Bikepacking and Crazy Dreams and Adventures Through the Tour Divide with Shred Girl Elissa Cummings

You might remember real life Shred Girl Elissa Cummings from a couple months ago—the mountain biker had just come back from dealing with a concussion and was ready to tackle her next adventure… biking the Tour Divide, from Canada to Mexico… After working as a bike guide in Whistler, BC, for a few months. The huge adventure happened over the fall and she’s back in Canada now, prepping for her next adventure, and while she recovers from this one, she had some amazing stories to share over the 3500 kilometers she covered, including a meetup with some bears! (This is part 1 of 2, because there were too many adventures to cover!)

What inspired this trip and why go when you did?

I was inspired by adventure. I wanted to do a touring trip as many of my friends had. I wasn’t interested in riding on pavement so a few years ago I looked up the longest off road cycling route in the world which is the tour divide (GDMBR). I wasn’t in very good health at the time due to concussion issues I had been dealing with. I promised myself that one day when I was better I would ride the divide. Last winter I decided this was the year, I applied to a couple adventure grants and started planning my trip. This summer I had a great opportunity to be a bike guide in Whistler. Unfortunately I had a progressional shoulder injury from the work I was doing which delayed the start of my trip. I would recommend leaving Jasper AB sooner to complete the trail successfully. I encountered a lot of snow some of which I had to detour around and my big toe is still a little tingly from some of the colder nights. In the end I think if I didn’t go when I did than I never would have went, the best time is always now. Sometime you just have to get up and go.

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How long did the adventure take and how many miles did you cover? Any stats on average miles per day?

The adventure was two months long the total distance I rode according to my odometer was approximately 3500km. Some days I wouldn’t ride at all other days I would ride 120km. The elevation was more prevalent than the distance I think on an average day I would climb 4000ft per day. I tried to ride every day however I would often go a few days without going through a town so some days were dedicated to restocking food and finding a place to shower.

What did an average day on the road look like?

The average day I would wake up in my tent make a pot of oatmeal for breakfast. Brush my teeth. Pack up my tent and camping gear onto my bike. Then I would get out my paper map and remind myself where I was and where I was going. I would hop on my bike and bike for hours taking in the beautiful scenery along the way. Often cursing at the weather, and elevation but amazed by the views and wildlife. I usually pulled granola bars and snacks from my bike for lunch and couldn’t be bothered to stop. I filled up water almost every day. If I didn’t go through a town I would use my filter by the lakes and streams if I was lucky and sometimes in the puddles or wells in the dessert. A couple hours before sunset I would pick a campsite where I would bike to and sleep at or sometimes if there wasn’t one along the way I would just pitch my tent on the side of the dirt road. I would boil some water cook up some dehydrated veggies and couscous set up my tent and go to bed with the thought of getting to do it all over again the next day.

Favorite place you stopped?

That is a really hard question. Getting to Banff was super special but it wasn’t my favourite spot. I slept in almost 60 different places every day I got to see something new. I think my favourite place I stopped was the little town of Seeley lake in Montana. The night before I got there I got to bike down from the top of a pass which was all single track that lead to an old forest burn. I had slept off to the side of a fire road the night before and went through town to get groceries. The town was so small I met the Sheriff, the wild fire fighters, and the local farmer all within an hour.

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Least favorite part of the ride?

I had to detour around Colorado. I was crushed to not be able to complete the GDMBR due to the snow. The detour started off okay because I met up with some friends who I had met on the trail. We all road the Kokopelli trail in Moab which was absolutely incredible. After that I went through southern Utah, Navajo Nations in Arizona, and back into New Mexico. That was the unpleasant part. I spent almost a week riding on pavement with not a mountain in site it was utterly flat, steaming hot, and I got chased by a different dog everyday. I ate gas station food for 5 days.

Did you meet anyone/ride with anyone? Was that better than solo or did you prefer time to yourself?

I met so many beautiful people along the way. Almost everyone I met wanted to know where I was from, where I was going, why, and how they could help. I also road with couple people along the way I think in total of the two month I road with other people maybe a total of 8 days. I met a couple leaving Lake Louise, one guy leaving Banff, four people riding the Kokapeli for four days, one guy in Arizona, and a couple in New Mexico. I am really extroverted; I absolutely love people. It was awesome to meet other riders and get to hear their stories. It was also great to have so much time by myself. For me it became not only a physical journey but a spiritual one as well. I got to practice meditation and work on keeping a positive mindset. I think my next trip I would like to bring somebody but if it is a trip that long it would have to be someone who I get along with really well. Two months is a long time to spend in the bush with someone.

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