I did it.
100 miles in 29 hours, solo & self-supported. Off the couch, no training.
First long wilderness, winter, and 100 mile ride. No injuries, other than straining my thumb from shifting (problem fixed with recently installed grip shift). Crashed once. Pushed the bike about 10 miles (not bad), including about 5 miles of aufeis (overflow ice). Mostly good trail, outside of some mashed potato and sugar snow.
Lots of things ran through my mind. Lots of ideas and things to write about...
I remembered at about mile 35 that next time I'll bring a spare tube.
A flat tire may have meant hitting the 'Help' button on my SPOT. That's a one-time mistake.
Winter biking is awesome. Skiing is fairly fast, but requires too much energy. Hiking is easy, but way too slow. You can't fully comprehend how much fun it is to ride in winter until you try it.
100 miles in a day is a long way, but completely reasonable. Yes, it was hard and, yes, it was long, but obviously, it wasn't unrealistic. Conditions were good, yet marginal. It was for sure the last weekend a person could realistically ride in the White Mountains and still have good snow (melting from warm temps). This trip has stemmed many ideas of what is possible (for me) on a bike, especially in winter and on a trail.
The 'bikepacking' aspect of the trip was really fun. I'm so used to backpacking and carrying everything I need for a trip that having it all on my bike and basically sitting down all day and pedaling seems idyllic. I'm an ultralight, fast hiker that likes to cover as much ground as possible in a given amount of time. 30 mile days are my goal. With biking, I can easily cover 60 miles in a day without even coming close to the amount of energy and strain on my body that hiking 30 miles would put me through. I think this trip has opened up a whole new view on my adventures and will change my eyes that I view topo maps with for quite some time.
While I truly enjoyed the long distance aspect of the trip, it was the time I completed it in that I am unsure about. Like I said, I love to do things fast and push myself. However, often times I'd rather push myself only moderately and 'take my time.' 100 miles in 29 hours... now I know that, with a little training, I can compete in winter races and that I am capable of reaching the big goals I set for myself. The latter being a monumental achievement, in the sense that I always dream big with my trips and this time, along with some others, I truly performed at the same level. That is a major confidence booster and motivational experience.
Did I enjoy biking 100 miles through the wilderness on a snowmachine trail and pushing my bike 10 miles? Yes.
Did I enjoy doing it solo & self-supported? Yes, in some ways, no, in others.
Did I learn a lot of things about myself, my bike & gear, and off-road biking? YES!
Will I attempt other long distances in the least amount of time possible? Yes.
Did I enjoy biking 100 miles in 29 hours by myself?
That is the question that stands yet, unanswered.
...and then it was over.
