Continental Divide Ride

[Dieselkid]

Originally Posted by bttran

Here is the official website for what you need http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/. I am also doing this trail in less than 2 weeks and hoping that the fire restrictions are eased somewhat. Have fun and update if you can!

That is just what I was looking for! Thanks. I'll post some updates as I can.

[Dieselkid]

Just came thru NM and CO and didn't a have any problems with the fires that were around NM earlier in the year. Also there is a bad washout in NM but there is a easy way around it to the left if your going north, right if going south. Roads were in great shape, no mud!

[jthomas82]

Originally Posted by Dieselkid

Just came thru NM and CO and didn't a have any problems with the fires that were around NM earlier in the year. Also there is a bad washout in NM but there is a easy way around it to the left if your going north, right if going south. Roads were in great shape, no mud!

Have the Fire restrictions been lifted?

[Dieselkid]

Originally Posted by jthomas82

Have the Fire restrictions been lifted?

From what I saw yes, they have been lifted.

[98Virago]

Originally Posted by BigDogAdventures.com

I updated the gps file on 12-27-09.
I added the extremely hard fleecer ridge route to the file if a rider was so inclined to ride or try this route.
I also added some updated waypoints.

Besides the route and track logs on this file---it is chocked full of waypoints for gas, food, logding, camping and any interesting thing I read about or found along the way. It will guide you on the route as first laid out by the Adventure bicycling group minus the trails that cannot be ridden on a motorcycle because it goes thru a non-motorized wilderness------and one particular nasty section that the bicyclists have to carry their bikes
This will save you the trouble of going 40 miles down a dead end route and having to backtrack--and maybe running out of gas.

I bet over 300 people have used this file and none complained of any inacuracies or problems----other than unpredictable temporary trail washouts.

Even tho I rode the trail South To North---I redid the routes on this file to navigate you North To South as it seems that is the way most people want to do it. If you want to go South to North you can reverse the routes or just follow the track log.

Waypoint Key: if a Waypoint name is "GFL Butte".........that means there is Gas, Food and Lodging in Butte---not exactly at that point---but in that town. A waypoint beginning with just "G" means there is just gas--get it ????

Have a great ride---and remember.......
The Scenery Never Stops----Never

Hi Mark,

I need some help regarding GPS Routes/Tracks/Waypoints that I can download to my Garmin GPS 60CSx. 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 stragling with my GPS routes/tracks. Please advice for an easy routes/tracks to enjoy.

Thanks for any help,
Gery

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by 98Virago

Hi Mark,

I need some help regarding GPS Routes/Tracks/Waypoints that I can download to my Garmin GPS 60CSx. 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 stragling with my GPS routes/tracks. Please advice for an easy routes/tracks to enjoy.
Thanks for any help, Gery

What is your specific problem?

Go to GPSXchange.com, Private Libraries, open my CDR 20x500 file in Mapsource, delete all buy Tracks 1-18 and click downlaod, select tacks and Waypoints, and send. You can then go back and find 2 more tracks you want and download them to fill your 20 slots.

The red tracks are athe actual divide just so you can see where it is.

[98Virago]

Originally Posted by Countdown

What is your specific problem?

Go to GPSXchange.com, Private Libraries, open my CDR 20x500 file in Mapsource, delete all buy Tracks 1-18 and click downlaod, select tacks and Waypoints, and send. You can then go back and find 2 more tracks you want and download them to fill your 20 slots.

The red tracks are athe actual divide just so you can see where it is.

Thanks so much for all the assistance to keep me going on this CDT adventure. Big Dog "Mark" and Cannonshot helps me a lot regarding my strugling in creating Routes & Tracks for my coming CDT adventure. I am really running out of time and I just use the Routes/Tracks/Waypoints that they provided to me. After reading and seeing many good comments of other inmates that uses their Tracks, It give me confident that I will not get lost by just following their Tracks.

Thanks again,
Gery

[Tour_man]

Four of us rode the divide from Silver City New Mexico to Eureka Montana this past August. There were 2 DR650's, a DR, and a KLR. Originally there were 2 DR's, but one broke down just as we were starting the trail from Silver City. It was replaced with the KLR. Three riders had ridden the Baja and the Copper Canyon, one rider - me - had no real off road experience, but 45 yrs of street riding.

We deviated from Big Dogs GPS coordinates to ride over Stoney and Engineer Passes. We left Creede Colorado thinking that it was an easy ride to Silverton, we were in for a big surprise. The road started out fairly flat an easy, but as we approached Stoney Pass and started climbing, the road soon deteriorated to woop de doos, washouts, very steep hills of bed rock, boulders, and shale. We eventually got to the top of Stoney Pass, but for awhile it was quite a struggle. Going down was scary, due to the road width, loose rocks, and steep drop offs. If your like me and don't like heights it can be unnerving.

Originally we decided to go into Silverton, but it took us hours to get from Creede to Stoney Pass, and we wanted to do the Alpine Loup on the same day. When we arrived at the junction of Engineer and Cinnamon Passes we were getting quite fatigued, so we decided to do just one pass and ride to Lake City for the night. Checking the map, we decided Engineer Pass would be the shorter route. It really was quite a challenging ride. From the pictures of Engineer Pass that I had seen on the internet the road appeared quite flat, but it wasn't. Any soil that had been on the road was gone, and it was just bedrock, loose boulders, and shale. Because the angle of the road leaned downwards, there was no place to put our left foot down if we were to cover our rear brakes. We were off the seat a lot, slipping the clutch, covering our brakes, while trying to keep our momentum up. Again, like Stoney Pass it was technically challenging. However, it was all worth it as the views were spectacular. On that day we only managed 92 miles.

Has anyone else deviated from the Great Divide and ridden over these two passes? I have read Black Bear is the most difficult.

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by Tour_man

Four of us rode the divide from Silver City New Mexico to Eureka Montana this past August. There were 2 DR650's, a DR, and a KLR. Originally there were 2 DR's, but one broke down just as we were starting the trail from Silver City. It was replaced with the KLR. Three riders had ridden the Baja and the Copper Canyon, one rider - me - had no real off road experience, but 45 yrs of street riding.

We deviated from Big Dogs GPS coordinates to ride over Stoney and Engineer Passes. We left Creede Colorado thinking that it was an easy ride to Silverton, we were in for a big surprise. The road started out fairly flat an easy, but as we approached Stoney Pass and started climbing, the road soon deteriorated to woop de doos, washouts, very steep hills of bed rock, boulders, and shale. We eventually got to the top of Stoney Pass, but for awhile it was quite a struggle. Going down was scary, due to the road width, loose rocks, and steep drop offs. If your like me and don't like heights it can be unnerving.

Originally we decided to go into Silverton, but it took us hours to get from Creede to Stoney Pass, and we wanted to do the Alpine Loup on the same day. When we arrived at the junction of Engineer and Cinnamon Passes we were getting quite fatigued, so we decided to do just one pass and ride to Lake City for the night. Checking the map, we decided Engineer Pass would be the shorter route. It really was quite a challenging ride. From the pictures of Engineer Pass that I had seen on the internet the road appeared quite flat, but it wasn't. Any soil that had been on the road was gone, and it was just bedrock, loose boulders, and shale. Because the angle of the road leaned downwards, there was no place to put our left foot down if we were to cover our rear brakes. We were off the seat a lot, slipping the clutch, covering our brakes, while trying to keep our momentum up. Again, like Stoney Pass it was technically challenging. However, it was all worth it as the views were spectacular. On that day we only managed 92 miles.

Has anyone else deviated from the Great Divide and ridden over these two passes? I have read Black Bear is the most difficult.

I rode my CDR on a Yamaha wr250r just last month. It was fun on that tidler, but if the path is dry like ours, you could do it on a Gold Wing. There are no technical dirt sections to the CDR. Not even the two little water crossings...unless it rains.

Those passes you discribe sound much more formidable than anything we experiencxed on the main route. We did a couple side routes that taxed us, though...

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by Pantah

I rode my CDR on a Yamaha wr250r just last month. It was fun on that tidler, but if the path is dry like ours, you could do it on a Gold Wing. There are no technical dirt sections to the CDR. Not even the two little water crossings...unless it rains.

I developed a complete new route for New Mexico that follows divide much closer (crosses it 40 times) and has much more 2-tracks. See it on GPSXchange.com.

Would like to do Colorado but got side tracked doing the Great Western Trail.

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by Countdown

I developed a complete new route for New Mexico that follows divide much closer (crosses it 40 times) and has much more 2-tracks. See it on GPSXchange.com.

Would like to do Colorado but got side tracked doing the Great Western Trail.

Thanks - I'll get it and take a look. Maybe try it in the spring. Looking forward to your progress on the Western Trail too.

[Motorrad]

Originally Posted by Countdown

I developed a complete new route for New Mexico that follows divide much closer (crosses it 40 times) and has much more 2-tracks. See it on GPSXchange.com.

Would like to do Colorado but got side tracked doing the Great Western Trail.

I cant find it.. is there a link?

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by Motorrad

I cant find it.. is there a link?

You can't find GPSXchange.com? or the CDR?

All my files are in Private Libraries way down home page, and you don't have to post a tracks to download my tracks.

[cms161]

Early in this thread someone stated that the trail was closed to motorized traffic until after July 1. Does anyone know if this is still true today? I was wanting to ride some of it next week.

[NorthernTraveler]

It's open year round... except for the snow! (Well, except for some Forest Service seasonal closures)

Several of those passes might be closed by snow as late as July 1st, but many areas are open much sooner than that.

The highest pass is in southern Colorado, but NM, especially southern NM, should be open much earlier.

So, generally, lower elevations are open sooner, higher elevations are open later!

See! Easy! Have a good ride....