Team Prying the Thomas Flyer out of Mud, Pathfinder Tour before the New York to Seattle Race, 1909

The famous Thomas Flyer -- winner of the 1908 New York to Paris race -- was chosen as the pathfinder for the 1909 New York to Seattle race. As the pathfinder, the Flyer laid out the route that race participants would follow a few months later. The Flyer, like later contestants, encountered poor road conditions and struggled through the mud of the western United States.