Hydration!

As I've mentioned on the rider info page and in the Altitude post, hydration is at least as important here as on other events.  While heat in general may not be an issue, that doesn't mean hydration takes a back seat.

Official Event Hydration in Quebec on Boston-Montreal-Boston 2006

A few route segments deserve special attention:

• Walden to Saratoga (Day 1) - 67 miles - Exposed, with a number of rollers.  (It's only 49 miles to Riverside, but their store closes at 7pm).
• Walden to Steamboat Springs (Day 2) - 57 miles - Including the climb to Muddy Pass and over Rabbit Ears Pass.
• Granby to Walden (Day 3) - 55 miles - Including the climb over Willow Creek Pass.

All of these segments are the final ones on their respective stages.  So:

1. At the start of those segments, make sure you're well-hydrated, not depleted - more of a challenge later in the day.
2. Consider extra liquid-carrying capacity, and not count on staff presence somewhere along the way.  (In my case, that would mean two large water bottles plus a hydration pack, rather than the one large and one small bottle I normally carry.)

If your prep and equipment cover these cases, you should be set (hydration-wise) for the route as a whole!

-jle