Iditarod Trail Invitational 2024... an uncommon adventure

• un·sup·port·ed

  /ˌənsəˈpôrdəd/

  

  adjective
• (of a person or activity) not given physical, emotional or other assistance.

Pre-race start 2019

The ITI '24 unsupported project is something that's been gnawing at the edges of my chocolate fueled adventures on the trail for many years. After 5x 1000 mile Nome finishes and 2x 350 mile McGrath finishes from 8 starts over 10+ years since my first Alaska trip, I've dedicated a chunk of my life to honing my craft of winter travel and gear refinement...and this last aspect is an intrinsic reward of the race to me.

    'I yearned to do that - to create my own gear, with my own designs to solve problems in traversing the trail'

I'd read stories from the pioneers of fatbiking in the golden era; of garage built frames, rims welded together, tyres sewn together and custom components to increase the flotation of a loaded bike on the snow to travel the Iditarod Trail. I've studied these bikes up close in the unofficial fatbike museum at Speedway Cycles in Anchorage and I have to say - we got it eeeeeasy nowadays. I yearned to do some of that - to create my own gear, with my own designs to solve problems in traversing the trail. I've made a bunch of stuff over the years and this unsupported project gave me the opportunity to flex those maker muscles again, along with building a highly refined and functional kick-ass bike with the best modern materials a bike mechanic can afford. 

However, another aspect that is becoming a slight irritant to me is the modern progression of 3rd party support on the trail - sometimes unbidden by well meaning folk. Those early days of the event, where veteran racers would sleep outside with no shelter cabins, or go a long time between resupply - if it was even there at all - that's what drew me in to a yearning for that slightly purer experience with less or no support, even if it meant stretching things out a bit. Put simply - I feel too much support has crept in and is readily accepted by racers, instead of declined. Curmudgeon much? I wouldn't say so of myself, but I think we can do better in terms of what we seek out there on the trail. I can only change my response to support-creep for my own outcomes. 

There was a quote from Bill Merchant many years ago that sums up my perspective on this - it's not word for word but the emotive is the same: 

'When you solve too many problems for folks on the trail, you take away some of the reasons for the true adventurer wanting to be out there in the first place and it lessens the experience for them'

As the saying goes "if it was easy, everyone would do it." There're reasons why its never been done by bike within the ITI race and the cryptic answer lies between those inverted commas above.  Tim Hewitt finished unsupported to Nome on foot in the 2013 ITI; Mike Curiak completed a private unsupported bike tour to Nome in 2010. That's it. Mucho respecto to those veteran legends of the Iditarod Trail.  

'take something hard and purposefully make it more difficult and pure, all the while simplifying and solving some issues one might encounter by travelling supported or tethered to a safety net'

For me, I felt the timing was right - the confluence of motivation, desire, competence and sacrifice. Sacrifice? Yes sir - my family have supported me on this whole journey. I'd also felt a little burned out by the 1st place goal, with some shitfuckery in '19 (IYKYK) and a 2nd place that year, then short coursed by Covid in '20 and ensuing issues in '22 and '23 had me on the mat but I wasn't ready to tap out, I just needed to modify MY approach to a performance goal. But why harder, not easier? This race attracts a certain type of person - I'm sure a psychologist could drill down into the uncommon mindset. So many motivational speakers outline a 'growth mindset' and want to sell you a book, subscription or conference ticket on how to achieve it - I can tell you straight up you need to get out and get after it if you truly want to grow - we each have our own way of seeking out the puzzle pieces. The Iditarod Trail is where I've learnt so much about myself and life in general, in that freeze dried atmosphere.

Comfort at -40C

'You are your only option'

There is a spirit and a series of rules surrounding unsupported racing and they vary from race to race, however the mantra remains the same - take something hard and purposefully make it more difficult and pure, all the while simplifying and solving some issues one might encounter by travelling supported or tethered to a safety net. Integrity is of the utmost importance. Am I still racing? Hard YES, but I'm racing for a good time, not a fast time. Efficient movement in every action is an intrinsic reward as every hour I'm out there equals more resources required. I consulted the race director to ensure that my unsupported attempt can be done within the ITI race structure, as I prefer the pressure of a clock ticking and the legacy aspect of a metric to record, for the annals of ITI history and for my family. There is a saying within the ITI 'you are your only option' and I feel my unsupported project '24 wholly embodies that motto. Lets deep dive into my rules for 1000 miles of wintry, solo type 2 fun:

1. The unsupported racer is to carry 100% from the start, everything they need to get to Nome - no mandatories other than GPS Trace unit as per 'regular' race rules
   
2. No indoor time (includes outhouses, porches of cabins or schools etc) and use only the shelter that the racer carries or natural cover (trees)
3. No resupply or forwarding of equipment
   
4. No mechanical support or shipping of parts/equipment
5. No lingering in villages
6. No camping in villages or near cabins
7. No assistance of any kind from other racers or 3rd parties
8. The unsupported racer is to ride solo where possible, with minimal/no pairing with other racers - no drafting 
9. Any racer applying for unsupported MUST have completed 2x North route and 2x South route in close proximity years
10. The unsupported racer is to check in at checkpoints (outside the CP) with minimal time contact
11. GPS Trace unit/Trackleader tracking as per regular racer, to verify location
12. All other regular ITI rules apply
13. Breaches are considered a failure of the goal, resultant DNF
14. Behaviour must be in line with the true spirit of human powered racing and to remain competitive with the highest level of integrity
15. Leave no trace
16. Make good choices

'Check your hubris at the door, son.' 

Fresh after the 2022 Nome finish

An unsupported attempt isn't something one boasts about early, if at all - it is very much a personal decision to forego the support, step into another hyper level of prep/focus and also also step up your exposure level to be HIGHLY scrutinised before, during and after the race. You need to do a gut check bigtime before announcing your intention, weigh up your risk vs outcome overall. Check your hubris at the door, son. I feel unsupported is for the challenge within, but at some point you have to announce it publicly so that fellow racers, dot watchers and armchair critics can make some sense of your odd movements out there on the trail...or not.  

Hard no.

So... there might be less of the good stuff we're accustomed to as veteran racers (mancakes, rummaging through leftover drops and BLM cabins) but there is a certain simple beauty in the challenge I've set for myself for '24. 

'More freedom, more smiles, less distractions that take away the maximum absorption of enjoyment in the moment.'

I'm reminded of a scene from the sci-fi movie 'Contact' starring Jodie Foster, where she is in the space capsule and strapped with safety harnesses into the seat - both of which were not in the original design schematics of the capsule. The safety structure was the foreign element and wasn't part of the organic intention of travel and became a danger. However, once she detached from those safety mechanisms she was free to explore and experience the surroundings to the fullest.

'I'm okay to go' 

More freedom, more smiles, less distractions that take away the maximum absorption of enjoyment in the moment on the trail. That enjoyment began many months ago, when the making began and the mind expanded its journey of all things unsupported, churning over scenarios and solving them in theory - which is how I've managed to solve them over the last 10+ years coming to Alaska - remotely, in Australia, during a hot summer. Must be doing something right all these years. Over the last decade I've changed a lot of things around to better optimise my life for this event, to be comfortable, when it's uncomfortable out. To this point, my mascot this year is a Red Fox - he looks pretty comfy and content to just be himself out there. 

Lets have a sneak peak of the machine that will carry my gear, my soul and my food along 1000 miles to Nomnomnom (credit Oppy for that one!) I'm sure at some point there'll be a far more detailed breakdown of the bike and gear, but for now just be thankful I didn't redact the images...

   

Microphone dropped.