CannonTracks - Great Divide Ride

Try to find a copy of Roads & Rec it is by far the best and takes very little space on your card.

"Thank you" doesn't even begin to describe my gratitude. I just loaded these tracks onto my 60csx this afternoon and it's readily apparent that you've put much thought and effort into this. Great work! I feel like I practically have a guided tour in the palm of my hand now.

Wow ... sure wish I had your file last year when I rode the GDR. I have to confess, I was "Zumo-challenged" last year and got lost a lot. And I dunno what it is ... but I seem to have a personality clash with MapSource. I experienced it as old, clunky software.

I've since bought a 60CSx and am now learning how to use it. Hoping to ride the GDR again NEXT year - in approx 2 weeks, vs. 2.5 months last year! - and have everything dialed in.

Anyway, as always, appreciating the details, clarity and time you put into your reports for us ...

OUTSTANDING! Thanks Canonshot.

Cannonshot,

Again, I want to express my gratitude for your generosity in supplying tracks of your route. Along with yours, others & our own, it made navigating the CDR a piece of cake.

I won't hijack your thread but, It may be beneficial to mention the detour around Medicine Bow National Forest this summer.

Sleddog

Cannonshot, once again you overwhelm me with your aptitude. Thank you

This is a great resource, thank you! I plan on using the Co portion to ride home (partially) from RMAR!

Posted by petdav
Just returned from S-N ride on CDR and wanted to say thanks for posting such a great set of gps data for this route. Using my 276c, I lead a group of 6 and we were able to consistently rely on your tracklog and waypoints to guide us through - a huge benefit to anyone attempting this route. Thanks again for all the excellent work,

Hi Cannonshot,

I need some help regarding GPS Routes/Tracks/Waypoints that I can download to my Garmin GPS 60CSx (I don't understand about gpx file but I know my GPS use gdb file instead).

I am planning to do the whole CDT starting on Aug 25 from Antelope NM to Montana. I only have couple more days to take-off and I am still strugling plotting my GPS routes/tracks. Please advice for an easy routes/tracks to enjoy.

Thanks for any help,
Gery

Goodmorning Cannonshot,

Thanks so much for all the help. You and Big Dog "Mark" are very helpful to me and made me very confident that I will be on the right tracks. You guys are awesome and wish I could meet you in personal someday....

Thanks again,
Gery

Make sure you have installed your background maps correctly into your GPS. To check, do this:

Once you have transferred Cannshot's tracks, fire up your GPS instrument with the GPS off. From the menu go to tracks. You should see Cannonshot's route icons on the lower left of the screen. Scroll down the list until you find Track 1. Track 1 is the beginning of the route in Montana. Highlight it and hit 'enter'. Then select 'map' and hit enter. You should see the map screen come up with the tracks clearly marked. Now zoom in to see if your backround maps are working. You should eventually zoom in enough to see the road names. If they are there, you should be ready to ride.

I am using the route starting Sep 19 going south. I am also trying to learn how to use tracks before I go. I've gone over every inch of it on my laptop using my mapping software at .2 mile zoom. I think that excercise is helpful in better understanding the route details. I'll probably make a simple route sheet to mark off things like gas stops. Although, Cannonshot has done an excellent job of locating likely gas stops for my range.

Good luck and post your progress in ride reports.

Thanks again Cannonshot!

Thanks so much for all the tips. Cannonshot, BigDog, and some of our inmates are very helpful to me regarding GPS to keep me going. I will also try the tips you suggested to double check my actual GPS instrument to see if the Tracks are there. I admit that I still have to learn a lot about GPS mapping and be familiar how to use Tracks.

Thanks again to all,
Gery

GIRD (Gulfstream Idiots Ride the Divide)

Thank you Cannonshot for your effort in creating the Great Divide trax, ride reports and photos. We Hugerush (2010 KTM990) and I Maxepr ( 2009 KLR650) just completed the Great Divide 08 08 2011 at Rooseville, MT. to Antelope Wells, NM. We met several people along the route Riders and People that knew about the Great Divide route. Your way points were fantastic and saved our bacon with gas and camp sites several times. The route was pretty uneventful except in New Mexico with the monsoons and calitche mud. The rains start about 14:00 (it actually came early 13:47 on 08 17 2011 to CR42) we were 7 miles from making Hwy 117 while on Chain of Craters Byway (a.k.a. CR42) and got stuck in the calitche mud. A sheriff and a SP were actually out there looking for someone that night in a 4x4 and determined the road was washed out about 2 miles from hwy 117. The stuff is so sticky they should build houses out of the stuff. It dried out enough the next day and we back tracked the 50 miles back to Grant. I was never so happy to see dust off the rear wheel.

As well as the thanks to Cannonshot I'd like to "shout out to the DRZ400 we passed headed North 320 miles out of Roosville, MT.
Pair of KTM690s with TourTech aluminum bags. They looked too clean to be riding the divide.
Air Canada team Tim DR650 and John KLR650 met at Fleecer Ridge
Miscelanious riders that we passed
For BMWBOV John in Silver City the "Dog Lady" wanted us to let you know we went the whole distance from border to border staying as true to the line as possible.

I can't say enough good about Performance Cycle of Denver!!!! The Continental TKC80 130-80-17 rear was disapearing fast. It was new in Denver - Roosville - at about 2500 miles and it was Saturday at 16:50 and I called Bernadette (aka Bernie) and she hooked me up by placing the tire where a friend could retrieve it after they closed. a friend drove it from denver to kremmling and I carried the new one as a spare from Kremmling, CO to Antelope and back to Denver. but it was nice to have it. The TKC made the trip I'll post pictures. The point is I'll use Performance Cycle of Denver every chance I get they're great!

Equipment: used a Garmin Zumo 665 It will show a track that can be followed. I downloaded and loaded Cannonshots trax using Mapsource. The XM radio and weather was freekin awsome!! I colored the line flourecent green it seemed to show up well in day and night. I have to read the screen cleening instructions I'm certain I did it wrong the whole 2 weeks. If anyone has questions I'm no expert but could walk you through it. The thing also leaves a route or track on the screen if you set it up to. I'm going to try to down load my little trail to a computer file for prosperity. All in all it went well. New Mexico was open from the fires and no one hassled us going on the trail. We talked to someone that got turned back.

Good luck to all the other Inmates on the GDR!!

Another shout out to Cannonshot for his fantastic tracks that he shared. I initially thought i'd get by with just the bicycle maps and proceeded to do so. Within a few hours it was painfully apparent that riding a bike offroad and reading fine print on a map are best not done at the same time. Shifted to the GPS the next day and boy was it smooth sailing!

The tracks are very succint, with ALL the info that the bicycle maps have, including calling out the tougher sections. After a few days, i just used the bicycle maps for the area history and general reference, relying on the cannonshot tracks for gas info as well.

There was only one place near the WY/ID border where i experienced a closed gate, but it was ridiculously easy to get around. I met one rider on a bmw800GS going s-to-n, and a pair of older riders BMW riders together.

In the spirit of cannonshot's help, i pledge a ride report that will help other riders out, that i will share shortly.

Shridhar