Conquering the Monster in My Mind – Big Lonely 2023
By: Cassidy Howard At the beginning of 2023, I set a singular goal: to finish a bikepacking race. Completion of the 2022 Smoke ‘n’ Fire had eluded me due to a mechanical issue, leaving me with a desire for redemption. With three races penciled into my schedule, I had three opportunities to achieve this goal.…
Women of the 2023 Triple Crown Challenge
When it comes to the most intimidating of bikepacking “events,” one has to think that the Triple Crown Challenge stands apart from the rest. With the goal of completing the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race, and Arizona Trail Race during their Grand Departs in the same calendar year, it’s a massive undertaking and a huge…
I’m Going to Need a Bigger Shovel- Attempting to Dig Out of Holes on the Colorado Trail
Keep moving forward. A simple, yet difficult task, especially when you are talking about the Colorado Trail. I could hear my friend Hannah Dhonou constantly saying, “We’re closer than we’ve ever been,” a phrase she continued to say as we rode the last 80 miles of the Idaho Smoke ‘n’ Fire race last fall in…
Grappling with Fear and Exhaustion on the Colorado Trail
There’s something to be said about fear in ultra-endurance endeavors. You take yourself out into the wilderness alone with only what you yourself have decided to pack on your bicycle. You’ve asked your friends, acquaintances, and strangers on the internet and at the coffee shop who rolled up with loaded-down bikes, glinting with the dirt…
Selfies and Self-Reflection on the Colorado Trail Race
This year’s Colorado Trail Race saw fifteen women and non-binary riders at the start line. In this competitive field, Katya Rakhmatulina took the win and set a new women’s fastest known time at 5 days, 1 hour, 53 minutes. Lael Wilcox, Ana Jager, Alexandera Houchin, and Karin Pocock also bested the previous women’s FKT of 06…
Lost Elephant- Women Rule!
On July 22, 58 bikepackers set out on the Lost Elephant, a self-supported race starting in Cranbook, British Columbia. The race includes two route options, the 520km Jumbo and the 316km Dumbo, both of which form a loop in the Kootenay region on the Western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The challenging route includes high…
Redefining Self-Worth on the Highland Trail
Lining up for the Highland Trail 550, I felt strong. I felt confident. I knew I was going to have a good race. I prepared well and felt faster than I’ve ever been. Conditions were dry and fast and I was ready to crush. I wanted to go under five days and I was sure…
It’s OK, the Snakes are Sleeping – Reflections from Pinyons and Pines
I headed towards the Pinyons and Pines bikepacking race with many bricks in my pack, so to speak. I didn’t really believe I would be racing until I was pulling away from Flag Bike Revolution and pedaling out with the group start.
Whoa Baby Part 2: My journey to be a competitive bikepacking mama
It felt like it was about 90 degrees out. I was battling a headache and a touch of nausea as I pedaled the singletrack out of Cottonwood and began the 15-mile and 3,500-foot climb up Mingus Mountain. I veered off trail under the first shade-providing bush I spotted and pulled out my breast pumps. The…
Bonus time: My journey back from the edge
After 82 hours of pedaling 302 miles through headwinds, epic Arizona sunshine, rain, and temperatures ranging from 20 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, I arrived back at the Flagstaff Bike Revolution shop. I was the last finisher, but half the field had dropped out. Race organizer, Dana Ernst, and one of my riding buddies who had…
