St. Lawrence Triple Crown Challenge

1,600 miles in 16 days

By Michael Feldman

Bikepacking 101 – If you’re new to the term, “bikepacking” is the self-supported riding of bicycles on multiday adventures in an ultra-light manner, typically off pavement (but not exclusively) with a leave-no-trace ethos. The history is steeped in competition and gear development to ride longer and faster establishing a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on developed routes. There are two variations, the Independent Time Trial (ITT), which can begin any day and time of the year, and the group start known as The Grand Depart, with a scheduled start date and time. Competitors carry satellite tracking devices to document their ride and as a safety feature. The course is presented to riders a few weeks before the start to be uploaded to their GPS devices. 

A company called “Trackleaders” rents tracking devices and provides an online map of the route for viewing. The basic rules* are simple: ride as fast as you can, as safely as you can, alone and without outside help. No pacelines, no drafting, no sharing equipment (assisting with mechanicals is allowed), no caches (although mail drops are permitted). A self-supported ride allows for resupply at grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, lodging at motels, camping at campgrounds. In essence, anything publicly available to all riders is fair play. Riders may leave the route for resupply or to go to a bike shop but must reenter the course where they exited. Once the clock starts, it doesn’t stop until crossing the finish or scratching. There are no set sleep/rest periods, it’s up to the individual to rest as needed without sacrificing personal safety. Distances vary but there seems to be a lot of events in the 500 to 1,000-mile range. 

*Rules can vary widely event-to-event and ultimately are up to the discretion of the race director. Rules have evolved over the years. For example, it was once acceptable to have film/video crews document a rider. However now many organizers/ directors view this as outside influence, giving those riders a psychological boost. While not a disqualification, a rider subject to receiving questionable outside help or missing part of a route may have an asterisk placed by their name. This is especially true during FKT attempts. 

Western Ontario, June 2023 – It’s my day two on the BT700 (Butter Tart 700), an 800K bikepacking race. I’m at a junction leaning over my handlebars, staring at the “Ride With GPS” app that the race director uses for this event. It’s well put together with resources and route descriptions. It’s blistering hot, no shade, I’m low on water. I’m ready to quit. They’re offering a bypass around a “rough” section of the route. The complete route includes the longer and forewarned “rough” section. Not only have I registered in the solo race category, I have also committed to racing the inaugural St. Lawrence Triple Crown, so I’m figuring any deviation would at best award me an asterisk and at worst a disqualification.

In a cloud of dust, a car rolls up and a nice lady asks if I’m okay. Even though I assure her I am, she insists on giving me a bottle of Powerade, an example of what is known as “serendipitous trail magic.” Drinking the Powerade reenergizes me and I stay on course. The “rough” section turns out to be mostly nice singletrack and well-worth riding. 

Triple Crowns – A triple crown series combines three distinct ultra-endurance bikepacking events for a composite finish time. The original Triple Crown began in 2012 with three classic bikepacking events: Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race, and Arizona Trail race. All must be completed in a calendar year from their respective Grand Departs to keep a level playing field. In 2023 race directors collaborated from the BT700 in western Ontario, Canada, the Log Driver’s Waltz (LDW) in the Ottawa Valley, Canada, and The Adirondack Trail Ride (TATR) in New York, to create the St. Lawrence Triple Crown (SLTC).

The SLTC is intended as a progressive challenge with the BT700 being the easiest and TATR (588 miles) the most difficult. When I’m out there, I remind myself that I alone am responsible for being there and it’s my responsibility to finish. An important fact of bikepack racing is that for the most part, everyone is facing the same hardships, and it’s up to the individual if they will “find the joy.” Here is a brief recap of my journey:

BT700, June 2023: 800K, Solo, First Attempt; 5D, 12H, 10M – I love the start and finish in St. Jacobs, Ontario, and Three Corner Brewery. This ride earns the best singletrack award… And, best hand me up leftover pizza at the finish line! Also, the worst hills award, as there’s pretty much no rolling in to keep your momentum. The sections labeled “Rough” were actually great riding. The weather was hotter and dustier than blazes. One-night motel stay in Owen Sound, with the best motel owner ever; speechless he was not when he learned Jody (my wife) was out there riding by herself! Another thing, I never found ground soft enough to put more than two tent stakes in at a time. 

I experienced a Ride with GPS navigation failure, Garmin 1030 failure, but the Gaia app bailed them out for the win. I learned the moisture warning in the iPhone “lightening connector” has nothing to do with severe weather warning. It’s an awesome event, cheers Matt and Tabby! Has everything, from dusty gravel roads, big climbs, out of the way singletrack riding – and Mennonite horse and buggies.

Log Driver’s Waltz, July 2023: 800K, Solo, First Attempt; 4D, 16H, 50M – Almonte, Ontario. Looking for a descriptive feel for Almonte… X-files? (Maybe it’s almost being taken out by a dog in the pitch dark, rolling into town at zero dark thirty and then looking for a statue hidden in a diminutive park to finish.) Another awesome event, this one developed and organized by Eric and Jen, bravo! Dogs – chased by more dogs in four days than in the last 40 years. Kindness is… a stranger giving me a pizza hand-up. Cold and damp weather, versus hot and dusty. Travel tip: bonjour, pronounced “BON-JOR” if you really wanted a chuckled response from the Québécois. Best lodging was Irene and Jerry’s camper in Wakefield, Quebec, adjacent to Gatineau Provincial Park, plus, a gaggle of camper kids. 

This is a ride that includes navigating the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa. The race director, Jen, and friends have an amazing cowbell cheering crew. I enjoyed having a trailhead beer with the locals at their post-ride gathering near Ottawa City. Loved the hills of Log Driver’s Waltz, many of which you could roll into – and some roll over – and some (like everywhere) required, for me, to shift to two-foot drive. The final challenge was rolling back into Almonte, looking for the finish. LDW memories include chunky gravel roads, more rideable hills, big city lights, ATVs, and fast cars.

The Adirondack Trail Ride, September 2023: 588 miles, Solo, Fifth Attempt; 6D, 11H, 16M (two hours off my personal FKT) – No comparison, TATR is the most difficult, mind-bending, grueling ride of the three. Not only is it longer, it has a crushing finish. It’s also the least “massaged” of the three. My buddy Dan was out clearing trails, as well as organizer and chief monkey wrangler Mikey Intrabartola, and myself. Three weeks before the Grand Depart, Mikey and I cleared the trail down to the Boreas River, cutting a half-dozen dead fall/ blow downs. By the time I got there on my ride, there were over a dozen new trees down. This frequently required bushwhacking, also referred to as “thwacking” when bringing a bicycle with you, deep into the dense woods trying to navigate around the mess. 

The legendary (for TATR riders) Lester Flow/Irishtown snowmobile trail (long abandoned) was much-much worse. The only purpose-built mountain bike trail is a short section of flow trail in Wilmington, about two miles long. And I am not going to count “The Poor Man’s Downhill!” Otherwise, the rest of the trails are snowmobile, hiking or ATV trails. Many never see summer travel. 

To make this year special, it had been one of the wettest this century. Crossing the Sacandaga River was uneventful but the Boreas River was the highest I’ve ever crossed with water mid-thigh and swift. I took a hard look at the crossing and feeling that it might be my only attempt at the SLTC, made the decision to forge ahead. Multiple roads and bridges were washed out. I should have gotten a picture of the cavernous Johnson Pond Road washout! Tough hikes, but rewarding natural singletrack, gravel roads and doubletrack, low traffic, and locals who “dotwatch” (the act of watching dots move on a map during an ultra-endurance cycling race) on trackleaders.com. There is nothing that has challenged me more than a lap on The Adirondack Trail Ride.

Trail Angels, Trail Magic, and People Along the Way – Trail Magic has become another sub-controversy, but in its purest form should be spontaneously provided by strangers without knowledge of the event. In Canada, some Trail Angels were listed on the route sheet. On TATR they spring up in a more spontaneous grass roots way. Regardless, I would like to pay tribute to all the people who provided food, water and support. They will probably never know the impact they have on us when we’re down and struggling. Thanks to all the dot-watchers, strangers, competitors and business owners, who are all part of the adventure. Thanks to the route developers and race directors who put in countless hours and effort to bring us all together. And the bears, and wildlife in general. (But the bears.) 

Finish – Providing I didn’t suffer a mechanical problem, an illness or injury, I was confident I would finish. However, I did not think I would be the first rider to complete the St. Lawrence Triple Crown Challenge with the current FKT: 16 days, 16 hours, 16 minutes. While certainly not a time that will be hard to beat, I felt good about this finish. I had ridden all the routes completely, solo, unsupported, and following the general rules of bikepacking – and within my personal parameters. 

Resources: bikepacking.com/bikepacking-101; bt700.ca/route-info.html; logdriverswaltz.ca/st-lawrence-bikepacking-triple-crown.html; theadirondacktrailride.com/results; trackleaders.com/history.

Michael Feldman (riosacandaga@yahoo.com) first slung a leg over a bicycle 62 years ago when his big sister taught him to ride a bike. He’s never had training wheels. He shares his freedom of adventure with his wife, Jody Dixon, whom he says hoodwinked, bamboozled, beguiled him into this St. Lawrence Triple Crown Challenge. Instagram: @mikefeldman_sdad.