This lit a fire in my belly. No warm-up day for this group! The GDT (Great Divide Trail) is a long distance hike along the Continental Divide in Canada. Snow or cold rain is possible any day of the year at some of the elevations encountered, and hypothermia is an ever-present possibility. Leave an itinerary with a trusted person at home. Mesas, cliff lines, volcanic formations, and mountain ranges that seem to pop right out of the desert floor are major visual features of this area. Also be aware that showers, flush toilets, potable water, and laundromats can be few and far between. Careful planning will be required to ensure that you have enough food to get you through (though surface water and primitive campgrounds are plentiful). The vegetation thins out into valleys with many different varieties of sage and high-elevation alpine woods. Have a look at www.greatdividetrail.com for more history behind the trail… With the exception of the Great Basin in Wyoming, you will be either gaining elevation, or descending, for the entire route. Tekarra. This route can be ridden anytime from early summer to mid-fall. From southern Wyoming to northern New Mexico, you'll be in the Colorado Rockies. Regardless of when you strike out or how long you intend to be there, pack along raingear and cold-weather clothing. Keri Bowzaylo. Getting up and riding early to avoid the afternoon thundershowers is advisable. Share your best travel photo. The ascents on the route stretch out to long mountainous climbs at elevations starting at 8,000 feet or above. Length 839.0 mi Elevation gain 43,661 ft Route type Loop Mountain biking Nature trips Ohv / off road driving Views On the other hand you’ll reference your resupply list multiple times a day. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in doing the Great Divide. It is also noted for its friendly people. Like most Canadian trails, particularly those outside the national parks, the GDT is less pronounced and signed than those in the Lower 48. The entire route is basically dirt-road and mountain-pass riding every day. Nearly 2,100 miles of the route is composed of county, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Canadian provincial unpaved roads. Monture de Mario Hamel, telle que vue sur bikepacking.com. The remoteness of this route translates to long stretches of country without basic services, particularly emergency services. ), 1. Surfaces range from pavement, good gravel roads, four-wheel-drive roads, singletrack, or old railroad beds. Google Drive preview function doesn’t work due to the large file size of the maps (282MB) so you have to download the entire file. There is still a lot of planning you should consider doing before you get out on the route. © 1997-2020 Adventure Cycling Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Rules of the Trail, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Recreation Sites and Trails, Grand Mesa Uncompaghre and Gunnison National Forests, Antelope Wells and Columbus, New Mexico border crossings, CANADA - Jasper, AB to Roosville, MT (589.1 mi. Back road riding all the way from Canada to the Mexican border. If leftover food or other attractants must be burned, do so in a contained fire stove or in an appropriate container over a campfire, then pack out the ash. Chris Seistrup from Arizona was the first to finish this year's race with a time of 15 days 11 hours and 24 minutes. Temperatures tend to be chilly at night and cool to warm in the days as you are in mountainous regions most of the way. A thru hiker of some renown, the 43-year-old Colorado resident first hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011, a feat he has since repeated twice. The GDTA is developing a Great Divide Alternate Horse Route that follows the hiking trail where possible and deviates where horses cannot travel. Thanks to Dan Durston for putting these together! It is a route to be enjoyed for its diversity. Sunday, March 29, 2020 The GDT uses a patchwork of shorter trails, some of which are well-maintained and popular and some of which are the exact opposite. The Great Western Loop is approximately 6,875 miles long, with the exact distance being determined primarily by the length of the self-made segment across the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts and the exact route choices along the Continental Divide Trail. Montana is characterized by mountainous riding in tall forests with occasional dips into small towns. The high point on Great Divide Canada, Elk Pass, is a mere 6,443 feet. Stans Crest wheels. Trail Ride to the Great Divide. We highly recommend protecting tires against “goathead thorns” in one of three ways: 1. Read more. All services are minimal at best, except near larger towns, and cell phone coverage is only about 5 percent of the route. The route crisscrosses the Continental Divide from north to south starting in Banff, Alberta, Canada and finishing at the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. After dropping into the twin ghost towns of South Pass and Atlantic City, you will cross the Great Basin — a place of almost no drinkable water and no trees. Helpful. Instead, this trail delivers so much more; part wilderness, part rugged equestrian and game trail, and yes, part hiking trail. Farther on there's the unforgetable sensation of riding on the crest of the divide for several miles. Water, and inflatable mattresses add comfort and warmth redesigned the maps organizer to stay informed on future events from. 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