Recently I’ve been getting more interested in biking—partly because Sharon likes biking and I like doing outdoor things with her.
A month or so ago I discovered the Great Divide Bike Trail—roughly paralleling the 2600 mile Continental Divide Trail from Canada to Mexico but all on forest service roads and open to trail bikes. Just last week I met two guys from Minnesota who were actually driving their off-road motorcycles down the Montana-Wyoming section.
So while I was out here I dropped in on the headquarters of Adventure Cycling in Missoula, Montana last week and picked up the entire set of maps for this bike trail. (I also got the meet the founder of Adventure Cycling, formerly Bikecentenial whom I had connected with in 1976 when I was leading a cross country bicycle touring program called Ezekiel’s Wheels.
Anyway, I am sorta’ entranced by this trail—and doing it on some kind of bike. So we drove to the little town on the Canadian border where it begins, Roosville (icture me beside the road at the border crossing) , then drove in our car the first 40-50 miles. Our Toyota is not really designed for four-wheeling, but driving slowly we were able to make it up to the first pass and get a feel for the route.
I’m letting the idea marinate a while, and looking over the maps for a few months yet, but I might do this route on a trail bike (or even do it first on a motorized trail bike to check it out further). Who knows, maybe I’ll find someone around who wants to do the route too-or at least the top two states.
A month or so ago I discovered the Great Divide Bike Trail—roughly paralleling the 2600 mile Continental Divide Trail from Canada to Mexico but all on forest service roads and open to trail bikes. Just last week I met two guys from Minnesota who were actually driving their off-road motorcycles down the Montana-Wyoming section.
So while I was out here I dropped in on the headquarters of Adventure Cycling in Missoula, Montana last week and picked up the entire set of maps for this bike trail. (I also got the meet the founder of Adventure Cycling, formerly Bikecentenial whom I had connected with in 1976 when I was leading a cross country bicycle touring program called Ezekiel’s Wheels.
Anyway, I am sorta’ entranced by this trail—and doing it on some kind of bike. So we drove to the little town on the Canadian border where it begins, Roosville (icture me beside the road at the border crossing) , then drove in our car the first 40-50 miles. Our Toyota is not really designed for four-wheeling, but driving slowly we were able to make it up to the first pass and get a feel for the route.
I’m letting the idea marinate a while, and looking over the maps for a few months yet, but I might do this route on a trail bike (or even do it first on a motorized trail bike to check it out further). Who knows, maybe I’ll find someone around who wants to do the route too-or at least the top two states.
Posted from Salt Lake City, Utah... as we coast southward down the Rocky mountains to wherever....
--keith drury
10 comments:
A biking trip might be nice for you guys again. I remember the scooter trip in VA but this one sounds interesting.How hard would it be on a bicycle?
Looking forward to having you home.
Sounds great! Esp. since you have been enamored with the continental divide trail since you wrapped up the PCT, but have been reluctant to commit finishing it for a number of good reasons. So I am glad you discovered this alternative, and that Mom can perhaps participate a bit. Maybe I can do a piece of it someday with you!
I dropped some spiffy Cardinal Greenway maps in your rent slot. Turns out the Gaston to Losantville section (~30 miles) is pretty nice.
Here's the site for a coast-to-coast trail: http://www.discoverytrail.org/
ADAM..thanks--sharon and I have done Gaston to the Muncie headquarters of the Greenway twice, but still ha ve the other half to Gaston to do. Also Pence's and Hoffman's have also done the northern half of that section, so if you two cetch up maybe we can all do the bottom half together some time?
Just talked to little Thada about the lower half of the Cardinal. He said he will drop off maps this afternoon. I like the idea of doing a bike trip on the CDT. Sounds like another adventure - one with maps:-)
BURT. I bought the entire map set for the Great Divide Trail... I'll loan them to you, you will recognize many of the spots...we've already hiked near them.
Maybe we've got something here for the future..
kd
I'm up for something on a weekend this fall. Whatever works for you school folks.
IWU - Gaston: 5 mi to Jonesboro, then 13.5 mi on Wheeling Pike Rd to Gaston
Gaston - Losantville: ~30 mi of nice trail - could break off anywhere in Muncie
Losantville - Richmond: ~17 mi, first 10 of which is "unimproved" (which i think is still rideable...?)
Anyway, the map is nice.
Hmm - I like the sound of it. Thanks for the idea/
Sounds like an awesome trail, in amazingly beautiful country, I should know I used to live in Colorado Springs. Thanks for the tips on the KT it was great, being outdoors again.
Prof - - you don't know how happy I am to have read this entry. Jason and I were planning on finishing the PCT this summer when we discovered we were expecting our first kidlet. I have been thinking of things we can do other than long distance hikes, big inspired journeys, yes, but that are better suited to a little one.
This just might be our answer. A family bike trip roughly paralleling the CDT. Hmmm.....
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