The 2024 Tour Divide began in mid-June, and covers the 2,745-mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico.
Developed by the Adventure Cycling Association in 1998, the “Great Divide Mountain Bike Route” is recognized as the world’s longest off-pavement cycling route. Basin has served as a traditional stopover for cyclists to dine and camp overnight.
Last Thursday, The Monitor observed a trio of cyclists outside of The Silver Saddle.
Among them, two cyclists hail from Florida, while one is from San Francisco. All three flew into Calgary and began their journey from Banff National Park in Canada.
Marry Vancore, 60, a personal trainer and rental property manager from Tallahassee, Florida, was participating in the race for the second time. Her previous attempt in 2020 ended in Silverthorn, Colorado, due to contracting Covid-19. She is racing alongside a friend from her hometown.
“Starting this adventure with our friends from Tallahassee has been wonderful,” Vancore said. “And we’ve met so many nice people—it’s been a great experience.”
While the ride has been generally good so far, says Vancore, she faced a challenging moment crossing Koko Claims, an avalanche in the Lizard Range of the Canadian Rockies southwest of Fernie, British Columbia. She had to abandon this route last time due to severe weather but was determined to complete it this time.
“Koko Claims was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life—I’d have another child before I’d do that again,” Vancore said.
During this challenging stretch, Vancore met Jennifer Pattee, another participant in the race, who is attempting it for the third time after unsuccessful attempts in 2020 and 2021.
“My friend said any time spent on the divide is time well spent,” Pattee said. “So I’m back and excited to do the whole thing.”
With a background in trail running and ultra marathons, Pattee has always felt confident for outdoor adventures. However, as a 52-year-old tech professional from San Francisco, societal attitudes toward women pursuing such intense outdoor activities would play an internal setback.
“Part of why I’m doing this is to normalize women doing extraordinary things and pushing boundaries, so that no one calls the dreams of the next generation of girls crazy,” Pattee said.
According to bikepacking.com, the tracking website for this year’s race, 20 out of 225 participants are women.
In Montana, this group of bikers has stopped in Seeley Lake, skirted around Helena, visited Basin, and is now heading towards Butte. Montana continues to impress them, they said.
The bikers typically stop to dine in or camp at the community hall or the Health Mine Campground in Basin. Hosting these bikers has been a source of joy for Silver Saddle, as it also brings significant business.
“There’s people from all over the world coming here and we try to make it comfortable for them,” said Gail Hale, the owner of Silver Saddle. “After all, It’s a lifesaver for them.”
