Rockies region route help

A week ago I posted about the Old Spanish Trail and got enough info for me to get a little more serious in my plans.

I have this crazy idea for a ride next spring or fall and I could use some advice from folks in NV, CA, AZ, UT and NM. <o></o>
What I’m thinking of doing is a ride along the Old Spanish Trail staying on dirt roads as much as possible. I’d classify myself as an intermediate rider and I’ll be astride my venerable KLR so I’d like to avoid “hero stuff” type roads and trails.<o></o>
I’ve been using Topo <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1lace> to create a route which does a pretty decent job of staying close to the OST. However, when I put the OST route on Google Earth I can see that there are quite a few roads that are even closer to the OST that don’t appear on Topo <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1lace>. Here is where I need help from local riders.<o></o>
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I’ve attached two gpx files, one of the OST and another of my planned route (<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">OST Route</st1:address></st1:Street>). If some of you folks would be kind enough to have a look at these and provide some information on accessibility and conditions of the roads on my planned route, I’d really appreciate it. If you have alternate route suggestions or even gpx files that I can use, that would be great too. <o></o>
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jeff<o></o>

Here is my proposed route.

I think you would have better responses with this over in the GPS/Rockies forum. I'll move your thread over there for you. Good Luck and have fun!

Very good work, did you draw that by hand?

I can give you tracks from Vegas to Baker. Amergosa river below Tecopa is wilderness.

You need ot get Old Spanish Trail in title.

You should probably post this in west also.

Keep me posted, I am also interested in riding it on Husky TE610.

I assume you have all the books on it?

Right Jerry. Most of that near Tecopa is now fenced off. That path down 127 should be on the pavement unless he went East about two miles and picked up the old railroad grade to Dumont and Sperry. You can run the grade from where he hit the 127 pavement from the power lines. In any case at Sperry he will have to go up Sperry wash (go right, east, BLM approved) to the Western Talc Mines and work his way back to the Old Spanish Trail pavement. No gas in Tecopa. Baker Shoshone, Pharump are the only ones I know of to Vegas going that way. (You could always bum some at Dumont Dunes from an offroader in a pinch however)

Thanks for the replies.
I'd completely forgotton about this post and it didn't seem like many had heard of the trail. I just happend to see it during a search and started looking into the possibility of doing a little ride.

I did draw it by hand but I used TopoUSA and it had the OST already on it so all I needed to do was look for roads and trails that closely parralled it. But, sometimes the maps don't show the closed roads.
I'll go back through my route and modify it using your suggested routes. And if you want to send or post a gpx, I'd appreciate it.

This is what I have ridden except one section I did by hand.

What did your bike break down? Did ya wear gloves when ya did the part by hand?

Paved road! I don't ride no stinking paved road!

Thanks Countdown.
What was that route towards Dumont like?

Fun dual Sport ride, sand and rocks cross stream once or twice. A bit of a challange on an Adventure bike. KLR650 in the middle

That wash might be a little much for 400lb panniers...

Two of the best guides on this thread by the way.

Jethro, or anyone,

Did you do any more on the Old Spanish Trail? Actually most of it is west of the Rockys.

I can't get the files to download. Can you put your file on GPSXchange?

see west question:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=455900