Mike Pike

Day 10 | 6.22.25 This was probably the roughest day so far. We woke up to stupid cold and relentless rain. It was my lowest point so far. We rode until I literally couldn’t take it anymore, just soaked, cold, and tired. The scenery was still gorgeous, but the clouds, rain and cold made it tough to enjoy. By midday, my feet were frozen, and my gloves felt like they had been through a swamp. We stopped in Ovando, MT to pick up supplies and found some of the best merch so far on the divide from a place called Blackfoot Commercial Company. We finally made it to Avon, only to find no campsites, so we had to improvise. We ended up camping in a random farmer’s field, surrounded by cows who seemed quite curious about us. Later, the farmer showed up, and Zack smoothed things over, letting us stay. Fortunately, there was one restaurant in Avon that was nearby, so we ended up taking refuge there before searching for said campsite. One of those “fuck this” kind of days. 70 miles | 2200 ft

Day 9 | 6.21.25 We woke up to rain and cold in the woods, with 18 miles to the nearest gas station. When we got there, it turned out to be a full supermarket! Five miles down the road, Zack’s boss’s sister, tracking us on the spot tracker, surprised us with snacks and beer (definitely a highlight). From the start of the day, my Garmin kept pinging me with winter storm warnings, making me think it was glitching. Although by midday, we actually started getting flurries. When we reached Seeley Lake, the sun finally came out just in time for us to end the day. Being that the temps were forecasted to be in the 20s, we really didn’t want to deal with our tents, being that the rain was a bit much the night before and our gear was all still drenched. So we found a place that had available rooms. We had a hot shower and a warm bed and dried all our stuff. 74 miles | 2800 ft

Day 8 | 6.20.25 We kicked off Day 8 by leaving Columbia Falls and grabbed breakfast at the local diner. There, we met the inspiring duo of a dad and his 12-year-old daughter tackling the Tour Divide together. They were both super kind and definitely a highlight of the morning! After breakfast, we headed back into the mountains. We’d heard there was a chance of rain and maybe even some snow, but I didn’t quite believe it. We faced a 7-mile climb once we got to the gravel, and it sprinkled lightly the whole way up. But, of course, as soon as we reached the top, the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour. The whole morning I was looking forward to this descent, but by the time we reached the bottom, I was absolutely freezing. Note: I had decided not to bring rain pants for the tour being that I wanted to go light for this whole thing…definitely a regret in that moment! We found a super random campsite, which was basically just a makeshift parking spot someone had used once and called it good. Hanging our food from bears became a nightly comedy routine, featuring elastic paracord, questionable knots, and a healthy dose of ‘this should probably be higher.’ By the end of the day, we were wet, cold and over it. 65 miles | 4000ft

Day 7 | 6.19.25 The night before, we met one of Lauren’s close friends, @that_montanagirl , a total kindness tornado of a human, who told us about a rodeo happening the next day. Since Zack’s cortisone shots were scheduled for mid-afternoon and he was likely going to be advised to take it easy after getting two injections, we made the call to take Thursday off the bike. The day started with a pit stop at a local bike shop to get Zack’s bottom bracket cleaned and regreased as well as a spoke replaced and another new chain. Then it was off to another town for his shots. We got back to Columbia Falls in time for @that_montanagirl to swing by and help Zack get some social media content done for Task Force Dagger. Her husband is a veteran. She’s got great energy and clearly cares deeply about the cause. Then we were off to the rodeo. It was my first rodeo; turns out, that’s not just a saying. So it was a bit of a cultural experience for me. Bucking broncos, bull riding, the whole deal. Loud arena, packed stands, and riders getting thrown through the air like it was routine. We had a lot of fun and can’t thank @that_montanagirl for the great hospitality and rodeo!!!

Here’s the part that doesn’t show up in the photos much. Even though this has been a personal dream of mine for over a decade, we’re riding the Tour Divide to raise money for Task Force Dagger, a nonprofit that supports Special Operations families through injury, illness, and loss. We’re also doing it in support of Birds Eye View Project, an organization that shares real stories of first responders and military veterans, not the polished version, but the honest, human side of service. Zack served in Special Ops and now works as a firefighter so these causes hit close to home. This ride felt like a meaningful way to give back in a multitude of ways. More on both orgs and the ride : link’s in bio.

Day 6 | 6.18.25 Day 6 was a great day of riding that perfect mix of gravel and pavement. Despite the chilly morning, we were headed toward Whitefish, where Zack had some friends he knew through Task Force Dagger. He was planning to get cortisone shots to help with his IT bands, which, in reality, still needed some attention even though we hoped they were improving. The ride itself was beautiful, and the scenery did not disappoint. Somewhere along the way, I got my second flat tire of the trip, using up another bottle of sealant. By the time I caught up with Zack in Whitefish, he had already arranged for his shots for the next day. We ended up at @theremingtonbar …highly recommended!!! Massive shoutout to Dave the owner, who was incredibly welcoming. If you’re ever in Whitefish, it’s definitely worth a visit! After lunch, we continued on to Columbia Falls, where we were welcomed by Zack’s friends, @laurenvmanley and Chris. Lauren has strong ties to the veteran non-profit community and is a deeply passionate advocate, dedicating her work to supporting veterans’ mental health and well-being. Chris, like Zack, is also a Green Beret veteran. Together, they graciously opened their home to us, giving us a much needed chance to rest and recover. With the Flathead River just behind their place, we took a cold plunge to help with the legs and knees. That evening, we had dinner at a place called Gunsight Saloon and spent time meeting incredible people, hearing stories about their military history and how it has shaped their lives. We’re deeply grateful for the warmth, generosity, and support of Lauren, Chris, and everyone we met.

Day 5 | 6.17.25 We woke up on Day 5 and Zack’s IT bands were feeling much better. Both anxious to get back into the states we covered roughly 45 miles from Fernie to the U.S. border. Crossing back into the States was surprisingly easy on a bicycle, and we made one last stop on the Canadian side to grab some fluids and food. Once we were in Montana, we rode another 30 to Dickey Lake, where we set up camp for the night. Took a dip in the lake and called it a night. First day on the ride where we didn’t see much wildlife. 77 miles | 3400 ft

Day 4 | 6.16.25 We ended up staying an extra day in Fernie at this hotel that was like a mix between a Super 8 and a low-key Great Wolf Lodge. Honestly, I’m not even sure what it was called*, but it definitely had a two story water slide! The main goal was to give Zack a chance to ice his IT bands and rest so he’d be in better shape for the days ahead. *it was not called Richmond.

Day 3 | 6.15.25 We woke up on Day 3 with a bit of concern: Zack’s IT bands, which had started to flare up the day before, were really giving him a hard time. After some deliberation, we decided to avoid the infamous Koko Claims climb and opted for the AC route instead. Still got great single track and a lot of fire roads. Midway through the day, we made a stop in Sparwood for lunch with two other riders before pushing on to Fernie. Once we reached Fernie, we decided to stay for the night and take the following day off, hoping that a little extra rest would help Zack’s IT bands recover. We got in 50 for the day with just a bit over 2000ft. Since it was Father’s Day and my first time being away from the kids, I was super grateful to finally get WiFi (AT&T is non existent on the Continental Divide) and connect with them and my wife. But more than anything, I found myself wanting to celebrate Janey, the backbone of this whole thing. She’s been holding down the fort at home and making this incredible journey possible. #tourdivide2025 #teamlivingproof

Day 2 | 06.14.25 We started the morning at Bolton Campground, where most of the other riders had already set out for early morning, leaving only a couple of us who appreciated a little extra sleep. Breakfast was a fine selection of leftover protein bars and jerky, and then we hit the road. The morning chill hovered around 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so it took a while to warm up. Midday brought wild horses, a lot of rollers, and some some great descents. One of which had us hitting around 35 to 40 miles per hour until we found a rider laid out on the road with a cracked helmet. He was completely disoriented, so we quickly called 911 (which is the same emergency number in Canada as in the US). Even in the middle of nowhere, the EMTs arrived impressively fast and got him to the hospital. A wild reminder of how unpredictable this thing can be. After that unexpected detour, we covered about 51 to 52 miles with roughly 3,000 feet of elevation gain before deciding to camp in Elkford. There, we met up with some of the riders we’d caught up with during the day, along with some new faces. Big shoutout to Heinz, Ray from Saskatchewan, and Mustard from Indiana. Shit was hilarious…there was like 12 riders sharing two single spots at the campsite. We shared stories as everyone mentally prepared themselves for the infamous Koko Claims climb starting off the next day. #tourdivide2025 #teamlovingproof

Day 1 | 06.13.25 The first wave left Banff at 7 am sharp, these were the fast ones. The “15 days or less” crowd. We rolled out closer to 8 am, firmly in the “we’ll finish… eventually” bracket. Right out of the gate, you get acquainted with what you signed up for. Pretty certain not even an hour in and we were hiking our bikes up something steep. Needless to say everything looks like out of a postcard and the beauty is so intense it can distract you from whatever pain you’re feeling at the moment. Things went relatively smooth at first. Spirits were high. Views were stunning. We were feeling great. Then we passed Spray lake and that’s when the headwinds showed up. I think meteorologist call them “gale force winds”( slight over exaggeration). It felt like riding through wet cement while invisible hands slapped you in the face. Then came the weather roulette. One moment, it’s a chill that makes you zip your jacket; four minutes later, the sun hits and you’re stripping layers. Six minutes after that: rain. Then hail. Then sun again. I brought no rain pants. Because, apparently, I’m an optimist. By mid-afternoon we were dry-ish and borderline dehydrated. Found a random stream, filtered water, and for a brief moment, we were feeling good again. At 5:30 pm, the skies opened again. We debated pushing on, but gambling with unknown miles in a storm didn’t feel wise. So we stopped at Bouton Creek. Naturally, it cleared up an hour later, because the weather is a comedian. Final stats: 56 miles, 4,200 feet of climbing, and about 7 hours on the bike. Way short of what we were aiming for. A couple hike-a-bike sections, a wrong turn (where I tried to shortcut up loose gravel and nearly died), and just like that, Day One was in the books. Lessons learned: The Continental Divide is beautiful. The Tour Divide is VERY humbling! And when you think you have enough food, buy more. #tourdivide2025

Shoutout to Daren, who handbuilt this bike knowing full well I’d take it straight into a hailstorm, sleep next to it in the dirt, and probably complain the whole way. He doesn’t do “fast.” He does it right. No shortcuts. No nonsense. #WoodpeckerCycleCo #BuiltByDaren #TourDivide2025 #ThisIsFine #teamlivingproof