The Dixie 200 is 205 mile bikepacking route of spectacular variation in the mountains, high plateaus, canyons and hoodoos of southern Utah. It features an annual Grand Depart, or can be ridden as an ITT, and makes for a great tour as well.
Author Archives: Dave
Coyote Gulch
Follow the cairn runner
Grit testing
With any luck there will be some dots on this map today. A harbinger of things to come in the race scene!
Dixie 200 mid-race update and pics
One of the best things about the Dixie’s is the people it attracts. A small, talented group toed the start. Everyone’s kit looked tight and pro. It’s amazing how far bikepacking has come in a few short years. Left to right: Eszter, Ken, Sara, Taylor, Aaron. Since I had to be back in St George […]
Dixie 200 route changes!
We headed up to the Markagunt Plateau Saturday for a final check on conditions. According to the snow models it looked tight – too tight for comfort. I had to have on the ground intel. Here is what we saw. The Virgin River Rim trail is at the top of that ridge – and as […]
Dixie 200 Snowpack Watch
I’ve been getting quite a few inquiries about how the big snowpack might affect the Dixie 200 this year. Short answer: it will go regardless of snow conditions. If there is significant snow remaining the week prior I will re-route to dryer ground. Long answer: the Paunsaugunt is snow-free. The real problem area is from […]
Tour Divide: a divided tour this year
The conundrum facing the Tour Divide riders this year is quite interesting. As if the event didn’t already have enough drama, ma nature has forced some tough decisions. Snowpack is near record levels from Colorado to Banff. There is a contingent starting in the south this year. They are clearly in the minority (90 vs […]
AZT record amidst a trail of tears
There is often talk of what it takes to complete a multi-day ultra mountain bike race. Is it fitness? A simple mantra of eat, ride, sleep? Or, something more intangible like mental toughness and the ability to keep going when it gets really tough? Naturally I have my own ideas. In my experience, the #1 […]