Continental Divide Trail (not GDMBR) thru-ride - looking for local help.

[ScottM]

I've started down the rabbit hole of planning a CDT thru-route for bikepacking.  It's a long, dark and deep one.  And I wouldn't have it any other way!

As far as I know, no one has thru-ridden the trail -- largely because of all the map work required to figure it out!  Well, it's also only 70% complete.

It's a little overwhelming, and the lack of info is both a good thing and a bad thing.  It's hard to tell where the trail actually exists, is unfinished, has been re-reouted, etc.  That's part of the adventure, though.

I figured I would make a post here to see if anyone that lives on/near the route could help me out with a little beta.

I'm digging into New Mexico right now and making good progress, but would love some local MTB knowledge.  I know most of Colorado (except far northern), so am pretty good there.

WY/ID/MT all up next.  Would love to get some contacts of locals that can help on latest conditions/existence and suggest alternates around Wilderness / unbuilt / truly terrible sections.

Post up here or hit me with an email: smorris@topofusion.com

Gracias!

[dream4est]

I will help you anyway I can. I have been dreaming up my own route since 08, when you and Mike posted your trips. A few people have messaged me about it. I have looked at each state and found ways around each wilderness and the 2 or 3 wilderness study areas on the route. Plus the detours around off limits sections such as greys-torreys. Some areas I used the GDMBR to detour around wilderness or national parks.

I want to ride it bad. 2015 maybe? A race someday? I dunno but thats the ultimate goal IMO. I would join you Scott for a run to get that original track. I always hoped you would come out and champion the cause as I dont have the skills to topufusion up the route like you do. I just have my route kind of nailed down by memory now.

Good luck with this I will help anyway I can.

Mark

[ScottM]

Thanks Mark.  It'd be great to pick your brain on what you know.

Eszter and I are planning to thru-ride and explore it, starting mid-May from Crazy Cook.  We'll hole up in a few places for a week+ so I can jump on the computer and get bigger events going (such as Tour Divide).  So I am going to plan the route in chunks.  Looking at NM to Durango right now.  Colorado is pretty well known until heading out of Steamboat...

I think the bikepacking world *might* be ready for a CDT race.  Records in TD/AZT/CT are getting hammered down enough that maybe we are looking for the next challenge.  TransAM ain't it (for me, anyway).

Good lord is it going to be long.  30+ days for the winner?!  The goal is definitely to suss out a route that is a balance between finding amazing places and good trail, without doing completely pointless or ridiculous stuff.  What comes out of the summer will be race-able, if anyone's got the stones to line up...

[dream4est]

WOW!!!!
Thats just the best news ever!

I for one would be willing to line up next year for a race like that. Brilliant!!!

Scott and Eszter you rule!!

I want to watch via trackleaders please.

[ScottM]

We'll be tracking, yeah.

The goal is to have an adventure exploring the CDT and living off the bikes.  Second goal is come up with a route other people can follow, or at least the core of one.  A race could follow.  We'll see.

Thanks for the enthusiasm.  We are getting stoked!

[dream4est]

A race will follow if I have anything to do with it as far as organizing an event with you. Even if it is just me the first year. I have dreamed of this since my first ride on the CDT in 2002, when I rode a section that is now the James Peak Wilderness. Back then I was so dumb I thought Stamstead had done the CDT, not the GDMBR, and wondered how he could do it in 19 days when I couldnt ride from Rollins Pass to Berthoud Pass in one day!!

Ahh the good old days!!!
How far we have all come since then!!
Life is good huh??

[Rooster Cogburn]

Hey Scott,

I was starting to check out information on the northern half of the CDT with a focus on which parts could actually be done with feet on the pedals rather than on the ground.  This site helped guide me to up-to-date GPS tracks and upcoming changes to the route.

https://www.sites.google.com/site/frankgilliland/home

R.C.

[Couloirman]

I had just bought the Ley maps and was starting to map this out as well, but, sounds like you're going to do a way better job than I! I would definitely be in for the race next year depending on dates. Really excited to see what you guys put together.

[ScottM]

Hey Scott,

I was starting to check out information on the northern half of the CDT with a focus on which parts could actually be done with feet on the pedals rather than on the ground.  This site helped guide me to up-to-date GPS tracks and upcoming changes to the route.

https://www.sites.google.com/site/frankgilliland/home

R.C.

Thanks, I hadn't seen that site yet.  There's definitely no consensus for what the CDT is.  90% of thru-hikers still do a number of alternates.  Most seem to use the Ley maps and NOT gps.

Hard to wade through it all sitting at a computer.  Can't wait to get out and ground truth it!

[aaron w]

This sounds absolutely awesome!  Please let me know if I can help in any way.

[ScottM]

Mark, had you looked much at southern CO?

We are thinking about heading from either Wolf Creek or Chama area over to Durango, then taking the CT from there...

CT then up through Keystone/Montezuma over Argentine, Jones, highway over Berthoud, High Lonesome to Granby Lake... lots of unknown CDT between there and Rabbit Ears, but not much Wilderness.  Rabbit to Buffalo Pass and down into town, then I'm not sure if any more of the trail is worth snagging before the last wilderness near the border, or whether Brush Mountain Lodge will be enough reason to stay on the Divide Route (or maybe ride some singletrack in the Bears Ears area on down).

Anyway, just thinking out loud....

[ScottM]

Ah, forgot to mention CDT from Monarch over to Cottonwood, rather than CT, through there.

Most CDT hikers run an alternate that bags Elbert on the way, so, why not?  Eszter... you in for that???

[dream4est]

i had this:
CDT at border to Cumbres Pass
Divide route to turn off for Platoro Road
Take Hidden Lake trail 734 to trail 720 conejos stock driveway
TO empedrado lake trail 742 to acascosa trail 739 to willow mtn trail 737
To Hot creek stock driveway 708 to sawmill gulch trail 759 to
Platoro

Platoro road fs380 to Elwood Pass -CDT
To WOlf Creek Pass

Hwy 160 to lake fork campground
Lake Fork NSRT 836 to FS 430 to FS 430.6
TO Fs 430.5 to FS 438.2 to 438.1
to GOose Creek ROad to Wagon WHeel Gap
Hwy 149 to Creede

Hwy 149 to miners creek road to miners creek trail to cdt backwards to spring creek pass to cuba gulch trail to cinnamon pass road to backwards on 07-08 CTR la garita detour (lake city 2 miles off route) to CDT at mile 12.2 of CT section 18.

CDT to cottonwood pass. COttonwood pass road to CTR collegiate detour to CDT over hope pass
CDT to CTR leadville detour to CDT to Georgia Pass to CT towards Kenosha Pass (CDT on ridge to Whale Peak and then all the way to Sante Fe Peak new trail off limits to cyclists bullshit if you ask me right in my backyard.)
turn north off CT at fs809 to liniger ditch road to county road 202 to hall valley road to handcart gulch road to webster pass
to Montezuma (town) to Peru gulch road to CDT to Argentine pass


Second half to come
I got that kind of detail from memory for the whole route really, Wyo Mt and Id. Just have to look at some map resources like trackleaders CDT page, wilderness.net, etc to write down the actual roads and trails and such.
Maybe we should just talk by phone it would go way faster.

[dream4est]

Scott your latest trail tracker shows the CDT going from Sante Fe peak to Argentine pass on the ridge!!!
My guess is this is the actual new route we cant ride it, like the whale peak to sante fe section

Argentine 4wd road to Silver plume railroad grade trail (pavilion point) to Silver plume. Frontage to Herman gulch trail to CDT to Jones Pass to hwy to Berthoud Pass to Rollins pass road to aquaduct road 128 to high lonesome trail to caribou trail to strawberry creek trail 9 to county road 6

Hwy 34
Grand lake
CDT leaving ROcky mtn natl park
CDT to wolverine trail to road 4 to road 456 to bill creek trail to cdt to illinois pass

CDT to not quite buffalo pass ( Fish creek falls trail). fish creek to steamboat springs. This section has some awesome riding like you mentioned, not in any wilderness area for awhile. Poison ridge and arapahoe ridge sections are amazing my local friend has ridden them in a loop they look sweet. IMO descending fish creek is a colorado must do buffalo pass has a trail part the way down on left that goes into town (spring creek) but it is not nearly the technical trail fish creek is

steamboat- north on elk river road 129 to seedhouse road 64 to south fork campground to trail 1100.3a to trail 1100 swamp park trail
to road 443 to three island lake trail to 443 to three island lake trail again to cdt to border

I think that seedhouse rd turn is about 5-6 miles before steamboat lake. I am not really sure where the brush mtn lodge is I assumed it was near the lake I havent got my TD maps yet dont know all that stuff.

That was a brain melter right there. I am gonna see contour lines in my sleep.

[Couloirman]

Ah, forgot to mention CDT from Monarch over to Cottonwood, rather than CT, through there.

Most CDT hikers run an alternate that bags Elbert on the way, so, why not?  Eszter... you in for that???

Do it! I wish the CTR would add Mt Elbert as well. Seems perfectly in line with the mission of the race.

[dream4est]

Scott as you see my Co route has resupply or hotel/motel at:
Platoro
Creede
CT yurt in section 22
Lake CIty 2 mi off route
Mineral Mtn Ranch on LA Garita detour- my secret CTR place. Only one other rider has used in  CTR, 2007, not sure who it was. 60 bucks for a trailer is a steal in the middle of nowhere. I bought a $20 lunch there too it was tasty.
Bill Applewait- but you cant count on him. Apple said I was a hard man last year when I met him for the 5th time. I appreciated the comment coming from him he has seen it all hiking wise.
Monarch Pass restaurant/store
Tin Cup (off route- one restaurant maybe some lodging). The oldest coolest town you will ever check out though. Right out of the 1880's.
Taylor Lake Store is 6-7 miles off route west on Cottonwood Pass Road. Emergency option. Easier to just crest the railroad grade Pass 2-3 miles and roll into Buena.
Buena Vista
Leadville and the awesome Leadville Hostel ask for Wild Bill.
Copper
Breck off route- but hwy 9 gas station 1 mile north is closer
Grant is off route about 5 miles from Hall Valley area. Only one hotel right next to food and soda at the liquor store.
Montezuma- cant remember whats there if there is a store it would be tiny. Keystone is nearby but about 8 miles off route? Easy dirt/pave.
Silver Plume- bakery/rest and a tea house and a lame general store and a bar/rest. Georgetown 2 miles off route.
Winter Park- resort closer to trail town a little farther off route- maybe 1 mile difference on pave.
Devils Thumb- resort near Granby right off High Lonesome Trail
Grand Lake- main town a little off route hwy stuff on route.
Steamboat Springs
Brush mtn lodge- off route ? miles

Next resupply is Rawlins so pack heavy!! It looks like a long stretch

[Eszter]

Ah, forgot to mention CDT from Monarch over to Cottonwood, rather than CT, through there.

Most CDT hikers run an alternate that bags Elbert on the way, so, why not?  Eszter... you in for that???

Elbert, eh? I guess that's what I get for saying 'You do the mapping work, I'll just come along and provide witty conversation.'

[THE LONG RANGER]

There's also the Ride along the Divide book,

http://radtrek.com/

To gain some inspiration.

[dream4est]

Scott I just talked to an employee of Devils Thumb, a resort right near/on the High Lonesome Trail. Add that to your list of resupply/lodging. They have an amazing resort, just completed a remodel they started in 2007 or so. Dinner or Lunch or a room sounds nice if you hit Winter Park too early for a rest.

[chrisx]

http://francistapon.com/Travels/Continental-Divide-Trail/CDT-Maps-by-Jonathan-Ley
will this help at all