DAVE UPDATE


Dave is still well ahead of the broom. The broom is a location on the track map where your dot turns white if you're not keeping up to race speeds, you'd then be considered in touring mode rather than race. 

Dave's wife Linda is in touch with him and keeping us up-to-date on how he's doing behind the dot. They had their first phone call on June 19th. 

Dave is now in sync with a new race friend -  Erich Gnewikow, 44 years old from Missoula, MT. They both had some issues with their bikes and cold. When they arrived at Pinedale MT they took a room there for 2 nights to regroup and do some fixing. They've had their fair share of peanut butter mud during these storms. To a point where you are not riding or pushing your bike anymore, but rather dragging it forward as the wheels no longer turn with clay mud locking everything up. 

Yesterday June 20th, they made it to Atlanta, Wyoming and report having had a better day. Starting off warm and rested and not having to deal with a camp seems to be helping. 
















Linda passed on that Dave mentioned how great Tim was on the ride - an amazing (and totally gruelling) week shared with a very supportive adventurer. He also mentioned that Tim's mountaineering skills came in handy pushing a loaded bike up those hills near Fernie - no one could keep up with him.   

It's so amazing to follow this race. From our experience leading mountaineering expeditions, and in particular in the Himalayas, this race is the real deal in comparison for endurance and mental will. In the mountains climbing for summits it's not (or shouldn't be) for safety reasons, a race. You have the option to sleep if you can, you get lots of rest days, Sherpa staff do the grunt work for you carrying your gear. Both deal with altitude, dehydration, terrain changes and extreme weather. It's the race part that magnifies everything in an extreme event like the Tour Divide and the Race To Alaska. 

Today is the Great Basin ride. The long 100 mile dry section that is said to have no access to water and the weather is drying so it will be interesting to learn of their challenges after today.  Stay tuned! 

It's been so exciting to have discovered these events and learn about- and from them. It's been a great distraction from my new frustrating limitations. My race is on, and for so many more as our population ages to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. 

Photos: Dave Rutledge


FOLLOW DAVE RUTLEDGE

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide23i.php?name=Dave_Rutledge


HELP FIND A CURE FOR PARKINSONS

Please donate and/or pass it on.  

https://donate.parkinson.ca/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=2781&px=1288130





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