Continental Divide Ride

[Asatrur]

I am planning on a 3 day trip with a buddy leaving from Denver and this route was recommended. We will be on KLRs loaded with camping gear. From Denver would the recommendation be to head South or North? What is a decent daily mileage on the CD?
Thanks,
Asa

[gpracer171]

I personally enjoyed Colorado more than the Southern WY portions. I would slab it up to the WY boarder, then take the trail south until you run out of time. I like the portion between Kremmling and Steamboat a lot. I did the CD trail and did about 300 or more miles per day, but this was long days and hard fast riding. We also changed the route south of Buena vista to remove the 50 miles of pavement and this added a lot of time going up and over the pass through St Elmo and down to Buena Vista.Just thought it might give you a gauge to go by. The Colorado from boarder to boarder on the CD could be a great 3 days. Use a bit of the first and last day to slab it back to Denver and the rest of the days on the trails.

Originally Posted by Asatrur

I am planning on a 3 day trip with a buddy leaving from Denver and this route was recommended. We will be on KLRs loaded with camping gear. From Denver would the recommendation be to head South or North? What is a decent daily mileage on the CD?
Thanks,
Asa

[TJ Willy]

Just got back from a Jeep trip up the divide (http://www.expedition-awareness.org) - I got through some of Wyoming before my GPS crashed. I had planned to make it through Colorado so I did meet my goals. Let me know if you have any questions...

I do want to let everyone know (in case it has not been posted yet) that between Kremmling and Hwy 134 when you are on county rd CO-6 a portion of the road was demolished a few weeks ago. It is supposed to follow Blacktail Creek north along the RIGHT HAND side of the creek. But according to locals, there was a big fuss about the logging industry using the road and it following too closely with the creek disturbing the habitat. There is a sign (that maybe taken down at some point) that says "LOGGING AHEAD". Just follow that road. It loops wide to the WEST of Blacktail Creek and will take you up to HWY 134.

My maps show it as FR-218 and it dead ends... but it does not. I believe this is the NEW CR CO-6.

The below pic shows the road that is no longer there in the rectangle. The arrow shows where you will need to turn. There is only one way to go here. It is really easy. I was in a Jeep pulling an offroad trailer so I was a little more cautious not knowing if I was going to end up in a place I could not turn around. Fuel was also 'on my mind'.

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by TJ Willy

Just got back from a Jeep trip up the divide (http://www.expedition-awareness.org) - I got through some of Wyoming before my GPS crashed. I had planned to make it through Colorado so I did meet my goals. Let me know if you have any questions...

I do want to let everyone know (in case it has not been posted yet) that between Kremmling and Hwy 134 when you are on county rd CO-6 a portion of the road was demolished a few weeks ago. It is supposed to follow Blacktail Creek north along the RIGHT HAND side of the creek. But according to locals, there was a big fuss about the logging industry using the road and it following too closely with the creek disturbing the habitat. There is a sign (that maybe taken down at some point) that says "LOGGING AHEAD". Just follow that road. It loops wide to the WEST of Blacktail Creek and will take you up to HWY 134.

My maps show it as FR-218 and it dead ends... but it does not. I believe this is the NEW CR CO-6.

The below pic shows the road that is no longer there in the rectangle. The arrow shows where you will need to turn. There is only one way to go here. It is really easy. I was in a Jeep pulling an offroad trailer so I was a little more cautious not knowing if I was going to end up in a place I could not turn around. Fuel was also 'on my mind'.

That section was closed last September too. The loggers came in and wiped out the road along Blacktail Creek south to Radium. The original access was at Hwy 134. I thought it had something to do with beetles. Anyways, we routed through Kremmling to get to Radium, and then came back out the same way to continue our CDR south.

[Adventure Trio]

Originally Posted by TJ Willy

Just got back from a Jeep trip up the divide (http://www.expedition-awareness.org) - I got through some of Wyoming before my GPS crashed. I had planned to make it through Colorado so I did meet my goals. Let me know if you have any questions...

I do want to let everyone know (in case it has not been posted yet) that between Kremmling and Hwy 134 when you are on county rd CO-6 a portion of the road was demolished a few weeks ago. It is supposed to follow Blacktail Creek north along the RIGHT HAND side of the creek. But according to locals, there was a big fuss about the logging industry using the road and it following too closely with the creek disturbing the habitat. There is a sign (that maybe taken down at some point) that says "LOGGING AHEAD". Just follow that road. It loops wide to the WEST of Blacktail Creek and will take you up to HWY 134.

My maps show it as FR-218 and it dead ends... but it does not. I believe this is the NEW CR CO-6.

The below pic shows the road that is no longer there in the rectangle. The arrow shows where you will need to turn. There is only one way to go here. It is really easy. I was in a Jeep pulling an offroad trailer so I was a little more cautious not knowing if I was going to end up in a place I could not turn around. Fuel was also 'on my mind'.

Thanks for the info! We're leaving for the GDR tomorrow and I will add this to my notes.

-Terry

[AirstreamBoy]

Very timely.

KnucklesGA and I rode this section a few days ago. Here's a screenshot of the bypass (in Magenta, and Countdown's CDR track in Red).




and a link to a GPX Track with the divert for those who want it.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6825265/CH11Divert.GPX

[TJ Willy]

Originally Posted by Adventure Trio

Thanks for the info! We're leaving for the GDR tomorrow and I will add this to my notes.

-Terry

No problem.... and don't sweat the 'Deep Crossing' listed just after that. There was a mild winter and a dry summer so far. It was very tame.

Good luck on the adventure!

[Pago Cruiser]

As this is Big Dogs thread, I'll address this to him...

But as my planning is terrible and I should have left a couple days ago... I'll take an answer from anybody...

In Idaho just north of Ashton,and just north of the railroad tunnel is a 40" wide elevated cattle guard. I'm trying to pin this location down a little better, as our hack rig is almost 60" in width - so I really need ot avoid this, and not have to turn around once I get to it and retrace steps - and burn precious fuel...

Here is a pic of Big Dogs route:
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/y...eGuardinID.jpg

and here is a pic of the cattle guard:
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/y...attleGuard.jpg

I'm thinking that the cattle guard is on the "loop"; so it would appear we could take the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. Can anyone confirm this?

TIA

[NorthernTraveler]

Yeah, when I came down in 2009 I stayed on the scenic highway and never ran into the cattle guard.

From the reports I read at the time that section was pretty whooped out so I didn't want to ride it anyway.

When I got to the southern end where it connected back into the highway, I got on the ORV trail and rode northward to the first railway tunnel - which was closed! They had a bypass for the tunnel, but it wouldn't have been the same so I'm not sorry I missed it.

[Cannonshot]

Originally Posted by Pago Cruiser

As this is Big Dogs thread, I'll address this to him...

But as my planning is terrible and I should have left a couple days ago... I'll take an answer from anybody...

In Idaho just north of Ashton,and just north of the railroad tunnel is a 40" wide elevated cattle guard. I'm trying to pin this location down a little better, as our hack rig is almost 60" in width - so I really need ot avoid this, and not have to turn around once I get to it and retrace steps - and burn precious fuel...

Here is a pic of Big Dogs route:
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/y...eGuardinID.jpg

and here is a pic of the cattle guard:
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/y...attleGuard.jpg

I'm thinking that the cattle guard is on the "loop"; so it would appear we could take the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. Can anyone confirm this?

TIA

Map of that segment and some pix in this post:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...&postcount=145

There are several guard on that stretch.

[CBAT]

I missed that section as that was when I noticed I was missing my counter shaft sprocket nut. I slabbed to the closest dealer for replacement then rejoined the trail to slide between the parks.

[Spartan]

Wow, Bigdog's tracks make navigating look easy. Thanks a million!
Any recommended paper maps to go along with the CD tracks?

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by Spartan

Wow, Bigdog's tracks make navigating look easy. Thanks a million!
Any recommended paper maps to go along with the CD tracks?

AAA paper maps help. Benchmark map books are better, but hard to carry. They come by state.

I studied the route and actually used Cannonshot's tracks as they were more recent. I started with AA maps, then moved to Benchmark. Then I used google maps to trace the route. Then I loaded Cannonshot's tracks to my Gamin Basecamp software and studied it on their Citynavigator electronic maps. If you zoom in enough all the roads are there. After that I loaded it into my 60Csx and made sure it was there. Then I rode the route. I'd studied it so much including all the RR's I felt I rode it before!

I ended up zooming out on my 60Csx and just followed the tracks. If the tracks veared off I made a U and turned off on the road the tracks veered off on. Very simple after a day or so of riding.

[wbbnm]

Countdown has posted an alternate route thru New Mexico in his library on GPSXchange. IMO his modified route is much better than the classic route especially the Chloride Creek segment.

[eddyturn]

Originally Posted by wbbnm

Countdown has posted an alternate route thru New Mexico in his library on GPSXchange. IMO his modified route is much better than the classic route especially the Chloride Creek segment.

You say better but is it easier or more challenging? Just checking.