The Continental Divide
 

The Continental Divide route is non pavement and follows the Rockies all the way from Banff in Canada to the border between the US and Mexico. The ride is 2600 miles and generally takes 12 or so days making it ideal for those of you who only get 2 weeks vacation in the Summer. I am hoping to complete this trip, ideally from north to south, in July 2014 and I am looking for someone who would like to share the experience :mchappy:

Is there a route description or maps available like the back country discovery routes? Sounds interesting.

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Yes, check advrider in the trip planning section. There's a few threads on it and Big Dog has made free GPS tracks of the whole trail.

Darbya,

What bike are you riding on it?

DRZ400 simply because that is the bike that I currently own and the one I did the TCAT on.

You can also get maps from the Adventure Cycling Association and I have a set of these on the way.

I did that route in 2012 on a bicycle, using the adventure cycling maps and no GPS. I made one wrong turn, but that was it. Pretty easy to follow.

A friend of mine is doing it around the same time but heading north. Look out for GS with a side car - say hello to Craig for me.

I will. Not sure how much mud there will be and how the side car handles it. Have to have a beer with him jeiger

Yeah, they can come in handy as will the book. I used just the book and Bigdogs GPS tracks on it last summer. The DRZ will be perfect for the trail. There is quite a bit of Tarmac riding, but when it rains, I'd much rather have that DRZ than the GSA I took on it.

Howdy Darbya! Twowheels03 gave me heads up on this thread. Indeed SWMBO and I will be doing the CDR starting in late June going from south to north with our sidecar rig:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...2/DSCF1098.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...psdf966c7d.jpg

We live in Southern California and we own land just outside of Anaconda Montana. Having lived and worked through out Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, I've always wanted to do this route and finally get to see Colorado and New Mexico. My planning for late June early July was to allow for snow melt in Colorado but yet be early enough to avoid most of the July thunderstorms, and much of the hottest time of the year through New Mexico. I also wanted to be in Anaconda for the 4th of July.

I've been obsessively researching and studying the route for a while. Over on ADVrider there are a fair number of ride reports and GPS tracks, with the best tracks being BigDogs and Cannonshots. The CD Trail (CDT) that the bicycles follow has sections that motorcycles can not follow (due to a number of different reasons). The CD Route (CDR) overlaps the CDT for most of the way.

I'm not too concerned with mud as once most of these roads get muddy, it is a sticky mess that packs in around your wheels and fenders and pretty much becomes impassable no matter what you are on/in. You either wait for the road to dry out or you bypass on the tarmac.

Good to hear from you Strong Bad. I like the rig and it is clear that you have done a lot more research than me. I was going to do the ride from south to north but I have decided to ride back to Halifax via the deep south which is somewhere that I have never been. Unfortunately I think that I will hit the thunderstorms hard in New Mexico but hey ho and as you said I could always go round via the tarmac.

:palm:

The weather here has been pretty screwy this year. Out here in Southern California, we are in the worst drought in over 100 years, while in the middle of the country and on the east coast they have been getting hammered with more snow and cold than they've seen in years. So I'm not laying any bets on the weather. The thunder storms while strong and dump a lot of rain, can be quite localized.

We have a "hard" schedule to be in Pinedale Wyo. on June 30th through July 2nd where a co-worker's family run a lodge and we made reservations. Then from July 3rd through July 6th we will be in Anaconda, Montana where we have property (raw undeveloped land). You are free to join us in Anaconda if your timing fits, otherwise if you see us on the trail, flags us down!!

Strong Bad thanks for the offer of dropping in to see you in Anaconda if the dates work out. Never the less let's hope to meet on the trail.

Does anyone have any thoughts on riding the trail alone? My bike skills are decidedly very average

Well, we are doing it kinda solo as we will be alone in the sidecar.

Please note as I stated before, that there is a Continental Divide TRAIL (CDT) and there is also a Continental Divide ROUTE (or ride if you wish) (CDR). The CDT is a route for hikers and bicyclists and has sections of single track trail through areas where motorized travel is NOT allowed. The CDR is primarily US Forest Service dirt roads of various quality with sections of tarmac connecting them.

An average rider should be able to do the CDR IF that average rider was smart and not riding over his head. The ride reports over on ADVrider has lots of pictures, including plenty of pics of guys that have crashed and the type of terrain they crashed in. A few soft spots and occasional muddy sections is it.

Thanks matey. Happy with that and suspect that I will be doing the route solo. Not fussed by that since majority of my other trips have been solo. I will add it to my blog when I am finished.
Potted Roads and Bumpy Tracks

a few places that wont work for a side car
 

I heartily support your idea to do the CDR with a side car. belo are sme segments that wont work:
NM - Mt taylor to Cuba- there are some parts of deep sand and deep, muddy,steep arroyo crossings. Cool alternatives are easily available(via Pueblo pintado).
Cuba to Abique NM- depending on who's route this could be a a minefield of of babyhood boulders. Many excellent alternatives are available through the Sante Fe NF.
Hopewell to Colorado- avoid the section above Lagunitas lake(nastiest in the route) and go instead to los Pinos and make an end around to conejos.
Colorado is easy, best part is Colorado river north
Wyoming is easy but slightly sandy in the great basin
Montana is spectacular but avoid the obvious extreme options.

Sidecar tips
 

Pasomonte,

Thanks for the tips! They are a very welcome addition to the information I've been collecting!

I'm following Cannon Shot's GPS files and have created KML files from them so I can preview the route on Google Earth and on Google Maps.

Regarding the Mt. Taylor to Cuba section. I would be very disappointed to miss this section as this appears to be some of the most remote areas of NM. With my rig, I can handle anything that a standard pick up can do without 4x4. Sand is not too much of a problem unless it is deep enough that, again in a pickup, you would need to air down and use 4x4 to plow through.

If you would recommend nothing less than a 4x4 pickup for this sction, do you know the area well enough to be able to comment on the following alternative?

From Grants head north to hwy 509 and then take 509 towards Pueblo Pintado, but rather than all the way up to Pueblo Pintado, take Indian Service Route 7004 to hwy 197.

Regarding the nasty section above Lagunitas Lake. You are saying to turn off of Cannon Shots route (following [87] at that point) and onto [87A] [443] Los Pinos River Access Road to Conejo Colorado? Then from Conejo, take Hwy 79 west to where it intersects the route again, right?

Thanks again for your input!