SoMD Adventure Riders Continental Divide ride 2012 (planning phase)

If you weere going to use a professional hauler wouldn't you want to go to Albuquerque as it is closer to one end of the "actual" CDT?

I think she is just getting guesstimate's together right now to see if anyone would even be interested.

Of the ship/trailer/ride options...
I think shipping is the least feasible (too many variables from my perspective)
I'm with Bruce about riding, but I have to agree with the points Eric brought up.
Backup transportation options
Saving tires and energy....

Overall, which ever option we take...the adventure has already started

nicely put
i love the idea that my trailer/shop/way home will be out there. These safety nets are making this thing come off for me. I do not need to bring my truck, but I do need to bring my trailer! I get to move home base 2000 miles to the west by taking it.

Another advantage of the bike/truck&trailer combo...Bikers can travel light if they wish
They can always put their camp gear or extra clothes with the truck/trailer for the way out & back...

As always, I'm up for either option....I'm more than willing to help drive, but willing to ride if others need that option more...
(not saying the older...I mean "more experienced" SMIBs can't make the ride...just that they might prefer a bit softer seat at times)

who you talkin' about Willis?

So trying to zone in when the optimal timeframe might be. I've provided some graphs from the Weather.com. The graphs are pretty consistent, so I went after some words from the all knowing interwebs. Based on those, I am begining to think the window is mid-July to mid-Aug. Leave MD O/A 22 July, Return O/A 12 Aug?

Thoughts?

Continental Divide, New Mexico




Del Norte, CO




Kremeling, CO




Steamboat, CO




Rawlins, WY




Jackson, WY




Butte, MT




Eureka, MT




Here are the current google assumptions:

1. Fewer CDT thru-travelers start at the Canada/Montana border, Mid-June may be summer in some parts of the world, but in Glacier National Park, spring has barely begun. If you begin too early, you will run into deep snow pack and dangerously high river crossings.

2. Others start at the Canadian border in late June; however, due to high snow levels, spring run-off, and avalanche dangers, the delay may last well into July.

3. NM--a difference of 16 o F or a little more than 3o decrease in temperature for each 1,000-foot increase in elevation.

4. NM--During the summer months, individual daytime temperatures quite often exceed 100o F at elevations below 5,000 feet (division 8); but the average monthly maximum temperatures during July, the warmest month, range from slightly above 90o F at the lower elevations to the upper 70’s at high elevations.

5. NM--Receiving about 25 percent of its annual rainfall during July and August.

6. NM--Snowmelt during April to June, especially in combination with a warm rain, and heavy general rains during August to October may occasionally cause flooding of the larger rivers.

7. Glacier National Park stats;

Month Temp H Temp L Rain Snow
June 70 45 3.35 0.0
July 78 48 1.95 0.0
August 78 46 1.45 0.0

8. The Rockies are a summer destination, and it starts to feel summery around June. The warm weather generally lasts until about mid-September. Snowstorms can start in the mountains as early as September

9. Rocky Mountain National Park
ColoradoIt may snow even in July. In the subalpine areas, such as at Bear Lake - 9,475' (2,888 m) .
June receives an inch or more of rain. Snow remains on Longs Peak and on other high mountains.
July is the warmest month. An inch or more of rain falls. Old Fall River Road opens by July 4th.
August, the wettest month, can average 2" of rain. Cold fronts occur late in the month.

:huh

So late July to early August....

One of the key planning points is Monsoon season in New Mexico, which typically starts in early July. I have heard that significant chunks of the the trail in New Mexico will be impassable (at least on the bike I am planning to ride) if we get caught in the mud these rains produce.

My thought was to ride South to North, start in late June, and try to get through New Mexico before the rains start. Of course, mother nature gets a vote and no amount of planning can guarantee good weather at any time.

Eric

When they say "impassable when wet" it's likely accurate. We met folks who just stopped and camped at the side of the road because of mud and rain. Another two guys had wheels unable to turn when the mud set up....luck of the draw on rain and mud. Doesn't take much rain to make roads a mess, but they seem to dry out pretty fast too. On our trip, mostly we rode through dried up ruts indicating that it'd been a whole lot worse days before. Even seemingly small puddles of water on the dirt roads hide slippery, impossible adobe, and we found it better to ride around through the brush than try the mud.

Thanks for the intel ADVDave!

I "should" not be away from work both of the first 2 weeks in Aug. My leave will be denied, if it runs much past 8/7 8/8, unfortunately.
I had done the weather research and felt that (considering a S-N route) any time in the first 2 weeks of July for a start, and a return to work on Monday 8/6.
It's gonna be 110f at the beginning. I love that we will be going through areas of temp that run from that to average lows in the high 30s/low 40s. yes, there will be frost!

agree with Eric

Definitely interested and may be able to go, but won't know my situation till we get close in time. Tim & I are already are planning an Alaska trip and summer is typically busiest for work.

For now I'll just follow the thread.

OK, so it looks like August is out and we are looking at late June and July...right? Anybody else got schedule drivers?

I vote the last 3 weeks of September because its dry. The problem is the clay roads when wet. If you get rain, you have to stop and set up camp to let things dry a few hours. Maybe 12 of them.

These are really easy roads if dry. If mud, then they are a nightmare. There is a thread in RR called West Forever or something like that. Docking Pilot wrote it. He votes late Sep also I think.

The weather was just above freezing at the morning launch so you need gear for a few hours early. By noon you're peeling stuff off. Once south of WY, the mornings were maybe mid 40's. Perfect for motating.

My only concern is the ability to get over passes that might still be buried under feet of snow in June.

The problem is that our crew has a school teacher, someone who works at a school, and several others with kids so we have to finish this a couple weeks before school starts.

it rained hard on me every day on the trail in Colorado this September, and almost got trapped by muddy roads there, getting out through shear luck.
snow on some of the high passes there in early september. it's not just the new mexico sections that can get muddy. wyoming and montana somewhat better.

you will get more informed answers in rockies regional.

the other joker in the deck is the snowfall forecast for this winter, colorado and north to montana.

Exactly. If LaNina gives the rockies a brutal amount of snow this winter then it will take longer for some of the snow pack to melt.

back country roads damaged by runoff, also more water crossings. you could get a much better indication of what those roads looked like early in the season by asking in the rockies section.

when i was in montana in september everyone was talking about the just released NOAA winter forecast of another heavy snowfall winter.