The Tour Divide is a 2, 745 mile unsupported, off-road mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, on the Mexican border, following the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route created by the Adventure Cycling Association. The route closely follows the spine of the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. It is mountainous and remote with over 200,000 vertical feet of climbing and 29 crossings of the divide. Weather is unpredictable - high passes are snow-covered; torrential rain showers are common; and heat persists in the badlands of the New Mexican plateau.



The route is unmarked and circuitous, traveling through Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and the US states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico (map). It travels through remote back country on dirt roads, jeep trails and forgotten mountain passes.



The Tour Divide tests ones endurance, navigational, mechanical and decision making skills; along with hydration, nutrition and shelter challenges. And of course the Grizzleys and Mountain Lions call this land their home!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Snow Conditions are Biblical


Snow pack up North is severe and without a real warming trend happening fast it sounds like there may be a reroute or two.  An adventure it will be!! 

Crossing the Continental Divide 29 times means many high passes and unless snow conditions retreat in the next couple weeks there will be lots of pushing and slogging through snow, and melting snow and mud.  Parts of the Flathead received more snow in the month of April than December through March combined.   Not surprising considering a week ago we had a bunch of snow dump in our foothills and blanket Bogus and Brundage.  I can't even get down the other side of Bogus at the moment because of the level of snow!

....................

This is a great article on the '08 Tour Divide by Outside Magazine.............enjoy.




Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)