo is only 45 minutes from Volcano versus 2 hours to get to Waikōloa Beach. I had looked at the Hilo route to Maunakea but had not planned on it. So there was a ton of last minute planning, loading the route on my Garmin, and a route for Lisa to follow me in the Jeep. Riding from Hilo meant avoiding Mamalahoa Hwy, I never want to ride this road ever again, this is an extremely stressful 3-mile section of road on the Waikōloa Beach route. The Hilo route looked like it had less stressful roads. The beach starting point in Hilo was a little tough to get to, with the Hawai'i Belt Rd cutting off the path to the Coconut Point Lighthouse in Kaipaloao Landing Park. We agreed to just roll with it and figure it out real time when we saw the park and adapt as needed.
 
Sea to Sky | The Full Ride
The Jeep was nearly fully packed before we went to bed, ready to roll early the next morning. We were both up before 4:00 AM, neither of us totally acclimated to the 5-hour time difference on Hawai'i. After a light breakfast and coffee, we rolled out for the 45-minute drive to Hilo. 
Seeing Maunakea from the shoreline in Hilo
There were a couple challenges getting to the starting point at the Coconut Point Lighthouse, there's no parking at the park, but there's lots of parking across Hawai'i Belt Rd. I walked down to the lowest point and started my Garmin, while Lisa moved the Jeep and found a place to put the Jeep for just a minute (in a no parking zone) for a couple pictures as I prepared to start this epic journey.
Coconut Point Lighthouse
I couldn't have been happier with the roads from the lighthouse to the Saddle Rd, they were low speed limits (30-35 mph) with very light traffic. On the other hand, the roads out of Hilo are straight onto the climb. You do not get to warm up, you see 6% grades, and more, in the first couple miles! I was challenged with the grades, and the road surfaces were rough, but I was so much happier than the first miles out of Waikōloa Beach.
 
There were very few places for a nature break on this route, and it had been a long time since leaving Volcano, so I was very happy to find a public rest area at the Kaumana Caves. At this point, I got stressed out to find that my Garmin map was not working correctly, it was stuck on one point. I was both stressed out but also had some hope since I'd had issues like this in the past ... I was challenged to trust the Garmin to work it all out at the end of the day. That said, the Garmin wasn't giving me turn-by-turn directions, thankfully I was past any complicated roads. After fiddling with some tricks that had fixed this map issue in the past, I gave up knowing that all the data fields were correctly updating ... and randomly, a ways up Saddle Rd, it worked itself out and the map on my Garmin was working correctly. 

The Google Maps route I shared with Lisa didn't work, she didn't find me until I made the turn onto Daniel K. Inouye Highway, commonly called the Saddle Rd. I turned right onto Saddle Rd, and BOOM, there was Lisa shouting out the window of her Jeep, she found me! Happily, I was all good up to that point with all the food and hydration I needed. But we both had our challenges with the last-minute change to the Hilo route. 

After that, Lisa would drive roughly 5 miles up the road, find a safe turn out and wait for me. In addition to avoiding the hateful Mamalahoa Hwy, you spend a lot less time on the Saddle Rd. The Saddle Rd has a wide shoulder, but you've got semis and tons of traffic passing you at 60+ mph, I can't help but think it's stressful for anybody, but I know I can't relax in that environment. Add that the shoulder has a lot of little chip rocks and other debris. Additionally, when the road curves to the left, the road bevel is kinda stressfully, at a low speeds on a bike, it feels like it's pulling you toward the traffic lane. 
Enjoying a Coke on Saddle Rd
After 20 miles, the road flattened out notably, allowing me to get into the big chainring for a while and even freewheel for just a minute. The climb mellowed out for nearly 7 miles, mostly staying between 1% and 3%, allowing me to get the Mauna Kea Access Rd quicker than I expected.
Shortly after turning up Mauna Kea Access Rd, you get a very real warning
I let out a little cheer as I made the turn onto the Access Rd. There was very little traffic on the Access Rd, but I did take note of the ubiquitous white rental vehicles that really struggled to offer safe passing distances on an empty road. Later, at the Visitor Information Center (VIC), I loudly shared my feeling on these thoughtless drivers while talking with Lisa, knowing that a couple of those rental drivers were withing earshot.
 
Just before the VIC, you'll hit the steepest mile of the whole ride, the road goes up 757 ft in one mile! Back home in Minnesota, 100 ft per mile is big ... this is massive, with one mile at an average of 13.2% grade. I walked this part of the road during my first attempt in 2023, and I was fully prepared to walk it again this year. It is a BEAST, holding 16-17% and kicking to 18% grades ... I can only think of one short path in the Twin Cities that briefly gets this steep, but the Access Road just holds this grade! 
That last mile getting to the VIC
Getting up to the VIC, I met Lisa and talked with the park rangers. I shared my hiker/biker form with one of the rangers as we arrived and letting them know my plans. I took time with Lisa to get food, The Fox (flour tortilla with humus wrapped around a pickle) and Coke. I added some layers to stay warm with the cool winds and added sunscreen ... the sun close to the equator and above 10,000 ft is nothing to mess around with! I enjoyed a ton of conversations with other visitors interested in my adventure, including many fellow cyclists that knew what I was doing was an epic effort.
Enjoying my Fox wrap at the VIC, I grew up using tailgates for seating ... felt like home!
After nearly an hour at the VIC, I was already to start my ride again, with my USWE hydration pack for easy access to my sports drink. I got to the rangers to find out the ranger I talked with when we arrived was no longer at this post and the current rangers had no idea what happened to my form. So I ran over to the box at the VIC doors to grab a new form and Lisa was great helping me get if filled out right away. I shared the form with the ranger and he asked me many tough questions, and I respect him for challenging me, this ride is massive and these rangers see too many folks like me that think they're badass, but not prepared for what is ahead of them. I'd love to say I knew what was ahead of me, but I was overly confident too.
Waiting in the que to go above the VIC
I rolled up the first ramp of the unpaved section above the VIC. To call this road surface "gravel" is too kind, this is a combination of beach sand texture silt with massive rocks. I've seen some crazy gravel road conditions on a wide variety of events over many years, and the road above the VIC is nothing I've biked before! I was able to ride to the first switchback and half the way to the second before getting off and walking. I was pleased to be able to ride the first real kick on this unpaved road, getting over 16% grade. But then I hit some deep and soft sand that'd require much wider tires to ride through (or a much better bike handler than me).
A little on bike climbing in the 'gravel' section
After this point, I was walking about half the distance to the summit and slowly biking the other half. Any time the grade dropped below 10%, and the road wasn't too tough to ride, I'd get on and peddle as far as I could. My walking speed was about 2.5 to 3 mph and while biking with all my power to get up to 6-8 mph. This is the part of the effort that turned into a major mental challenge, my body was ready to call it, but I was too close to finishing this massive goal to give up. As an experienced rider, it is demoralizing to walk, but it's more demoralizing to quit!

Lisa would park the Jeep in a safe space half a mile up the road and it looked like a marathon distance to get to her. I'd just have to stop walking to simply breathe, I was getting light-headed and the starts of tunnel vision. Happily, I was listening to my body and would not push past these signs ... I'd take a break to get the oxygen my body it was demanding. 
This is where the mental game was EVERYTHING!
When I was able to ride, I was a little surprised that I was more comfortable riding than walking! But the grades needed to be lower, and there was no getting out of the saddle at this point, I did not have that kinda strength with the limited oxygen.

A fair number of rangers and other mountain staff stopped to encourage me on my way up, I can't say enough how much they meant to me. I had a brave and happy face on, but I was fighting to stay out of a deep and dark hole. I was also enjoying hearing encouragement from other visitors, we talked with many of them at the VIC and they knew what I was doing, it meant so much to have their support on this very remote and exposed mountain. 
The summit is in sight! 
When I turned a corner and saw the first observatories, it was the light at the end of the tunnel. I was so so close to the summit. And I was determined to cross the summit on my bike, and not simply pushing it! That was not easy, and I only rode the last quarter mile, but I did it! It had been 9 hours since I started at the Coconut Point Lighthouse. 
Lisa gave me a big hug and we celebrated with some pictures to remember this moment, as well as simply taking in this amazing place.
Summit selfie
It was important to me to remember that Maunakea is a sacred place. It was my goal to bring only good energy and be grateful. While looking at the sacred summit a short distance away and shared a quiet prayer of gratitude to the spirits of this magnificent place.
The Center for Maunakea Stewardship works to achieve harmony, balance and trust in the sustainable management and stewardship of the Maunakea Science Reserve through extending Native Hawaiian and community involvement and programs that protect, preserve and enhance the cultural, natural, educational and scientific resources of Maunakea in a manner that integrates traditional Indigenous knowledge and modern science. [source https://hilo.hawaii.edu/maunakea/]
I had always planned to get a ride back down the mountain, I do not like descending (and yes that's very odd for a biker). And that road is stressful coming down in a 4WD Jeep! Getting back down to the VIC, the rangers will use a FLIR temp gauge to check your brake rotor temp before letting you drive below the VIC. Lisa challenged the ranger to see if her brake temps were lower than Shea's - Shea (our son-in-law) drove us down from the summit back in February 2023. Lisa did great, but Shea won ... it wasn't a fair comparison, it was much colder the day Shea drove us down the mountain (HA!)

We took a few minutes at the VIC for me to change into something less stinky while Lisa did some souvenir shopping. I was sure to find my hiking/biking form, the ranger had put both forms together, he apologized for the confusion, but it was honestly no big deal. As we made our way down the mountain, Lisa felt bad that achieving this massive goal wasn't celebrated with a big meal and beer, but we had a flight to catch! 

We went straight to the Kona airport to pack my bike and tons of crap. I had to laugh at our sh..show!! Lisa dropped me off at the curb, so she could do the return process for the Turo Jeep. I was happy with myself, as tired as I was after that effort, and starting the day at 4:00AM, it only took me 45 minutes to get the bike fully packed, as well as a ton of our gear from the day's big adventure. We had a few security staffers keeping an eye on us HA! The best was a bike cop that stopped to talk and he shared his ride on the gravel route from Waimea to the VIC, that sounds so cool!!
The KOA yard sale LOL!!
We had enough time to grab a very basic dinner at the airport, for reference, Kona Airport is very small with simple restaurant. We got a couple beers, and shared a chicken finger basket with fries. After boarding the plane, I only lasted a few minutes before sleep took me over. Lisa reported she kept checking on me, a little worried about me, and that I was hard asleep nearly the full flight to LAX. After our LAX to MSP flight, it was great to get home, after picking up the dogs from boarding, and we all slept for nearly 12 hours comfortable to be back home!

THANK YOU!
There's an entire blog post on all the amazing things Lisa does to support me with my crazy bike adventures. She has her own endurance event following and supporting me, along with navigational challenges, the thin air at nearly 14,000 ft, managing marketing with pictures & updates during the ride, challenges with busy traffic, and "weather girl". She is my hero, because I could never do this without her efforts before, during, and after these adventures! 
Lisa with trusty Turo 4WD Jeep Gladiator with the North Gemini Observatory

WARNING!! The following is nerdy bike details! 

THE BIKE: 
I made the choice to change bikes this time, in 2023 I rode my gravel bike, a steel frame Breezer Radar Pro. This time I brought my carbon fiber Bianchi Infinito. This shave 10 lbs off the bike weight, but limited me to 32 mm tires, where the Breezer had 50 mm tires. My calculation was that having a lighter bike and narrower tires would save me energy and time on the lower parts of the ride, and I'd have to walk a good part of the highest elevations of the mountain, no matter what tires I had. 
My 2021 Bianchi Infinito
I know some riders will bring two bikes, road bike to get the VIC, and a mountain bike or gravel bike with wide tires for the rest. It wasn't an option for me, but this seems like a great way to go if you can have access to two bikes for the ride.
 
If you're thinking about this challenge, here are things to think about, especially above the VIC: 
The Tires: as a very experienced gravel rider, the 32 mm Panaracer GravelKing SK tires worked very well. I've ridden gravel roads with everything from 28 mm tires to 4" fatbike tires, and I'd say the 32 mm tires were the least of the limiting factors for me on the unpaved section of the road. I don't think many tires would have been able to get me through the sandy sections. 

The Drivetrain: this was a bigger limiting factor, my smallest gearing was 33x36, and I was bumping into the lowest gear with anything over 12% grade. For most of my riding, I will just get out of the saddle and mash up the steep ramps, but around my area, these ramps do not last very long. I'd like something more like 38x50 or 36x50 to get me up nearly all of this climb. But I wasn't interested in rebuilding the entire drivetrain for one ride, so I maxed out the gearing I could with the current drivetrain. 
SRAM AXS app tracks time spent in each gear; I could've used more climbing gears
The Cyclist: living at 950 ft above sea level, I knew I'd will be challenged above 9,000 ft. But, I've successfully biked steep gravel roads above 9,000 ft - like Old Fall River Rd in Rocky Mountain National Park. But there's no way for me to acclimate to these elevations at home, I simply focused on VO2 Max efforts and very long rides.
One big change, prior to leaving for Hawai'i in 2023, I was just above 170 lbs; a year and half later I've dropped below 160 lbs. And I was in the best condition I'd been in for 10 years. Plus my year included three ultra endurance efforts: The Arrowhead 135, The Wolf, and The DAMn.
There is 42% less oxygen at 14,000 ft compared with sea level. We have a medical grade pulse oximeter, it was interesting but not a major data point. Lisa, AKA the mountain goat, was maintaining her pulse ox on the way up, and I was getting readings in the upper 70s at the summit, as we drove down, my numbers came up very quickly and I was back to 97% 
at the VIC.

The Routes:
Starting in Hilo:
This route is 42 miles with an average grade of 6.1%. The one con for this route is that Hilo is typically rainy (as in 275 rainy days a year), which wouldn't be a great way to start this long ride. I was fortunate to have sunny conditions and was able to see the summit from Hilo... both motivating and intimidating! I found everything else better from Hilo. The first 8.5 miles of this route are much calmer roads, mostly 30-35 mph zones, plus much lighter traffic. The Hilo route spends much less time on Saddle Rd, about 19 miles. The Hilo route is just over 27 miles from the ocean to the Mauna Kea Access Rd. The trade winds on Hawai'i are going to be a tailwind from Hilo. Tech advantage, I had cell connectivity nearly the whole way. The only debatable difference is the grade of the climb from Hilo, it's going to be steeper with basically no descending. Plus the road kicks straight to 4% to 6% in the first mile, there is no warming up to the effort. Link to Strava segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/20849873
Starting in Waikōloa Beach: 
This route is 53 miles with an average grade of 4.9%. Riding out from Waikōloa Beach is fun, being able to walk down to the sandy beach and start from actual sea level. It's nearly always clear skies on the part of the island and can see your goal from the beach. You'll have 2.5 miles of flat roads before the first ramps start. This route is over 40 miles from the ocean to the Mauna Kea Access Rd. You enjoy some very quiet resort roads for the first mile, before you get onto the first highway, Queen Kaahumanu Hwy, and it's all highways until you get to the Access Rd. This route includes 3 miles on Mamalahoa Hwy, connecting Waikōloa Rd to Saddle Rd, this is an extremely stressful section of road with little-to-no shoulder and 50+ mph traffic - I never plan to ride on this road again! There will be some descending on Mamalahoa Rd, and again after mile 30 on Saddle Rd. I got no joy from the descents on Saddle Rd during my 2023 ride, there was a strong trade wind that forced me to keep peddling on this little descent. On the tech side, there are large areas on Saddle Rd without cell service. Link to Strava segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/10729084
Other Considerations:
Most riders will need support, either a friend or paid service, there is virtually no places to refresh hydration & nutrition, and you'll almost certainly need additional layers with the massive temp swing from sea level to summit.
If your support driver is going with you to the summit, they will need a vehicle with locking differential 4WD, this is required for all vehicles going above the VIC. The Jeep Wrangler, and it's variants, are the standard, but there are some other options like a couple Toyota models. Your support crew will be questioned about using the locking differential and engine braking by the rangers before being allowed to drive above the VIC. We have used Turo to rent our vehicles, standard rental companies do not allow you to bring your vehicle to the summit. We have gotten explicit and written agreements with the Turo vehicle owner to drive to the summit.
You will want to think about sunscreen or other sun protection, the sun is powerful near the equator and that is compounded by getting up to nearly 14,000 ft. I went with Pearl Izumi sun sleeves, legs, and buff, plus sunscreen for my face and other exposed skin.
An odd little comfort detail, saddle angle. In 2023, I was training with my Breezer on Zwift, added blocks to replicate the 6% average grade and adjusted my saddle angle down 5% to be comfortable. I didn't get the Bianchi set up on the trainer, and didn't adjust the saddle angle. It wasn't a gamechanger, but I did notice it was less comfortable with the saddle closer to 0% while constantly climbing.
Breathing techniques at altitude, there are a different options, do some testing for what will work for you. We both found that a large draw in through your mouth and slow exhale through your nose help us when feeling the need for more oxygen. This was critical for me on the final miles when my body was starving for oxygen.
Walking shoes, nearly everyone walks on this climb, including the KOM Phil Gaiman. You'll want shoes that you can comfortably walk in. And they should be good for walking in the sandy gravel, No matter what, you'll definitely not want pure road bike shoes above the VIC.
Additional Media:
Here are some links to resources about this ride and Hawai'i that I recommend to anyone planning on this ride or simply visiting the amazing Hawaiian Islands:
Strava screenshot of my route

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Saturday, August 17, 2024

2024 Day Across Minnesota | Return of The DAMn(ed)

After the 2021 Day Across Minnesota (DAMn), I thought I'd been challenged by my last DAMn ride ... but the DAMn has been resurrected! 

Halfway from SD to WI | Photo credit: Lisa Nelson
When it was announced that the DAMn was returning for 2024, I was so excited! But I'd already committed to some big rides for summer 2024, including The Wolf two weeks before the DAMn ... but how can you say 'no' to this crazy adventure with the best gravel family ever!

The DAMn
The DAMn is The Day Across Minnesota, a 240-mile bike race from the South Dakota border with Minnesota to the Wisconsin border, with the course on nearly all gravel roads. The race starts at midnight Saturday morning and you have until midnight to get to Wisconsin, 24 hours ... one day! You're allowed three checkpoints with a support crew, you pick where you'll meet, and you're allowed to stop at any stores/businesses along the course, but you only go through three towns, including Red Wing a mile from the finish. The race challenges your endurance and ability to function while sleep deprived. It's a DAMn good time! 

Those DAMn Goals  
Getting your bike right is a big part of The DAMn. I had planned to build-out a new Salsa Cutthroat early this year as my DAMn rig, but that didn't happen ... and my old Breezer Radar Pro that had carried me on the 2018 & 2019 DAMn has a new home. So the War Rig was going to return to the DAMn course. Going back with my Pugsley, my plan was to chase the course record for fatbikes. The record was set in 2017 (the very first DAMn) by Bal Singh; he finished in 17:26 (finishing at 5:26 PM). That will mean taking 77 minutes off my 2021 DAMn with the Pugsley. I was looking at ways to save time at checkpoints, and limit extra stops. That and I need to keep a higher average speed; I was happy to know that I was starting the 2024 DAMn in what could be my best fitness of any DAMn.
In the days leading up to The DAMn, the forecast was giving me hope for me to get this goal too. The forecast was for high temps to get just above 70°F; and that's great for me, I struggle when the afternoon temps getting up to 90°F, which is typical for my past DAMn rides.
 
Check in at Buffalo Ridge 

Start Line | Gary, SD
Gary is a town of 244 people, and the DAMn brought close to 1,000 people to Gary!
Arriving in Gary brought up so many feelings! The excitement, the nerves, the stress to not forget something critical, and looking for friends around town.
At check in, I was greeted by good friends and race directors: Trenton Raygor, Erik Englund, and Chase Wark. Grabbing my race plate, and swag bag with T-shirt, bike bottle, sticker, and other fun mementoes.
Lisa, my support crew, wife, and best friend, and I settled into our chairs in the grass next to our car. After having a little of Lisa's Italian pasta salad for a late dinner, it was getting dark and we were just relaxing. I think this was the first time I actually caught a small nap in Gary. After dark I was wrapped in wool blank (it was getting cool fast) and I dozed off for 15-20 minutes, it was nice to be relaxed enough to rest before the start.
I had my biggest mechanical of the ride in Gary, as I was lacing up my very old Giro shoes, I broke a lace. LOL! I tied the broken ends together and was good all day long. This will likely be the shoes last ride, they have seen so much and are breaking down... these are the shoes I wore on my first DAMn in 2018! Their replacements had just arrived, but I didn't want to throw an unknown into the mix, so trusty old shoes got one more DAMn ride!

Left to right: Me, Arik Van Asten, John Suihkonen, and Dan Eckerson (not including Anthony Williams) | photo credit: Lisa Nelson

We gathered most of the West River Racing crew for a start line picture, in front of the infamous Alabi. I went into the Alabi for the first time this year, but I went in to use the men's room, and did not get a drink ... my body's not able to do this kinda effort with even a Bud Light in my belly, I'll wait until the finish line for a beer. 

The DAMn route with elevation profile on top | Screenshot from VeloViewer 
The race directors shared that 413 racers checking in at Buffalo Ridge Resort which is a new DAMn record! 395 brave souls started The DAMn 240 and 18 crazier souls started The Double DAMn 480. That's A LOT of riders rolling out of Gary at midnight! 

Gary to Morton | Mile 86
Gary firetruck leading out riders | photo credit: Lisa Nelson
The midnight start is always a thrill with fireworks as the starting gun and the short neutral rollout lead by a Gary firetruck. After roughly 3/4 mile on the paved highway, the firetruck stops just past the first gravel road and the riders take a right turn down a narrow gravel road. Two pace lines form, and get behind a slower rider can take a while to find a gap to make a pass. The early miles are always FAST, I was averaging 21 mph and got up to 27+ mph ... in dark of night, on narrow gravel roads, with dozens of riders around you doing the same pace. I know many crashes happen in these earlier hours, so it's important to temper your energy with the knowledge that you're gonna be riding for hours-and-hours ... I'm not going to win the race here, but I could end my race with a crash in the early hours.
Around mile 35, we hit some sandy gravel sections, nothing as bad as 2021, but it got the big group I was riding with to slow and create two lines on either side of the road, looking for firm footing. I was debating staying the in pack, but really wanted to move faster, so I took those massive tires to ride the centerline of the road between the two lines telling everyone that I brought the fatbike to this party and I'm gonna use it!
Riding into the night - I'm in the pink vest with white hydration pack
photo credit: Abigail Wark warkscycling
Around mile 40, I saw legend Kate Coward on her fatbike. After saying 'hi', I passed her and got a little flame under my saddle. I know she's a strong rider and could finish ahead of me, with my goal of setting the course record, I needed to beat Kate to Hager City to achieve this.
At mile 71 my first headlight crapped out at the worst place, just as I turned onto a pave highway and there was traffic as well as some support crews. I made a quick change for my fresh light. And after turning off the highway, we hit a section of roads I've always found challenging, I'm not sure why, but I just don't enjoy the last 10 miles into Morton. But getting to Morton meant my first checkpoint at the BP gas station, and without too much detail ... I was very happy to have access to plumbing! I rolled into the Morton gas station and it was like a Indy car pitstop. I went into the gas station for ... reasons, and Lisa got my bike turned over, emptied trash, adding fresh snacks, water bottles, and swapping out electronics so when I got back out to her, I was ready to jump back on the bike. I was in and out of the first check point in just over 10 minutes, and I was headed east out of Morton at 5:30 with the first hints of sunrise.
 
Morton to Henderson | Mile 152
The first miles out of Morton are chilly after taking a break and the air is at its coolest - down to 45°F in the Minnesota River valley. Even in the very low light before sunrise, this section of the route is beautiful!
The climb out of the Minnesota River valley is the first real climb, with less than 200 ft, it's not massive, but it kicks up to 12% and it's a MMR (Minimal Maintenance Road). I've always loved this climb, every year I've done The DAMn, this is were I get to see the first light of the day, and after the climb, you're riding through gorgeous farm fields. 
Riding into the early dawn light | photo credit: Abigail Wark warkscycling
From here, the roads get a little monotonous, everything is nearly flat, and aside from short sections connecting roads, you're just headed east. On the bright side, the day is still cool and the body is still fresh, making the miles roll past quickly. 
At mile 100, I had to make a note on my GoPro that I'd covered the first 100 miles in 6:18; that's my fastest gravel century with any bike ... and I was on a fatbike! I was so happy to see my progress and still feeling great.
As the temps were climbing, I made a stop to remove my wool jersey and vest, as well as my leg warmers. But I was also getting a hot spot on my right foot with the warming weather and wearing wool snowboard socks and shoe covers. I kept thinking about ways to store my shoe covers, but I was low on cargo space and the shoe covers are so dusty I didn't want to mix them with bags with food.
Around mile 130, I had a crew of 4-5 riders pass and offer me a pull. I was happy to have a wheel, I'd been riding alone for a while, but this crew was MOVING. I was pushing hard to hold their wheel. I was happy to be with this pack for a section of paved highway without shoulders, these type of roads stress me out, so the additional riders gave me a little more confidence. Even so, we had a truck with large trailer pass us way too close ... that got colorful language flowing from the whole crew. 
As I got close to Henderson, Lisa texted if I wanted to be in the shade, I used my Garmin to say "yes". Temps were still cool, around 70°F, but the sun was keeping me very warm. Rolling into Henderson, Lisa was all set up with a table full of everything I could possibly want.

Henderson to Northfield | Mile 200
I rolled into Henderson before 10:00, and continued to surprise myself with how fast the day was going! Henderson was my longest stop of the day, taking 25 minutes, but it was the biggest transition too. I had my cold night layers in my CamelBak and framebag to dump out. Plus I took off my shoe covers, changed from snowboard socks to lighter socks, and removed my wool baselayer too. Additionally, my gut was ready to take on solid food, including one of Lisa's home made oat & peanut balls, and a Fox (flour tortilla with hummus wrapped around a pickle). I slammed a Starbucks espresso can and stowed a mini-Coke in my frame bag. Additionally, I swapped headlights again, traded out my GoPro, and grabbed the power bank to charge both my phone and Garmin. The phone was my first priority since that's how I was broadcasting my live tracks for Lisa to see detailed information on my progress, and the Garmin estimated it had 6-7 hours left.
Leaving Henderson, you get the second challenging climb of the day, still only 225 ft and grades getting close to 10%. In every previous year, this climb has hurt me, but this year, it was no big deal. Another really nice confirmation that I'm doing great with my pacing and fueling.
This part of the day, it's hard to find groups to work with. You get with a couple riders, then someone stops for support or for a nature break. Then you stop for one thing or another and they pass you again. But it was great to be going back and forth with some friends like Matt Hoven, Dana Kromer, and Brandon Eddy.
At mile 171, I made another GoPro selfie that I'd covered this distance in under 11:30, I was having a hard time believing how quickly I was covering this ride. I like to watch the ETA on my Garmin, at this point, it was estimating I'd finish around 4:00. I knew that time would slip back because of my last checkpoint and the rolling hills between Cannon Falls and Red Wing would slow my pace. But that was still way faster than my wildest dreams! 
As I rolled towards my checkpoint 3, I was doing 20+ mph on a hero gravel (hard packed gravel roads) with the perfect tailwind. Normally, at this point in the day, my legs are shot, the heat of the day is melting me, and I'd be happy to see 15 mph. 
Lisa has checkpoint 3 ready for me near Northfield | photo credit: Lisa Nelson
Northfield to Hager City | Mile 242
We kept the stop quick, another fox wrap, changed hydration packs and fresh water bottles. Plus, I had Lisa grab some ice from the cooler and wrap it up in my neck buff, giving me a very nice cooling effect for a few miles after the check point. 
I didn't get far from up the road when I was hit hard with the sleepies. I'd just had my 3rd check point and slammed a Starbucks Espresso, that and a mini Coke I stashed in my frame bag were doing nothing to wake me up. Funny enough, I decided to turn on some music in my Shokz ... a couple favorite bangers hit and I'm singing along at the top of my lung grinding towards Cannon Falls (I seriously hope no one had to hear that) and that got me outta of it ... go figure!
After crossing Hwy 52, just south of Cannon Falls, there's another notorious hill that has caused me pain in every previous DAMn ride, but this year, I got to the top and quoted Peggy Lee "Is that all there is?" I couldn't have been happier to feel so good this far into the course. 
Mile 222 had the best roadside party! There were folks partying on both sides of the road at a farm, offering riders water, food, etc plus cheering us on. It's the right thing at that point in the day! (see video in the thank you section)
The last big decent into Red Wing is on an MMR (Minimal Maintenance Road) was in rough condition. Years past, it's been in much better condition and easy to roll fast; but this year, it was covered in deep marble sized gravel. As tired as I am, and as stressful I find descending, I was grinding my brakes the whole way down that hill ... oof!
The last few miles through Red Wing are a little tricky to navigate, lots of turns close together, then add a brain that hasn't slept for nearly 36 hours. Happily, I got through without missing a turn ... this year.
Rolling across the Mississippi River bridge, I got mad at the wind in my face, after a tailwind all day, a little headwind was unwelcome! And my tired brain figured we were going due east over the river, but the bridge actually going to the northwest, right into that wind that was making all of us happy all day. 
Trenton's finish line hugs are the best DAMn thing! | photo credit: warkscycling 
Hager City | Finish Line 
As I got to the finish line, I was greeted by a wonderfully friendly face of Trenton. After giving me the traditional big hug, I said "I'm gonna take a nap" LOL! But next, Trenton pointed out that I keep stepping up the challenge year-over-year, and asked what I'm gonna do next. I responded that I wasn't sure and asked what he thought, and without missing a beat, Trenton said "DOUBLE DAMN!" I look over at Lisa to see her laughing and head shaking an emphatic NOPE! I'm not saying no to a Double DAMn, but I know that it will be an entirely different challenge and totally different job supporting a 48 hour ride (in addition to all the time/effort before and after the event). 
Finish Line with my trophy and the hardest earned beer ever! | photo credit: Lisa Nelson 
2024 was the year that saw so many DAMn records broken, my joy of setting the fatbike course record, and I was only 20 minutes ahead of Kate Coward's course record for women's fatbike! Another favorite record that was broken: 320 out of 395 DAMn riders finished - 81%! In fact, I think nearly all categories of The DAMn set a new course record in 2024. Maybe the best record broken: the oldest and youngest riders to toe the start line in Gary: 11 years old to 83 years old! I'm friends with John Ingham (the senior of these two), he shared the most heartwarming story about getting to meet Molly's mother (Molly is the 11 year old rider) at the Morton gas station, Here's an excerpt of John's story: 
"It was comforting to meet Molly’s mother and to hear about her daughter. The weight of wanting to finish the DAMn fell away as I realized that someday Molly will finish it for me and her family will be having the kind of adventures I cherish. Still on this day I am committing to training as hard as I can for next year’s DAMn. I want to set a good example as long as I can. But I will be looking forward to the rejuvenation and hope that comes from being with so many stalwart and spirited people."
Molly got to the halfway point, 121.4 miles on the DAMn course!

My DAMn history
For reference, here is my personal DAMn history for the six times it's been held: 

  • 2017: I was too scared to even sign up
  • 2018: 20:45:03 on a gravel bike. That gave me 83rd place of 116 finishers (plus 56 DNF)
  • 2019: 18:59:00 on a gravel bike. That gave me 57th place of 117 finishers (plus 120 DNF)
  • 2020: signed up, but COVID concerns got me to take a raincheck
  • 2021: 18:42:49 on a fatbike. That gave me 79th place of 231 finishers (plus 162 DNF)
  • 2024: 16:47:33 the fatbike course record! That gave me 126th place of 320 finishers (plus 75 DNF)

A new and special recognition for my efforts
THANK YOU!
Support crew: I couldn't do this without Lisa's help, her dedicated efforts made it possible for me to set the fatbike course record. Prerace, Lisa is helping me get my gear together in addition to making food for me on the race. On race day, she goes just as long as I do without sleep, she needs to navigate dark gravel roads in the dead of night and park out in random places along the route to support me. She gets amazing photos of me and other riders. Lisa greets me with joy at every checkpoint and takes care of me and my bike. Her efforts are an ultra in their own right!
Lisa greeting me at the finish line | screengrab from my GoPro
West River Racing: this club is a great group of supportive riders; my favorite training rides is the WRR Wednesday HILLZ ride ... it's always challenging and fun! 
Tonka Cycle & Ski: this bike shop is always there for me and take amazing care of my bikes. I've put over 1,700 miles on The War Rig so far this year and they have kept it running like new! 
Super fans: I am humbled by the number of folks that recognize me and call out my name on The DAMn! At the same time, I'm embarred by how bad I am at recognizing others out and about ... plus, I was on a mission. So to anyone that called out to me on course, THANK YOU for you're friendship and support (and sorry if I didn't recognize you)!
DAMn Race Directors and Volunteers: Trenton, Erik, and Chase are the best, then they bring their whole families along to help too! Plus countless volunteers along the way.
Finish line with Trenton | photo credit: warkscycling 
The communities on the DAMn route: there are THE BEST supporters on the route. Ranging for setting up signs, to a massive party with water, food, beer and more for riders. As I was on a mission, I didn't stop to participate in the festivities, but the cheering was so amazing! 
The War Rig
This is my 2015 Surly Pugsley, customized with Salsa Woodchipper handlebars and Gevenalle GX shifters. I'm running Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 26x4 that I 'borrowed' off Lisa's Pugsley (thanks, honey!)
The War Rig looking good before the DAMn
Technology: 
Garmin 1040 Solar: it was amazing all day, but to get the 40 hours of battery life, you need to put it in battery save mode, and I forgot that. Happily I figured it out early enough to grab my backup battery at Henderson and boost it up. To those interested about the solar charging of this device, Garmin reported that I gained 34 minutes over this ride. That's not much, but remember the first 6+ hours are in the dark, and then you're riding into sunrise, so it's late in the morning before the solar cells see enough light to charge. Frankly, the solar charging is much more useful on multi-day events, letting the Garmin sit in the sun while you're getting a break on a camping trip. 
NiteRider Headlights (x2): my new Lumina Micro 900 didn't last as along as I'd hoped, it died around 4:00AM. There were a couple user errors, the light was angled down too low, and I bumped up the light brightness, and shortened the lights life. As I switched to the older 750, I took a minute to adjust the angle and help me see better with lower brightness. At Morton, Lisa grabbed the 900, charged it up, and handed it back to me in Henderson. 
Varia Radar (x2): I have a first generation RTL500 and I got a new RTL515 earlier this year. I started with the new RTL515 without the light on, using the Planet Bike light to be see and save the Varia battery to keep an eye out for vehicles coming up behind me. At Henderson, I swapped out the RTL515 for the old RTL500 to get me to the finish line.  
Planet Bike Blinky (x2): These inexpensive lights are so impressive! I had it set to solid from the start line and never had to swap out lights. 
GoPro (x2): Like other components above, I swapped my Hero 11 and Hero 8 as the batteries ran out and Lisa charged them up for me driving from one check point to the next. I set my GoPros to record for a set time then automatically shut down, this saves me a ton of battery, cause I often forget and leave it running.  
Garmin inReach Mini 2: New for 2024, Trackleaders! Trackleaders is a way for folks to see racers progress along the course. My first race with Trackleaders was the Arrowhead 135, and I purchased the inReach as required equipment for that race. So I only needed to activate the monthly contract and I was good to go. I know many family and friends were enjoying watching my progress from anywhere and everywhere. 
Shokz: This are a great headset for hearing music and/or turn-by-turn directions without covering your ears. They are bone conductive, meaning you can hear things around you while still hearing your route information or some tunes to wake you up when the sleepies hit. 
knog Binder: this was my helmet light, I didn't use it a ton, but it was good to have one more headlight option with me. 
Motorola edge plus 5G: I was surprised that the battery was draining so fast, I had turned off wifi and left it in my jersey pocket, so it should have been done better. But this phone has not had the battery life of pervious models.  
knog Binder as a helmet light 
Nutrition and Hydration
  • Embark Salted and Coffee Maple - on bike
  • Peanut M&Ms - on bike
  • Wiley Wallaby licorice - on bike
  • Skratch Labs Strawberry Lemonade mix, plus I add sodium citrate cause I'm a salty sweater - on bike
  • Mini Cokes both on bike and at checkpoints
  • Starbucks canned espresso both on bike and at checkpoints
  • The Fox (humus on flour tortilla wrapped around a pickle) - checkpoint snack
  • Peanut butter and oats balls - checkpoint snack
  • Salty potato chips - checkpoint snack
Bags
Additional Media
YouTube: coming soon
Link to MPR article about the 2024 DAMn: 

DAMn documentaries on Amazon: 
 
See you again next year! | photo credit: warkscycling 
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